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World Travel Guide > Guides > Europe > Sweden > Gothenburg

Local time Gothenburg

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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.

 

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Featured Hotels

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Elite Plaza Hotel

A stylish business hotel in a more than 100-year-old building, the Elite Plaza Hotel opened in 2000 and is one of the most luxurious hotels in Gothenburg. There are 121 rooms and six suites, all with satellite TV and broadband internet connection. The hotel has an excellent restaurant, Svea Hof Restaurang & Bar, as well as an English pub, The Bishop's Arms.

Dorsia Hotel

Mixing aristocratic artistry with a contemporary palette of plums, rubies and jades, the Dorsia Hotel is one of the finest establishments in Gothenburg. With mulberry silk duvets and Egyptian cotton linen in the sleeping quarters, plus grandiose sitting rooms that call out for a slow brandy or port, it's a refined inn that few will wish to leave. Free Wi-Fi and lava-android TVs come as standard and the excellent in-house restaurant is more foie gras than fries.

Upper House

The clean and contemporary sleeping chambers at Upper House, with their Nordic sharpness and modern apartment-like space, are found in the top floors of the Gothia Towers. While the attention to detail is first rate, with king-size, cushion-filled beds, complimentary Wi-Fi, choice flat screen TVs and a changing room service selection, it's famed for the large, wall-sized windows that afford incredible views over the city vista. The hotel also has three swimming pools, Turkish baths, spa treatments and a locally-sourced breakfast.

Hotel Bellora

With a choice of 98 chic rooms, the Hotel Bellora is a beautiful lifestyle-hotel that mixes Italian Dolce Vita with a cosmopolitan flair. With an Espresso Bar warmly nestled in reception area that sources speciality beans to complement its indulgent chocolates and Italian pastries, it’s not just the 4-star comfort of the rooms that keeps visitors returning.

Hotell Liseberg Barken Viking

The 4-star Hotell Liseberg Barken Viking is housed in one of the few remaining four-masted barques in the world. The ship was built in 1907 and is moored in the Gothenburg guest harbour next to the Gothenburg Opera. The hotel offers rooms and a restaurant with a unique maritime atmosphere and furnishings. There are several conference rooms on board as well.

Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel

This sophisticated luxury hotel in Gothenburg, opposite the central train station, has 349 elegant rooms with free Wi-Fi access, swimming pool, whirlpool, sauna and fitness centre. The hotel also offers excellent conference facilities. The Atrium Bar & Restaurant is located in the hotel lobby.