Sweden (SJ)
Country info: Sweden (Sverige)
Rail companies: SJ (Statens Järnvägar)
Snälltåget (Transdev Transport Sweden)
Currency: 1 euro = app. 9,25 Swedish krona (SEK)
Train travel in Sweden: train types, tickets, fares, discounts & other useful info
National Train Service:
Train types in Sweden: Regional, InterCity, High-Speed (Snabbtåg) & Night (Nattåg) trains
- Regional: short distance regional service all over Sweden & commuter service around major Swedish urban areas (Stockholm, Malmo, Gothenburg), no seat reservation required
- InterCity: medium & long-distance trains serving routes across Sweden & some international connections (e.g. Stockholm to Oslo), no seat reservation required
- High-Speed (SJ 2000 and SJ 3000): high-speed service between major Swedish destinations (Stockholm to Malmo, Gothenburg, Ostersund, etc.) & abroad (Stockholm to Copenhagen via Malmo), seat reservation required
- Night: national & international overnight sleeper train service, mainly connecting Stockholm with distant Swedish destinations (Malmo, Umea, Lulea, Storlien, Sundsvall, Narvik, Oslo etc.), seat/bed reservation required. SJ Nattåg trains often can be seasonal
Discounts, special offers & ways to save money for passengers traveling by train in Sweden (SJ):
- Passengers purchasing Swedish train tickets in advance can save money with SJ discounted tickets. Swedish Railways (SJ) discounted tickets are sold only for specific train & date, tickets are non-exchangeable/non-refundable, but at the same time can be really cheap. For instance, it is possible to travel by high-speed train from Stockholm to Malmo for as low as 122 SEK or Stockholm to Gothenburg for as low as 195 SEK, etc. Potential passengers should take into consideration that SJ ticket sale starts 90 days in advance, so in case you want to catch cheapest tickets don't wait until the last moment.
- Youth passengers (< 26 years old) receive up to 30% discount on all the day time journeys in 2nd class & up to 15% for overnight trains (couchettes & sleeper cars)
- Students holding ISIC cards as well receive 30% discount on SJ day time trains
- Passengers < 26 years old, students & seniors (pensioners) are eligible to purchase so-called 'Last minute' tickets (Sista minuten). 'Last minute' Tickets feature minimum fare as low as 155 SEK (price is at its lowest on off-peak periods, meaning usually from 10:00 to 14:00 & after 19:00 Monday to Thursday). 'Last minute' tickets are available for journeys in 2nd class on SJ's day trains, passengers can buy the tickets at the earliest 24 hours before departure, seat reservation is included in the fare
- SJ also offers rather unusual (at least for rail companies) type of train tickets - Ticket Auction. The general idea behind such an auction is that starting train ticket price is always 1 SEK. Ticket auctions start four days before & finishes two days before the departure date. Passengers don't bid for any specific departure, but on departures during one of three time blocks (departures from 05.00 to 09.59, departures from 10.00 to 14.59 or departures from 15.00 to 04.59). You win the auction - you receive the ticket. Ticket Auction offer is available for high-speed and intercity trains, only in 2nd class
- Passengers traveling with children can take advantage of special SJ Family offer (details of the offer can be found here)
- Passengers traveling on Malmo-Lund-Linkoping-Stockholm or Stockholm-Uppsala-Are-Duved lines also can consider using Snälltåget trains (previously known as Veolia) instead of SJ ones, time to time it can be cheaper.
- Those who had no chance to catch discounted SJ tickets or didn't want to purchase tickets months in advance can think about purchasing Eurail or Interrail pass for their rail trips in Sweden (and neighboring countries), it can actually make sense even if you plan to make only couple long distance journeys.
- Passengers planning multiple train journeys in Sweden might consider purchasing SCIC-NRT international ticket for domestic journeys in Sweden (more info about use of international tickets for domestic train trips can be found 'Western Europe-how cheap it can be?'). For instance, SCIC-NRT tariff ticket on relation from Gothenburg to Malmo valid for 15 days period & featuring unlimited number of stopovers on the way (=basically means that it can be used as train pass for the predefined route) cost 45,80 euro
International Train Service:
a) Regular discounts
Not available
b) Special offers (SparSchiene)
Ticket offers with limited number of tickets per each departure (purchase in advance required)
- Norway: from Stockholm to Oslo (daytime direct InterCity trains) from only 195 SEK, from Gothenburg to Oslo from 195 SEK (discounted tickets to Norway also available from other Swedish destinations)
- Denmark: from Stockholm to Copenhagen (daytime high-speed trains) from only 195 SEK (discounted tickets to Denmark also available from other Swedish destinations)
- Germany: from Malmö to Berlin (Berlin Night Express) couchette from 399 SEK
c) CityStars:
Not available
Youth & Senior passengers holding Rail Plus Cards eligible to receive 25% discount on SJ international connections
SCIC-NRT tariff tickets can be as well used for international journeys to/from Sweden (more details about such tariff 'trick' at 'Western Europe-how cheap it can be?' section). For instance, Gotheburg to Copenhagen via Malmo SCIC-NRT ticket allowing unlimited stopovers on the route & valid for 15 days cost only 68,40 euro
How to Buy Train Tickets in Sweden:
National (domestic) & international tickets (including discounted) can be purchased online via Swedish Railways (SJ) website - www.sj.se
Do you still have further questions or want to share your own travel experience? You are welcome on our Forum page
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