The ski resort Sälen is situated in Dalarna in central Sweden, near the border with Norway. Oslo is the nearest major city. Next come Stockholm, Copenhagen, Hamburg, Berlin and then the cities in the Benelux region. From most major European cities, it is therefore a car journey rather than a day trip, and should be planned as a two-day trip rather than a one-day one.
Distance is the most common objection to a week in the Swedish mountains, and it is worth taking seriously. At the same time, the cost of travel per person falls rapidly when more people travel in the same car and stay under the same roof. That is why many groups from abroad choose large mountain lodges for groups of 10–20 people: the cost of the long journey is shared amongst more people, and accommodation consequently becomes the cheapest item per person.
Itinerary, city by city – roads, ferries and travel days
- Oslo: By road eastwards across the border, 230–240 km and 3.5–4 hours. One day.
- Stockholm: The E18, Route 70 via Mora and Route 66 via Malung, 400–450 km and 5–6 hours. One day.
- Gothenburg: 500–550 km, 6–7 hours via Karlstad or Örebro. One day.
- Copenhagen: The Öresund Bridge and the E4/E20 northwards – a long day; from Jutland, it’s better to take the ferry to the west coast.
- Helsinki: Overnight ferry to Stockholm, then a day’s drive. Two days, one day behind the wheel.
- Hamburg: by road through Denmark via the Öresund Bridge, or by ferry from Puttgarden to Rödby or from Rostock to Trelleborg. Two days.
- Berlin: The ferry from Rostock or Sassnitz to Trelleborg is the closest option; the alternative is to travel by road via Denmark. Two days.
- Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Brussels: through northern Germany, then by ferry or across the bridge. Two days, preferably with the shortest leg last.
The shortest route and the costs of bridges, ferries and congestion charges are set out in How much do bridges, ferries and congestion charges cost on the way to Sälen? and Which ferries to Sweden are suitable when travelling to Sälen?. Swedish regulations for foreign cars: What traffic rules should foreign drivers be aware of?. Enter your own address into a route planner for your dates and allow extra time to allow for winter road conditions – details of what applies to the final mil are set out in Things to bear in mind when driving to Sälen in winter. All the practical details for your trip, from flights to packing: plan your journey to Sälen.
Overnight stays along the way
From Germany, the Benelux countries and Finland, the journey takes two days, and you should plan your overnight stop so that the final leg is a short one and can be driven in daylight. Three common itineraries: a night on board the Rostock–Trelleborg or Helsinki–Stockholm ferry, so that you wake up in Sweden; spend the night in Denmark or Skåne after a long first day, with five to six hours’ driving remaining; or spend the night near Örebro or Mora, with two to three hours’ driving remaining to the mountains. Winter tyres are compulsory from 1 December to 31 March in winter road conditions, with a minimum tread depth of 3 mm and the mountain peak/snowflake symbol on studless tyres – this requirement also applies to cars registered abroad.
Short answer: these are the distances to Sälen
The table shows the most common starting points, the route usually taken into Sweden, and how many days’ travel most people plan for.
| Starting point | The most common route | Travel days that most people plan for |
|---|---|---|
| Oslo, Norway | The road eastwards across the border | One day |
| Stockholm, Sweden | The road north-west through Bergslagen | One day |
| Copenhagen, Denmark | The Öresund Bridge and northwards through Sweden | A long day – or two – with the children |
| Hamburg and Berlin, Germany | Through Denmark, or by ferry to Sweden | Two days |
| Amsterdam and Brussels | Through Germany, then by ferry or via Denmark | Two days |
| Helsinki, Finland | Ferry to the Stockholm area, then by car | Two days and one night on board |
We have deliberately chosen not to give exact distances in kilometres here. The distance travelled varies considerably depending on which route and which ferry service you choose, and a figure that is accurate for one route would be misleading for another. Enter your own address into a route planner for the dates you are actually travelling, and then allow for extra time to allow for winter road conditions.
From the Nordic countries: Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Helsinki
Oslo is the closest of all the capital cities. This comes as a surprise to many Norwegians, who expect the journey to be longer than it actually is. The route heads east across the border and reaches Sälen in Dalarna without passing through any major cities.
Stockholm is a day trip that can easily be done in a morning and an afternoon. We have calculated the distance separately in the article on How far is it to Sälen from Stockholm?.
Copenhagen is a long but perfectly feasible day trip via the Øresund Bridge. From Jutland, many people opt instead to take the ferry to the Swedish west coast. We’ve covered all the options in detail in the article on the route from Denmark.
Helsinki is different from the others: this route includes a ferry across the Baltic Sea to the Stockholm area, usually with an overnight stay on board. The ferry therefore serves as both transport and a night’s rest, meaning that the journey effectively takes two days but involves only one day’s driving.
From Germany: Hamburg, Berlin and the choice of route
From northern Germany, there are two fundamentally different routes. One is by road through Denmark and across the Öresund Bridge. The other is by ferry directly to southern Sweden from one of the ports on the Baltic Sea coast. The difference in total journey time is less than many people think, as the ferry replaces part of the driving with a rest.
From Hamburg, travelling overland through Denmark is often the most natural choice. From Berlin and places further east, the ferry is the more convenient option. If you live in the Ruhr area or southern Germany, the journey is long enough that you should plan to stay overnight on the way right from the start.
When the school holidays begin in neighbouring countries – and ferry traffic is at its busiest – it says in When are the winter holidays in Denmark, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands?.
From the Benelux countries: Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Brussels
From Randstad and from Belgium, the journey takes two days for most groups travelling with children. The route takes you through northern Germany, and then you can either take the ferry to Sweden or travel overland through Denmark.
A common itinerary is to drive a long way on the first day to northern Germany or Denmark, spend the night there, and take the ferry or the Öresund Bridge early on the second day. That way, you’ll arrive at Sälen in daylight, which is a real advantage if you’re not used to snow-covered roads.
You should allow for this many days’ travel
The easiest way to plan is to count in days rather than kilometres. Three guidelines work for almost all groups:
- One day: from Oslo and Stockholm, and for many, also from Copenhagen.
- Two days: from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Finland.
- Always daylight at the end: Plan your journey so that you cover the final stretch before it gets dark.
Do not drive any longer each day in winter than you would in summer. It gets dark early in December and January, and a driver who has already driven for many hours is less able to cope with snow and slippery conditions than one who is well-rested.
Flying as an alternative to driving
There is an airport near the Sälen ski resort, as well as several larger airports in Sweden and Norway within a reasonable driving distance by hire car. The routes operated vary from season to season, so you’ll need to check the options for your specific week. We have described how the airport operates and where you can fly to in our guide to the airport and its destinations.
Flying saves time but sacrifices flexibility. You’ll need a hire car or a transfer at your destination, luggage costs extra, and you can’t buy food along the way. For a large group, travelling by car is therefore often both cheaper and more practical, whilst flying is better suited to couples and smaller groups travelling light.
What makes the journey take longer in winter
A route planner assumes bare roads and normal traffic conditions. Winter adds time to the journey in four ways. Road conditions reduce the average speed on the final stretches of road. The darkness means more people choose to drive more slowly. Breaks become more frequent and longer when children need to put on their outdoor clothes. And traffic is at its heaviest on days when many people are moving house, often Saturdays during school holidays.
You should therefore allow plenty of time on the day of arrival. It’s also a good idea to familiarise yourself with the layout of the area before you arrive, as the villages are scattered and it’s easy to miss the final turn-off in the dark. We’ve described this in the article on how the areas in Sälen are connected.
Summary – choose your route based on distance and who you’re travelling with
The distance to Sälen from Dalarna depends less on the number of kilometres than on how you choose to plan your journey. From Oslo and Stockholm, it’s a one-day trip. From Copenhagen, it’s a long day. From Germany, the Benelux countries and Finland, it takes two days, and those two days will be more comfortable if the second leg is the shorter one. Always check your own route using a route planner, allow for winter conditions, and calculate the cost per person rather than per car – then the long journey will immediately seem more reasonable.
Where Sälen is located, with a map and distances from Swedish towns: is Sälen.
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