There are an increasing number of ways that one can travel between Germany and Sweden in a less carbon-intensive way than flying. As someone growing up in Stockholm and living in Berlin, I have traveled between the two cities countless times. In this post, I give tips on what routes exist and what to think about when traveling between Germany and Sweden.
Train by Day
Taking the train can be fun if you have a day to spare. My most common route is Stockholm-Copenhagen-Hamburg-Berlin, as you only need to change trains twice. I often have enough time in Copenhagen to do a quick city walk and grab a cup of coffee. In Hamburg, I sometimes have enough time to grab a beer. It is very convenient to book the trip on the German Railways' website, and the total price is often cheaper than booking the Swedish part alone. Booking through one provider also gives you several EU travel rights. Once, due to delays, I missed the last train for the day to Stockholm. I booked a train for the next day and stayed at a hotel room in Malmö. They covered all the extra costs.
Night Train
The train company Snälltåget has direct trains between Stockholm and Berlin. As the train is often fully booked long in advance and only goes regularly in high season, I haven't yet had the opportunity to try this train.
Starting in September 2022, Swedish Railways will run night trains Stockholm-Hamburg daily.
Along the Baltic Sea
Another fun way to travel is by boat. Hansa Destinations operate a ferry between Rostock-Nynäshamn, with a stop on the Gotland island. I've tried this once and would say it was the most comfortable means of travel. I had my own cabin with a shower and TV. Although the WiFi was a bit unstable, I could work undisturbed. With hardly any background noise or vibrations from the boat, I felt very well rested when arriving, a feeling I'm not getting after a train trip or flight. It is cheaper to get a seat in a big room, but the journey takes 18 hours, and I'm not sure how well I'd sleep in a chair. One impracticality is that between Rostock central station and the ferry terminal, one must take a local bus going only once an hour or take a taxi.
Over the Western Baltic Sea
If one wants a shorter boat trip, there is the FRS 2-hour express boat between Sassnitz, in Rügen, to Ystad, a cozy city on the southern end of Sweden. I have taken this boat when visiting relatives in Skåne (the southernmost county of Sweden). A similar impracticality with this boat is that the ferry terminal is not centrally located. Taking the local bus and train are therefore required to get to mainland Germany.