Can you get by using English in Sälen?

Can you get by in English at the Sälen ski resort? Short answer: yes. In practice, English works wherever a visitor needs to make themselves understood – on the ski lift, at the ski school, in the shop, at the restaurant and when dealing with your accommodation provider. Sweden is a country where English is taught from an early age at school, and in a mountain resort with international guests, the staff are also used to switching languages.

This is, after all, one of the most common questions we receive from guests who have not been to Sweden before, and it deserves an honest answer rather than a polite one. Below, we go through each situation in turn: where English is sufficient without any problems, where it might be useful to know a few extra phrases, and what it is worth preparing in advance. If you’re travelling as a larger group where not everyone speaks the same language, it’s worth knowing that communication with us is in English throughout – this also applies to booking holiday cottages for groups travelling together.

Short answer: English is enough almost everywhere

Travelling in Sweden without speaking Swedish is straightforward. Menus, signs and ticket machines are often in English, and where they aren’t, there’s almost always someone you can ask. The practical difference compared to a country where you really need to speak the language is that you rarely need to plan for the language at all – things sort themselves out as you go along.

There are, however, two points worth bearing in mind. The first is that some information about a mountain destination is seasonal and is therefore updated frequently, which means the Swedish text is sometimes updated before the English version. The second is that formal text – tenancy agreements, information from public authorities, insurance terms and conditions – is more often available in Swedish than in English. If something is important and unclear, it’s better to ask once too often than to guess.

On the ski lifts, at the ski school and at the ski hire shop

The ski resorts in Sälenfjällen welcome visitors from several countries every winter, and staff at the ski lifts, ticket offices and equipment hire centres are used to speaking English. Buying a ski pass, hiring equipment or asking which run is suitable for a beginner is no problem at all.

The ski school is one area where it’s worth being a little more forward-thinking, especially for the youngest children. Group lessons are often held in Swedish when the group is Swedish-speaking, whilst English-speaking groups or private lessons may be available as alternatives. The range of options varies between resorts and from week to week, so it’s best to enquire when booking rather than on arrival. We’ve put together some practical information about ski school and childcare in a separate article. If you’re planning to hire equipment, you can do so in English when you arrive, but if you book in advance, your first meeting will be more relaxed – find out what you need to do to hire ski equipment on site.

In shops, restaurants and at Systembolaget

In supermarkets, the packaging is in Swedish, but the products are the same and most people manage to find what they’re looking for anyway. If you need to ask for something specific, you can use English. The till systems are self-explanatory and payment is almost always by card.

Restaurants in ski resorts usually have menus in English or staff who can translate on the spot. One thing that often surprises visitors is how the sale of alcohol is organised: in Sweden, stronger alcoholic drinks are sold in a special state-run chain of shops called Systembolaget, not in supermarkets. The staff there speak English, and the shop has its own opening hours, which differ from those of the supermarket. Check the opening hours for the week you’re visiting before you plan your shopping trip.

Scandinavian neighbouring languages – when Danish and Norwegian work well together

If you’re coming from Denmark or Norway, you have an extra option. Swedish, Danish and Norwegian are closely related, and in writing most Swedes can understand both Danish and Norwegian without too much difficulty. When spoken, Norwegian is usually the easiest for a Swede to follow, whilst Danish may require you to speak a little more slowly than you would at home.

The approach at Sälenfjällen is simple: many Danish and Norwegian guests speak entirely in their own language, and it works well. If you notice the conversation getting stuck, there’s no shame in switching to English for a sentence or two and then going back to your own language. Written information – terms and conditions, house rules, signs – is easy for a Danish or Norwegian guest to read in Swedish.

Healthcare, pharmacies and emergencies

The answer here is also positive, but this is a situation where you’ll benefit most from being prepared. Healthcare staff in Sweden generally have no difficulty communicating in English, and the same applies to pharmacies. In an emergency, the emergency number is 112, and that number handles calls in English.

What’s worth sorting out in advance isn’t the language, but the paperwork: valid ID, your insurance certificate and your EU Health Insurance Card if you’re from an EU country. Make sure you bring the names of any medicines you are taking in their international non-proprietary names, not just the brand names used in your home country, as brand names vary from country to country. We have described where healthcare is available and how it works for visitors under the health centre and healthcare services for visitors.

Signs and information on the slopes

Slope markings follow the international colour code, so it is just as easy to assess a run here as it is in the rest of Europe. Warning signs and information at the lifts are often provided in both Swedish and English. Weather information and details of which lifts are open are provided in the resorts’ apps, which can usually be switched to English.

The exception is temporary notices. A handwritten note about a closed lift or a diverted run is more often in Swedish. If you’re unsure, ask a lift attendant. It’s the quickest way to get an up-to-date answer, and they’re used to being asked.

Swedish words that are good to recognise

You don’t need to learn Swedish to have a great week. But you’ll come across a few words on signs and in information leaflets, and they’re easy to recognise:

• Open / Closed – open / closed, the most common pair of signs.
• Lift – the same word as in English; used to refer to ski lifts.
• Downhill run and hill – piste and slope respectively.
• Cross-country tracks – groomed cross-country ski trails.
• Deposit – the deposit on returnable bottles and cans, which you get back in the shop.
• Check-out – check-out; see the information provided in the house.
• Entrance and exit – entrance and exit.

We have compiled more of the little things that distinguish a Swedish cottage from a holiday home in other countries under Swedish customs at the holiday cottage. None of them require any prior knowledge, but it’s more enjoyable to recognise them than to discover them.

Summary – language is rarely a barrier

English is sufficient for a stay in Sälen in Dalarna, and Danish and Norwegian work perfectly well for Scandinavian guests. What is worth preparing for is not the language itself, but the few areas where a misunderstanding could cost you time: the language of instruction at the ski school, insurance and proof of identity in case of a medical visit, and the opening hours for buying alcohol. Everything else will sort itself out as you go along. If you have any questions about your accommodation or the week in general, please feel free to write to us in English – we’ll reply in the same language you use.