Car Hire on Gotland
Where to hire a car in Visby, what it costs and what to watch for driving on Gotland: pick-up points, prices, speed limits and deer crossings.
Contents
Why a car is worth it on Gotland
You can easily explore Visby on foot, but once you want to get out into the countryside, public transport has its limits. The regional bus network does cover routes 10 to 62, all converging on Visby bus station (for example route 20 Fårösund-Visby, route 22 Slite-Visby or route 11 Hemse-Roma-Visby). But out in rural Gotland, buses run infrequently: some routes operate only once every four hours, and there's no dense hourly or two-hourly service in the countryside.
If you want the flexibility to reach the raukar rock formations, remote beaches, the medieval countryside churches and the fishing villages, a rental car is clearly the best option. The sporty alternative is cycling, the island is flat and manageable, but for the long stretches north to Fårö or deep into the south you'll need either plenty of time or four wheels with an engine.
Where to hire a car
The main hub is Visby Airport (VBY), about 3.5 to 4.6 km north of the city centre. Four operators work out of there, with desks near baggage claim:
- Avis, Europcar, Hertz, the big international operators, which comparison sites also show handling most bookings in Visby.
- Wisby Biluthyrning, the local operator at the airport.
Europcar is the only one of the majors with two locations: one at the airport and one in Visby city centre. If you're arriving by ferry, you'll also find the local operator Mickes Biluthyrning, which has been renting cars on Gotland since 1989: the office is at Färjeleden 2, the pick-up point at Kopparsviksgatan 6 about 500 m south of the ferry terminal, and the workshop is in Träkumla around 10 km south of Visby (phone +46 70 560 37 71). Electric and hybrid cars are also available on the island - Tesla, Volvo, Kia, Toyota or Peugeot, some through the major operators and some via car-sharing platforms such as GoMore.
What a rental car costs
Prices are strongly seasonal and can fluctuate. A reliable benchmark is the published rates from Mickes Biluthyrning: for a used car, the operator charges from SEK 700 per day in the low season and from SEK 750 in summer (June to August). By the week, that's from SEK 3,400 and from SEK 3,900 respectively - each including unlimited mileage and insurance (third-party liability and collision damage waiver with an excess).
International comparison sites show a similar picture with a wide range:
- Cheapest entry point: from around US$52 per day, with the average running considerably higher at about US$114 per day.
- Compact cars: roughly US$82 to US$135 per day.
- July peak: in the most expensive month, the average is around €98 per day.
Economy and compact cars are the most popular choices in Visby. Because prices climb and cars get scarce during the high season, the rule is: book early. An industry analysis of around 43 million listings shows uneven, fluctuating prices worldwide for summer 2026, there's no blanket rule that booking further ahead is always cheaper, but during peak season an early reservation remains the safer bet.
Insurance, minimum age and conditions
It's worth reading the rental terms closely before booking. Two points matter most:
- Minimum age: nearly all operators in Visby set it at 21. Drivers under 25, and in some cases under 27, may face a young-driver surcharge, and certain vehicle categories may not be available to them.
- Collision damage waiver (CDW): this largely covers bodywork damage and theft. An excess is standard, and it can usually be reduced or removed for an extra fee depending on the tariff. Exact terms are set individually by each operator.
A separate cross-border insurance is not a concern on Gotland, the island has no land border and is reached only by sea or air. If you're bringing your own car, book the vehicle deck space with Destination Gotland (routes Nynäshamn-Visby, about three hours, and Oskarshamn-Visby) separately; in summer, car spaces sell out early and car-plus-driver tickets cost several times the low-season rate. Details are in the getting there guide and the ferry guide.
Speed limits and roads
Sweden drives on the right, same as most of continental Europe, so there's nothing to adjust there. Speed limits are generally 50 km/h in built-up areas and 70 km/h outside them. Fast roads are the exception on Gotland: there are only four road sections with a 90 km/h limit, and some of those are even reduced from 90 to 70 km/h in summer. If you're expecting mainland motorway speeds, plan to drive noticeably slower on Gotland.
Take particular care on gravel and unsealed roads: the same limit as outside built-up areas applies (typically 70 km/h), but because these roads are narrower, twistier and more slippery, driving considerably slower is advisable. These side roads often lead to the more remote destinations, allow more time for the final stretch than the distance alone suggests.
Wildlife on the road: the roe deer is the one to watch
Compared with mainland Sweden, the wildlife risk on Gotland is reduced: the island has no moose, fallow deer, red deer, sika deer or established wild boar population. The only sizeable wild animal is the roe deer, which was introduced to the island relatively late.
That doesn't mean the risk has disappeared, though, it's just narrower in scope: roe deer are by far the most common cause of wildlife-vehicle collisions in Sweden. The risk rises at dusk and dawn, and seasonally in spring and autumn, with roe deer especially active during the rut in July and August, right in the middle of the travel season. On rural and forest roads, that means driving with anticipation, expecting more animals once you've spotted one, and easing off the speed in good time.
Fuel and charging
Petrol stations cluster around Visby and the larger towns; distances between them grow out in the countryside, so the simple rule is to top up in good time. In Visby, OKQ8 runs stations including on Kung Magnus Väg and at Färjeleden 5a, Circle K has outlets on Stenkumlaväg/Söderväg and at Broväg 12, and further out there's an Ingo station in Romakloster.
For electric cars, the situation in Visby is now solid: around 18 charging points are available in the city. In 2024, the ICA Maxi car park added 16 new charging points - 12 of them fast chargers at 200 to 360 kW and four at 22 kW. For a round-the-island trip in an electric rental car, Visby makes a reliable charging base, though planning ahead still matters once you're out in the countryside.