After the best of Stockholm in 3 days, we were eagerly looking forward to this four hours train journey. Therefore after a sumptuous hotel breakfast and a short wait at the station we were ready to board our coach. To enjoy the best of 2 days in Gothenburg, the second largest city of Sweden.
Gothenburg
2 days in Gothenburg – How to reach
Train from Stockholm Central Station
Stockholm Central Station
SJ runs hourly trains from Stockholm Central to Gothenburg Central. The journey takes anywhere between 3-4 hours depending on the time of departure. SJ trains connect Sweden from north to south. Also there are trains to Oslo, Narvik and Copenhagen if you are planning to proceed to these Scandinavia destinations. For complete information on departures and booking your journey from Stockholm to Gothenburg and other destinations connect here. With the official SJ train booking website.
Flights
Göteborg Landvetter Airport
Göteborg Landvetter Airport is an international airport serving the Gothenburg region in Sweden. Moreover it is Sweden’s second-largest airport after Stockholm–Arlanda. You have flights from here to 57 destinations in 25 countries and 6 domestic flights operating including ones to Stockholm. Although we arrived by train we took the flight out to Oslo after our two days here in Gothenburg.
2 days in Gothenburg – Train journey from Stockholm
Like most train journeys in Europe, this too was a very comfortable journey with beautiful green countryside views. However the best part was the presence of this little princess in our coach, my friend for the next four hours till we reached Gothenburg Central.
Gothenburg Central Station
The picturesque Gothenburg train station prides itself on being the oldest railway station in the country still-in-use. Moreover it is the hub for the city’s rail and bus traffic with an attached shopping mall where you can find a variety of shops, cafes and restaurants.
2 days in Gothenburg – Local Transport
Buses, trams and boats comprise the local transport options in the city of Gothenburg. However what caught our attention was the mesh of tram lines all around. Gothenburg, also known as the tram city. As we came out of the station, we found we were right there at the most happening place of town. The City Center.
Booking your Public Transport tickets
In Gothenburg, trams, buses and boats are all included in your public transport ticket/card. All tickets and travelling cards can be purchased at any of the public transport operator Västtrafik’s sales outlets. Most of them are kiosks like Pressbyrån, 7-Eleven or grocery stores. The single journey tickets cost SEK 30. The Tourist Center at Kungsportsplatsen sells 1-day and 3-day tickets or you can purchase online and through their To Go App.
More information about the tourists and visitors card is available here on Vasttrafik. Since we had booked our tickets for 2 days online we proceeded to our hotel using the same. The tram journey took us 10 minutes.
2 days in Gothenburg – Where to stay
Gothenburg has a large number of hotels which are located in and near the City Center. As you come out of the station you would notice ‘Radisson Blue Scandinavia Hotel’. Then you also have ‘Radisson Blue Riverside Hotel’ in a prime location less than 2 km away.
If you are looking for hotels near the central station some recommended ones are Upper House (5*), First Hotel G, Clarion Hotel Post, Hotel Royal, Hotel Eggers, Hotel Opera and Scandic Crown. Since Gothenburg is a small compact city you also have some great options between 1-2 km away and well connected with trams/buses. Therefore you may also have a look at Hotel Poseidon, Hotel Lorensberg-Sure Hotel, Spar Hotel Garda, Hotel Liseberg Heden and Hotel Riverton which are all rated above 8 on Booking.com. Then you also have the 4* ‘Gothia Towers Hotel’ right in the city center and rated highly by guests on room, service and their complimentary breakfast.
Our stay in ‘Spar Hotel Garda’
We had booked ours in ‘Spar Hotel Garda’ for 2 nights and it turned out to be a great property with a nice bar, lovely sauna, wonderful complimentary breakfast and a green rooftop area where you could just relax for some time with family and friends over a drink. And this relaxed smoking bench for me and others just outside.
Our spacious room
Lovely Breakfast spread
And this nice view from our room
2 days in Gothenburg – Best Things to do
Take a walk around City Center
Walk to these Landmarks
Gothenburg Cathedral
Grand Theater
Stadsteater
Göteborgs Stadsteater or Gothenburg City Theatre at Götaplatsen square opened in 1934. The theater with a Neo-Classical look was designed by Swedish architect Carl Bergsten.
The Liseberg Wheel
Gustaf Adolfs Torg
Gustaf Adolfs Torg is a town square located in the center of town. It was named Stortorget until 1854 when a statue of the founding father of Gothenburg, king Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden was raised. Surrounding the square are the city hall and the main harbor canal of Gothenburg.
Gothenburg University
Gothenburg Soccer Stadium
Take a Canal Boat Sightseeing Tour
Relax in this beautiful City Center Park
Take a Hop-on-hop-off bus/City bus for a spin around
Take a Tram Ride to the countryside
Go for an Archipelago Boat River Cruise
Relax & enjoy the views from inside
Or from the Deck
Älvsborg Bridge
The Älvsborg Bridge is a suspension bridge over Göta älv in Gothenburg which connects the north and the south part of the city. It was built in 1966 and designed by Sven Olof Asplund. The total length of the bridge is 933 m and distance between the towers is 417 m, while the clearance below the bridge is 45 m. The pylons are 107 m tall making the bridge one of Gothenburg’s most prominent landmarks.
Hop-off-hop-on & explore couple of these islands
Gothenburg – Essentials & Food
Convenience Stores
All around in Gothenburg you would find Pressbyrån, the Swedish convenience chain stores which sell magazines, newspapers, chilled drinks, chips, candy bars, ice creams, hot dogs & tobacco products. They also sell tickets for public transport & phone cards.
At 7-Eleven, you’ll find fast, fresh, tasty and high quality food for people on the go. There are many options available – everything from different kinds of quality hot dogs with fixings to fresh salads, smoothies, hot and cold sandwiches and dishes warmed in the oven. Also there is an abundance of drinks to choose from. For those in need of a coffee break, there’s tasty coffee available and all kinds of delicious buns and other pastries.
Dining Options
Whether you are a foodie or health conscious, non-veg, veg or a vegan, there are some great food options in Gothenburg. Nothing like a lunch or a dinner in a restaurant near the river on one of your days. Check out the Restaurants & Quick Bites options, reviews, location and book your table here on TripAdvisor.
We stumbled upon this Indian Restaurant, Tandoori Kitchen at Kungsgatan 25, 411 19 Göteborg during our walk before lunch on our second day here. The food was nice but nothing extraordinary.
You also have the Daawat Restaurant at Första Långgatan 30, 413 27 Göteborg with a better rating which you could probably try out. Then you also have Tre Indier, Bombay, Bombay Street, Bollywood Masala as well which are all rated highly. You could check out their reviews and location on TripAdvisor. That’s if you are wishing for some Indian Food. We though tried out these two other restaurants for our dinner.
Best of 2 days in Gothenburg
Gothenburg. A nice, cool and peaceful Swedish city. A place where you can walk and experience most of the landmarks. With bus, tram and boat journeys added in, it’s the perfect way to experience the best in two days.
