Sweden Travel Guide - Accommodation

Sweden boasts a good range of hotels, covering the full spectrum of prices and standards, with many offering discounted rates throughout the summer and at weekends during the winter. Details of these offers and other (including family) discount schemes are available from VisitSweden (see Contact Addresses).

Grading: There is a grading system from 1 to 5 stars. An SHR sign indicates that the establishment belongs to the Swedish Hotel & Restaurant Association (SHR) (see Accommodation Information below).

Working farms throughout Sweden offer accommodation, either in the main farmhouse or in an adjoining cottage. Accommodation is normally on a bed & breakfast basis, with self-catering facilities. Some farms offer full board. Accommodation can be booked through local tourist offices. For more information and bookings, see online (website: www.bopalantgard.org).

Forest cabins and chalets are available throughout the country, generally set in beautiful surroundings, near lakes, in quiet forest glades or on an island in some remote archipelago. Purpose-built chalets generally consist of a living room, two or three bedrooms, a well-equipped kitchen and a toilet. They can generally accommodate up to six people, and cooking utensils, cutlery, blankets and pillows are provided. Renovated cottages and farm buildings are also available, usually in remote spots.

Sweden's many chalet villages offer the advantage of amenities such as a grocery, general shops, leisure facilities, restaurants, swimming pools, saunas, launderette, playgrounds, mini-golf, tennis, badminton or volleyball. Some have programmes of special activities such as music, dancing, barbecues, riding, fishing and walking trails. It is often possible to rent boats or bicycles. Information on holiday cottages or flats for hire can be obtained from specialist agencies, local tourist offices in Sweden or VisitSweden.

Family camping holidays are extremely popular in Sweden and there is a tremendous variety of attractive sites. Most are located in picturesque surroundings, often on a lakeside or by the sea with free bathing facilities close at hand. There are over 600 campsites, all approved and classified by VisitSweden. Many offer facilities such as boat or bicycle hire, mini-golf, tennis, riding or saunas. It is possible to camp rough in areas away from other dwellings.

There are more than 300 hostels ranging from mansions to a renovated sailing ship in Stockholm, as well as many purpose-built hostels. Hostels have two to four beds per room, or family rooms, plus self-catering facilities. Members of the International Youth Hostels Federation get a cheaper rate. All youth hostels are open during the summer and some for the whole year. Contact Svenska Turistföreningen for further information (see Accommodation Information below).

Many old castles and manors in Sweden are now being run as hotels. They provide a unique accommodation experience and are often situated on lakes or rivers with parklands and golf courses. Take advantage of the low weekend or summer prices. Package deals are also available.

Swedish Hotel & Restaurant Association (SHR)
Sveriges Hotell & Restaurang Företagare, PO Box 1158, Kammarkargatan 39, 111 81 Stockholm, Sweden
Tel: (8) 762 7400.
Website: www.shr.se

Svenska Turistföreningen (STF) (Information on youth hostels)
Tel: (8) 463 2270.
Website: www.svenskaturistforeningen.se