Five Swedish road trips – And the car that makes the trip even better
Summer in Sweden is short enough to be taken seriously, but long enough to accommodate some truly memorable miles. It's not always about getting there quickly. Sometimes the whole point is to opt out of the highway, follow a coastline, stop at a café, smell the warm asphalt and let the car become part of the experience. Here are five road trips without ranking – from the fields and coastal roads of Skåne to mountain plateaus, World Heritage sites and back roads north of Stockholm.
Skåne: Mölle, The Italian road, road 101 and the coast of Österlen
Skåne is almost built for summer driving. Here you will find rolling fields, narrow roads, avenues that frame the horizon and small communities where the pace drops as soon as you enter the town square.
Start in the northwest with the Italian Road between Båstad and Boarp. The road climbs up along the north side of Hallandsåsen and rewards the driver with sweeping curves and views of Laholm Bay. Continue on towards Torekov, Arild and Mölle. Mölle is a perfect stop for lunch – preferably a shrimp sandwich in the harbour, with the sea in front of the car and Kullaberg at your back.
If you want to extend the feeling, continue south and cross the landscape towards road 101 between Malmö and Ystad. This is Skåne at its most classic: willow trees, cornfields, castles, small villages and a road that meanders gently through the landscape. Finish with Humleslingan or Kustvägen in Österlen between Brösarp and Simrishamn, where beech forests, hills and fishing villages make the drive as much a nature experience as a road trip.
The best car: A classic convertible or roadster. A Mercedes-Benz SL, Alfa Romeo Spider, BMW Z3/Z4 or Mazda MX-5 do this trip justice. Here you want to drive openly, stop often and let the road be as important as the destination.
The High Coast: world heritage, bridges, mountains and track racing
The High Coast is a road trip for those who want the landscape to feel big. The tourist route between Ullånger and the High Coast Bridge offers what makes the area unique: high mountains, deep valleys, bays, fishing villages and views that feel almost un-Swedishly dramatic.
The High Coast Bridge is an obvious part of the experience, but it is often the roads around it that stick out the most. Skuleberget is a must, regardless of whether you want to climb up for the view, hike a bit or just stop and let the place sink in. There is a mix of nature, geology and a classic holiday feel here that makes every stop feel justified.
For those who want to add more engine to the trip, there is also the Mittsverigebanan in Härnösand as a fun detour. Keep an eye on their calendar for track days and events – at the right time, a scenic road trip can suddenly get an element of apex, braking points and the smell of warm tires.
The car that suits you best: A fast but comfortable Gran Turismo. The Porsche 911, BMW M3, Audi RS4 or Jaguar F-Type fit perfectly here. It's far enough that comfort matters, but the roads and environment deserve something with character.
Jämtland/Lappland: The wilderness road across Stekenjokk
The Wilderness Road is one of Sweden's most spectacular road trips. The stretch Strömsund–Gäddede–Stekenjokk–Klimpfjäll–Vilhelmina is not just a road, but an entire journey through forests, lakes, waterfalls and mountains.
The highlight is the road over the Stekenjokk plateau. Here the landscape becomes open, barren and powerful in a way that almost feels more like a Nordic adventure than a regular holiday. This is a route where you should drive slowly, plan stops and let the car roll through the views rather than chasing the pace.
Since the part over Stekenjokk is seasonal, it is important to check the road status before setting off. It is also a road where weather, temperature and visibility can change the experience quickly, even in summer. But if you find the right day, it is one of the most memorable road trips you can do in Sweden.
The best car: A safe adventure car with comfort. A Subaru Outback, Porsche Cayenne or a well-maintained Land Rover suits the experience. You want something that feels stable, practical and ready for long miles where nature sets the tone.
Södermanland: road 219 between Trosa and Nyköping
For those who want to swap the straight E4 route for something with soul, there is road 219 between Trosa and Nyköping. It is a classic Swedish summer road: coastal, moderately curvy and full of small detours.
Trosa is a perfect starting point with its small-town feel, harbor and walkable center. From there, you roll on along roads that pass castles, manor houses and open landscapes before Nyköping awaits further south. One of the best detours is the Stendörren nature reserve, where the archipelago feeling is strong and a dip in the Baltic Sea never feels far away.
This is not the route for those who want to maximize speed. It is the route for those who want to drive neatly, stop spontaneously and arrive with the feeling that they have actually experienced something on the road.
The car that suits you best: An elegant classic or modern youngtimer. The Saab 900 Cabriolet, Volvo P1800, Mercedes W124 Coupé or BMW E30 are perfect. These are cars that feel at home on back roads, at mansions and in gravel parking lots near the water.
Stockholm: small roads to Nifsta Gård
A road trip doesn't have to start with holiday packing and hotel booking. Sometimes a Thursday after work, a full tank of fuel and the right way out of town is enough. For the Stockholm area, the small roads north towards Nifsta Gård are one of the best examples.
Instead of just taking the fastest route to Rimbo, you can let the route meander via Upplands Väsby, Vallentuna, Markim, Orkesta and further through the open Uppland landscape. Here are farms, forest areas, lakes, old churches and winding sections that make the trip much more enjoyable than the distance suggests.
The destination is Nifsta Gård, where this summer's motoring events bring together everything from classics and sports cars to motorcycles and odd enthusiast vehicles. It's a fairly long excursion, but with the right car and the right evening it can feel like a concentrate of the entire car summer: the roads, the coffee, the conversations and the line of vehicles in the parking lot.
The car that suits you best: An enthusiast car with personality rather than perfection. A Volkswagen Golf GTI, Porsche 944, Ford Mustang, Saab 99 Turbo or an older BMW 3 Series are all great choices. The most important thing is not the top speed – it's that the car has something to talk about when you get there.
Summer begins when you choose the road
There are many ways to experience Sweden in the summer, but few beat the feeling of a really good road in a car you enjoy. A road trip doesn't have to be long, expensive or complicated. It just needs to have a direction, a few stops worth remembering and a car that makes you want to take the longer way.
So choose not to take the fastest route. Pack light. Stop more often. Bring someone who appreciates the journey as much as the destination. Summer is already here – and some of Sweden's best miles are still waiting to be driven.
//Tomas Jönsson - Marketing manager