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Sweden is known for Wild Camping, but you need to know some things before going there. Find out our favorite apps for Sweden. Read further and be prepared for a camper trip to Sweden.
Wild Camping Rules in Sweden
One rule that is very important in Sweden is the Allemansrätten, this ensures the freedom to roam. What it means is, that you have the right to use any land irrespective of who owns it. This does not mean you can park your camper literally anywhere. There are some rules that you need to know:
- Do not litter, clean up your stuff before you leave the area.
- Do not damage the grounds; Driving over crops or damaging nature is not allowed.
- You cannot stand in the gardens of a private property or less than 100 meters from a private house.
- With a vehicle, you are not allowed to stay more than 24 hours at the same place.
- Always follow rules at a specific place, for example fire bans.
- You are not allowed to go off-road with any vehicle in Sweden.
- Be aware of dog rules in areas if you are traveling with a dog.
- Check the rules of a specific nature area and follow them.
Here you can find more information about the right of public access in Sweden.
Facilities for your camper
Now that you know all the Wild Camping rules in Sweden, it is time to enjoy your stay. At some point you do have to refill water/electricity or empty your waste water. Here you will find the easiest ways to find the spots:
- Fresh water; This one is available in many places, but mostly not with a connection for your hose. It will be easier to find a tap and refill with a watering can. Not all water at filling points is drinking water, so make sure to check that or have a filter for your drinking water in your camper.
- Grey water; Official places to drain your grey water are harder to find in Sweden. There are free points where you can empty your water. If you can’t find one, it is always possible to go to the nearest camping, and you will probably be able to use their facilities for a couple of euros/Krona.
- Black water (Toilet); Emptying your toilet is also harder to find, but again at camping areas you will be able to empty in exchange for money. You might find them at public toilets at a resting area. Know that there are a lot of clean public toilets available, and you can use those instead of yours.
- Garbage bins; These are widely available at places. Sweden does recycle paper, plastic, and metal. If a place does not have recycling bins but only general, bring your recyclables to the next location.
- Electricity; You can find this on camper places or a camping. Both are more expensive than the general price we are used to. It varies between 20-35 euros per night.
For all facilities mentioned above, I highly recommend to download one of the apps in this post to make it easier to find the places.
General Driving rules in Sweden
- Always turn on your lights; It is mandatory to drive with your lights on every time of the day, even when the sun is shining bright.
- Parking; You are not allowed to park against the direction of traffic.
- Crossings; Some crossing have the text Flervägsväjning this indicates that no one has the right to go first. Often the first arrived is allowed to go first, but make sure to make eye contact and know that you can safely drive. Sometimes a crossing looks like a roundabout, but there is no sign. This means you still have to let the person on the right go first.
- Walking on a road; If you need to walk on the road or biking lane, you have to walk on the left side.
- Mobile phone; You are not allowed to have a phone in your hand while driving or to operate on communication/navigation devices.
- Maximum speed; The maximum speed in areas can vary, generally these are the range that you will see: Inside town 30-70 km/h, outside town 60-100 km/h, highways 90-120 km/h. Make sure to look for the signs for the specific limit on a road.
- Winter tires; These are mandatory during winter circumstances between 1 December until 31 March.
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Must-Have Items when you are wild camping in Sweden
There are some items that I think are must-haves when you are going to Sweden.
- DEET spray; Sweden has a lot of lakes, but that also means lots of mosquitos. It is useful to bring some DEET spray with you to limit the mosquito bites. DEET is also useful against ticks, which are in large quantities in Sweden. Make sure to check every time when you were outside that you are tick free. The ticks in south-Sweden can not only give you Lyme disease, but also Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). For more information, check here.
- Tick Remover; Since ticks are a real issue in Sweden, this is something you need to have. Make sure to remove a tick as quickly as possible to reduce the chance of getting a disease.
- Tiger Balm; This is perfect if a mosquito bites you, it relieves the itchiness almost instant.
- Credit Card or Multi-currency card; You can easily pay with card at any place in Sweden, but only with Visa or Mastercard. Since they have Swedish Krona and not Euros in Sweden, it might be interesting to look at a Multi-Currency card. This card lowers the fees that normal banks charge. If you are going for a long time or more often to countries without Euros, it might be interesting to take a look at it. We use the Wise Card, and it has already saved us money in the first week. It is really easy to use, check out here*.
- Black out curtains/shutters; Be aware that it will be light until late in the night or even during the entire day. Make sure that you are able to make it dark inside to get a normal amount of sleep.
Useful apps for Wild Camping in Sweden
There are a couple of apps that we find useful when we are traveling in Sweden.
Park4Night
This is the GO-TO app to find your next place to sleep. You can also filter on specific facilities, like drinking water, garbage bins, grey/black water disposal, public toilets and electricity. You can also filter on the rating. It is always useful to filter on 3+ or 4+ stars to find the best spots in the area. The app has a free and paid version, but it is only 10 euros for a year. Then you have the ability to use more filters, which makes it easier to find what you need/want.
CamperContact
This is a similar app as Park4Night, but it sometimes has different spots or more reviews at a specific spot. We find that by combining both, Park4Night and CamperContact, you can easily find your next spot for the night.
AllTrails
This is our Number One app for hikes or cycling trails. You can easily see tracks, and it is a good way to indicate how difficult a trail is. On the map, you can view the altitude lines and see how much it increases or decreases. There is also a possibility to download maps offline.
Google Maps
Google Maps is always your friend during your camper travels. It will navigate you to the beautiful places, but it also has incredible features you might not be aware of. After you start your route, you can click the search button and choose from the icons fuel, groceries, restaurant or manually enter the name of your favorite grocery store. It will then search along your route to find a place nearby and shows how long the detour will take.
Another feature of Google Maps, which we often use, is street view. It gives the ability to analyze the route before you take them. With a bigger camper, like ours, it is sometimes nerve wrecking to end up on a small street or in front of a narrow tunnel. Therefore, we check parts of the route with street view before we drive it to limit the surprises we get.
The last one is that google has lots of places and reviews available, you can easily find where the parking lots are or parks/nature areas. You can even use satellite mode to see if there are trees or if it is just farm lands.
Google Translate
This is our rescuer when we do not speak the language. We both do not speak Swedish and it is so useful to have this app available. You can translate words you want to use, but also record the audio or click the conversation button. This is useful if someone wants to explain it in Swedish, and then Google automatically translates it to your language. It is also very handy that you can click the camera and hold it in front of an ingredient list, it will then live translate the text. You can also use this camera feature for an information sign or notes at a location. It is also possible to download a specific language offline.
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Now you are well-prepared to go Wild Camping in Sweden. Enjoy the nature and silence in this beautiful country.
*DISCLAIMER* No rights can be taken from this guide Wild Camping in Sweden. Up-to date information can be found in the links provided in this guide. *DISCLAIMER END*