Visby is the main city on the island of Gotland and home to Uppsala University, Campus Gotland. As Gotland is an island, transportation to and from the mainland is handled by ferries and flights. Within Visby, getting around is generally straightforward due to the city’s compact size. 

Transportation to and from Visby 

  1. The Ferry 

There are two ferry stations in the mainland which connect to the ferry station in Visby.  

  • Nynäshamn – the port in Stockholm which most of the students are likely to go through 
  • Oskarshamn – the port in Kalmar, a bit more south of Sweden 

There are also two ferry companies which run ferries between these stations. 

a) Destination Gotland 

    Destination Gotland is a ferry line based in Visby, Gotland which operates throughout the year connecting Gotland to the mainland. A round-trip ticket can start at around SEK 450 and increase depending on the season, availability, age, residency, whether you want to take your vehicle with you etc. Destination Gotland has special discounts if you are a Gotland resident or a student. Which means tickets for students studying at Campus Gotland are considerably lower than a normal ticket.  

    Destination Gotland also has a boat bus that operates to and from Arlanda Airport, Uppsala, Stockholm Central etc to Nynäshamn in line with the ferry schedule.  

    b) Viking Line 

      Viking Line only operates during the spring and summer months and focuses on tourists. 

      1. Flight 

      The main airline that connects to Visby (VBY) airport is Scandinavian Airlines (SAS). Flights operate from both Arlanda and Bromma airports in Stockholm and take around a 50-minute flight duration. There are also direct flights from cities like Gothenburg and Copenhagen.  

      Transportation in Gotland

      1. Walking and Cycling 

      You would see most people cycling and walking, especially students in Visby. The city is small, less crowded and most facilities lie within short distances. So its really nice to walk or cycle. 

      1. Cars and other similar vehicles 

      Cars are mostly used by residents. Tourists can also bring their car in the ferry to Gotland 

      1. Public Transport 

      I wouldn’t say Gotlands Kollektivtrafik (Gotland’s Public Transport) is very reliable. Since Visby is a small city and less populated, buses don’t run very often which makes it less convenient. 

      Gotland also doesn’t have trains or trams. 

      1. Taxi 

      Gotland’s main taxi service is called Gotland Taxi. If you arrive outside the Arrival Days, it can be the most convenient option to use when you first land in Visby at the airport or ferry and your accommodation is not within walking distance. Other than that, it is generally expensive. 

      Transportation in Visby is generally simple for students. While options to and from the mainland are limited to ferries and flights, daily travel within Visby is easy, with walking and cycling being the most practical choices.