Canoeing in Sweden with 3-yr old

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ongezoet
ongezoet

Heya

We're planning a 2-week trip to Sweden in late july- early august with our 3-year old.

We'll probably bring our camping gear, land in Stockholm and rent a small car at the airport.

We're looking for nature, (wild) camping near water and some peace & quiet mostly. The less people, the better :)

We'd love to go on say a 3 days canoeing trip. We've got some outdoor experience but have never really done the canoe-thing before, nor been to Sweden, so I'm not sure just how brilliant our plan is...

It just seems an ideal way to get away into the swedish waters&woods and get some distance between us and the car without having to carry the little guy on our back most of the time.

What do you think? Any areas you recommend for easy but very tranquil canoeing&camping? Rental places? Experience with kids in canoes maybe...? Things we should keep in mind or bring?

Thanks in advance!!

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strauss1944
strauss1944

As a father of 5 with some experience in the field, if you are thinking of canoeing ALONG with the ' Little Guy', I would strongly suggest the protected waters of the archipelago around Stockholm. As the sea or large lakes can be affected very much by the wind. And there are plenty of places around Stockholm that offer that away from it all experience, including camping sites up in the Vaxholm region, that has the best of both worlds as is not to far from the city.

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nescit
nescit

The archipelago is really beautiful, but it´s not very "wild". Most islands have at least one little cottage on them, with its inhabitant most likely around in late july... :)

If you´re willing to drive some 6 hours south, the county of Småland offers many nice canoe paths with little rivers stretching between the lakes (probably there are others routes closer to Stockholm as well - it´s just I`m from Småland and have done some canoeing there myself). The Småland tourist agency (www.visitsmaland.se) has more info.

Also, the Freedom to roam, allows you to put up your tent more or less anywhere along the way as long as you´re not too close to someones home, so camping could be an option...

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ongezoet
ongezoet

@ accohostel uhm, no, we have not chosen the route, have not planned to travel between the islands, and I wrote we would like to go camping....

@ the others: thanks!!

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scand1
scand1

Some of the better-known areas, still often very silent, are the Dalsland and Värmland provinces. They are almost due west of Stockholm some 250-350 km ie closer the Norwegian border than the east coast.

www.kanotuthyrning.com/kontakt.html is one rental at Gustavsfors, Årjäng.

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muminmamma
muminmamma

'Kids in canoes' is no problem, as long as they can sit upright. (The bottom of an open canoe get's wet) What you could do is get in touch with Vituddens kajakvarv in Västervik, they make and rent cayaks, ask for a Yoo-A-Kim, wich is a cayak for mum and dad to paddle and Junior to ride in! It's like an ordinary K2, only with a 'hull' in the middle, for packs, dogs, children....... The archipelago outside Västervik is gorgeous, or cou can take the cayak on the roof of the car to a nice lake.

Goog luck!

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