Stockholm To Tromso By Train: Unlock A Railway Adventure

Travelling by rail has its advantages, and in Europe we’re lucky that inter-railing is such an easy and convenient way of travelling between multiples countries.

If you’ve been considering making the journey from Stockholm to Tromso by train yourself, but you’re unfamiliar with sleeper trains and Norwegian transport, this step-by-step guide will tell you everything you need to know.

Grey train at a snowy train station platform with paved ground and mountains in the background. This is the final stop on the Stockholm to Tromso by train rail line.

I’ll walk you through the journey, right from booking your ticket to stepping foot in Tromso. I share every detail to help you plan and navigate, plus my top tips to make your journey, and cabin, more comfortable and enjoyable.

So, if that stunning snow-capped scenery is calling, be sure to read on before you answer.

Introduction

One of the best rail routes for twin-country travel is the 1,013km Stockholm to Narvik train line, which takes you from the Swedish capital to inside the Arctic Circle.

Then the remainder of the journey to Tromso is continued by Svipper-operated bus, which winds through the Norwegian fjords as it heads even further north to its destination.

Although you can fly to Tromso from the UK, travelling by overnight train through the beautiful scenery is certainly a bucket list experience. Here’s how to make the most of it.

First Leg – Stockholm to Narvik Train

The train is operated by SJ (Swedish Railways), and runs along the famous iron-ore railway through Sweden, crossing the border into Norway just before it terminates in Narvik.

Booking Tickets – When and How

We booked our Norway sleeper train tickets three months in advance, with a second class private sleeping compartment for two adults costing us 3,123 SEK, which is about £243.

The price varies by date and demand, but typically the earlier you book, the lower the price. So I’d recommend purchasing as soon as tickets are released, which is typically up to six months in advance in blocks as follows:

Early December for early April to mid-June
Early April for mid-June to mid-August
Mid-May for mid-August to mid-December

If booking is not yet open for your travel dates, you can set an alert on the Rail Europe website. You’ll be notified by email as soon as tickets are released.

Ticket Options, Prices and Discounts

There are four ticket options, which I’ve summarised in the table below and I’ll explain these in more detail a little later.

Ticket Option	Description	Price From (For 1 Adult)
Second Class Seating Compartment	A lounge seat with access to charging outlets and shared toilet	475 SEK (£37)
Second Class Couchette	A shared couchette cabin that sleeps six people, plus access to shared toilet	1075 SEK (£83)
Second Class Sleeping Compartment	Private sleeping compartment for 2-3 people with sink and access to shared toilet and shower	1195 SEK (£92)
First Class Sleeping Compartment	Private compartment for 2 people with private en-suite shower and toilet, plus breakfast	Price currently unavailable

Discounts are available for children and students (15%), seniors (10%) and families as well as last-minute travellers under the age of 25, subject to availability.

Families can also access discounted rates. Those travelling with two children receive 50% off their couchette or second class sleeping compartment tickets. Under sevens travel free if occupying the same bed as an adult.

You can search and buy digital tickets through Omnio. Find your journey below.

When you search for tickets, make sure you look for the 18:09 time Stockholm to Narvik train with 0 changes. You may see a later train listed, but this isn’t direct.

If your dates aren’t returning any results, it may be that your ticket option is sold out. Or the service may not be running due to railway line maintenance, which is a common occurrence affecting this Norway sleeper train service.

Once you’ve completed checkout, keep your ticket handy by downloading the Omnio app, or save the email version to your phone or print out a copy. A ticket inspector will ask to see your ticket after you’ve boarded.

Boarding at Stockholm Central

Check the board in the train station for the correct platform (signposted as ‘track’) for the ‘Lulea Narvik’ SJ service.

Exterior of a grand central station building with classical columns, a large sign that reads "CENTRAL STATION", and arched windows. This is Stockholm, where your Sweden to Norway sleeper train journey begins.

I also recommend checking your train’s live departure status on the sj.se website in case of a last-minute platform change – as was the case for us – as the announcements are not always made in English.

Your ticket will show your carriage number, and I’d recommend walking down the platform and getting on board at your carriage. Otherwise, you’ll find you struggle to navigate the train’s narrow corridors at first for other passengers and oversized baggage, like skis.

On board

Talking of baggage, along each carriage there are luggage racks for suitcases, and a tall storage area for skis and larger equipment. These must be safely stowed during transit.

Interior train carriage compartment with metal shelving and white walls. The Narvik to Tromso SJ train has plenty of luggage storage.

You can bring up to two bags measuring 80x50x35 cm and weighing up to 20kg per bag on board, plus a small piece of hand luggage. Although in reality, I don’t think they’d be weighed. We found this to be plenty, especially as we were travelling on a budget airline’s under-seat allowance. I used my go-to Ryanair-size backpack, which you can find on Amazon here.

In addition, you’re also allowed one piece of special luggage, such as a pushchair, wheelchair, bicycle or sporting equipment. You can read more about SJ’s luggage rules and allowances here, on the official website.

First Class Sleeping Compartments

If you’ve booked a first class cabin to journey from Stockholm to Tromso by train, you’ll have a private compartment with two beds and your own bathroom with en-suite shower and toilet. You’ll also have breakfast included in your ticket price, which you can collect from the bistro.

The first class tickets sell out quickly, so if you’re looking to treat yourself then you need to book as soon as tickets go on sale and/or be flexible with dates.

Second Class Sleeping Compartments

If you’ve booked a sleeper cabin, you can locate this using the berth numbers found on your ticket. The door will be open, so you can go inside and begin making yourself at home. Don’t forget to take a key card when you leave your cabin. To unlock the door, place the key card in the slot (with the text facing up), turn the handle to open the door, then remove the key card.

Train cabin with sink, mirror, and window.

Each room is equipped with a sink, a small fold-down table, a sofa (which doubles as a bed) and fold-down beds. There’s adequate duvets, pillows and towels for all occupants, two luggage storage shelves with more storage space under the sofa and clothes hangers. The window has a pull down blind, and there are several lights and reading lights, radio controls and a heating thermostat for the radiator.

You’ll also find a cabinet above the sink which contains cartons of drinking water, and a magazine for each passenger that has details about the food and drink offering on board. And for your electronic devices, there are three 230v European plug points for fast charging.

A train cabin with sink, mirror, and window. This is the SJ night train second class sleeper compartment.

Me and my boyfriend booked a three-berth cabin in second class, which we had to ourselves. Although three people can fit, this gave us a little free room for relaxing.

Second Class Sleeping Compartment Facilities

For second class cabin passengers, there’s a shared toilet at the end of the carriage plus a separate shower, which is unlocked using the key card found in your room. The shower is private, and can be locked from inside. It’s also well stocked with extra towels, if you need them.

Don’t expect a power shower experience though! It’s more of a drip, and you may well find – as I did – that it stops working half way through lathering your head in shampoo. Not ideal!

A train carriage shower with blue walls and grab rails. The sleeper train shower is basic and not always functional.

If you do decide to shower, I’d also highly recommend waiting until the train is stationary at one of its longer stops before attempting it, or you’ll find yourself being thrown around the cubicle (probably still with shampoo in your eyes). Ask me how I know!

Final tip on the shower room; check the hairdryer works before taking your shower if you’re relying on it. Or, like me, you may well be left disappointed. Wet hair and icy Narvik temperatures aren’t a good combination.

Second Class Couchette

A couchette cabin sleeps up to six people, making it ideal for families or groups of friends. If travelling solo, or with fewer than six people, you can select a bed in a men only, women only or mixed gender couchette. Identification as proof of legal gender is required if staying in a same sex room.

A limited number of couchettes are available for those travelling with pets, but these must be booked for private use.

Second Class Seating Compartment

The cheapest ticket option allocates you a lounge seat – each seat is numbered, so you just need to board the correct carriage and locate the seat number as shown on your ticket.

This is where you’ll relax and sleep for the duration of the journey. They didn’t look particularly comfortable, but if you’re lucky enough to be able stretch out across a row then it might not be so bad.

Interior of a train car with dark blue seats, green accents, and a red table, showing a view of snowy landscape outside. This is the general seating compartment on board the Narvik sleeper train.

These carriages also have access to a shared toilet plus electrical outlets. The whole train has access to WiFi, for charging and entertainment during the journey. We found the WiFi to be fairly good – it’s adequate for browsing or social media, and you can stream a movie if you don’t mind the occasional short pause.

Navigating the Train

You can walk between carriages during the journey from Stockholm to Tromso by train. Some doors are pull doors, indicated by the word ‘Drag’, while others slide open using the rectangular pad on the wall.

Interior corridor of a train car with rows of closed doors and large windows.

Snowy landscape with a train moving along a track through a mountainous region. The view on the Stockholm sleeper train as it nears the Norway border.

You can also slide down the windows on the doors and in the sleeper carriage corridors for a better view or some fresh air.

Food and Drink

When you’re ready for dinner, venture along the train to the bistro carriage, usually located near to the front of the train. There you’ll find a small selection of hot and cold food options and drinks. We found salads, sandwiches and some hot main meals, plus soft drinks and alcohol at reasonable-enough prices – reasonable considering Norway is typically more expensive than the UK.

A selection of sandwiches and packaged meals in a metal lined open fridge. The journey from Stockholm to Tromso by train is catered.

We ordered a red Thai curry and beef stroganoff, plus two 35cl bottles of white wine, and it came to about SEK 456, or £35. The food was ok, typical of a microwave meal, but it was nice to be able to sit at one of the tables and watch the sunset as we ate and enjoyed a drink.

The following morning we noticed the same restaurant cart was no longer attached to our train, but had been replaced by another smaller cafe kiosk. There was no dining area this time, so we grabbed a coffee, a tea and two sandwiches (SEK 200, £15) and took them back to our room. You could also buy pastries and there’s a selection of pre-packaged items, see the full menu here.

The bistro is open 5.30am to 11pm, but may be temporarily closed while the train is at a station to allow for passenger assistance and staffing changes.

Sleeping

When it’s time to settle down to sleep, you should be plenty warm and comfortable enough in a cabin bed. But a word of warning; if you’ve never spent a night on a train before – as we hadn’t – it’s not quite the romanticised image you had in mind.

First of all, you’re in what essentially are bunk beds, and they don’t fit more than one adult. Secondly, the train carriages shake and lean quite a lot, and there’s the noise of the engine and items rattling in your cabin to contend with, plus the train’s frequent stops. So if you’re a light sleeper, you may struggle.

A wood cabin and tall trees surrounded by snow and blue sky. This could be the view you wake to on board the Stockholm to Tromso train journey.

That being said, waking up the next morning to the snow-covered scenery was pretty magical and made up for the low quality of sleep.

Tip – when you turn off the lights in your sleeping compartment, the dimmer overhead light will remain on for a short time before automatically switching off. So there’s no need to try and cover it with a towel, like we tried to!

Timetable

The journey from Stockholm to to Narvik by train takes around 18.5 hours with 25 scheduled stops along the route, so about one per 45 minutes on average.

A red and silver train at a snow-lined train station, with snow-covered mountains in the background. The overnight Narvik train makes frequent stops, some with enough time to get some fresh air outside.

Around mid-morning the train remains at a couple of the stations for between 20 and 30 minutes. So you have time to step outside, stretch your legs, breathe some fresh air and even walk your dogs – yes, furry friends are welcome on board!

Here’s the current timetable of stops, arrival time and stopping time in minutes.

Timetable

Stockholm Central