A holiday in Sweden with small children works best in one place where you stay put for a week, close to water, with a kitchen and no more than five hours from Stockholm. For children under four that means a cottage on Öland, on Gotland or in the archipelago. From age four, Astrid Lindgrens Värld, Kolmården and Skara Sommarland work well, and from six, Liseberg and Höga kusten. One outing a day at most, the rest is beach and sleep.
Holiday planning in a Stockholm family usually starts in January with one question: where can we go without the trip being harder work than everyday life? With a baby and a four-year-old the answer is rarely a road trip, and rarely anything that involves a flight. It is a week in one place, close to water, with a car or a train that gets you there in a morning. These are the destinations we see families return to year after year, and how they plan the week.
Destinations, ages and travel time from Stockholm
| Destination | Suitable from | Rough travel time from Stockholm | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Stockholm archipelago | 0 years | 1 to 3 hours by car and boat | Cottage, swimming, the very youngest |
| Kolmården | 3 years | Just under 2 hours by car | Animals, one or two days |
| Gotland | 0 years | Ferry from Nynäshamn about 3 hours, plus getting there | Beach, cycling, a full week |
| Öland | 0 years | About 5 hours by car | Beaches, cottage, slow pace |
| Astrid Lindgrens Värld, Vimmerby | 3 years | About 4 hours by car | Children who know the stories, two days |
| Skara Sommarland | 4 years | About 4 hours by car | Water park, one long day |
| Liseberg, Gothenburg | 5 years | About 3 hours by train, 5 by car | Rides, combine with the city |
| Höga kusten | 5 years | About 5 to 6 hours by car | Hiking, cliffs, children who can walk a fair way |
Children under four: stay put, close to water
A baby and a three-year-old do not need a destination. They need a beach with shallow water, a sandpit, a midday nap in a dark room and meals at the same times as at home. You will find all that in a cottage on Öland, a house on Gotland, an island in the archipelago or at grandma's in the countryside. Choose somewhere you can walk to the water with the pram, where there is a kitchen so you can skip restaurants with a child falling asleep on the sofa, and where you do not need the car every day. One outing a week is enough: a day at a zoo, a visit to a town. The rest is sand, water and sleep. It sounds dull, and it will be the best holiday you have for many years.
From age four: one park, one day, one rest day
From around four, children can manage a day at a theme park or zoo, and they remember it. Astrid Lindgrens Värld works best for children who know the stories, so read the books in May. Kolmården is a long day with a lot of walking, so bring a pushchair or carrier even for a four-year-old. Skara Sommarland is a water park for children who are confident in water and ideally can swim a little. The rule that works: one park day, then a rest day with nothing planned, then perhaps one more. Two park days in a row give you a child crying at the entrance on day two. Book accommodation nearby so you can head home when a nap is needed, and be there when the gates open, because the first two hours are the best.
From age six: Liseberg, Höga kusten and touring
Six-year-olds and up can handle more: rides at Liseberg where the height limits start to fit, a hike at Höga kusten where the trails are steep but short, a week of cycling on Gotland where the child rides their own bike for part of the day. Now you can also tour around, with two nights per place instead of one, and combine city with nature. Gothenburg by train from Stockholm is a good first rail holiday for a school-age child. Höga kusten suits families who like walking, and not every child does, so try a hike in Nature reserves in Stockholm with kids first.
How to plan the week
- Day 1: travel and nothing else. Arrive, unpack, find the beach, eat something simple, put the children to bed early.
- Day 2: stay local. The beach, a walk, an ice cream. Learn where everything is.
- Day 3: the outing. The park, the zoo, the town. Out early, back by the afternoon.
- Day 4: rest. No plan. The children decide.
- Day 5: something new nearby. A different beach, a fishing jetty, a market.
- Day 6: one more outing if the children are up to it, otherwise the beach.
- Day 7: home. Travel in the morning so you are home for dinner and the children sleep in their own beds.
What makes the holiday harder than everyday life
- Too many moves. A new bed every other night gives you a child who does not sleep all week. No more than two places to stay in a week with children under six.
- Restaurants every evening. Children under five cannot wait for food at seven o'clock. A kitchen where you stay, and one or two dinners out at five.
- An outing every day. Every other day is the limit, and the youngest manage one a week.
- Forgetting that it is summer. Sun cream, a hat, shade between twelve and three, and one adult in the water per small child. Our advice is in Sun protection for children.
- Assuming the children rest just because you are off work. They need the same nap, the same bedtime routine and the same food as at home. A holiday is a place, not a different rhythm.
Taking a nanny on holiday
Some families bring their nanny along for a week in the countryside, in the archipelago or at a cottage, to get a couple of evenings to themselves or because one parent works part of the week. The nanny stays with you, has the children during the hours you have agreed and does what she does at your home: the beach in the morning, nap, an outing. It needs booking well in advance and is priced at the first meeting, see Prices. More tips on the journey itself are in Travelling with children.
How we do it with our families
Last summer Aleksandra joined a family from Järfälla for a week at a cottage on Gotland, with children aged two and five, because the parents wanted three evenings to themselves and one morning each where they could cycle alone. She took the children to the beach between nine and twelve, put the two-year-old down for a nap after lunch while the five-year-old built sandcastles with one of the parents, and on three separate evenings put the children to bed at seven while the parents ate out. The park day was on the Wednesday, and the Thursday was left empty. The note she left every evening said how much the children had swum, what they had eaten and that the two-year-old slept better with the window open.
Would you like a nanny who comes on the same days every week and whom the children know? Book a free first meeting with the nanny at your home, and we will work out a quote for your hours.
Read more: Travelling with children · The Stockholm archipelago with children · Day trips from Stockholm with kids · Prices
Frequently asked questions
Which destination in Sweden is best for children under three?
Somewhere you stay put, with a swimming spot or beach nearby and a kitchen. A cottage on Öland or Gotland, or a week with relatives in the countryside, beats everything. Amusement parks and theme parks are for children from around four; before that it is mostly queues and tiredness.
When in summer is the best time to travel in Sweden with children?
July is the warmest and the busiest. June has longer days, cooler water and fewer people, and many places open from midsommar (Midsummer). August often has warm water and is calmer after the first week. With preschool children who have no school holidays to work around, June and August are the best weeks.
How far can you travel from Stockholm with small children in a day?
Four to five hours by car including breaks is the limit for most families with children under five. That gets you to Gotland by ferry from Nynäshamn, to Öland, Kolmården, Vimmerby and Skara. Gothenburg and Höga kusten make for long days, so split the journey or take the train.
Do you need to book in advance?
Yes, for accommodation in July. Cottages and campsites near the well-known destinations are full from January. Visits to parks and museums rarely need booking, but check current times on their website before you set off, because summer hours change.
Is it worth taking the nanny on holiday?
For families with several small children who want an evening or two to themselves, or where one parent works part of the week, yes. The nanny comes along, stays with you and has the children during the agreed hours. It needs booking well in advance and is priced at the first meeting.