How do you get to Sälen from Belgium?

How do you get to the Sälen ski resort from Belgium? Short answer: by car through Germany and then either via Denmark and the Øresund Bridge or by ferry across the Baltic Sea. The journey is too long for a day trip and is normally split into two stages with an overnight stay. Flying via a Swedish airport and hiring a car for the final leg is the option for those who prefer not to travel with their own car.

The journey from Brussels or Wallonia to Sälen in Dalarna is a conscious choice – it’s a longer car journey than a week’s winter sports holiday usually requires. What encourages the group to make the journey anyway is the type of accommodation: an entire house with a sauna, a kitchen and space for everyone, rather than rooms scattered in different locations. If you’d like to see what this means in practice, there is luxury mountain chalets in Sälenfjällen compiled on a separate page, and that page provides a better answer to the question ”is it worth the trip?” than any journey time table can.

Short answer: distance and journey time from Brussels

The Brussels–Sälen route is one of the longest in this series. It passes through four countries if you drive via Denmark, and through three if you take a ferry from ports in northern Germany. Below are the two basic options. Check the actual distance and journey time using a route planner for your chosen dates – winter road conditions and ferry timetables affect the outcome more than the route choice itself.

To compare Brussels with other locations, we have drawn up the distances from Europe’s major cities in a separate article. This is useful if some members of your group are setting off from different towns and you want to meet up along the way.

The route through Germany – two main routes

Whether you set off from Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent or Liège, the journey takes you into Germany quite early on. From there, there are two main options. The western route goes via the Ruhr region and continues north towards Bremen and Hamburg. This is ideal for those who want the shortest route to Jutland and then wish to continue through Denmark.

The more easterly route heads towards Hanover and on to the northern German Baltic Sea ports. It’s ideal for those planning to take a ferry rather than driving via Denmark. The difference in total journey time between the routes is often minimal; in practice, the deciding factors are where you want to stay overnight and whether you want to book a ferry crossing or retain the freedom to drive whenever you like. Also bear in mind that traffic around the Ruhr area and Hamburg can be heavy during weekday rush hours, which may delay your arrival at the stage destination by an hour or more.

Ferry or the Öresund Bridge?

The choice between the ferry and the bridge comes down to three things: price, timetable and how you want to spend your day travelling. The Öresund Bridge offers complete freedom – you drive when you’re ready and pay a toll when you cross. The ferry across the Baltic Sea shortens the drive but ties you to a specific departure time, and the time spent on board becomes a break rather than a stretch of driving, which many families appreciate.

If you’re travelling by road through Denmark, there’s usually also a charge for the Great Belt Link if you’re crossing from Funen to Zealand. All these charges are subject to annual changes and are quoted in DKK, SEK or EUR, depending on where you book. Check the current amounts with the relevant operator before calculating the cost of your journey – this is the item that is most often out of date in travel guides.

Stages and accommodation for families

When travelling from Belgium, an overnight stop en route is the rule rather than the exception, and with children in the car, two stages with plenty of time to spare are often better than a gruelling day’s drive. An itinerary that works for many people is a long first day ending in northern Germany or Denmark, followed by a second day ending at Sälenfjällen in the afternoon.

We have discussed where the reasonable milestones lie and how far it is sensible to drive each day in winter during overnight accommodation along the way. There are two things worth bearing in mind when planning the route right now: that daylight hours are short in Scandinavia in the middle of winter, and that the final stretch towards Sälen is on minor roads where the speed limit is lower than on the motorway.

Fly to Sweden and then on to Sälenfjällen

If you’re travelling without a car, flying to Stockholm or Gothenburg is the most reliable option, followed by a hire car for the final leg of the journey. There is also an airport near the ski resorts, Scandinavian Mountains Airport, but its flight schedule is seasonal and varies from winter to winter – check the current timetable before planning your journey this way.

Take the whole cost into account when comparing with a car: flight tickets per person, the charge for ski equipment as special luggage, a hire car of the right size with winter tyres, as well as fuel and parking. For two people, flying often works out cheaper. For eight people with equipment, travelling by car almost always works out cheaper, and in that case the two days’ journey become part of the holiday rather than an expense.

Practical information for driving in Sweden

There are three things that differ from driving at home. Winter tyre requirements apply in Sweden during a specific period and also apply to cars registered abroad; check the current regulations with the Swedish Transport Agency before you set off. Dipped headlights or sidelights must be used 24 hours a day, all year round. And collisions with wildlife are a real risk in wooded areas at dusk and dawn, which is why the speed limit on the final stretch of road is lower than you might expect.

We have summarised the key points below traffic regulations in Sweden. Read through it before you set off, rather than in the car – most of the points are straightforward, but they’re easier to take in when you’re calm and relaxed.

What Belgian visitors often look for in the Swedish mountains

We do not yet have enough Belgian guests to be able to draw any firm conclusions, and we are not pretending otherwise. What we are seeing amongst guests from the Benelux countries as a whole are three recurring requests. The first is cross-country skiing on groomed trails, which here can be combined with downhill skiing within the same area. The second is the tranquillity: short queues, plenty of space and a clear contrast to everyday life back home.

The third is the sauna and the water. A house with its own sauna changes the rhythm of the whole week, especially when the days are cold and short, and that is also what makes it such a great place for groups of people with different skiing abilities to enjoy themselves equally. You’ll find accommodation with a spa and sauna in a range of sizes. One final practical point: all communication with us is in English, from your initial enquiry right through to the key code.

Summary – how to plan your trip

From Belgium to Sälen via Dalarna, most people drive through Germany and then choose between Denmark and the Øresund Bridge or a ferry across the Baltic Sea. Plan for two stages with an overnight stay, check the current tolls for bridges and ferries with the operators, read up on the Swedish winter tyre regulations at the Swedish Transport Agency, and aim to arrive during daylight hours. If you’re travelling without a car, flying to Stockholm or Gothenburg and hiring a car is the most reliable option. If you’d like help assessing whether the journey is feasible for your particular group and dates, please write to us – we’d rather tell you that the week isn’t suitable than have you drive the whole long distance unnecessarily.