Transportation
How to get to Scandinavia from Australia
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is the natural choice for travel to Northern Europe and offers Australians the widest choice of destinations in this region.
SAS offers frequent connections from Australia via Bangkok, Singapore, Beijing, Tokyo, and services via several North American cities.
Scandinavian Airlines also offers stopover guides to get you out of the airport and enjoy a mini holiday on the way to your final destination in Scandinavia or other European cities.The guides, which can be downloaded from their website provide you with all the highlights of Bangkok, Beijing, Tokyo, Copenhagen, and Stockholm. They are divided into one, two or three day, depending on the length of your stopover.
In Copenhagen, SAS suggests you walk down the aisle where Princess Mary got married, see the changing of guards at Amalienborg Palace, experience a hippie utopia and visit what is probably the best beer brewery in the world, the Carlsberg Brewery. In Stockholm, SAS suggests you experience Stockholm’s stunning archipelago and sample the Nobel Prize menu.
SAS stopover guides
SAS route map
How to get around in Scandinavia
Once you have arrived in Scandinavia, fast and comfortable trains and buses run throughout the three countries. For motorists, the roads are well maintained, but you need to be aware of the right hand traffic rule. Several airlines, including airlines within the SAS Group serve more than 60 destinations across Scandinavia
SAS route map
Train
Travelling by train is an easy and comfortable way of getting around Scandinavia. Denmark, Norway and Sweden offer an extensive and well maintained railway network and even the more remote parts of Scandinavia are easy to get to. There are buses operating as a link to smaller destinations and these buses are easy to book in connection with you railway ticket.
On longer trips, couchettes and sleeping cars are provided and most trains have a bistro or restaurant car and other forms of entertainment facilities such as cinemas.
Ferry
Scandinavia is surrounded by water and there are plenty of ferries and boat companies to take you around vast water stretches as well as the shorter routes. At the same time you can relax, take in the amazing scenery and perhaps enjoy a bite to eat.
DFDS Seaways operate on a number of routes between the Scandinavian countries and also provides a link between England and Scandinavia via Harwich and Newcastle. Other ferry companies provide a link to Scandinavia from Germany, Finland, Poland and Estonia just to mention a few. You can bring you car on most ferries and combining the two means of transportation make getting around very easy.
In Denmark, which is made up of lots of islands, you will find an abundance of boat and ferry companies that will take you from harbour to harbour. Even if the large islands are connected by bridges, going by boat or ferry is a very enjoyable way to get to the country’s different regions.
The west coast of Norway, famous for its beautiful fjords, is definitely best admired from a boat or ferry. The most established coastal ferry route, Hurtigruten, starts in Bergen and travels all the way to Kirkenes in the far north of Norway. It stops in large harbours as well as smaller fishing villages and the whole trip goes for about eleven days.
Island hopping is possible even in Scandinavia. The Stockholm archipelago contains some 24,000 islands, some are inhabited and some are not. There is an island that will suit everyone and with close proximity to Stockholm it offers a great contrast to the hectic city life. There are day cruises as well as multiple day ferry passes available.
Bicycle
The varied landscape that Scandinavia is made up of is perfect to enjoy from the bike saddle. There are an abundance of bicycle routes in each country suiting families as well as the more fit and adventurous. The cities in the region provide a well-developed bicycle lane network with easy to read signs.
Car & Motorcycle
From the Danish lowlands to the vast mountain area of Lapland, the dazzling scenery of Scandinavia makes driving your own car worthwhile. The roads are well-maintained and traffic signs are easy to read. Here are some basic rules that you should bear in mind when driving in Scandinavia.
- You drive on the right side of the road in Scandinavia
- All passengers in the car must wear a seat belt
- Dipped headlights must be used 24 hours a day on all vehicles
- You must be 18 years or older to hold a valid driver’s license for car
- A warning triangle is obligatory
- For motor cyclists, safety helmet is compulsory
- You are not allowed to drive under the influence of either alcohol or drugs/euphoriants
- It is not permitted to drive while using a hand held telephone, fines apply
Studded tyres are not compulsory but if fitted, they can only be used between November and April. Speed limits for cars on motorways vary slightly throughout Scandinavia. In Denmark the speed limit on motorways is in general 130km/h. In Norway the general speed limit on motorways is either 90 km/h or 100km/h. On Swedish motorways the speed limit is 110km/h. Certain stretches will only allow a lower speed limit, due to heavy traffic closer to major cities or driving through treacherous areas. On smaller roads throughout Scandinavia the speed limit will range from 70 to 80 km/h and within residential areas from 30 to 50 km/h.
Motorways can be used free of charge in Denmark and Sweden. A fee applies when crossing the Great Belt Bridge between Sealand and Funen in Denmark, and when crossing the Öresund Bridge between Malmö in Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark. The cost varies depending on the type of vehicle. The two bridges create a link not only between the regions but also makes travelling between Scandinavia and Europe a lot easier. In Norway, road tolls are very important for maintaining the quality of the roads and tunnels. There are 45 road tolls in total (2007) of which half have electronic fee collection – AutoPASS. This allows you to drive through road tolls in the AutoPASS lane without stopping. The subscription and tag needed are also available to foreign vehicles.
Some roads in Norway are closed during winter season but the main mountain crossings are intended to stay open throughout the cold season. It is always best to check this before going on any longer trips or crossing the mountains as the road closures vary depending on the weather conditions. For further information, please contact the Road User Information Centre. When in Norway simply call 175 (+47 815 48 991 from abroad). The service is open 24 hours.
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