Travel to Gothenburg

Flying to Gothenburg

Airlines offering flights from the UK to Gothenburg include British Airways, BMI Regional, SAS, Norwegian and Ryanair. There are no direct flights from the USA, but plenty of options with one connection via other European cities, including Copenhagen, Stockholm, Brussels and Amsterdam. The cheapest flights are found in February when temperatures regularly drop below 0°C (32°F), while fares in November and December can be considerably higher.

Flight times

From London - 1 hour 55 minutes; New York - 10 hours (including stopover); Los Angeles  - 14 hours 15 minutes (including stopover); Toronto - 9 hours 20 minutes (including stopover); Sydney  - 25 hours (including stopovers).

Travel by road

In Sweden, traffic drives on the right and the minimum driving age is 18 years. Speed limits are 110/120kph (68/74mph) on motorways depending on the road quality, 70kph (43mph) on other roads outside urban areas, and 50kph (31mph) in towns and cities.

The use of dipped headlights is compulsory in the daytime for cars and motorcycles, as are crash helmets for motorcyclists. Drivers must also carry an emergency warning triangle. Studded tyres are only permitted from 1 October and 15 April, unless road conditions warrant their use outside of these dates.

You must carry a national driving licence and vehicle registration documents at all times. The Swedish authorities do not require drivers to carry a Green Card, but it is advisable.

Assistancekåren (tel: +46 8 627 5757; www.assistancekaren.se) is the country's main motoring organisation and can provide additional information on driving in Sweden.

Emergency breakdown services

Assistancekåren (tel: 020 912 912, in Sweden only).

Routes

The main roads that run via Gothenburg are the E6, which connects with Norway in the north, and the E20, which goes as far south as Malmö and across to Denmark. Go east on Route 40 for the E4 motorway which continues onto Stockholm.

Coaches

Companies operating coach services to and from Gothenburg include Nettbus (tel: +46 771 151 515; www.nettbuss.se) and Swebus (tel: +46 771 218 218; www.swebus.se).

Between them they offer routes across much of Sweden, including to Stockholm and Malmö, as well as international connections to Oslo and Copenhagen. Buses arrive and depart at Nils Ericson Terminal near the central railway station.

Time to city

From Stockholm - 4 hours 30 minutes; Malmö - 2 hours 50 minutes; Oslo  - 3 hours; Copenhagen - 3 hours 10 minutes.

Travel by Rail

Services

Sweden’s rail network is extensive and widely reliable. High-speed trains between Gothenburg and other Swedish cities depart from Gothenburg's Central Station, which lies in the heart of the city, on Drottningtorget (the Queen’s Square). International connections to Denmark, Germany and Norway also depart from here.

Most tram and bus routes stop at the station.

Operators

SJ (tel: +46 771 757 575; www.sj.se) is Sweden's national railway company. It offers frequent high-speed express train services between Gothenburg and Sweden's other larger cities. It also has direct international connections to Copenhagen and Oslo.

Journey times

From Stockholm - 2 hours 50 minutes; Malmö - 2 hours 30 minutes; Oslo - 4 hours; Copenhagen - 3 hours 50 minutes.

Travel by boat

The Port of Gothenburg is the largest in Scandinavia and its 24km-long (15 miles) harbour welcomes over 11,000 vessels each year. Most of these are cargo and container ships, though ferries and cruise ships dock here daily too. There are also a number of guest moorings along Gothenburg’s west coast with facilities for private boats.

Ferry operators

Europe’s biggest ferry company, Stena Line (tel: +44 844 770 7070, in the UK; www.stenaline.co.uk), offers daily services to and from Gothenburg to Kiel in Germany and Frederikshavn in Denmark. Ships can accommodate passengers, cars, motor homes, motorbikes and bicycles, and come with a choice of cabins.

Transfer

Stena Line ferries from Kiel in Germany dock at Arendal, Gothenburg’s outer harbour. From here, shuttle buses and taxis take around 15 minutes into the city centre. Ferries from Frederikshavn in Denmark dock at Freeport, the inner harbour, where shuttle buses take five minutes into the city.

Tram 3 (towards Kålltorp) and tram 9 (towards Angered) depart from both docks and go into the city centre.