Ven Island Day Trip - How to Get There + What to Do
Originally posted July 26, 2019
A few months ago, I saw a beautiful photo on Instagram of a little yellow bicycle stood in front of a vast, never-ending wheat field. After clicking on the location, I was surprised to find that the photo was shot on an island… in Sweden!… and that it wasn’t too far away!
I talked about it relentlessly ever since… and last week, we FINALLY took a day trip to Ven Island.
This teeny, tiny little island is located in the Öresund Sound, just a short trip away from Malmö. The whole island is a nature reserve making it a haven for cyclists, or anyone just wanting a quiet, relaxing escape from the city.
Keep reading to learn more about how to get to Ven Island and what to do once you’re there!
In this article:
Getting to Ven Island
This island escape is easy to get to from Malmö, and if you time it properly, the trip should only take you about an hour and a half. We (naturally) didn’t check all of the transport times in advance, soooo it took us a little bit longer (but still a very reasonable amount of time).
Take the train to Landskrona Station
Walk straight out of the station to the bus stop, and take bus 3 to Landskrona Skeppsbron.
Take the ferry to Ven Bäckviken - This journey takes about half and hour. Tickets cost 90sek each way and can be purchased in advanced online or in person at Ven Trafiken’s office.
For timetables and prices, visit their website.
Getting Around the Island
Hands down the best way to get around is by bike!
There are hardly any cars on the island, so, whether you’re on the road or bike path, you can cycle safely
The island has two cycling routes - the small island tour and the big island tour. They take about 50 minutes and 90 minutes by bicycle respectively… plus time for stopping to snap photos.
To get to the bike rental shop from the harbor, walk up the hill to your left. When you reach the top, you’ll see rows and rows of yellow bikes on your right… (and probably lots of people).
Don’t let the crowds fool you! I was worried that our plans for a calm, quiet cycle around the island were done for, but once we got going, we didn’t even see too many other people on the bike trail!
For a standard bike, the rental fee is 100sek/day, (and an additional 10sek if you want a basket).
We rented one standard bike and one with a small luggage trailer which made it really easy to carry all of our things throughout the day.
To view all rental options and rates, visit Vens Cykeluthyrning’s website.
Keep in mind that the cycling shop doesn’t rent helmets, so you’ll have to bring your own if you wish to wear one. You can also bring your own bike over on the ferry for an additional fee… but then you’ll miss out on going for a spin on one of these iconic yellow bicycles!
What to See and Do on Ven Island
To be honest, there isn’t too much to see in Ven… unless you count the vast fields of wheat and wildflowers that cover the island and beautiful sea views.
Okay, I take it back… technically speaking there’s a lot to see!
Unlike in some places, you won’t find yourself racing from one location to another to find a beautiful view… because the whole island is beautiful. It is the perfect place to come and just be (and to cycle)… So that’s what we did.
We arrived at about 3pm, which was a bit later than we’d planned on getting there… but we still had plenty of time to explore the island.
We spent the afternoon day picnic-ing on the beach, alpaca spotting, and romping around the island on our cute yellow bicycles. After returning our bikes, we went for a dip in the sea and sat by the harbor before (reluctantly) returning to Landskrona on the last ferry of the day.
It was the perfect, most leisurely day of not doing much of anything.
The island is home to some other interesting attractions, like an alpaca farm (where you can take the alpacas out for a stroll), a whiskey distillery (which is also a hotel with a delicious farm to table restaurant), and it is the site of the first modern observatory.
If we had more time, I would have loved to check these things out… particularly the whiskey distillery… and alpaca walking (which, according to the website, has to be booked in advance).
If there is one thing you MUST do while on Ven it’s obviously cycling. Other than that, I’d recommend going with no agenda and just enjoying some quiet time in nature.
Where to Stay
Our ONLY regret about our day trip to Ven is that we didn’t make it an overnight trip to Ven!
Given that the island is only about 7.5 square km (and home to less than 400 inhabitants), there aren’t TOO many options when it comes to accommodation.
There is one hotel, a handful of guest houses, cabins, and a few campsites around the island. Depending on the season, you should consider booking ahead of time if you plan to stay overnight… or bringing your own camping equipment.
In Sweden, you can legally camp anywhere that isn’t private property. The next time we go to Ven, if it’s still warm enough, we’ll be bringing our tent and finding a quiet, secluded spot to sleep on the beach… (and if it isn’t warm enough, I wouldn’t be opposed to checking in at the whiskey distillery).
We had the best time on our day trip to Ven!
The island is easy to get to, making it the perfect little escape from the city. We left feeling mentally refreshed (and physically exhausted)… which, in my opinion, is a sure sign of a day well spent.
Turns out, the photo I saw on instagram didn’t do this place justice at all… (and the ones in this article definitely don’t either, so you’ll just have to come see for yourself)!
If you’re in Sweden (or Denmark), the breathtaking island of Ven is one place you won’t want to miss!
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