Visit the Swedish town of Vaxholm by ferry!

While our last blog talked about how to go on a boat ride in Stockholm for free…this week we’re bringing you a slightly longer ferry ride which costs a few kronor more but is worth every single one.

Waxholmsbolaget offer many different trips to many destinations around Stockholm’s archipelago as well as island hopping in the North, Central and Southern islands of the archipelago. One of the cheapest and best value journeys on offer is a trip to and from Vaxholm – a quintessentially Swedish harbour town which can been accessed by both ferry and road.

About Vaxholm

Vaxholm’s name comes from Vaxholm castle, which was built back in 1549 to add to Sweden’s defense. The castle can be visited today (at an additional cost for entrance and the short crossing over to Vaxholm castle), although much of the building today is also used for conferences, dining and as a hotel. The town itself was established in 1558 and later it became a merchant town. Today, the town is a popular summer destination and many Stockholmer’s own summer houses in the area surrounding Vaxholm.

How To Get There

As well as being one of the cheaper ferry trips you can take (at just 75 SEK each way), the fact that Vaxholm is accessible by more than one mode of transport is what makes this trip budget worthy. For a great value option, opt to take the boat in just one direction (we recommend the journey back to Stockholm at sunset) and take 670 bus from Danderyd’s Sjukhus for the journey out to Vaxholm if you want to do this on a budget.

The Vaxholm Ferry departs from Strömkajen next to Kungsträdgården and near Stockholm’s ‘Grand Hotel’. Tickets are sold on board.

What to do there

Apart from soaking up the vibe of this sleepy Swedish town, we recommend bringing a picnic along and simply soaking up those sunny summer rays by the water. Walk down to the water beyond the popular Hembygdsgård Cafe (running parallel with Hamngatan) where there are plenty of rocks to rest on and a walkable path leading around the water.