From Malaysia to Sweden: Gotland in 24 hours: Part 1 - Ferry from Nynäshamn to Gotland

It is summer now.

I did a trip to Norrland with my partner in June 2018 for 9 days and it is in my travel blog. Today, I am going to blog about my 24 hour trip to Gotland. I am very happy that I got to go on this trip because I have been hearing stuff about it, and the only way to get there is by ferry which means that costs money. I have saved up some money from my internship and I was excited when I planned and executed this trip! Plus, it was my first time on a huge ferry!

14 July 2018

I went with a friend whom I met from a hiking activity in Meetup. I booked the cheapest ferry ticket - SEK95 (for one way) from Destination Gotland. So, in total, it was SEK190. It was affordable. I think it is the most affordable ticket during the summer. But the timing was odd. The ferry departs at 02:30 from Nynäshamn (Nynäs harbour) and arrives at Visby Harbour, Gotland at 05:45. I bought the next morning ferry at 00:50 and will arrive in Nynäshamn at 04:05. Also, the cheapest price means sleeping in a not-so-comfortable place (I was not aware of the sleeping arrangements until I was onboard). Do remember that the ferry schedule changes periodically. I checked the ferry tickets 2 weeks before purchase and it was different from 1 week before purchase.

Here is Nynäshamn ticketing and waiting area. One can get here by the commuter train. It got crowded when it was almost 02:00. We were not the only ones with the cheap alternatives!

We did a self check-in. Very efficient!

Yeah, I walked around with a 5kg backpack. I did not understand how it could be that heavy. I think my backpack's frame is already heavy.

That is our ferry!

This is the first thing you see when you step onboard. This is the economy place - the cheapest ticket. Initially, I did not understand what was I seeing. Where does one sleep? Then, it hit me! OH! We are sleeping here. So, my friend hurried to find any available cushions. We found one, but we could not sleep comfortably. My friend was smaller in size, and so it was easier for her to sleep sitting but I was shifting about trying to bend and place my legs. Other passengers (those who drove) brought sleeping bags and sleeping mats and slept on the floor. Some sat and played cards throughout the ride. Since it was a Saturday morning, it was crowded and finding cushions were difficult.

Thank goodness I brought a neck support! It was a bit chilly in the ferry for me, so I had my shawl and thin jacket with me.

I could not sleep after twisting and turning and ignoring babies' cries for an hour. So, I decided to go for a walk around the ferry. It was bright outside because of the Swedish summer.

If you are willing to pay extra, you can purchase a more comfortable seat to sleep on, but I think this is uncomfortable. It is way better to sleep on the floor. This costed SEK298. It is possible to upgrade your tickets at the information counter.

There are also cabins where one can sleep in. SEK298 for that same timing. I wanted to walk on the deck and was happy to find the directions to the sun deck.

The skies were gorgeous! It was not that cold. It was slightly warm due to the sun shining brightly! But I was bit nervous walking on the deck and looking at the waters. The waters were calm but the thought of me falling into the waters were not calming.

It is sunrise! It was 4am when I took this photo. I stood here and I could feel the warmth from the sun.

There are a couple of facilities inside the ferry. A small room for kids to play, a shelf that sells books, a cinema, a restaurant, a souvenir shop and not to mention, clean toilets too. If you want to know how expensive the food is, a small cup of coffee costs SEK25. A cinnamon bun costs SEK25. I bought 3 cinnamon buns in the local mart (before boarding the ferry) for SEK15. There is free WiFi on the ferry but it was slow. I could not load my Instagram though. Haha!

It was 5am, and I thought that I better try to get some sleep, if possible. I ended up lying on the floor, and not being bothered if it is dirty. There are sockets under the sofa seats, so one can charge their electrical items here. I did not get any sleep in the end.