Travel to Sweden and Gotland

Ever since the Stone Age, shipping has connected Gotland with the mainland and the rest of the world. It flourished during the Viking and Middle Ages and Visby was a popular trading town in the Baltic Sea region.

In 1865, when Ångfartygsbolaget Gotland started up winter traffic to the mainland, a journey took around 13 hours (compared to just over three hours nowadays). Prior to that, passenger traffic was run using paddle steamers that could not handle ice. Rederiet, which is the world's oldest passenger shipping company, became Rederi AB Gotland, of which, Destination Gotland is a subsidiary.

There are currently two commercial ways to get to Gotland, by ferry or plane.

FERRIES

Between the mainland ports of Oskarshamn and Nynäshamn, traffic to Visby is daily. The crossings take just over three hours. There are various seating options aboard the ships as well as cafés and restaurants. Naturally, pets are welcome on board the ship's pet decks and compartments. In the summer, the Västervik – Visby route also runs giving you the opportunity to visit Visby for the day. Our sister shipping company Hansa Destinations runs between Nynäshamn and Rostock, with some tours calling in at Visby. There are compartments with comfortable beds on board so you can sleep well and arrive rested.

FLIGHTS

Visby Airport is 3.5 kilometres from Visby city centre. There are daily flights between Visby and Stockholm as well as to other destinations. For up-to-date travel information, see: swedavia.com/visby.

DENMARK

GOTHENBURG

COPENHAGEN

MALMOE

HAMBURG ROSTOCK

GERMANY

VÄSTERVIK

OSKARSHAMN VISBY

POLAND LATVIA

RIGA

LITHUANIA

FERRIES

There are daily connections between Visby/Gotland and the mainland. Ferries go from Visby Harbour to Nynäshamn and Oskarshamn (as well as Västervik in the summer). Our sister company Hansa Destinations, offers trips between the island and Rostock, Germany.

FLIGHTS

You can also fly to Gotland. For up-to-date travel information, see: swedavia.com

PASSPORTS AND VISAS

For visiting Sweden and Gotland, you need to follow the entry rules that apply for your nationality. EU citizens need a valid national identity card or passport to travel to Sweden from another Schengen-EU country. More information about entry rules can be found here: visitsweden.com

TIME

Sweden and Gotland are on Central European time, one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT +1). Throughout the country, daylight savings time is still implemented. Summer time starts on the last weekend in March and the clock is set ahead one hour. In the last weekend in October, the clock is set back one hour for winter time. There are a number of mnemonic tricks for remembering this, one being “Spring forward, fall back”.

CURRENCY AND PAYMENT

In Sweden, the currency is Swedish kronor (1 krona = 100 öre), through cash is rarely used in Sweden nowadays. In Sweden, it has long been said that CARD IS KING, not CASH as in many other countries. Many shops and eateries are “cash-free" and will not accept cash. In fact, most banks in Sweden are also “cash-free", but there are still a few ATM machines in major cities, often charging an additional fee. In order for you to be able to pay or withdraw cash with your credit card, you need a card with a chip and PIN. Older magnetic strip cards will not work. To pay in Sweden, credit and debit cards are mainly used. Traveller's cheques and other checks are often difficult to both pay with and redeem. Swedish citizens also have the opportunity to pay with the Swish app, a payment app in which most Swedish banks collaborate.

PHONE AND WIFI

The number to call in an emergency is 112. Sweden's country code is +46. On Gotland, the phone number of those who still have a landline starts with (0)498. Most people nowadays have mobile phone numbers and there are several operators in the country. WiFi is widespread and easy to connect to. On some parts of Gotland, mobile phone and WiFi coverage can be spotty.

LANGUAGE

Swedish is the official language of Sweden. There are severel recognised national languages in the country and many dialects. Gotland is home to a local dialect called Gotländska. It originates from Gutamål derived from Old Gutniska. Some Gotlanders can speak it, but it is difficult for most other Swedes to understand them.

SEASONS

There are four seasons in Sweden. Gotland belongs to the part of the country that has mild winters and warm summers compared to many other parts of the country.

December – February. Winter in Gotland does not generally see much snow though occasionally, enough falls that children can go sledding on the moat adjacent to the Visby City Wall. In winter, the sun rises late and goes down early, allowing for beautiful starry skies and the occasional sighting of the Northern Lights on the island.

March – May. Spring on Gotland is characterised by the return of daylight and with it, blooming flowers and chirping birds. Still, chilly winds can sweep across the island. It is said that before the warmth of spring can be trusted, the island needs to see seven low pressure systems since the first starling appeared back on the island. June – August. Summer on the island is the time of spectacular flora and foliage. Most visitors come to swim and visit the beaches found around the island. The average daytime temperature is between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius and Gotland is usually among the top “sun-drenched” destinations in Sweden, boasting many hours of sunshine in the summer.

September – November. The autumn in Gotland is ideal for those who like to be out in nature, hike, cycle or take a late summer dip in the warmed-up waters of the Baltic Sea. There are local festivals celebrating the harvest, and later in the autumn, the island’s “black gold” is celebrated during Gotland truffle month and the truffle festival.