It’s so easy to get to Gothenburg for a weekend, and it’s a great city to visit if you want to see Sweden on a tighter budget! I’ve visited twice now, and I’ll definitely be back again. It’s one of my favourite cities to visit, year round. Here’s your guide to Gothenburg for a weekend getaway:
Flights to Gothenburg
Ryanair does a ton of cheap flights between Gothenburg and Dublin, Edinburgh, Milan, and a number of other European cities. From where I live in Edinburgh, I’ve gotten flights for as little as £17 return for a weekend trip! Many people I know have never gone because they think Sweden is super expensive. I’d say Gothenburg is to Stockholm what Edinburgh is to London in terms of prices. I certainly didn’t find it anymore expensive than it would have been to travel within the U.K.
A few weekends ago, I flew out on a Wednesday evening and back on a Monday evening. It was just a long weekend – but it felt like a proper break from work!
Where to stay in Gothenburg
It can be quite expensive to stay in the most central part of the city where most hotels are. Definitely have a look on Booking.com and see if you can get any deals if you prefer staying in hotels. However, my favourite part of the city is on the other side of the big park called Slottskogen. I’ve rented Airbnbs in areas like Masthugget and Majorna, and absolutely adore it. It’s only a 20-30 minute walk in the morning through Slottskogen to the city centre, and you can easily get the tram in a matter of minutes. The neighbourhoods are so stunning and cosy, and I definitely feel like you get more of the “Swedish” experience to speak staying in these areas, and it’s usually a lot cheaper. If you’re staying for a longer weekend, you can even split your time between the city and the archipelago.
On my last trip I stayed in this Airbnb in Majorna. We walked into the city via Slottskogen every morning, and got the tram to Majvallen every evening. On Friday we even popped back to the Airbnb mid-day for a break, and it didn’t feel like a long trek to do so.
The Gothenburg archipelago
You can get to the archipelago via tram and boat in less than an hour from the city centre. It costs just a few pounds to ride public transport for an hour and a half, and that includes both the tram and the boat so it’s quite affordable. The Gothenburg archipelago will get it’s own blog entirely, and I recommend checking it out if you’re in the city for more than a few days!
What to do in Gothenburg
Years ago after my first visit I wrote 10 Things To Do In Gothenburg, Sweden – it still stands. My absolute favourites from the list include visiting Slottskogen and the cafes and petting zoo inside of it, and going to Haga for fika. You can also easily visit the archipelago even just for the day. Getting to the island Brännö is quite a quick trip. The island reflects much of the rest of the archipelago; around 800 people live there year round, there’s a wee cafe and restaurant, and a number of nature walks. It has a large nature reserve as well, which leads to a bridge to the neighbouring island of Galterö, an island that is entirely a nature reserve.
Any questions? Leave them in the comments below! I’ll definitely be back to Gothenburg for a weekend soon. I think I’ll even plan a bit of a longer trip next time and get the train to Stockholm, or somewhere else in Sweden so I can see a bit more of the country.
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