Travelling through Sweden by campervan is a wonderful way to experience the country slowly. With endless forests, quiet lakes, small towns and peaceful roads, Sweden feels made for this kind of journey. It is a country where the beauty often lies in simple moments: stopping by the water, cooking outside the van or waking up surrounded by nature.
During our three weeks in Sweden, we enjoyed the freedom of travelling at our own pace. We did not try to see everything, because Sweden is far too large for that. Instead, we focused on a relaxed route with scenic stops, time outdoors and enough flexibility to adapt along the way.
In this guide, we share our 3 week Sweden road trip itinerary by campervan, including our favourite stops, practical tips and what to know before planning a similar trip.
If you have not decided on your next destination yet, we also prepared an overview on our 10 Best campervan road trips in Europe.
3 Week Sweden Road Trip – Quick Overview
Our 3 week Sweden road trip took us through forests, lakes, coastal areas and peaceful countryside. Travelling by campervan allowed us to move slowly, stop in nature and experience a quieter side of the country.
Sweden is large, and distances can quickly become longer than expected. For that reason, we found it much more enjoyable to focus on fewer places and spend more time outdoors instead of rushing from one destination to the next.
This itinerary is ideal if you enjoy slow travel, scenic roads, quiet nature and the flexibility that campervan travel offers.
Looking for a campervan rental for your trip? If you don’t have your own van, platforms like CamperDays and Goboony can help you compare campervan rental options for your destination and travel dates. CamperDays is useful for comparing professional rental companies, while Goboony offers many privately owned campervans and motorhomes. We recommend checking availability early, especially for school holidays and summer road trips, as family-friendly campervans can book out quickly.
Map of Our 3 Week Sweden Road Trip
To help visualise the route, the map below shows the main places we visited during our 3 week road trip through Sweden. Seeing the route on a map makes it easier to understand the distances and plan realistic driving days.
Travelling by campervan gave us the freedom to adjust the itinerary depending on the weather, how we felt and the places we discovered along the way. Some of our favourite stops were not big attractions, but quiet places surrounded by forests, lakes or open landscapes.
- Malmö, Sweden
- Lund, Sweden
- Ystad, Sweden
- Kåseberga, Ystad, Sweden
- Karlskrona, Sweden
- Gränna, Sweden
- Vättern, Ödeshög, Sweden
- Vadstena, Sweden
- Stockholm, Sweden
- Falun, Sweden
- Sveg, Sweden
- Strömstad, Sweden
- Gothenburg, Sweden
- Tanum, Sweden
- Grebbestad, Tanum, Sweden
- Smögen, Smögen, Sweden
- Fjällbacka, Tanum, Sweden
- Kungshamn, Sweden
- Marstrand, Kungälv, Sweden
- Mora, Sweden
- Östersund, Sweden
Why Visit Sweden by Campervan?
Sweden is one of the best countries in Europe for a campervan road trip if you enjoy nature and space. The roads are generally good, traffic is often calm outside the larger cities and there are many opportunities to stop in beautiful surroundings.
What makes Sweden special is the sense of freedom. The landscapes are wide and peaceful, and there is always another lake, forest road or picnic spot to discover. Travelling by campervan makes it easy to enjoy these places without needing a strict plan every day.
For families, Sweden can also be a very comfortable destination. Many activities are outdoors, the atmosphere feels calm and children have plenty of space to move, play and explore.
How to get there
By Plane
If you are renting your campervan directly at your destination, it might be better to take a plane to Sweden. You can easily adapt our itinerary by starting from Stockholm. You should take some time to understand and organise your campervan before starting your road trip. It might therefore be useful to book an accomodation for the first night.
By ferry
When traveling with your campervan to Sweden, you can easily take the ferry. This allows you to relax without putting unnecessary kilometers on your camper. You can book your ferry on Directferries. When travelling to Sweden ourselves, we took the ferry from Travemünde in Germany to Malmö, which took us 9 hours.
Best things to do during a 3 Week Sweden Road Trip
One of the best parts of travelling through Sweden by campervan is the variety of places you can experience in a single trip. The route can combine cities, historic towns, islands, lakes, forests and coastal landscapes without ever feeling too repetitive. Some days are focused on culture and sightseeing, while others are much slower, with time by the water or long drives through quiet northern landscapes.
Below are some of the main stops and experiences we included during our 3 week Sweden road trip.
Malmö
Malmö is a good first stop when arriving in southern Sweden. The city is relaxed, easy to explore and offers a gentle introduction to the country. Walking through the centre, you find a mix of modern architecture, historic streets and open squares. The waterfront area also gives the city a spacious feeling, and it is a pleasant place to walk after a day on the road. For a campervan trip, Malmö works well as a calm urban stop before heading further into the Swedish countryside.
During our trip, we spent the night at this campervan place in order to visit Malmö the next morning.
Lund, Ystad and Käseberga
From Malmö, we continued towards Lund, one of Sweden’s oldest and most charming university towns. The historic centre is compact and easy to explore, with cobbled streets, cafés and the impressive cathedral at its heart. It is a lovely place for a short walk and a relaxed morning.
Ystad offers a different atmosphere, with colourful houses, quiet streets and a coastal setting. It feels small and peaceful, making it a nice stop during a road trip through southern Sweden. Nearby Käseberga is known for Ales Stenar, a striking stone ship monument overlooking the sea. The setting is beautiful, with wide views across the coastline and open fields. It is one of those places where history and landscape come together in a very simple but memorable way.
As the region is quite difficult for campervans, we can recommend the paid Campervan parking area in Käseberga. The spot is quite nice and the famous stones from the bronze age, Ales Stenar, were just a short walk away. This allows you to visit the place in the evening or early in the morning.
Karlskrona and Öland
Karlskrona is a coastal city spread across several islands and has a strong maritime character. The city feels different from other Swedish towns, with water always close by and a calm harbour atmosphere. You can visit historic ships and a Naval Museum. It is a nice place to walk around and enjoy the sea views before continuing the journey.
The city offers a free campervan area a bit outside so bikes are recommended to visit the city center and its harbour.
From there, crossing to Öland adds a completely new feeling to the road trip. The island has open landscapes, beaches, windmills and long straight roads that make it enjoyable to explore by campervan. Öland feels peaceful and spacious, and it is a good place to slow down for a while.
Öland and the “glass road”
Spending more time on Öland allows you to enjoy the island at a slower pace. The landscapes are open and gentle, with a mix of farmland, coastline and small villages. It is the kind of place where simple stops become enjoyable, whether by the sea, near a lighthouse or along a quiet road.
In order to head further north, you can take the so-called “glass road” all the way up to lake Vättern. The region is famous for its glassware as glass making has been a traditional craft in the country as from the 15th century. On your way to the North, you can visit the glassware museum with its exposition on “Six centuries of Swedish glassware” in order to know more about this part of the local economy.
We can recommend this beautiful and quiet lake spot on the road with an amazing sunset at your own private beach.
Lake Vättern: Gränna, Alvastra Monastery and Vadstena Castle
The area around Lake Vättern was one of the more varied parts of the route. Gränna is a charming town known for its traditional candy canes, and it makes a pleasant stop during a driving day. The colourful shops and lakeside setting give it a cheerful atmosphere.
Alvastra Monastery offers a quieter and more atmospheric experience. The ruins are peaceful and surrounded by nature, making it a lovely place to walk around and imagine the history of the site. Further along the lake, Vadstena Castle adds another impressive stop. Its position by the water makes the castle especially scenic, and the town itself is also pleasant to explore.
Together, these places make Lake Vättern a rewarding area to include in a Sweden campervan itinerary.
Stockholm
Stockholm is an excellent city stop during a longer Sweden road trip. After several days of smaller towns and nature, the capital offers a very different rhythm. The city is built across islands, which gives it a unique atmosphere, with water, bridges and green spaces everywhere.
The old town, Gamla Stan, is one of the most atmospheric areas to explore, with narrow streets, colourful buildings and historic squares. Stockholm also offers many museums, parks and waterfront walks, making it easy to adapt the visit depending on your interests and the weather. For families, the city has plenty to do without feeling too overwhelming.
Stockholm Archipelago – Grinda island
A visit to Grinda is a beautiful way to experience the Stockholm archipelago. Reached by boat from the city, the island feels calm, green and far away from urban life. The boat journey itself is already part of the experience, passing through the islands and quiet waters of the archipelago.
Once on Grinda, the best thing to do is simply slow down. You can walk along small paths, enjoy sea views, swim in summer or relax by the water. It is a peaceful stop and offers a very different side of Sweden compared with the mainland route.
Alternatively, you can also book a boat tour around the Stockholm Archipelago in order to get a good overview.
Falun Copper Mine and Lake Siljan
Further north, Falun Copper Mine is one of the most interesting cultural stops in Sweden. The mine has played an important role in Swedish history, and visiting it gives a strong impression of the scale and importance of the site. It is a good place to break up the route with something educational and different.
After Falun, the area around Lake Siljan offers a more peaceful atmosphere again. The lake is surrounded by forests, small towns and traditional red wooden houses, creating a very Swedish landscape. It is a lovely region for slower travel and scenic stops by the water.
Lake Life in Sveg
Around Sveg, the journey becomes quieter and more remote. This part of Sweden is perfect for enjoying simple lake life, with peaceful surroundings, fresh air and a slower rhythm. It is not necessarily about ticking off attractions, but more about enjoying the feeling of space.
For us, these kinds of stops are exactly why travelling by campervan in Sweden is so rewarding. You can spend time by the water, cook outside, let children play and enjoy a quiet evening surrounded by nature.
Road Trip to the North and Reindeer Watching
Driving further north gives a real sense of how large and wild Sweden is. The roads become quieter, the landscapes more spacious and the distances between places longer. This part of the journey feels very different from the south and adds a sense of adventure to the trip.
One of the most memorable experiences in northern Sweden is seeing reindeer along the road or in the surrounding landscapes. It is a simple but special moment, especially if you are travelling with children. The possibility of spotting reindeer makes the long drives feel more exciting and reminds you that you are moving into a very different part of the country.
Because distances are long, it is important to take your time in this part of the route. Planning fuel stops, food and overnight places becomes more important, but the feeling of space and quiet makes it worth the effort.
Bohuslän Coast: Strömstad and Tanum Rock Carvings
The Bohuslän coast was one of the most beautiful parts of the journey. The landscape here feels completely different, with rocky shores, small fishing villages and views across the sea. Strömstad is a good starting point for exploring this coastal region, with a relaxed harbour atmosphere and easy access to the surrounding area.
Nearby rock carvings add a fascinating historical element to the route. Seeing these ancient carvings in the landscape connects the coast with a much older past and makes the stop more meaningful than just another viewpoint.
You can spend the night on the large parking area of the Tanum rock carvings museum. The carvings are accessible even outside the opening hours. So we would recommend to visit either early in the morning or late in the evening.
Bohuslän Coast: Grebbestad, Fjällbacka and Kungshamn
Continuing along the Bohuslän coast, towns such as Grebbestad, Fjällbacka and Kungshamn offer some of the most scenic coastal stops in western Sweden. Each place has its own atmosphere, but they all share the same connection to the sea.
Fjällbacka is especially beautiful, with colourful houses, rocky surroundings and views over the archipelago. Grebbestad and Kungshamn also make pleasant stops for walking, eating by the water or simply enjoying the coastal scenery. This part of Sweden feels ideal for slow campervan travel, as the distances between places are short and every stop offers something beautiful.
We spent the night in Kungshamn with a view on these cabins.
Bohuslän Coast: Smögen and the Fjord Landscape
Smögen is one of the most iconic places on the Bohuslän coast. Its colourful wooden houses, harbour and famous boardwalk make it a lively and very photogenic stop. Although it can be busy, it is still worth visiting, especially if you enjoy coastal towns and sea views.
The surrounding fjord landscape adds to the beauty of the area. Driving through this part of Sweden offers a mix of rocky islands, water views and small roads leading to peaceful corners of the coast. It is one of the most scenic areas of the entire route.
Bohuslän Coast: Lake Life and Kayaking
After several coastal towns, slowing down by a lake or quiet stretch of water feels especially enjoyable. The Bohuslän region offers many opportunities for kayaking, swimming or simply spending time outside. Kayaking is a wonderful way to experience the landscape from a different perspective, moving quietly across the water between rocks, islands or forested shores.
For families, this kind of stop can be one of the most relaxing parts of the trip. It gives everyone time to pause, enjoy nature and take a break from sightseeing.
We had taken our own inflatable kayak with us, which allowed us to stop on any lake we liked and enjoy the view from the water.
Bohuslän Coast: Marstrand
Marstrand makes a beautiful final stop along the Bohuslän coast. The island is known for its coastal scenery, sailing atmosphere and historic fortress. Walking around the island gives you wide views of the sea and a real sense of the Swedish west coast.
It is a lovely place to end this part of the itinerary, combining nature, history and seaside charm. After several weeks on the road, Marstrand feels like a memorable final highlight before continuing the journey home.
We recommend the paid motorhome area on the mainland just at the ferry. The ferry ride only takes a few minutes and the boats run basically all the time until late in the evening.
Our 3 weeks Sweden campervan itinerary
| Day 1 | campervan rental or Ferry |
| Day 2 | Malmö |
| Day 3 | Lund, Ystad, Käseberga |
| Day 4 | Karlskrona, Öland |
| Day 5 | Öland, glassware museum |
| Day 6 | Lake Vättern: Gränna, Alvastra Monastery and Vadstena Castle |
| Day 7 | Stockholm |
| Day 8 | Grinda |
| Day 9 | Falun Copper Mine, lake Siljun |
| Day 10 | Lake life in Sveg |
| Day 11 | Road trip to the North – Reindeer Watching |
| Day 12 | Road trip to the North – Reindeer Watching |
| Day 13 | Road back South |
| Day 14 | Bohuslän coast – Strömstad – Rock carvings |
| Day 15 | Bohuslän Coast – Grebbestad – FjÄllbacka – Kungshamn |
| Day 16 | Bohuslän Coast – SmÖgen -Fjord |
| Day 17 | Bohuslän Coast – Lake life and kayaking |
| Day 18 | Bohuslän Coast – Marstrand |
| Day 19 | Kayaking and Road back to Malmö |
| Day 20 | Malmö and/or ferry |
| Day 21 | Road back home |
Travelling Sweden by Campervan with Children
Sweden is a very enjoyable country for a family campervan trip. The calm atmosphere, natural spaces and many outdoor stops make it easy to travel with children.
Lakes, forests and simple picnic places provide plenty of opportunities to take breaks and spend time outside. This helps make driving days more manageable and gives children space to move and play.
For families, the key is to keep the route flexible. Instead of planning long driving days, it is better to include regular stops and allow the rhythm of the trip to stay relaxed. Sweden works very well for this kind of slow family travel.
Tips for a Campervan Road Trip in Sweden
Sweden is a very good country for campervan travel, especially if you enjoy nature and quiet places. However, the country is large, so it is important not to underestimate driving distances.
We found the trip much more enjoyable when we avoided planning too much driving in one day. Shorter driving days allowed us to stop more often, spend time outdoors and enjoy the surroundings without feeling rushed.
It is also useful to plan grocery shopping and fuel stops in advance when travelling through quieter areas. While Sweden is well organised, services can be further apart outside larger towns. Having enough food, water and basic campervan equipment makes the journey more comfortable.
Even in summer, evenings can feel cool, especially near lakes or in more remote areas. Warm layers, a blanket and a simple outdoor setup can make evenings outside the van much more enjoyable.
Budget for a 3 Week Sweden Road Trip
Sweden can be more expensive than some other European countries, but travelling by campervan helps keep costs flexible. Fuel, food and overnight stays are usually the main expenses.
Cooking your own meals in the van can reduce the overall budget, especially on a longer trip. Supermarkets are easy to find in most towns, although prices can be higher than in southern Europe.
Campsites are useful when you need showers, electricity or laundry facilities, while more basic overnight options can help keep costs lower. As with any campervan trip, the final budget depends on how often you use campsites, how far you drive and how many paid activities you include.
Best Time for a Sweden Campervan Road Trip
The best time for a campervan road trip in Sweden is from late spring to early autumn. During this period, the days are long, the weather is milder and it is easier to spend time outdoors.
Summer is especially beautiful, with long daylight hours and many opportunities to enjoy lakes, forests and coastal areas. It is also the best time if you are travelling with children and want to spend as much time outside as possible.
Early autumn can also be a lovely time to visit. The landscapes begin to change colour, there are fewer people and the atmosphere becomes quieter. However, temperatures drop and the days become shorter, so it is worth preparing for cooler evenings.
What to Pack for a Sweden Campervan Trip
Packing well can make a big difference during a campervan trip in Sweden. Because the weather can change and evenings can feel cool even in summer, warm clothing is important.
A few items we found especially useful were a warm blanket, mosquito protection, such as insect repellent and mosquito coils, a good power bank, outdoor chairs and a simple cooking setup. If you enjoy spending time outside, these small things make daily life on the road much more comfortable.
For longer trips, practical items such as a laundry line, basic cleaning equipment and enough storage also help keep the van organised.
FAQ – 3 Week Sweden Road Trip by Campervan
Is three weeks enough for a Sweden road trip?
Yes, three weeks is a good amount of time for a Sweden road trip, especially if you want to travel slowly and enjoy nature. Sweden is large, so it is better to focus on selected regions rather than trying to see everything.
Is Sweden good for campervan travel?
Yes, Sweden is excellent for campervan travel. The country offers beautiful nature, quiet roads, lakes, forests and many opportunities for outdoor stops.
Can you wild camp in Sweden with a campervan?
Sweden has a strong outdoor culture, but campervan overnight stays should still be done respectfully and according to local rules. It is important not to disturb nature, block access or stay where signs prohibit overnight parking.
What is the best time for a Sweden campervan road trip?
Late spring to early autumn is usually the best time. Summer offers long days and mild weather, while early autumn can be quieter and very scenic.
Is Sweden expensive for a campervan trip?
Sweden can be relatively expensive, especially for food, fuel and campsites. However, travelling by campervan allows you to cook your own meals and keep accommodation costs more flexible.
Is Sweden good for a campervan trip with children?
Yes, Sweden is a great destination for a family campervan trip. The calm roads, outdoor lifestyle, lakes and forests make it easy to include regular breaks and spend time outside with children.
Conclusion
Our 3 weeks in Sweden by campervan gave us time to slow down and enjoy one of the most peaceful countries we have travelled through. The landscapes were not always dramatic, but they were calm, spacious and beautiful in a very simple way.
Travelling by campervan allowed us to stop close to nature, enjoy quiet evenings outdoors and adapt the route as we went. From lakes and forests to coastal roads and small towns, Sweden offered a wonderful mix of scenery and slow travel.
For anyone looking for a relaxed campervan road trip in northern Europe, a 3 week Sweden road trip is a beautiful way to experience the country at your own pace.
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