Sweden by campervan: food and supermarkets
Where to buy food in Sweden, which supermarkets to use, opening hours and practical tips for eating on the road. What to know before you go.
Published 18 September 2026Last checked 19 September 2026
Currency
Swedish krona
SEK, not the euro. 11.29 kr to €1 on 18 September 2026
Language
Swedish
English is spoken almost everywhere
Driving
Right
70 km/h outside towns unless signed, 110 on motorway
Power
230V, type F
Same two-pin plug as most of the continent
Tap water
Safe to drink
Ask for kranvatten
Emergency
112
Health advice 1177, non-urgent police 114 14
Food and shops
Food and shops
Cook in the van and eat lunch out. Eurostat put Swedish restaurants and hotels at 117 against an EU average of 100 in 2024 while supermarket food sat at 107, so the gap between shopping and dining is where a Swedish budget goes. The one exception worth building your day around is dagens lunch, the weekday lunch plate, which usually comes with bread, salad, a drink and coffee and is the cheapest proper meal in the country.
Where to shop
- Best value: Willys or Lidl.
- Full range: ICA Maxi or Coop.
- Camper access: ICA Maxi stores on town edges are usually the easiest with a campervan.
Supermarkets, and what each one is for
| Chain | Good for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ICA | The one that is everywhere, in four formats from Maxi hypermarkets to ICA Nära village shops. | In inland Norrland the ICA Nära is often the only shop |
| Willys and Lidl | The discounters. Narrow range, priced low, edge of town, easy to park a van. | Where the weekly shop should happen |
| Coop | The cooperative. Mid-priced, decent fresh counters, reaches into small places. | Common across the country |
| Hemköp | Town centre format with a wider range and higher prices. | Owned by the same group as Willys |
| City Gross | Big-box stores with real butcher and fish counters. | Southern Sweden mostly |
Buying alcohol without wasting a day
- Shops sell folköl and nothing else. The Alcohol Act defines folköl as beer over 2.25 and up to 3.5 per cent by volume. Anything stronger is starköl and is monopoly-only.
- Wine and spirits come from Systembolaget. Only the state retail company may sell spirits, wine, strong beer and other fermented drinks, and there is no branch at all in many small places.
Stocking the campervan
- Stock up before the north. Prices climb and the gaps between shops get long once you are past Umeå and away from the coast road.
- Berries and mushrooms are yours to pick. Allemansrätten covers picking wild berries, mushrooms and flowers that are not protected, for your own use, outside gardens and plantations.
