Can you book a holiday cottage in Sälen from abroad?

Yes. A chalet in the Sälen ski resort is booked in the same way, regardless of whether you live in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany or the Netherlands. You choose a chalet and dates, receive a confirmation, pay in accordance with the terms and conditions set out in the confirmation, and then receive information about your arrival. What distinguishes an international booking from a Swedish one is not the process, but four practical details: the currency, the payment card, the language and the arrival time.

This article describes precisely those four things. If you’d like to see what’s on offer first, the entire range is listed under rent a mountain cottage in Sälenfjällen, where the properties are categorised by size, location and standard.

Short answer: this is how an international booking works

The steps are the same as for a Swedish guest:

• Select a property and a date. Make sure the house can accommodate the whole group, not just the number of beds.
• Make an enquiry or a booking. You will receive a confirmation setting out the terms and conditions for that particular booking.
• Please pay as stated in the confirmation. The amounts are specified in SEK.
• Get the arrival information. Address, directions and how to get into the house.
• Please add any optional extras in good time. Some services need to be booked well in advance of arrival.

We have described the basic process itself – booking, payment and deposit – in detail in our guide to how bookings, payments and deposits work. Please read this first. Below, we’ve just included the information that applies specifically when you’re booking from another country.

Payment in SEK using a foreign card

Prices are quoted in Swedish kronor, SEK. It is important to read this figure as SEK and not as DKK, NOK or EUR, as otherwise the amounts will appear incorrect in both directions. Convert the price into your own currency before comparing it with other options.

Foreign cards usually work without any problems. However, there are two things worth checking in advance. The first is your bank’s currency surcharge for purchases in SEK, which varies between banks and is rarely shown at the time of purchase. The second is your card’s transaction limit: a week’s rent for a large mountain chalet may exceed the limit set for individual purchases, in which case the payment will be blocked by your bank, not by us. A quick call to your bank before making the payment will save you time.

If the payment page offers the option to pay in your own currency rather than in SEK, check the exchange rate before you choose. This option is often more expensive than letting your own bank handle the currency conversion.

Deposit, instalments and cancellation

The terms and conditions regarding the booking fee, final payment, any deposit and cancellation are set out in the booking confirmation you receive. These may vary between properties and between periods, so please read the confirmation rather than assuming the terms that applied to a previous trip. If anything is unclear, please ask before you pay – it’s easier to do so beforehand than afterwards.

There are two things that distinguish an overseas booking from a Swedish one here. Payments between banks in different countries may take an extra banking day, so allow for a margin before the due date. And if a deposit is to be refunded, it will be returned to the same card or account used for the payment, which means that the exchange rate may have fluctuated between the time of payment and the time of the refund. The difference is usually small, but it does exist.

The contract and communication – which language applies?

Tenancy agreements for mountain chalets in Sweden are drawn up in Swedish, and the Swedish version is the one that is legally binding. The pages have been translated into several languages to help you understand the content, but a translation is for guidance only and does not constitute a separate agreement. If a particular wording is crucial to you, please ask for clarification in writing before you book.

Communication in general works fine without Swedish. English is always fine, and Danish and Norwegian are, of course, well understood. Please feel free to put your questions in a single email rather than in several short messages, as this will ensure a more comprehensive reply. Please also bear in mind that the Swedish working day may be slightly out of sync with your own, particularly if you are writing late in the afternoon.

Arrival and check-in if you arrive late

If you’re driving from Germany or the Netherlands, you’ll often arrive late, and that’s perfectly normal. The check-in process is designed to work without anyone needing to meet you: you’ll receive details in advance of the address, directions and how to get into the house.

Four things will make a late arrival easier. Let them know your estimated time of arrival in advance, even if it’s uncertain. Download or print out the directions before you leave the motorway, as mobile coverage varies in rural, wooded areas. Buy food before you arrive, as shops close earlier than in urban areas. And bear in mind that the final stretch will take longer than you think in the dark and in the snow.

What’s included – and what you should add

What is included in the rent is set out on the property’s own website and in the confirmation. Please read this section carefully if you are used to standards in another country: the terms ”bed linen”, ”final cleaning” and ”towels” are handled differently in different countries, and what is taken for granted at home is not always the same here.

For a guest travelling from afar, optional extras are often more valuable than for someone living closer by. Beds made on arrival, a clean on departure, food delivery or an on-site chef save you time that you would otherwise spend on other things after a long drive. You can find a list of available extras under optional extras that can be booked as part of your stay. Book them early – the most popular services sell out first during the school holidays.

You can pay for most things by card whilst you’re there. We’ve explained how this works on the ski lifts, in the shops and at the hire shops in the article on Card payments and currency in Sälen.

Insurance when travelling from another country

Check your insurance cover before you pay, not afterwards. There are three key aspects for a visitor from abroad. The liability cover under your home insurance, which often applies abroad as well, though not always to the same extent. Travel insurance, which determines what happens if someone falls ill or if the trip has to be cut short. And motor insurance, which needs to cover driving on Swedish roads in winter conditions.

We have covered the details regarding the holiday let itself in the article on insurance when renting a holiday cottage. Always check the terms and conditions of your own insurance company as well, as the scope of cover varies between companies and between countries.

Summary – checklist for booking a trip abroad

Booking a mountain cottage in Sälen in Dalarna from another country is no more difficult than booking from home, but there are five things you should do in the right order: check the price as SEK, check your card’s spending limit and currency surcharges before payment, read the terms and conditions in the confirmation rather than making assumptions, book any extras early and provide an approximate arrival time. If anything in the terms and conditions is unclear in your language, ask for a written clarification before you pay. We’re happy to answer any questions before you book, even if the answer is that another property would suit you better than the one you first looked at.