Southern Sweden – Steam, Trams & Trains

Day 1 – To Cologne

Boarding a mid-morning Eurostar service, we travel to Brussels before taking an onward train to Cologne for a 1-night stay.

Day 2 – On to Scandinavia

A full day’s rail travel to Copenhagen via Hamburg for a 1-night stay.

Day 3 – Copenhagen to Stockholm

After a free morning to explore the captivating Danish capital, we make our way into Sweden to Stockholm, our base for the next 6 nights.

Day 4 – Lennakatten Railway

Today we travel to Uppsala by regional mainline train before transferring onto the Lennakatten Steam Railway for a return journey between Uppsala and Faringe. The railway passes through the varied and breathtaking scenery of the Uppsala plain, travelling through open countryside south of Funbo Church and the lakes of Trehörnigen, Lötsjön and Long Lake, finally passing the Roslag forest before arriving in Faringe.

Day 5 – Mariefred

From Stockholm we take the fast train on the Svland line to Läggesta before boarding the steam train to Mariefred. There will be time to look around this historic town, built around the majestic Gripsholm Castle, before we set sail on the S/S Mariefred back to Stockholm.

Day 6 – Skansen Open-Air Museum

This morning, we visit the Skansen Open-Air Museum, the oldest open-air museum in the world. Founded in 1891 it showcases five centuries of Swedish history, and houses approximately 150 historic buildings, the oldest dating back to the 14th Century. These buildings were moved to Skansen from all over the country and painstakingly rebuilt on site. Within the grounds there are also restaurants, shops, a zoo and a funicular railway (payable locally) that climbs Skansen Mountain. Depart at your leisure and enjoy a free afternoon before we regroup to enjoy an evening boat cruise through the Stockholm Archipelago. Dinner is included onboard.

Day 7 – National Railway Museum

A day trip out to Gävle by rail this morning. Here, we find the recently reopened National Railway Museum, with its wonderful collection of historic British-built locomotives dating back to 1856.

Day 8 – Stockholm at Leisure

A day to relax and reflect on your Scandinavian travels, explore more of the city or travel further afield with your InterRail Pass.

Day 9 – Rail to Gothenburg

A morning train takes us directly to Gothenburg for a lunchtime arrival, afternoon at leisure and a 2-night stay. The country’s second largest city is known for its maritime history, Dutch-style canals and vibrant culture.

Day 10 – Gothenburg Trams

Enjoy a day sampling the city’s varied public transport system, with journeys on trams, ferries and buses all possible. We will also enjoy a private journey on a vintage tram and hope that the Göteborgs Spårvägsmuseum (tram museum) will open specially for us.

Day 11- Continue to Malmö

We take a direct train to Malmö, our base for the next 2 nights. Malmö is Sweden's third-largest city and features historic areas like Gamla Väster alongside modern architecture such as the Turning Torso skyscraper.

Day 12 – Malmö Trams

After a leisurely morning, we take a private journey on the Malmö Museum Tramway followed by a visit to the city’s tram museum – Museispårvägen Malmö. The rest of the afternoon is free to explore – there are several other worthy museums nearby.

Day 13 – Return to Hamburg

A full day’s travel back to Hamburg. Our hotel is conveniently located close to the railway station.

Day 14 – Return to Cologne

Enjoy a morning visit to Miniatur Wunderland – the world's largest model train exhibition – before a direct train takes us back to Cologne. Once again, we overnight close to the railway station.

Day 15 – To London

Morning ICE to Brussels where we connect with the Eurostar service to London, arriving mid-afternoon.