Europe

Your passport must meet 2 requirements. It must be:

• less than 10 years old on the day you enter (check the ‘date of issue’)

• valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)

For the latest details on visiting countries within the EU or the European Economic Area (EEA), please check the UK Government website

The information that we provide is for UK passport holders. A passport with 6 months remaining validity at the end of your stay is generally required, and you should have at least 2 blank pages for each country that you visit.

It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the correct travel documents and visas for your holiday. Please ensure that you check for the latest advice before travel. For the most up to date information on entry requirements, please visit the UK Government website.

If you have a severe allergy please inform the KE office before you travel. We will do all we can to help, but we cannot guarantee an allergy free environment on KE trips. You will need to carry your own treatment for the allergy with you, as 'adrenaline auto-injectors' are not carried as standard by KE leaders and staff. You should inform your leader on arrival of your allergy, and let them know where you keep your adrenaline pen.

Vaccinations

You should contact your doctor or travel clinic to check whether you require any specific vaccinations.

GHIC / Medical cover

UK residents should carry a free Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). This entitles you to state provided medical treatment when you're visiting an EU country or Switzerland. This is not a substitute for medical travel insurance which is vital when travelling overseas.

The unit of currency in Sweden is the Swedish Krona.

Getting some additional exercise before coming on an active holiday makes a lot of sense. The fitter you are, after all, the more enjoyable you will find the experience.

You should be aerobically fit and comfortable with walking for 6 hours for consecutive days. Hill walking, with a good amount of ascent and descent, is the best training. Running, cycling and swimming are also good for developing cardiovascular fitness and stamina.

The ski-touring season in northern Sweden extends from February to May. By the beginning of March there is lots of daylight (sun rises at 0700 and sets at 1700 approx.) and the temperatures start to rise. The ambient daytime temperatures are still low - several degrees below freezing - though, because the air is so dry here, it does not seem so cold. Night time temperatures in February and early March can be as low as -30°C though -10 to -15 °C is the norm from mid March through April. Thanks to the influence of the Gulf Stream it is actually warmer here than its Arctic Circle location would suggest. During the day the sun warms the snow, causing a little softening and then at night it re-freezes to form a crust which is perfect for skiing. Long, sunny days are quite usual at this season, although it is also possible that we might encounter short-lived snow storms.

As a reputable tour operator, KE supports the British Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office's ‘Travel Aware’ campaign to enable British citizens to prepare for their journeys overseas. The 'Travel Aware' website provides a single, authoritative source of advice for all kinds of travellers and we recommend that before travel, all KE clients visit the official UK Government website at travelaware.campaign.gov.uk and read the FCDO Travel Advice for their chosen destination. North Americans can also check out the U.S. Department of State website: www.travel.state.gov for essential travel advice and tips.

KE treat the safety and security of all clients as the most important aspect of any trip we organise. We would not run any trip that we did not consider reasonably safe.  Should the FCDO advise against travel for any reason, we will contact everyone booked to travel to discuss the situation.  We receive regular updates directly from the FCDO and are in constant touch with our contacts on the ground.  If you have any questions about government travel advice, please call our office.

KE do not encourage the use of single use plastic items. We are ensuring that our agents all over the world are working together to reduce the problem and educate those around them. We are leading by example in our KE office by reducing our plastic use.

• The Rough Guide to Sweden. Proctor and Roland.

• Sweden – Lonely Planet Guide. Bain and Cornwallis.

Tourist & Hiking Map. 1:100 000. Sheet BD6 (Abisko - Kebnekaise) Piblisher: Lantmateriverket.

A detailed topographic map in colour, at a smaller scale than most UK hikers’ maps but with a useful 25m. contour interval. The map is in Swedish with an English legend.

It is an essential condition of joining a holiday with KE Adventure Travel that you have a valid travel insurance policy to cover the cost of medical treatment and to protect the value of your holiday in the event of cancellation.  When taking out insurance please ensure the policy you choose covers you for the activities and altitude included in your itinerary.

For appropriate insurance cover we recommend Campbell Irvine Direct.  Please go to our Travel Insurance page for further information and to get a quote.

Please try to keep the weight of your baggage to a minimum. See the ‘baggage allowance’ section for further details.

You SHOULD bring the following items:

• Ski touring boots - see Ski Equipment for more information

• Lightweight shoes or hard soled slippers (for use whilst staying in the huts/ideal for evening visits to the outdoor facilities! Crocs are ideal for this purpose)

• Woollen liner socks (2 pairs) - these great for preventing blisters.

• Woollen Knee length ski socks (2 pairs)

• Spare laces

• Socks and underwear (wool recommended)

• Travel clothes (for use before and after tour)

• Winter mountaineering trousers or salopettes (for use in evenings or for skiing in on cold days)

• Fleece lined thermal leggings (In good weather conditions you will ski-tour in these each day underneath your overtrousers. Running, cycling, or cross-country ski leggings are ideal)

• Waterproof/windproof overtrousers

• Thermal baselayer shirts (2 short sleeve, 2 long sleeve)

• T-shirt or casual shirt

• Fleece jacket

• Down jacket (essential for putting over your ski clothes during breaks)

• Waterproof/windproof jacket with hood or ski jacket

• Warm hat

• Lightweight balaclava or facemask

• Ski goggles

• Sunglasses (Category 4)

• Lightweight thermal gloves

• Warm and waterproof ski gloves and mittens

• Spare pair of warm gloves or mittens

• Backpack (40 - 60 litres) with hip belt and outside attachment for roll mat (see notes)

• A large travel bag and a separate small bag (see baggage allowance for more information)

• Full-Length foam roll mat (for sitting on at lunch stops/emergency use – see notes)

• 1 litre Thermos flask (with insulating carrier if possible)

• Camping mug

• Spoon (long handled to reach to bottom of thermos)

• Water bottle 1 Litre (plastic not metal) (we encourage re-filling water bottles rather than single use plastic)
  

• Water purification tablets

• Sleeping bag (comfort rated to 0°C) for emergency use (see notes)

• Headtorch and spare batteries

• Basic First Aid Kit including: antiseptic cream, throat lozenges, diarrhoea treatment (Imodium), painkillers, plasters and blister treatment, and re-hydration salts (Dioralite)

• Sun protection (including total bloc for lips, nose etc.)

• Buff x 2

• Emergency whistle

• Sleeping bag liner or sheet sleeping bag (for whilst in the huts) (mandatory)

• Pillow case (mandatory)

• Washbag and toiletries (it is possible to wash hair at huts where there are saunas)

• Small Towel (big enough to wrap around you in the sauna)

• Antibacterial hand wash

• Small lunch box (a recycled take away box is ideal)

Ski Equipment

• Ski-touring skis* - see below

• Ski-touring boots *

• Ski poles*

• Gaiters *

• Skins*

• Windshelter (provided) One for every 2 persons

• Snow shovel (provided) One for every 2 persons

The following items are optional:

• Binoculars

• Camera

• Ear plugs (especially if you are not the one snoring!)

• Pen-knife (remember to put all sharp objects in hold baggage)

• Book / playing cards / headphones and music (for evening entertainment)

• Reusable cloth bag for shopping (to avoid plastic bags)

Ski Equipment:

The ideal skis to use for this trip are 'no-wax' cross-country skis with scales, together with appropriate ski boots. Skis should have steel edges. If we encounter icy snow, crust or deep powder - the scales will not always provide sufficient traction and skins will be required. For inexperienced cross-country skiers, skins can also be used on long descents, slowing the rate of descent and providing a degree of control.

* Ski Hire Available: Ski Touring Equipment, which includes skis (Make: Asnes Amundsen BC – Norwegian), boots (Crispi – Italian – leather, all sizes available), poles and climbing skins can be hired through KE, from the Abisko Mountain Station, at a cost of approx. GBP 295  (2024 price). Please note that equipment should be reserved and paid for through the KE office with at least 5-weeks advance notice, along with your boot size (please specify European size) and your height.

Notes:

• It is requirement by the Swedish authorities that all participants on the Kungsleden must carry a sleeping bag. We recommend taking a lightweight, small bag, which will sit easily inside your rucksack, ideally no heavier than 1-2kg. 

• We also ask you to bring a foam mat rather than a self-inflating thermarest because thermarests are not so easy to handle in very cold weather as they do not self-inflate. 

• At Abisko the group will be paired up and each couple will be asked to carry a snow shovel and emergency wind shelter, which will be provided.

Many of the equipment items listed above are available from Cotswold Outdoor - our 'Official Recommended Outdoor Retailer'. When you book a holiday with KE you will receive a 12.5% discount with Cotswold Outdoor, Snow+Rock and Runners Need. The discount code can be downloaded from your MyKE account and you can use this code at the checkout, either in store or online.