-
Northernlights13
If you want a luxurious tour of Sweden - this is not for you! But if you want a charming unique experience go for it! We travelled from Mora to Gallivere and then back from Ostersund to Mora.The whole experience was so lovely from finding bear dens in the forest, elks on the tracks,walking over road/rail bridges, to stopping off for cinnamon buns at locals houses all with the moving wonderful scenery that is Sweden. We were blessed part of the way with Emma ( our driver) and Lynn ( our guide) - they were wonderfully Informed and helpful - making our journey a pleasure!We went onto travel to Harsted for the Hurtigruten sailing around the Lofoten Islands to Trondheim which was wonderful.A big thanks to the wonderful Ingrid in the Inlandsbanan office who was so helpful in making our holiday so special
-
sussex_wanderers051
The railway is used now mainly for leisure and tourism, and runs in the summer months only for general use from June- end August (check first!) it runs in total some 1300Km from Kristnehamn in Varmland to Gallivare well north of the Arctic circle, through the heart of Sweden.We travelled as part of an organised group from Ostersund to Jokkmokk. The trains are old, the track rikketty, and the pace slow, but that is part of the appeal. If you want to sit with the driver, thats not a problem.There is a very good on-train guide and the train makes frequent stops at the many small towns and villages on route, where you can eat and stretch your legs. The scenery is not majestic, for the most part it is flat and there are lots and lots of trees. Occasionally though, you may see moose, elk bear or, as we did, had to slow down for reindeer on the line.In times of hurried travel and stress, this is an antidote, which wont appeal to all but I certainly enjoyed it in an otherwise busy schedule.
-
PossumAdelaideSA
We travelled on the section from Ostersund to Gallivare and although it's a round a 14 hour trip the time went very pleasantly. Our train guide was very helpful and knowledgable and spoke excellent English. The scenery was beautiful and the places we stopped at were interesting. We would have liked more time at Moskosel which had the most fascinating navvy museum and good crafts which we did not have much of an opportunity to look at as we had to pick up our dinner. There was a much longer stop at Vajkijaur which was not as interesting.
-
PeterG874
I would go back to the Inlandsbanan any time to ride again.Be sure to travel the whole line, from Morastrand to Gällivare. The northernmost part is the most beautiful anyway.for long trips a seat reservation is advisable during the Swedish school holidays .
-
edwincheekymonkey
We travelled from Moskosel (after having been to Storforsen) to Orsa (where we went on to travel around Dalarna and then to Göteborg) independently on Inlandsbanan 23-26 July, with stops in Arvidsjaur (where we went on a combined beaver and elk safari) and Vilhelmina (where we went on a one-day excursion to Marsliden and Saxnäs). We found the trains on time, they were uncrowded and the atmosphere was very relaxed. The train guides were really nice and funny. We saw a lot from the trains, including the cutest little villages, reindeer, elk and amazing scenery. The train guides will point out sights along the route and the train will either slow down or stop, so everyone can have a good look and take some snaps. We enjoyed our 2-hour stop in Östersund and took some time to do some shopping and sight seeing. Your luggage can be left in the Inlandsbanan office there.Being from northern Sweden originally, I dealt with the view of trees slightly better than my English husband, who was not as good as I was at spotting things between the trees! I saw lots of things, he saw mainly trees. Ha. The food stops are good. The menus are in the onboard magazine (which are available in English, German and Swedish) and I found it fun and enjoyable to choose my food. We had a breakfast basket, pizza, pasta and waffles on our journey.We had so much fun on the train and I was sad when our train journey came to an end. We had the most amazing honeymoon and if relaxed, informal, travelling is your thing, then this trip is worth considering.
-
MarciaB10
In June 2012 my cousin and I made a trip to Sweden to visit relatives in the Nybro area, Gotland and Stockholm. Since we were there shortly before midsummer, we decided to also take a short trip way up north to Kiruna to see the midnight sun. We booked a 2 day tour in Kiruna through Kiruna guide tours (see their review). While exploring options to get up north i.e.: plane, overnight train from Stockholm, etc I came across info on Inlandsbanan and it looked like a great option to see more of Sweden.We booked a two day package with Inlandsbanan from Mora to Gällivare with overnights in Östersund and Gällivare. The 3rd morning we took a short train from Gällivare to Kiruna for our 2 day tour there. It was a long train ride! 7 hours day 1, 15 hours day 2. Overall it was a good experience, but different than I had thought. Day 1 90% of the views were trees, trees, and more trees - with an occasional lake, river or town. Day 2 we saw slightly more scenery, but still more than 75% of the scenery was trees, with a few more lakes, river, streams and towards the very end a few rolling hills and small mountains in the distance.The train itself was slightly worn. The windows were very good for viewing. Both days there were small groups in one car, but few individual travelers (like us) that was ok, so we were able to spread out. As one other commenter mentioned always meeting interesting people... we really didn’t meet anyone. The groups stuck together. The guides on the train were friendly, and provided some information, but mostly took orders for meals. The first day the stops were ok, stopping at a pretty rolling stream, and then taking a short hike to see a bear hut. The second day it seemed like there were just too many stops. I know many people break this trip up into many days, and that would seem like a better option - to stay in some of the other towns for a day, and then catch the train the next day. Doing this two day trip, we got into both Östersund and Gällivare too late at night to really do anything in those towns, except walk to the hotel. Looking back at our options, I am still glad we took the Inlandsbanan train, but was also glad we flew back to Stockholm from Kiruna!
-
j_a70
Inlandsbanan is a real favourite of mine. I've actually been three times over the years and it's always lovely. It's a very nice way to experience the north-western parts of Sweden at a leisurely pace. The trains are a bit old school perhaps but that only adds to the experience in my book. Guides has always been very good and helpful making the trip more fun and interesting. We've also met loads of nice people from all over the world on our journeys. The diversity amongst the passengers is often wide which makes travelling even more interesting.Make sure to make as many stops as possible along the route. The small towns and villages along the way has a lot to offer. Nice accommodation and very nice and friendly locals are easy to find. Also, try the local cuisine. Lovely!I will be back on the Inlandsbanan for sure, just love it!
-
Smultronpod
We did the Discover Inlandsbanan tour as they book all your hotels, seats on the train and generally sort everything out. I would in hindsight have researched a bit more as some of the stops on the way were not that interesting. The train is great and very relaxed. You can see right into the driver’s compartment and perhaps ask him a few questions. My boyfriend spotted baby reindeer crossing the tracks and you tend to see a lot of wildlife racing away from the train. One moose was not so lucky as our train hit it and unfortunately killed it. They give you a commentary on the train and one thing I really liked was when the hostess sang her regional song. The train stops in tiny villages where locals come sell their homemade cakes and coffee on the trackside. Our first stop was Ostersund, a biggish town where hereon after it becomes much smaller. Some villages only have 3 people living there. The weather was great and we cruised on the lake on steam ship and visited a fairly interesting living museum called Jamtli. After Ostersund we stopped at Wilhelmina and stayed at hotel with an amazing hot tub and sauna overlooking the lake. The food was very good. The town had little to offer, but some lovely local Sami artists and a good cake shop. Next was Aridsjaur where we had a tour of the Sami Lapstaden. We had hoped to rent inspection trolleys (bikes that go on the rail tracks) but you can only hire when Inlandsbanan is not using the track. We also wanted to go canoeing, but most places were out of town and you needed transport. There was a great restaurant called Jonas Grill and cute house from the 1800s that you can visit. Finally we arrived at Gallivare and had just missed the midnight sun by a few days. You can visit a working mine here but it offers little else. We were pleased to leave the next day and took the train 14 hours back to Ostersund stayed the night and did another 8 hours to Mora. All in all I really enjoyed the trip, the nature and wildlife. The sunsets were amazing and if you get a chance swim in a lake. It is like bathing in mineral water. If I could change anything I would have booked Inspection Trolleys in Mora, stayed in Jokkmokk and not Gallivare and sorted out canoeing beforehand.
-
Victorianlad
Because Inlandsbanan only operates for a short window in the Swedish summer each year, I had to design my itinerary around it.After a reasonable night at a Gallivare hostel, I joined the railcar for the trip south to Oostersund and on the second day, Mora.The trip is well organised with morning tea, lunch and afternoon stops on the first day and similar if briefer arrangements on the much shorter leg to Mora.Having reindeers cross the tracks was a highlight.Early on the first day there was a photostop at a bridge.The staff were pleasant, the trip unhurried and the fare, while not overly cheap, was better value than some specialist train trips elsewhere in the world such as the 'Indian-Pacific' or 'Ghan' in Australia. Of course Inlansbanan is day trips rather than overnight rail travel.On time operation was the go but the train's schedule was fairly relaxed.
-
Svenalexandr
Concept original et paysages à couper le souffle ! On embarque quand on veut et on remonte quand on veut, de ce train de bûcherons qui traverse la Suède, dans les montagnes et forêts, du centre au Nord. On dépasse le cercle polaire : magique. On est dirigé par de charmantes hôtesses qui prennent parfois le micro pour expliquer quelque chose, nous emmener dans un coin de la forêt, nous chantent une chanson traditionnelle du coin, nous emmènent au coin du feu avec un musicien. Des haltes possibles pour dormir un peu tout le long, pour finir, tout au Nord, dans un chalet de trappeurs si l'on souhaite. Facile à organiser, et incroyablement dépaysant ! Bravo... (ah ils sont forts, ces suédois !)
