Travel news: affordable destinations and Sweden's best weekend cities

By: Editorial Office | Source: press material

It's Monday again! In other words, you can expect travel news here at FREEDOMtravel. This week, there's a relatively big focus on Sweden - including a ranking of Sweden's best weekend cities.

Plenty of business at Stockholm Husvagn Husbil

It was a success to say the least when Stockholm Caravan Motorhome was held at Stockholmsmässan on 5-8 March. This is reported by HRF (Husvagns- och Husbilsbranschens Riksförbund). Interest in camping has been high for several years, which has been noticed not least at camping and caravan sites around Sweden.

This was evident not least at the fair, where virtually all brands on the Swedish market were present. The fair, which was held for the third time, is now established as one of the most important spring events for the industry. Fair facts:

• Number of exhibitors: 27 (motorhome), 7 (caravan), 11 (accessories)
• Number of vehicles displayed: just over 200 pieces
• Number of square metres of exhibition space: 8 781 m2
• Number of visitors (including the fairs Allt för Sjön and Nya Antikmässan): 35 177 (previous year 29 286)

Air traffic chaos after the unrest in the Middle East

Cancelled departures, diverted flights and airspace uncertainty are now affecting Swedish travellers. This applies not only to journeys with a final destination in Dubai, for example - but also to long journeys with a stopover in the region.

According to Ticket, there are several things that are crucial to the traveller's rights. Is the flight cancelled or not? Is it a package holiday or not? Ticket also has some tips for those who are already in place:

• Follow official information from airlines and local authorities.
• Check the status of your flight before travelling to the airport.
• Keep all receipts for extra costs such as hotels, food and transport.
• Check if the airline offers hotel or meal vouchers.
• Check whether home insurance or credit card insurance can cover additional costs.
• Have access to booking reference numbers and digital tickets offline if internet access becomes limited.
• Register via the Swedish list at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to receive up-to-date information. 

Five affordable travel destinations in March

If you're looking to travel in March, there are several affordable options to choose from. Data from momondo shows that airfares in March to five destinations from Stockholm and Gothenburg are up to 63% lower than the average for the period April-August 2026. The top five list offers a mix to suit different types of travellers:

1. Tirana, Albania
2. Istanbul, Turkey
3. Alicante, Spain
4. Gdansk, Poland
5. Budapest, Hungary

The world's best hotels in 2026 - according to TUI guests

Over 20 million TUI guests from around the world have voted for the best hotels of the year in the TUI Global Hotel Awards 2026. In total, hotels are recognised in 22 categories, with several new lifestyle-focused awards being introduced for 2026. Here are the winners:

• The best boutique hotel in the world: Lindos Blu Luxury Hotel & Suites, Greece
• The best big hotel in the world: TUI BLUE Sarigerme Park, Turkey
• Nordic winner: TUI BLUE Barut Andiz, Turkey

Danyel Couet launches spring menu at Birka Gotland

As spring arrives, the flavours on board Birka Gotland are also entering a new season. Danyel Couet offers a brand new spring menu exclusively developed for the cruise ship's a la carte restaurant The lounge.

The new spring menu is served during the period 17 March - 1 June 2026 and can be pre-booked for SEK 599 at birkagotland.se. The three-course menu includes white asparagus, lamb loin or zander and Gotland rhubarb. Vegetarian options are available.

Great interest in Halmstad Outdoor Weekend

On 11-12 April 2026, outdoor enthusiasts will gather at Tylebäck for a completely new venture in outdoor activities in Halmstad's unique nature. Interest is high and now it is clear that over 15 exhibitors are confirmed. Among the players are names like Eketånga Trail, KiteKalle and The Primal Nordic Experience.

Halmstad Outdoor Weekend is a brand new event that celebrates outdoor life and highlights sustainable experiences. The event is intended to be an annual event and showcases companies, associations and products in outdoor and nature tourism. The event is located outdoors at Tylebäck Hotel and Conference and has free admission.

Forsberg launches Göta Canal experience

Göta Canal is launching a partnership with Forsbergs Fritidscenter, one of Sweden's largest retailers of motorhomes and caravans. Together they are launching a unique packaged experience under the name Forsberg's Göta Canal experience, exclusively designed for new motorhome buyers at Forsbergs.

The specially designed tour includes accommodation at selected campsites along Göta Canal and is not bookable for the general public. The experience is offered as a bonus to new motorhome customers and is combined with Forsberg's presence at upcoming motorhome shows.

Sweden's best weekend cities ranked

Ellos presents a ranking of Sweden's best cities for a weekend break. The ranking is based on the range of accommodation and spa options per inhabitant, combined with access to parks and lakes. According to the ranking, Kalmar is named Sweden's best weekend city, ahead of both Stockholm and other major cities. Top 10 - Sweden's best cities for a weekend break:

1. squid (67/100 points) - 31 accommodation options and 4 spas per 50,000 inhabitants. Plenty of green spaces and proximity to water.
2. Stockholm (58/100 points) - 9 accommodation options and 2 spas per 50,000 inhabitants. Spread over several islands with waterfront promenades.
3. Jönköping (41/100 points) - 16 accommodation options and 3 spas per 50,000 inhabitants, with parks and direct proximity to Lake Vättern.
4. Gothenburg (41/100 points) - 10 accommodation options and 3 spas per 50,000 inhabitants, as well as 6 parks within the municipality.
5. Malmö (37/100 points) - 11 accommodation options and 4 spas per 50 000 inhabitants. Good access to parks.
6. Umeå (35/100 points) - 18 accommodation options and 3 spas per 50,000 inhabitants, as well as proximity to parks, nature and the coast.
7. Växjö (34/100 points) - 26 accommodation options and 2 spas per 50 000 inhabitants. Access to parks, lakes and forests.
8. Luleå (31/100 points) - 28 accommodation options and 2 spas per 50 000 inhabitants. Proximity to water and green spaces.
9. Kristianstad (30/100 points) - 21 accommodation options and 1 spa per 50,000 inhabitants. The city combines parks, lakes and urban environment.
10. Gävle (28/100 points) - 8 accommodation options and 1 spa per 50 000 inhabitants. Both parks and waterfront environments.

Did you miss last week's travel news? Read the World unrest, AI robots and motorhome fair on G