Åland by bicycle: five days, no car
Åland is a group of islands between Finland and Sweden where the roads are flat, the ferries are free, and the apples are everywhere in late summer. It is one of the easiest places in northern Europe to travel without a car.
Getting there
Two options from Turku or Stockholm: the big overnight ferry, or the smaller ferries through the archipelago. I took the ferry from Turku, arrived in Mariehamn in the morning, and was on the bike by ten.
The inter-island ferries are the trick. Most of them are free for foot passengers and cyclists, run every hour or two, and connect the main islands in a chain you can simply follow north.
The loop
- Day 1 — Mariehamn to Eckerö, 35 km, mostly flat.
- Day 2 — Eckerö back east and north to Saltvik, 55 km.
- Day 3 — ferry to Kumlinge, 30 km on the island.
- Day 4 — Kumlinge to Vårdö, two ferries, 25 km.
- Day 5 — Vårdö to Mariehamn, 40 km.
The wind is the only hill on Åland. Check the forecast before you commit to a direction.
What to expect
Red granite, pine forest, and long straight roads with almost no traffic. The gravel sections are well maintained but slow on 28 mm tyres — 35 mm is more comfortable. There is a shop roughly every twenty kilometres, and a swimming spot every five.
Accommodation fills up in July. Book the first and last nights in advance; the middle of the trip can be improvised if you are willing to camp. The official campsites are cheap and have kitchens.
Practical
- Ferries — check the timetable the day before; some routes stop in the evening.
- Water — tap water is excellent everywhere.
- Money — euro, cards accepted almost everywhere.
- Language — Swedish first, but English is universal.
- Bike hire — available in Mariehamn; book ahead in July.