Nordic Road Trip Itinerary: Oslo – Stockholm with kids

Scandinavia first captured our hearts when we visited Copenhagen in late 2015. It included a brief trip to Malmo – for just a few hours – but we vowed return to Sweden. Less than one year later and the tiny baby which had been in my tummy in Copenhagen was now three months old and my eldest had just turned 4.

It was summer and we decided that with a three-month-old baby, we’d try somewhere cooler. Why not go north? We settled on a 10-day Nordic road trip flying from our base in London to Oslo then travelling by road through central Sweden to Stockholm. Here’s what we did and how we got on with two children in tow. This Nordic itinerary can also be reversed so you go from Stockholm to Oslo.

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Scandinavian road trip itinerary: Oslo

We flew from London Gatwick to the capital of Norway with Norweigan. It was our first time flying with the carrier and we were impressed with the flight and its roomy seats.

We spent 36 hours in Oslo which was bathed in late August sunshine. It’s a compact city which is fairly expensive (check out my travel hacks for saving money in Oslo).

We took in the sights of the city including the Royal Palace, its Akershus fortress, the famous Opera House and Oslo’s bustling harbour where you can venture out to see the fjords.

From the Norwegian capital we took a bus, (yes a bus) to Gothenburg in Sweden. Taking around three hours it was a comfortable and convenient way to travel. Our youngest lay in her car seat and slept most of the way while the eldest happily sat next to her daddy.

You can get a train but they are fairly infrequent as well as slow and they weren’t running on the Sunday we were travelling.

Gothenburg

Heavy rain greeted us when we reached Gothenburg. But as it cleared, there emerged a hip city with plenty of family-friendly options.

The port city has a good tram system and lots of green spaces. It also has plenty of museums, many of which were closed as we were visiting on a Monday (much to my husband’s delight)!

Undeterred we spent the day wandering around the city and took advantage of the trams – which my daughter loved. We visited the Opera House and port area as well as the Haga district, trying its infamous cinnamon buns.

We also climbed up the fortress Skansen Kronen where we were rewarded with fantastic views over the city.

Gothenburg felt more relaxed and a bit edgier than the capital Stockholm. I was also surprised at how many family-friendly activities there were, including the Liseberg Amusement Park which was right opposite our hotel. You can read more about our one day in Gotenburg and 10 things to do there with kids.

Accommodation

Gothia Towers was our home for two nights. The shiny complex is tall with views over the theme park rides of Liseberg amusement park.

The room was fairly big for us all and there were plenty of activities available in the hotel such as a table tennis room, two childrens’ play areas, an outdoor swimming pool and a gym. Look for deals on Gothia Towers.

Jönköping

The next day we got a bus to the airport (which went from outside our hotel) and picked up our hire car. We loaded up the vehicle and the road trip began in earnest.

As we made our way to our next destination, we passed flat landscapes of fields and fir trees and a fair few wind farms too. It felt sparsely populated but picturesque. You can see why the Swedes enjoy the outdoors so much.

Our first stop was the lakeside town of Jönköping . Classed as a ‘city’ it has less than 100,000 inhabitants.

When we checked into the hotel, I enquired what sights there were to see in Jönköping.

“Good question,” the receptionist chuckled. “What is there to see here?”

She clearly didn’t know why we were there but gave us a map, pointed out a few places and we went on our way.

So what is there in Jönköping? There’s a cool playground and some musical bells you can jump on (which delighted Mrs T) as well as a Matchstick museum – one of the quirkier places we’ve visited. The inventors of the safety match opened their factory in Jönköping, putting the city on the global map.

Jönköping’s position on the southern edge of Lake Vatten, Sweden’s second largest lake, makes it a picturesque spot. There are sandy beaches and views of the lakes which go on for miles. People walk or cycle along the pathways although we didn’t come across any sunbathers. Even in the peak of July the temperature only gets to around 21 degrees Celsius.

Accommodation

We stayed at the Vox hotel, a hipster hotel with a sushi restaurant. We were delighted to discover we’d been given an upgrade – to the grand suite!

Complete with dining room table, a sauna and bath with views of the lake, it was one of the top rooms I’ve stayed in.

Örebro

Half way between Gothenburg and Stockholm, Örebro was a one night stop for us. The small city’s main feature is its 13th century castle – complete with a moat! It immediately held my eldest daughter’s attention.

Örebro is an attractive, small city with a good shopping district, a university and plenty of hipster coffee shops. We also found a large park with a playground. The Swedes know how to cater for families!

It’s also Sweden’s town of cycling so that would be the perfect way to see the city!  The city’s purple buses also delighted my daughter.

Accommodation

We stayed at Hotell Hjalmar where we had a large room although the decor was perhaps in need of some updating. The hotel provided some traditional features and it was in a good location to explore.

Uppsala

The university city of Uppsala is just an hour away from Stockholm but I’m glad we stopped for the night. It took us around two hours to drive from Örebro. It’s a pretty city with town squares, green spaces and a castle. It also has the oldest university in Scandinavia.

We went inside Uppsala’s cathedral, walked up to the 16th century castle and its battlements and chilled out in one of its many squares, eating some rather good food in the process.

We also found an impressive playground which my daughter spent ages exploring. Based on a series of books about a cat called Pelle Svanslös by a local author, it is a fantasyland of colourful little houses, towers, slides and roundabouts

Accommodation

We stayed at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Uppsala which suited our needs.

Stockholm

Our final stop saw us ditch the car in Uppsala and get the train to Stockholm. In just 50 minutes we were in the Swedish capital.

We spent three days in Stockholm and during that time just touched on what the city has to offer. We used the Stockholm pass which gave us entry to numerous attractions and which we could use on various modes of transport. I’d recommend if you are planning to visit a number of sights as it could save money.

One of my highlights was the incredible Vasa Museum. Here you can see the 17th century battle ship which dramatically sunk on its maiden voyage and lay under the sea until 1961.

During our time there we also went to the children’s museum, Junibacken, took a boat tour out to the archipelago and saw some of the sights including the Royal Palace and Sweden’s old town Gamla Stan.

There’s plenty more for children too with an amusement park and open air museum which we didn’t have time to explore. You can read about our three days in Stockholm in more detail. We flew back to the UK with Norwegian – getting the train to the airport which was very easy. I was delighted to find the airport had free WiFi too!

Accommodation

We stayed at the Radisson Blu by the central station, mainly for its location, as we’d arrived by train. It was in a great position in which to explore the rest of the city. Our room was fairly large but it didn’t have any windows so felt a little claustrophobic.

Verdict

Sweden may not be the first place you’d think of going on a road trip but it has plenty of advantages. The roads are easy to travel on and we found a good mix of cities and small towns to visit. I’m glad we combined our Sweden road trip with a stopover in Oslo. Its a great city and I got to tick another country off my list!

Sweden is a very child-friendly country, from its playgrounds and restaurants to its theme parks and museums.

Travelling with a small baby in cooler temperatures was also a bonus and we avoided the hot temperatures we faced in France and Italy – which made travel a little easier.

The only time it got a little wearing was when we arrived in Stockholm and explored the city’s old town. It had suddenly got hot and it was very busy so I didn’t get a great first impression of the old town.

It may be an idea to reverse the trip and do a road trip from Stockholm to Olso. Stockholm is a bigger city so a lot more to see. We had perhaps got a touch of travel fatigue by the time we arrived there.

Do be warned that Scandinavia can be expensive. Hotels, eating out and drinking can eat into your budget but if you are smart there are ways to save.

Sweden may not have the history behind it that some parts of Western Europe boast but it does have beautiful scenery and we enjoyed experiencing what it had to offer.

Planning a trip to Scandinavia? Check out my other articles including my itinerary for Copenhagen with kids, visiting Malmo for a day trip, 10 things to do in Gothenburg with kids, Gothenburg in one day and Stockholm itinerary with kids.

Have you been to Sweden? Would you like to go?