Exploring Gothenburg & Renting a Sailboat in Sweden

September 26, 2017
sailing in sweden,airbnb sailboat

This is probably the best decision I’ve ever made.  Easily within my top five.

So, last summer @farewhispers found us awesome tickets to Gothenburg.  I literally had to look up where that was (Sweden. You’re welcome.), but I was in regardless.  The tickets were stupid cheap, $286 round trip from Newark…it cost us almost as much to get to NYC as to Sweden!

We booked them without knowing anything about the city, where to stay, what to do.  So a month or so before the trip we did a planning session at my place and I was browsing Airbnb for apartments and found a sailboat.  AN AIRBNB SAILBOAT.

One of the most unique experiences I've had was renting a sailboat on Airbnb (with captain!) & sailing around the Gothenburg archipelago in Sweden for a weekend. All about our trip, how we found the boat, and why you should consider sailing in Sweden | Sweden itinerary planning, how to plan your trip to Gothenburg

You might also like:  5 Winter Travel Essentials: Must-Have Items For Cold Weather

We were obsessed immediately and booked it right away.  Yeah, solid life choices all around.  Well done, us.

I decided to stick with a theme for my literary packing…cold Arctic water.  The sunset on our flight seemed like a good omen for an awesome trip.

Read next:  A Perfect Day Sailing: Day 2, Including Björkö, Marstrand, & Grötto

And then:  Our Last Day Sailing, or What to Do in Gothenburg (Hint: rent a sailboat)

Upon our arrival in Gothenburg (which is an adorable airport), we got through customs super fast and our host, Patrik, picked us up.  Before getting on a boat for a couple days, he wanted us to get a chance to see just a bit of Gothenburg.

Follow One Girl, Whole World on Pinterest for travel inspiration and planning advice!

We walked around for a few minutes to get a feel for the town, then were STARVING and found a restaurant with a nice patio so we could people-watch.  We started with a local beer and helping ourselves to the salad bar inside, then I found one of like two things on the menu I could eat.  It was a fish cake with salmon and white fish, and it was soooo good!

A delicious meal in Gothenburg before a weekend of sailing | Renting a sailboat on Airbnb (with captain) & sailing in the Gothenburg archipelago was one of the most unique travel experiences I've ever had. All about our trip, how we found the boat, and why you should consider sailing in Sweden | Sweden itinerary planning, how to plan your trip to Gothenburg

A delicious meal in Gothenburg before a weekend of sailing | Renting a sailboat on Airbnb (with captain) & sailing in the Gothenburg archipelago was one of the most unique travel experiences I've ever had. All about our trip, how we found the boat, and why you should consider sailing in Sweden | Sweden itinerary planning, how to plan your trip to Gothenburg

You might also like:  11 of My Best Tips for ANY Trip

Bellies full, we next went shopping for all the vittles needed for a couple days on a boat.  Of course I had to have ALL THE PASTRIES.  We seriously bought like half the pastry shop and still were out within 24 hours.  We also stopped at a lovely fish shop and got some delicious smoked haddock, and loads of other stuff.  And alcohol, obvs.

You might also like:  20+ Tips to Survive & Thrive on a Long Flight

And finally we made it to the marina!  We met the 007, got our luggage loaded, and got settled in our tiny new home.  Here’s the Airbnb listing if you want to see for yourself!

You might also like:  How To Choose the Perfect Hotel or Rental Every Single Time

And then we were off!  I was so happy just to be out on the water!  As we made our way toward more open water, the overcast day turned into a lovely quiet sunset.

One of the most unique experiences I've had was renting a sailboat on Airbnb (with captain!) & sailing around the Gothenburg archipelago in Sweden for a weekend. All about our trip, how we found the boat, and why you should consider sailing in Sweden | Sweden itinerary planning, how to plan your trip to Gothenburg

One of the most unique experiences I've had was renting a sailboat on Airbnb (with captain!) & sailing around the Gothenburg archipelago in Sweden for a weekend. All about our trip, how we found the boat, and why you should consider sailing in Sweden | Sweden itinerary planning, how to plan your trip to Gothenburg

Sailing in Sweden...renting a sailboat on Airbnb (with captain) & sailing in the Gothenburg archipelago was one of the most unique travel experiences I've ever had. All about our trip, how we found the boat, and why you should consider sailing in Sweden | Sweden itinerary planning, how to plan your trip to Gothenburg

It was basically heaven.  We bundled up as the evening got chillier, refreshed our drinks, and just enjoyed the quiet.

Sailing in Sweden...renting a sailboat on Airbnb (with captain) & sailing in the Gothenburg archipelago was one of the most unique travel experiences I've ever had. All about our trip, how we found the boat, and why you should consider sailing in Sweden with an Airbnb sailboat rental | Sweden itinerary planning, how to plan your trip to Gothenburg

One of the most unique experiences I've had was renting a sailboat on Airbnb (with captain!) & sailing around the Gothenburg archipelago in Sweden for a weekend. All about our trip, how we found the boat, and why you should consider sailing in Sweden | Sweden itinerary planning, how to plan your trip to Gothenburg

You might also like:  A Travel Bucket List for Your 30s

Finally we made it to Björkö (be-yurk-uh), where we docked for the night.  We chowed down on our smoked haddock and salmon, freshly baked sourdough bread, and yummy butter.  Such a basic, delicious meal.

We finished it off with a cinnamon swirl wreath cake from the bakery, which I am totally on board with and need in my life all the time.  Then, quite wiped from all the travel, we headed to bed…excited for what the morning would bring!

Consider renting an Airbnb sailboat if you're visiting Sweden...a weekend sailing in Sweden is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. How to plan your trip to Gothenburg, what to do in Sweden, tips and recommendations for a trip to Sweden!

This was just the beginning of our epic sailing adventure in Sweden.  On our second day we went from Björkö to Marstrand to Grötö—an absolutely perfect day of sailing!  And we finished out our weekend going from Grötö to Vinga to Styrsö and then finally back home.

Do you want to go sailing in Sweden?  We booked Patrik’s sailboat on Airbnb (if you’ve never used Airbnb, I’m a massive fan, and you can get a $40 credit on your first rental by using this link).

Other unique adventures you might like:

Pin for later!

One of the most unique experiences I've had was renting a sailboat on Airbnb (with captain!) & sailing around the Gothenburg archipelago in Sweden for a weekend. All about our trip, how we found the boat, and why you should consider sailing in Sweden | Sweden itinerary planning, how to plan your trip to Gothenburg

Comments (2)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Prev Post

sailing in sweden,airbnb sailboat

A Tranquil Day at Lake Bled

September 24, 2017

Next Post

sailing in sweden,airbnb sailboat

Skye's Moody Loch Coruisk and the Black Cuillins

October 1, 2017