Where Swedes celebrate New Year's Eve - and the best travel destinations of 2025

We are approaching the new year, but we are not there really Yet. It's Monday today, so as usual we present travel news here on FREEDOMtravel - short extracts from the week's press releases. Stay tuned!

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Where Swedes celebrate New Year abroad

It is clear that Swedes are looking for both big city experiences and sun for this year's New Year celebrations. Booking statistics from the travel agency Ticket show an increased demand for both popular big cities and sun-safe destinations. The three most booked New Year destinations are Gran Canaria, Amsterdam and Paris. Most booked destinations over New Year:

1. Gran Canaria, Canary Islands
2. Amsterdam, Netherlands
3. Paris, France
4. Hurghada, Egypt
5. Berlin, Germany
6. London, United Kingdom
7. Tenerife, Canary Islands
8. Prague, Czech Republic
9. Malaga, Spain
10. Milan, Italy

Bookings in Dalarna look strong for winter

Last year saw a record-breaking winter season, with large amounts of natural snow already arriving in October. Now there are indications that the booking situation in Dalarna This winter in some places looks even better for the coming winter season. This is according to a survey conducted by Visit Dalarna among accommodation and ski resorts. Swedish travellers are happy to come to Dalarna for their winter holidays. Foreign visitors also continue to flock to Dalarna in winter, and it is mainly Danes who come for the downhill skiing.

The most accident-prone roads during Christmas and New Year

During Christmas, New Year and the Epiphany, the roads are filled with travellers going to see family and friends, which means that some stretches are particularly busy. Dina Försäkringar has mapped the road sections that have been most accident-prone during the period 20 December to 12 January over the past five years:

1. E4 Helsingborg - Sundsvall
2. E45 Gothenburg - Östersund
3. E20 Gothenburg - Örebro
4. E18 Stockholm - Enköping
5. E6 Malmö - Helsingborg, and through Gothenburg
6. E16 Gävle - Torsby
7. E22 Malmö - Lund, Kalmar - Norrköping
8. 26 Kristinehamn - Mora
9. E14 Sundsvall - Åre
10. 50 Ludvika - Borlänge

Victor Öberg at Dina Försäkringar, gives tips on things to consider in traffic:

• Plan your driving route and avoid roads without a central reservation, which can easily become congested. Make sure you have plenty of time.
• Take breaks or share the driving with a passenger to avoid fatigue during long journeys.
• Customise the speed according to road conditions and visibility. There is no point in jeopardising safety to gain a few minutes.
• Think about the equipment. Bring a reflective vest, torch, warm clothes or blankets, and something to eat.
• Keep up to date on weather and traffic.

Hotels.com lists winter's top 3-star beach hotels

At this time of year, the desire for sun and beach holidays is high, but travel budgets are low. Luckily, there are plenty of 3-star hotels that are not only stunning but also affordable and don't require deep pockets for the perfect stay. Here, Hotels.com lists great 3 and 3.5-star hotels that prove a memorable and sunny stay doesn't require a five-star price tag.

• Rove La Mer Beach, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Avalon Hotel, Miami, USA
• Pongwe Beach Hotel, Zanzibar, Tanzania
• Ao Prao Resort, Koh Samui, Thailand
• Sandyport Beach Resort, Nassau, Bahamas

Vagabond lists the best travel destinations of 2025

Every year, the travel magazine Vagabond releases a list of the most interesting destinations for the coming year. This year, they have chosen to highlight places that are a bit in the shadows, rather than the most popular tourist magnets. The reason for this is over-tourism, which has been in the news several times in the past year. Some of the places are listed below. The full list can be read in Vagabond No 1/2025 and online.

• Santander, Spain - instead of Barcelona
• Bristol, United Kingdom - instead of London
• Brno, Czech Republic - instead of Prague
• Albania - instead of Greece
• Favignana, Sicily - instead of Sardinia
• Bornholm, Denmark - instead of Öland and Gotland
• Seattle, USA - instead of New York
• Marseille, France - instead of Paris

Reflection of the week

We like that Vagabond highlights destinations off the beaten track. There are so many incredible places to discover in this world, so it's completely unnecessary to crowd everyone into the same places.

Did you miss the last travel news? Read the Here's where Swedes celebrate Christmas - and what annoys them most about flying

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