Getting to Piteå

Piteå is a bit of a journey from its nearest big neighbours, but is still fairly easy to reach using public transport. The road that runs from Skellefteå to Luleå (passing Piteå on the way) is flat but scenic, offering occasional glimpses of the sea.

 

By bus

To get to Piteå without your own wheels, you’ll need to use the bus. Services from as far afield as Jokkmokk, Luleå, Arvidsjaur and Umeå all call at the big bus station just off Sundsgatan – it’s a short walk north from the end of Storgatan, Piteå’s main street. You’ll find a couple of places to stock up on snacks or grab a cup of coffee in the immediate area. From the bus station, most of the town’s accommodation options are easy to reach on foot.

Tickets for bus journeys to and from Piteå can be purchased on the SJ website.

By train

Although you might spot railway tracks snaking past Piteå, these are only used by freight trains shuttling goods out towards the harbour for export around the world.

The nearest stations for passenger trains are in Älvsbyn and Luleå, both around 50km from Piteå itself. If you want to reach Piteå from southern Sweden then it might be worth taking the train to one of those places first and then catching a bus for the last section of the journey. Here’s how you do it:

From Luleå to Piteå

Trains from Stockholm and destinations around northern Sweden stop close to the centre of Luleå, just off Prästgatan. From there it’s an easy 200m walk north to the bus station, where you can take a bus south to Piteå; take bus number 14, 20 or 100 towards Umeå. Tickets are available at the bus station or in advance through the SJ website. The journey time is around 50 minutes.

From Älvsbyn to Piteå

If you’re hoping to get to Piteå from places in central or western parts of Swedish Lapland (like Gällivare, Kiruna or Abisko), you can take the train straight to Älvsbyn and then get a bus from there. Bus services bound for Piteå leave from outside the train station, taking around an hour to complete the journey. The bus you need is number 32.

By boat

There aren’t any passenger boats or ferries between Piteå and Finland.

Getting from Piteå to Pite Havsbad

If you’re planning to stay at Pite Havsbad, the beach resort that’s located around 10km south of town, you’ll need to take a yellow city bus from Sundsgatan, near the bus terminal. Buses 1 and 11 will get you all the way to the resort (the station is called Havsbadet), and tickets can be bought aboard the bus using cash.

At the time of writing a single journey costs 24 SEK. Note that outside of the main summer season (July and August), this service is limited to Saturdays. If you get stuck, SverigeTaxi (+46 911 800 00) should be able to take you there for around 220 SEK.

 

Last updated: May 2015