The Green Travel Guide: Scandinavia Edition
Scandinavia Green Travel Itinerary Pack + Tove Jansson’s Finland + Denmark & Sweden in a Day + Norway’s Most Remote Islands + Freebie: 20 Cosy Scandi Things
If you’re new here, I share three weekly newsletters through the lens of a novelist and travel writer: Storycraft on Sundays on the art of creativity & story, Write Your Way Around the World on Tuesdays on travel writing and building a writing career you love, and The Green Travel Guide on Thursdays. From next week, all three posts will be shared in one weekly email to subscribers on Tuesdays.
Hej hej!
This week we’re heading north—into the land of fjords, forests, islands, and cosy culture.
For curated sustainable and slow travel itineraries focused on green stays in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark, download your copy of the full Slow Scandinavia Green Travel Itinerary Pack here.
The Pack features:
44 pages of green and slow travel Scandinavian recommendations
includes a detailed 7 day train and fjords trip in Norway
an island-hopping adventure exploring the archipelago in Sweden
a 4 day Finnish lakeside stay
a cycling itinerary for Denmark
and Slow City Guides for Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki and Copenhagen.
The Itinerary Pack also includes tips on culture, highlights, must-do experiences, reading, language tips and advice on how to make your stay as low-impact as possible. All itineraries give transport guidance plus where to stay, eat, and what to do recommendations. It’s a curated yet comprehensive green travel guide to the region. Early Bird discount £12.99 this launch week only, then £15.99.
🇫🇮 Tove Jansson’s Finland
One of my favourite writers is Tove Jansson, the Finnish artist and writer, best known as creator of the Moomins, but beyond that a wonderful writer - her island memoir, The Summer Book is a classic. Her writing is deeply rooted in themes of nature, solitude, creativity, and belonging.
Green Travel Tip: Visit Tove’s beloved Pellinki archipelago, off the southern coast of Finland - especially the island of Klovharu where she lived part of her life.
Slow down, pack light but take a couple of Tove’s books with you (recommend The Summer Book and Travelling Light), and let the landscape itself be the main event. The island is just a rocky skerry in the Baltic Sea, and she spent almost 30 summers there from 1964 - 1991 when she built a simple wooden cabin on the island. There was no electricity, limited water, just a quiet, wild place to create. It was on Klovharu that she would paint and write.
🇩🇰 + 🇸🇪 Denmark and Sweden in a Day
Did you know you can wake up with Danish pastries in Copenhagen and end your evening with Swedish cinnamon buns in Malmö?
The Øresund Bridge connects the two cities in just 35 minutes by train. This is a comfortable trip I’ve taken a couple of times, and it is really straightforward.
Green Travel Tip: Instead of flying between capitals, make the most of Europe’s sleek cross-border rail. Plus you’ll get stunning coastal views along the way.
The Journey:
Rail Trip: Copenhagen → Malmö by Train
Route & Frequency: Trains run from Copenhagen Central Station (København H) to Malmö Central Station roughly every 20 minutes, 24/7
Time & Cost: The trip takes about 35–40 minutes, with fares ranging from approximately €13–15 (~100–120 DKK/SEK), and budget prices around €7–8 if booked early
Comfort & Environment: Trains offer free Wi-Fi, power outlets, toilets, and large panoramic windows, making for a clean, efficient, and eco-friendly ride
Border Simplicity: No passport checks are typically enforced thanks to Schengen, though random scans may occur
Eco Advantage: This cross-border rail route is a low-carbon alternative to flying—perfect for green travel.
Top 5 Green Things to Do in Copenhagen
Green Kayak Cleanup
Rent a kayak for free and “pay” by collecting trash from Copenhagen’s clean harbour—an eco-friendly, hands-on experience.
Cycle the Bicycle Snake & Harbour Bath
Ride along the elevated bike path, then take a dip in the harbour pool at Islands Brygge—a fine example of urban renewal.
Explore Amager Nature Park
Just outside the city, this 3,000-acre reclaimed landscape offers hiking, birdwatching, horseback riding, and peaceful nature immersion.
Visit Nordhavn District
Nordhavn in Copenhagen is a leading example of the “five-minute city” concept—amenities within walking distance, car-free design, pedestrian and bike-friendly urban development.
Tour Middelgrunden Wind Farm
Take a boat ride to this offshore cooperative wind farm powering ~4% of Copenhagen with renewable energy—an embodiment of clean energy civic collaboration.
Top 5 Green Things to Do in Malmö
Bo01 “City of Tomorrow”
Malmö’s sustainable neighbourhood is powered entirely on renewable energy, with eco-friendly architecture, pedestrian zones, bike paths, and smart energy grid design.
Augustenborg Ecocity
Visit the largest green-roof housing estate—10,000 m² of vegetation helps prevent flooding and supports urban biodiversity.
Ribersborgs Kallbadhus
Experience the Swedish tradition of sauna and cold-swim by the sea—healthful, simple, and deeply connected to nature.
Pildammsparken & Kungsparken
Explore Malmö’s lush, peaceful parks—great for mindful walks, birdwatching, and quiet spaces.
Botildenborg Urban Farm & Spill Restaurant
Learn from and eat at these socially focused, sustainable food hubs where urban farming, zero-waste cooking, and community integration are the focus.
🇳🇴 Norway’s Remotest Islands
Far beyond the famous fjords lies Vesterålen, an archipelago north of Lofoten. Here, you can hike above the Arctic Circle, spot puffins, and even catch the midnight sun in summer.
Green Travel Tip: Opt for community-owned guesthouses and local food tours—your money directly supports islanders and keeps traditions alive.
A Little Language Primer
Scandinavians speak English brilliantly, but sprinkling in a few local words always earns smiles.
Try these:
Finland (Finnish): Kiitos (Thank you)
Denmark (Danish): Hej hej (Hi/Bye)
Sweden (Swedish): Fika (Coffee + cake break, a cultural institution!)
Norway (Norwegian): Koselig (Cosy, warm, comforting—like hygge’s cousin)
Your Freebie: 20 Cosy Scandi Things
Want to curl up for the cooler weather with a little extra inspiration? I’ve put together a free mini-guide for the autumn days of “20 Cosy Scandi Things” - from fika rituals and sauna traditions to the best slow-travel day trips.
👉 [Download 20 Cosy Scandi Things here for free]
And if you’re ready to plan your own trip north, don’t miss the brand-new Slow Scandinavia Green Travel Itinerary Pack. It’s your full green travel roadmap through Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
Hope you’ve enjoyed this edition of The Green Travel Guide.
Until next time,
Laura
Laura McVeigh
Author, Travel Writer, Founder — Green Travel Guides
lauramcveigh.com | lauramcveightravel.com | greentravelguides.world
Laura McVeigh is a Northern Irish novelist and travel writer. Climate issues are at the heart of her latest novel, LENNY (told between the desert sands of Libya and the Bayou in Louisiana). Her writing has been translated widely. She has authored books for Lonely Planet and DK Travel, bylines in national newspapers, featured in BBC, Newsweek, New Internationalist and many other publications. She is founder of Travel-Writing.Com and Green Travel Guides - a platform for sustainable, regenerative and slow travel content and community. Laura writes on storytelling, travel writing, and green travel issues on Substack.
HEJ!! Something so special reading other peoples stories about a place you call home ❤️ I live in Malmö!