How much do bridges, ferries and congestion charges cost on the way to Sälen?

How much do bridges, ferries and tolls cost on the way to the Sälen ski resort in Dalarna? It depends on which route you choose, and the difference between two routes can be significant for a family. There are effectively four costs to consider: one or more bridge tolls in Denmark, a ferry ticket, any road tolls in Sweden, and fuel or charging costs for the entire journey.

None of the options are free, but they can all be shared. A group travelling together who choose to stay in large holiday cottages where the cost is shared amongst several people spreads the cost of both accommodation and travel across more people. You should therefore calculate the travel cost per person, not per car, when comparing options. The prices below are described in general terms for one simple reason: all charges are revised annually, and an article featuring last year’s figures would be misleading.

Short answer: what you actually pay for along the way

Here’s what the items look like, and who sets the price:

Please check all amounts with the relevant sender before finalising the budget. Bridge and ferry charges normally change at the start of the new year, and ferry fares also vary according to the season and occupancy.

The Öresund Bridge – prices, discount schemes and the ferry option

The Öresund Bridge is the fastest link between Zealand and Sweden. You pay per crossing and per vehicle, and the price depends on the length of the vehicle. A car with a roof box is normally classified as a car, whilst a caravan or trailer falls into a higher category. Check which category your vehicle combination falls into before you work out your budget.

There are discount schemes for those who cross the bridge regularly. These schemes require advance registration and either a transponder or a registered vehicle, and they only start to pay off once a certain number of crossings has been reached. For a family that crosses the bridge more than twice in a winter, the maths rarely adds up, but it’s worth considering if you travel several times a year or in several cars.

There is also a ferry across the Öresund as an alternative to the bridge. It takes longer but is priced differently. Which option works out cheapest depends on the type of vehicle, the time of day and how you value your travel time. We go through the other available crossings in our guide to which ferry is suitable.

The Great Belt for those of you driving through Denmark

If you drive up through Jutland and on across Funen to Zealand, you’ll cross the Great Belt Bridge, where a toll is charged per vehicle. Here, too, the price depends on the length of the vehicle, and there are also discount schemes for frequent users.

The important thing to bear in mind when planning your journey is that the Öresund Bridge and the Great Belt Bridge have two separate tolls. If you drive all the way up through Denmark from the south and then cross over to Sweden, you may therefore incur both tolls on the same journey. If, on the other hand, you take the ferry from Germany to Lolland, you’ll avoid the Storebælt toll, and if you take the ferry from northern Jutland directly to the Swedish west coast, you’ll avoid both bridges. This is the single biggest structural difference between the routes.

Ferry tickets: what affects the price

Ferry fares are variable and are more like airline tickets than bridge tolls. Five factors determine how much you pay:

• How far in advance you book. Winter holidays sell out early and prices rise as occupancy rates increase.
• The size of the vehicle. Height and length determine the category, and a roof box or ski rack can move you up a category.
• Number of people in the car. Many routes charge a fare per passenger in addition to the vehicle charge.
• Cab or no cab. On longer crossings, the cabin is a separate and often significant expense.
• Ticket terms and conditions. A rebookable ticket costs more but is well worth it in winter.

Always compare the total price for the whole group, not the price per vehicle. A route that looks cheap per car may end up being more expensive when five passengers are added.

Congestion charges in Stockholm and Gothenburg – do they apply to foreign cars?

Sweden has a charge for driving into and out of two cities at certain times of the day: Stockholm and Gothenburg. The charge is known as a congestion charge and is collected automatically by cameras, without barriers and without you having to stop.

The most important thing to bear in mind when planning: The route up to Sälenfjällen does not normally pass through either of the two towns. If you’re coming from the south via the Öresund, you’ll drive north through central Sweden and pass west of Stockholm. As a result, the congestion charge usually doesn’t apply at all. The exception is if you arrive by ferry in Gothenburg and drive through the city, or if you choose to stop off in one of the towns.

In addition to the congestion charge, Sweden has so-called infrastructure charges on a couple of specific bridges, and one of these may be on a possible route northwards. The charge is invoiced retrospectively to the vehicle’s owner. For a vehicle registered abroad or a hire car, this is handled differently depending on the vehicle’s country of origin and the terms of the hire agreement. Check with the Swedish Transport Agency to find out what applies to your vehicle, and read the rental terms and conditions if you are driving a hire car. Ask the hire company explicitly how they pass on charges, as administrative surcharges may apply.

Fuel and charging – the cost of the journey

Fuel is often the single biggest expense on a long journey, exceeding the cost of tolls and ferries combined. Calculate it as follows: estimate the distance in kilometres using a route planner, add a winter surcharge to account for higher fuel consumption, and multiply by the current price at the pump. Air conditioning, a roof box and winter tyres increase fuel consumption noticeably compared with a summer journey over the same distance.

If you drive an electric car, the same principle applies, but with two additional factors. The range decreases in cold weather, and charging costs vary significantly between operators and countries. Plan your charging stops based on your winter range and check in advance which payment apps work in each country. Once you arrive, the question of charging at your accommodation is a separate matter, and we’ve covered this in the article on electric car charging in Sälen.

If you want to reduce the proportion of your total expenses accounted for by travel costs, there is an easier way than choosing your route: choosing the day of the week. We have written about when it’s cheapest to book, and the difference between weeks is often greater than the difference between routes.

Summary – work out the cost of your trip

Break down your travel costs into five categories: bridge tolls, ferry tickets, any road tolls in Sweden, fuel or charging, and an item for food and any overnight stays along the way. Enter your own figures taken from the bridge operators’ and ferry companies’ websites, as all charges are updated annually. Bear in mind that your route determines how many charges you’ll encounter at all: a ferry to the Swedish west coast can eliminate both the Great Belt and the Öresund Bridge tolls, whilst travelling through the whole of Denmark incurs both. The congestion charges in Stockholm and Gothenburg do not affect most 1TP76 travellers at all, but do check with the Swedish Transport Agency if you’re planning a stop in either city. If you’d like help calculating the total cost for your group, we’d be happy to do so with you.