Written by Kelsey
04 Dec 2025
As international students, pretty much everyone wants to do some traveling during their studies! Both exploring within Sweden and to other nearby Nordic countries. Though this is something that you hear a lot, discussions about going on a trip don’t always turn into actual plans. Time goes by so fast, and it’s easy to get so caught up in your assignments that you let your weekends slip away. To get a break from our coursework, my friends and I decided to plan a weekend trip! And we actually went! It was an amazing trip that left me feeling recharged and connected with nature and my friends.
Talk to Your Friends (And Actually Follow Up!)
Inevitably, one of your friends will eventually say something along the lines of, “OMG, we should go on a trip!” Everyone will agree and talk about how fun a trip would be, but if you’re not careful, the idea will quickly be forgotten. You have to actually follow up on that interest to develop concrete plans, and see how serious people are about actually going. Figure out what weekend works for you and your friends, and start your planning from there.
A few friends and I were floating around the idea of going on a trip, originally to the north of Sweden. We tabled that idea for the time being (since we only had a weekend and the drive up is pretty long), but we were committed to finding another option a bit closer to Gothenburg. After talking about it for a few weeks, we just decided to book the accommodation and car (which we could have cancelled for a refund, but once you book the plans feel more real). If you don’t book, the trip will never make it out of the group chat!
Find Your Destination
So how did we decide where to go? Well, we had a few things we were looking for. We knew we wanted a beautiful nature-focused destination within a roughly 2-3 hours drive radius. We were envisioning a relaxing cabin retreat. But besides that, we pretty much let Airbnb do all the work. Just put in the dates and the number of guests, and Airbnb will show you different houses that meet your criteria on the map! After looking through our options, we found a cute Airbnb with a stunning view of Lake Sommen. And it was about a 2.5 hour drive from Gothenburg. It met all our criteria and fit within our price range, so we were sold!
When you’re booking, though, I recommend actually translating the Swedish description of the house into English. This probably sounds like obvious advice, but we got carried away and focused mainly on the pictures. So we didn’t realize until after booking that there was a fee to borrow linens and towels, and that the house had no WiFi. Neither of these were a big deal for us, but it’s just something to keep in mind!
Focus on Affordable Activities – Nature Reserves
With so many nature and culture reserves in Sweden, there’s so much to explore for free. We passed many nature reserves on our drive! The Airbnb had some brochures about things to do in the area, including one about Ombergs Ekopark. So our first morning in Sommen, we headed there for a hike. Apparently, I was overdressed for the occasion! I thought my hiking pants, sporty-looking fleece zip up, and hiking boots made the perfect hiking outfit, but my European friends joked that I looked super American.
We started our hike through the forest, with beautiful trees and the moss-covered ground. After a bit of elevation gain, we ended up at the top of a mountain. They even had a lookout tower, for an extra amazing view of the lake. We made a slight detour from our trail to see the ruins of an old 12th century convent, which was actually super cool. After resuming our hike, we followed a trail alongside a cliff, giving us a view of the lake as the sun began to set. It was a windy day, so the lake sounded and looked like the ocean. Waves crashed against the rocks, and the metal platform we were standing on to get close to the lake. Predictably, we got splashed a few times while trying to take some photos. That only made it even more fun!
More Affordable Activities – Culture Reserves & Board Games
On our last day, we stopped by Åsens By Kulturreservat, Sweden’s first cultural reserve. It was a glimpse into life in a Smaland village in the early 1900s, and traditional agricultural practices are still used there today. We tried glögg made from the apples grown on the reserve, which of course was absolutely delicious. It was a happy accident that we showed up on the day they were hosting a Christmas market, so there were several vendors selling food, drinks, homemade crafts, and holiday decorations. We also explored a modern day Swedish city, Jönköping, which had a pretty church and even more Christmas vendors lining the streets.
You also can’t go wrong with board games. They’re a staple for any good weekend trip! After our delicious home-cooked dinners both nights, we settled in to play the games at the Airbnb. My personal favorite was a German board game called Mensch ärgere Dich nicht, which roughly translates to Man, Don’t Get Angry. The rules are simple, it’s pretty much entirely based on luck, and it can be pretty funny when the same person gets knocked out over and over. We followed this up with Yahtzee (technically the German version, Kniffel), which admittedly is not my game! I never did get a Yahtzee, unfortunately. But win or lose, it was super fun and wholesome to play board games with friends.
Food and Fika
We decided to cook most of our meals at home, so after arriving at the Aibnb we headed to Lidl for groceries. We grabbed supplies to make veggie-packed pasta, tacos, sandwiches for lunch, and eggs and bread for breakfast. This kept things affordable, but also yielded some really delicious meals. One of my friends even made an incredible Swiss bread called Zopf from scratch. There’s also something nice about making dinner together and chatting in the kitchen while a few people are cutting vegetables, someone’s at the stove, and someone else is setting the table.
In typical Swedish fashion, we embraced the fika culture. We stopped for a coffee break every day of our trip. On our drive up, we made a pit stop in an adorable town called Gränna. Gränna might be a small town, but it’s well-known for its candy canes, or “polkagrisar.” We stopped in an eclectic cafe for coffee before continuing our journey to Sommen. And after completing our 9km hike, we naturally went looking for a local cafe. Unfortunately, pretty much everything was already closed! So we went to Espresso House, a classic Swedish coffee joint. On our way back home, we stopped at Cafe Viskan in Borås. This might have been my favorite cafe of the trip. It was a super vibey and cozy space, and my blueberry tea was delicious!
Total Price
We were able to pull this trip off for what I think is a relatively affordable price! For the Airbnb, rental car and gas, and groceries for the weekend, my share was 1382.64 SEK. And we ended up with plenty of leftover groceries! For me, the trip was worth every penny. But I’m sure it’s possible to plan a trip that’s even more budget friendly, with a little bit of planning. By mostly participating in free activities and eating homemade meals, we were able to save some money while still having a super fun trip.
So… should you go on a weekend trip?
I absolutely recommend planning a weekend trip! As much as I love Gothenburg, it was so nice to explore another region of Sweden. The countryside is absolutely gorgeous, with views of lakes, forests, and the classic red Swedish houses. I loved riding down the winding roads and staring out the window, especially since I’m not in cars very often nowadays! From hiking to playing board games, everything we did was so much fun. Overall, it was a super peaceful trip with amazing people, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. If you decide to go on a weekend trip, I’m sure you’ll be glad you did!
