www.resplus.se allows bus, train and boat route searches
There is no one nationwide bus service or company. Buses vary in quality but do not offer the same level of comfort as trains or planes (or as you might expect from other countries). They are a much slower way of travelling over long distances than trains – often taking more than twice as long.
It is rare to have films screened on board but there may be options to purchase food and there should always be toilet facilities available on any long distance journey. There should also be enough time at stops to get out and stretch your legs and the driver may schedule additional rest stops if the distance between scheduled stops is too large.
It is also appears that bus companies have yet to realise the potential of foreign visitors – few of the website links given below have English pages available. However, a little Swedish and some good guesswork should get you a long way towards booking on-line or finding out information. Common phrases include tidtabeller – timetables, boka – to book and biljetter – tickets.
The biggest company running services between cities is Swebus www.swebusexpress.se mentioned above for international connections). However, they operate primarily in the South of Sweden. They do not require seat reservations and will guarantee you travel if a service is scheduled. For all other bus companies listed here you MUST book in advance to guarantee a seat.
Other bus companies operating in the South of Sweden include Svenska buss www.svenskabuss.se and Säfflebussen www.safflebussen.se which also has international routes. Silverlinjen www.silverlinjen.se is the only other operator of note in the South – they specialise in linking Kalmar and Öland with Stockholm and Göteborg.
In the North, a number of smaller companies operate:
Y Buss www.ybuss.se runs up the coast from Stockholm to Umeå with a couple of detours inland to Östersund and Sollefteå.
Tapanis buses www.tapanis.se run the entire length of the coast from Stockholm north to the Finnish border, stopping en route at all major towns.
Diligensen www.diligensen.com run between Stockholm and Hälsingland via Gävleborgs land i.e. they follow the coast up from Stockholm but not very far north.
SGS busses www.sgsbussen.nu operate in a similar area – running between Stockholm, Gävle, Sandviken and Hofors.
Fjällexpressen www.fjallexpressen.com runs during the winter season from each major hub (Stockholm, Göteborg and Copenhagen) to the major ski resorts, stopping at towns en-route for pick-ups.
Härjedalingen buses www.harjedalingen.se run from Stockholm to Härjedalen – one of Sweden’s most remote areas which is inaccessible by train.
Lapplandspilen www.lapplandspilen.se run between Stockholm and Tärnaby/Hemavan (just south of the Arctic Circle, on the Norwegian border).
Outside of these routes, the rest of the bus travel is organised as local transport – see the section below – so you’ll need to be prepared to hop between buses.