Depending on where you come from, Sweden’s size may feel cosy or intimidating. An often quoted fact is that if Sweden were rotated so that Malmö lay in the north, the other end of Sweden would reach Rome. This means that driving is not the most effective way to travel around Sweden unless you have plenty of time on your hands. Fortunately the air network is comprehensive with an airport located in most large cities and towns. Trains are fast, timely and inexpensive – especially when booked in advance – although their network is limited in the north of Sweden. There are also frequent buses between the major cities, which is normally the cheapest way to travel.

Sweden is now linked to Denmark by road and rail bridge and has land borders in the north with Finland and Norway. Various ferry companies operate services to and from other countries bordering the Baltic and on the west coast, ferries run to Denmark, Norway and the UK (although at the time of writing the services to the latter are being scaled down). International flights also operate from many of the regional airports and the big city airports have numerous direct flights both within Europe and intercontinental.