Loyal readers will have noticed that we are absolute Sweden fans. The way from Düsseldorf to the Swedish border alone is enormous, so that a day trip is due for this alone.
In principle, there are exactly 2 ways to get from Germany to Sweden.
Overland through Denmark
The easiest way is definitely through Denmark, via Flensburg to Nyborg and then via Storebæltsbroen. Then from Copenhagen to Mälmö via the Öresund Bridge. What sounds relaxed is relaxed. Usually there are only short waiting times at the toll stations and the journey can continue. But exactly these toll stations are the big problem, because for the two crossings really a lot of money is due. Let’s take a look at the cost.
The Storebæltsbroen Bridge
For a single crossing with the motorhome over 6 meters, up to 3.5 tons 610 DKK is due. That is about 82 euros. Again emphasized at this point, it is the price for a one-way trip, so who wants to return pays 164 euros. Lucky are all owners of a motorhome under 6 meters, this includes the Grand California 600, here the same price as in the van tariff is due. This is significantly cheaper at 250 DKK, which is about 34 euros, so more than half off.
It gets significantly more expensive when the motorhome is over 10 meters long, but a GC driver doesn’t have to worry about that.
There are discounts
If you inform yourself in advance, you can save money not only on Storebæltsbroen, but also on the rest of the route. First of all, the Danes simply make it extra complicated from our point of view to get a discount. The website is only available in Danish and English and is really confusing.
Officially, the Storebæltsbroen website only gives a discount for motorhomes over 6 meters long, so GC 600 drivers are out at this point. But for GC 680 riders, here is the first opportunity to save money now. Under this link you can sign up for a so called Motorhome Agreement. You register online on the website and must enter your data and upload the vehicle registration document. After that, a price of 295DKK, just under 40 euros, is due per crossing.
However, there are two things that are really annoying and annoying.
- The whole is valid only up to 3.5 tons
- A so-called Storebælt Private agreement and bizz/number plate payment agreement are also required. This is a general agreement to use the bridge and a provider who can charge the toll costs via your license plate. Here, for example, there is Örepay or Brobizz, more about this in detail in the further text.
GC 600 owners can also save again in the van tariff, namely if they pay via Örepay or a Brobizz.
The Öresund Bridge
If you continue to follow the route towards Copenhagen, you will come to the next bridge on the way. The Öresund Bridge! Here you will also be asked to pay. Simpler and not so complicated in cost is divided only in the length of the mobile home. Whereas the calculation here starts from 6 meters, everything below that is considered a passenger car. However, we have no experience whether one is still put the passenger car category with the GC 600 here.
The price for one crossing is 130 euros, there is no discount for round trip. In total, both crossings thus cost 260 euros.
There are also discounts for the Öresund Bridge
With the Bro Pas you save about 50% per crossing. This is a paid annual subscription, which costs 45 euros. You can subscribe here -> Click here. With the Bro Pas, the one-way crossing then costs “only” 48 euros; again, there is no further discount for the round trip. But even those who go to Sweden only once already save with the Bro Pas. 45 euros + 96 euros = 141 euros round trip. The bottom line is a saving of 119 Euros.
These are the bridge costs at a glance
- Ohne Rabatte oder Pässe
- GC 600 up to 3.5 tons = 328 euros
- GC 680 = 424 Euro
- GC 600 over 3.8 tons = 424 euros
- Mit Motorhome Agreement (nicht nötig für GC600) und Bro Pas
- GC 600 up to 3.5 tons = 209 euros
- GC 680 up to 3.5 tons = 221 euros
A trip to the toll system of Scandinavia
Not only bridges are subject to tolls in the Scandinavian countries, there are roads and ferries in Sweden and especially Norway that are also subject to tolls. In the inland you only notice that you pay a toll on the Öresund Bridge, because here there are still the typical toll booths. Otherwise, only signs inform you that you are driving on a toll road and how much it costs. In Sweden as well as in Norway, the billing of toll costs takes place completely automatically via the license plate. So a few months after your trip you will receive a letter home with the toll costs to be transferred.
The Ultimate Discount with BroBizz ?
To reduce the cost of tolls, you can order a BroBizz.
What is BroBizz
BroBizz is a company which is responsible for the billing of tolls, especially in Denmark. You can usually always pay with cash or credit card at the toll stations on the bridges. To limit the whole thing a bit, only as a user of BroBizz you will get a discount from the operators, because here the billing is done directly via the BroBizz subscription. This is intended to create an incentive to simplify waiting times and, above all, payment. Those with a BroBizz subscription use dedicated lanes at the toll booths. If I have registered in advance, the cabinet opens as if by magic. But BroBizz not only works on bridges, it can also be used for ferries or road tolls in Sweden and Norway.
There are two variants of Bro Bizz
- Pay with the license plate. You create an account on the BroBizz homepage and register your car / motorhome with the appropriate data, deposit a credit card and can use the bridges in Denmark without a transponder or, for example, park in parking garages without having to pay anything locally. Billing is then completely automatic. However, this variant only works in Denmark and additionally on the Öresund Bridge.
- The BroBizz transponder. Also via the BroBizz homepage you can order a transponder, the cost for the transponder is 200 DKK (27 Euro), this is a one time payment. However, since the transponder is sealed and the battery cannot be replaced, a new one is due after about 5 years. With the transponder you can also enjoy the above-mentioned benefits in Denmark, but also pay road tolls in Sweden and Norway. You can find a complete overview of discounts -> HERE. On average, in Norway, for example, you get a 20% discount on road tolls and even 40% on certain ferries.
Important note for Norway
- Motorhomes over 3.5 tons usually pay the truck toll rate, but if you use a transponder, e.g. as described above from BroBizz, you get a discount and pay the regular car price.
- If you have rented a motorhome/van and it weighs over 3.5 tons, it counts as a commercial vehicle and a transponder MUST be used. If you are caught, you will be fined NOK 8000 (just under 800 euros). This does not apply to private motor homes / vans.
Somehow this was a bigger excursion into the toll world, you see the topic is very extensive and rightly fills other blogs. Different actions can also be combined, but we won’t list them all individually in this post. We keep in mind, the trip over the bridges hit with discounts with about 220 euros up to 3.5 tons and with about 420 euros over 3.5 tons.
By ferry
The second way to get to Sweden is by ferry. There are many departure points and options here. In terms of price, they are partly more attractive than the bridges, but they have two very big disadvantages for us.
- Fixe Fahrzeiten
- You usually book a fixed time, in the low season is still possible to simply switch to another ferry, but in the high season no chance. Thus, one has a fixed date.
- Lange Fahrzeit
- A ferry from Kiel to Gothenburg takes a good 14 hours! That’s way too long for us.
- A ferry from Kiel to Gothenburg takes a good 14 hours! That’s way too long for us.
A possible variant, which we have already used, is the combination of ferry and bridge. So we crossed the Öresund Bridge and then took the ferry from Rodby to Puttgarden. These two crossings went quickly and cost a total (we used the BroPass) of 150 euros.
Our favorite
The fastest way to Sweden starts on Rügen. With the catamaran ferry from FRS Baltic you are in Ystad Sweden in 2.5 hours from Rügen.
We have for the crossing from Rügen to Ystad for 2 persons incl. GC 680 140 euros paid. So price-wise, the whole thing is even a bit cheaper than the bridges and you save a trip through Denmark.
Closing words
If you want to save money on the crossing to Sweden, you have to inform yourself very well. Not only the ferries adjust their prices, so a ferry in May is of course cheaper than in July, the same goes for night trips. But the bridges also have vacation and night prices. In the article we are not so much interested in the cheapest way, as in the most pleasant. And this one is for us the trip from Rügen to Ystad with FRS Baltic.
If you have any questions or missing info, just let us know in the comment section or by email. Have fun in Sweden 🇸🇪
