How do you get to Dalsland for a canoe trip?
Short answer
Most people drive: Gustavsfors, in the middle of the Dalsland lake system, is about 1,550 km from Brussels, 1,390 km from Utrecht and 960 km from Hamburg, via the Danish bridges or the overnight Kiel–Gothenburg ferry. By air, Oslo Gardermoen (about 3 hours by road) and Gothenburg Landvetter (a bit over 3 hours) are the nearest international airports. Public transport reaches Bengtsfors and Årjäng, but not the lakeside bases, so arrange the last stretch with your canoe rental or book a trip that includes a shuttle.
Dalsland lies in western Sweden, between Lake Vänern and the Norwegian border. The canoe bases are spread over a long lake system, so first decide where you start: the address you drive or ride to depends on it. Distances in this article are to Gustavsfors, 15 km north of Bengtsfors, where Lelång and Västra Silen meet.
Distances to Gustavsfors
Road distances and driving times without breaks, from OpenStreetMap routing. Treat them as approximate.
| From | Distance | Driving time |
|---|---|---|
| Brussels | about 1,550 km | about 17 h |
| Lille | about 1,630 km | about 18 h |
| Paris | about 1,850 km | about 20 h |
| Amsterdam | about 1,410 km | about 16 h |
| Utrecht | about 1,390 km | about 16 h |
| Cologne | about 1,370 km | about 15 h |
| Frankfurt | about 1,440 km | about 16 h |
| Hamburg | about 960 km | about 11 h |
| Berlin | about 1,235 km | about 14 h |
| Oslo | about 160 km | about 2.5 h |
| Gothenburg | about 185 km | about 3 h |
| Karlstad | about 110 km | under 2 h |
From Belgium, the Netherlands or France, most people split the drive with a night in northern Germany or Denmark, or put the car on a night ferry.
By car through Denmark
The all-road route runs from Hamburg north through Jutland, over the Storebælt Bridge to Zealand, through Copenhagen and over the Øresund Bridge to Malmö. From there the E6 follows the Swedish west coast to Gothenburg and on towards Uddevalla, where you turn inland to Dalsland.
A shorter variant takes the Scandlines ferry from Puttgarden on Fehmarn to Rødby. The crossing takes 45 minutes and runs every half hour, and it skips the Storebælt Bridge.
| Crossing | Car, one way, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Øresund Bridge | 470 DKK at the toll station |
| Storebælt Bridge | around 235 DKK |
| Puttgarden–Rødby ferry | varies by date, book ahead in summer |
Prices change, and both bridges are cheaper with their own discount schemes. Check them before you leave.
By car with the night ferry
Stena Line sails overnight from Kiel to Gothenburg, taking about 14 hours. A cabin is compulsory, so you sleep on board and drive off rested for the last three hours to Dalsland. It costs more than the bridges but saves a long day of driving and a hotel. From the Netherlands and Belgium, Kiel is about a day’s drive.
The Canoe Trip estimates ferries, bridges and tolls at €190–€330 for a car. Add fuel and parking at the base.
By plane
Two international airports are within about three hours’ drive:
- Oslo Gardermoen: about 175 km to Gustavsfors, and the pick-up point for The Canoe Trip’s shuttle.
- Gothenburg Landvetter: about 210 km.
Karlstad and Trollhättan have smaller domestic airports. From any airport, a rental car is the simplest way on, because buses don’t reach the lakeside bases.
By train and bus
You can reach the edge of the lake district by public transport, with some planning.
- Trains stop at Åmål and at Ed (Dals-Ed) in Dalsland. Ed is on the line between Gothenburg and Oslo.
- Västtrafik buses connect the stations with Bengtsfors. Buy tickets in the Västtrafik To Go app.
- Årjäng, on the Värmland side, has coach links to Oslo and Karlstad (Vy and FlixBus), about an hour and a half from Oslo.
- In summer a tourist train runs between Bengtsfors and Mellerud twice a day. It is slow, so treat it as an outing.
No regular bus serves the lakeside canoe bases. Ask your rental whether they can pick you up in Bengtsfors or Årjäng, or book a taxi. Canodal in Ed is the exception: it is a five-minute walk from the station, on Stora Le at the western edge of the lake system.
Shuttles and the night bus
The Canoe Trip solves the transport question for travellers from the Benelux and Germany:
| Option | Price (2026) | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Night bus from Brussels, Utrecht or Hamburg | €155 per person | from mid-June, leaves Friday, arrives Saturday morning, returns Saturday evening |
| Airport shuttle from Oslo Gardermoen | €95 per person | pick-up 13:00 at the airport, 13:45 at Oslo Central Station, on start days (Sunday and Thursday) |
| Own car | parking €70 per week | start on Sunday or Thursday |
Both shuttles drop you at the basecamp, where the canoe is waiting.
Where we would aim for
At Outpost North in Gustavsfors, on the water between Lelång and Västra Silen, you carry your bags from the car park to the jetty, and both lakes start at the camp. You don’t need a car transfer to reach your route, and you come back to the same car. It is 15 km from Bengtsfors, with camping and huts for the night before and after. With a canoe package, parking costs €10 a day for a car up to 5.5 m, or €12 for a van (2027). See the best base for a canoe trip in Dalsland for how the starting points compare, and what a week costs including travel.
Sources
Västsverige: travel to Bengtsfors, Västtrafik, Visit Värmland: Årjäng, Øresund Bridge prices, Storebælt Bridge, Scandlines: crossing times, Stena Line: Kiel–Gothenburg, Västsverige: Canodal, Outpost North, The Canoe Trip, OpenStreetMap.
