Which is the Best Ferry to Grinda from Stockholm?

Which is the Best Ferry to Grinda from Stockholm?

This summer, we visited Sweden in the summer. Having family in Stockholm, this is one of our most visited destinations. We wanted to visit Grinda Island Stockholm last summer but didn’t manage so that was a top priority for this year. This year, we had a lovely day out at Grinda so I thought I’d share our experience travelling by boat to Grinda. Specifically I want to explore which is the best ferry to Grinda from Stockholm as there are a few options to choose from.

About Grinda

Grinda is an island located in the Stockholm archipelago in Sweden. It’s a popular destination in the summer – for Swedes and tourists. It’s a great place for families, couples, and friends. You can camp there or stay in the island’s hotel, Grinda Sea Lodge, or one of the available cabins. You don’t need to stay over though – you can explore most of the island over a day trip. Visiting Grinda is a great way to experience the Swedish archipelagos. It’s well worth a day trip if you’re visiting Stockholm.

How to Get to Grinda from Stockholm?

Now that we know that Grinda is worth visiting, let’s explore how to get to Grinda from Stockholm. You can get to Grinda all year round by boat or ferry. For big budgets, you can also arrange to travel by taxi boat, charter boat, helicopter, seaplane, and even hovercraft in winter.

Most people visit this island with their own boat or by one of the archipelago ferries. There are two jetties to choose from, Södra Grinda and Norra Grinda. Both are pretty much the same walking distance from the centre of the island. It doesn’t make much difference which one you choose. Södra Grinda tends to be slightly busier.

How Long Does it Take to Get to Grinda from Stockholm?

The travel time depends on your chosen transport, but is around an hour and a half from the city of Stockholm with the Cinderella Boats.

Best Ferry to Grinda from Stockholm

The two main choices for ferries to Grinda from Stockholm are ferries by Waxholmsbolaget and Cinderellabåtarna (the Cinderella Boats). I researched both when planning our visit to Grinda.

Pros & Cons of Travelling to Grinda with Waxholmsbolaget

• It is a bit cheaper to travel to Grinda with Waxholmsbolaget during the summer.
• The travel time is longer and varies between different Waxholmsbolaget boats.
• On many of the journeys, it says that the journey can be delayed up to 30 minutes because there are goods on the same boat.
• Many of the boats are quite old now. You can see the name of the boat when you’re searching for the journeys on the website. If you want to see which boat it is you can Google the name.
• With Waxholmsbolaget, you can’t book your trip in advance. You purchase the tickets onboard with a credit or debit card or by using the SL app.
• Waxholmsbolaget’s website is frustrating with old-fashioned timetables in PDF-format. Using their website to try to plan a visit to Grinda will most likely leave you not wanting to choose them.
• One big plus is that if you are visiting out of season (i.e. not in the Summer – check dates on Waxholmsbolaget’s website), you can travel for free with your SL travelcard.

Pros & Cons of Travelling to Grinda with the Cinderella Boats / Cinderellabåtarna

• Cinderella ferries are easy to book online via stromma.com. The website is available in German and English too and seems to work well.
• You can buy your ticket when going aboard but pre-booking guarantees your place on board and is advisable when travelling by this ferry to Grinda from Stockholm .
• The Cinderella Boats are more expensive but they are also nicer than the Waxholmsbolaget boats. You can see Cinderella II in this article.
• The travel times with Cinderella Boats is consistent. The trip to Grinda from Stockholm takes 1.5 hours.
• Cinderella Boats are comfortable and have free WiFi, a cafeteria, a bar, and toilets. Wheel chair access too.

Stockholm to Grinda Ferry – Waxholmsbolaget or Cinderella Boats?

For me the choice was clear when selecting a boat to Grinda Stockholm. The annoying to use website, not being able to book online, the mix in quality of the boats, and the extended travel time with Waxholmsbolaget made Cinderella Boats a much more attractive choice even though it cost a bit more for our family’s trip.

Can you Get Seats Together on the Ferry to Grinda?

For any ferry to Grinda it’s important to remember that you are not assigned seats even if you book in advance with Cinderella Boats. Because of this, it’s a good idea to arrive early for your boat to ensure you are one of the first in the queue if you want to be able to sit together in a group. There are usually plenty of seats but there’s no guarantee of sitting together as the seats can’t be booked.

We arrived 30 minutes prior to departure which we thought would be plenty having booked our tickets in advance. The queue was already huge at this time though. Because of this, I would recommend to arrive 45-60 minutes before departure to ensure you get to sit together during the summer season. We got two seats at a table and three seats sitting on top of the life vest storage on the way out. On our way home we had to sit outside for the first half of the trip, then got a table together inside after some people got off at Vaxholm.

On the way home, you don’t need to be as early for your ferry. This is because the ferry will have already picked up a lot of passengers from the island Sandhamn before arriving at Grinda. It is already likely to be busy and even if you are first in the queue, you might not get seats together.

Have you travelled by ferry to Grinda from Stockholm? Please share your experiences below.