By car to Scandinavia: which ferry from the Netherlands?
Routes, crossing times, costs and booking: per destination, with the source
Introduction
Choosing the right ferry
We looked into which ferry suits which destination and read the crossing times and prices at the operators themselves. We have not sailed these crossings ourselves (yet).
Researched by Arjan from Zuidlaren, so you don’t have to · Sources: Color Line Kiel–Oslo, Color Line Hirtshals–Kristiansand, Color Line Hirtshals–Larvik, Fjord Line Hirtshals–Kristiansand · updated on 31 October 2026 · About this site
At a glance
⚓ Which route fits your destination?
| To Norway | Overnight ferry Kiel–Oslo, or from Hirtshals (Denmark) to Kristiansand or Larvik |
|---|---|
| To Sweden | Travemünde–Trelleborg, Kiel–Gothenburg, or via Denmark over the Storebælt and Øresund bridges |
| To Denmark | Puttgarden–Rødby and Rostock–Gedser, or simply by road through Jutland |
| To Iceland | Smyril Line from Hirtshals via Tórshavn to Seyðisfjörður |
| From the Netherlands | No ferry from the Netherlands itself: you first drive to a port in Germany or Denmark. Distances from Utrecht are on our ferries page. |
Routes
🗺️ Ferry by destination
The main car connections per destination, with the crossing time as the operator itself gives it. Where we could not check the crossing time at the source, it says ‘see timetable’.
Norway
| Route | Operator | Crossing | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiel – Oslo | Color Line | overnight: departs 14:00, arrives 10:00 next day | per the operator; can differ per sailing | operator |
| Hirtshals – Kristiansand | Color Line | 3 h 15 min | Fjord Line also sails here: fast ferry ± 2 h 25 (Mar–Sep), cruise ferry ± 3 h 55 (all year) | Color Line · Fjord Line |
| Hirtshals – Larvik | Color Line | 3 h 45 min | Larvik is closer to Oslo and eastern Norway | operator |
| Hirtshals – Stavanger / Bergen | Fjord Line | see timetable | crossing time not checked at the source | operator |
Sweden
| Route | Operator | Crossing | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travemünde – Trelleborg | TT-Line | about 7 to 9 hours, depending on the sailing | day and night departures; night sailings need a cabin or seat | operator |
| Kiel – Göteborg | Stena Line | about 14 hours | operator |
Via Denmark you can also skip the ferry: the Storebælt Bridge costs 235 DKK and the Øresund Bridge 420 DKK for a car (the bridges’ own tariff; check the current price). Storebælt · Øresund
Denmark
| Route | Operator | Crossing | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Puttgarden – Rødby | Scandlines | 45 min | short crossing; towards Copenhagen and Sweden | operator |
| Rostock – Gedser | Scandlines | 2 hours | vehicles only (no foot passengers or bicycles) | Scandlines · Direct Ferries |
Iceland
| Route | Operator | Crossing | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hirtshals – Tórshavn – Seyðisfjörður | Smyril Line | 28 Mar–28 May and 6 Sep–20 Nov 2027: departs Hirtshals Sunday 15:00, arrives Tórshavn Tuesday 07:30, arrives Seyðisfjörður Wednesday 09:00 (local times) | 29 May–5 Sep 2027 a different schedule applies (departs Hirtshals Saturday 15:30); until 27 Mar and from 22 Nov only Hirtshals–Tórshavn, no sailing to Iceland | Smyril Line 2027 |
Price: see the current price at Smyril Line (cabin and car depend on date and type). More about Iceland on our Iceland page.
Costs
💶 What does a ferry with a car cost?
| Scandlines Puttgarden–Rødby, Low Price | from 48 EUR one way, online only; car up to 6 m, incl. ETS surcharge; cannot be rebooked or refunded |
|---|---|
| Scandlines Standard | from 61.10 EUR (harbour price from 111 EUR) |
| Scandlines Flex | from 118 EUR (harbour price from 147 EUR) |
| Combi ticket Puttgarden–Rødby + Øresund Bridge | standard 101.25 EUR |
| All other routes | see the current price at the operator or Direct Ferries: it depends on date, car, cabin and travellers |
Scandlines prices as shown on 31 October 2026; they differ per sailing. For the other operators we give no amounts, because we found no fixed price at the source. Scandlines · Low Price
Booking
📅 When to book?
- Book as soon as your date is fixed. Scandlines itself says “book early and save money”, and Direct Ferries advises booking as early as possible, at least a few weeks ahead, for lower prices and more choice of times and cabins.
- Choose quiet times. According to Scandlines, Low Price tickets are cheaper outside busy times.
- Check-in: for Scandlines Low Price check-in opens 2 hours before departure and closes at the latest 15 minutes before; TT-Line closes check-in at Travemünde 30 minutes before departure.
- Night sailing? On TT-Line, night departures require a cabin or a low-cost seat.
- Iceland: the 2027 Smyril schedule is published; there is no sailing to Iceland between 22 November and 31 December 2027.
We do not name a specific peak booking month: we found no source for it. Scandlines · Direct Ferries · TT-Line · Smyril Line
Camping
⛺ First night in Denmark with a camper or caravan
Hirtshals and Frederikshavn are in northern Jutland; Puttgarden–Rødby and Rostock–Gedser arrive on Lolland-Falster. Which site suits best depends on your route; the list is a selection from Firstcamp’s offer, not a review.
Stay
🛏️ First night at the port: Hirtshals
An early or late sailing is easier with a night right by the port. Hirtshals is the departure port for Norway and Iceland; for the other ports see our ferries page.
How we chose: We searched Booking.com for a family with two adults and two children (7 and 9) for 9 July 2027 – 10 July 2027 and only kept places with a rating of at least 8.0 and 50+ reviews. So no paid placements, but addresses that guests themselves rate highly. We haven’t stayed there ourselves (yet).
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Is there a ferry from the Netherlands to Scandinavia?
We found no car ferry sailing directly from the Netherlands to Scandinavia. You first drive to a port in Germany or Denmark, such as Kiel, Travemünde or Hirtshals.
How long is the crossing to Norway?
According to Color Line, Hirtshals–Kristiansand takes 3 hours 15 and Hirtshals–Larvik 3 hours 45; Kiel–Oslo is an overnight ferry (14:00 to 10:00 next day).
What does a ferry with a car cost?
It depends on route, date and cabin. Only for Scandlines Puttgarden–Rødby did we find amounts at the source (Low Price from 48 EUR one way); for the other routes: see the current price.
Is there a ferry to Iceland?
Yes, Smyril Line sails from Hirtshals via Tórshavn to Seyðisfjörður. In 2027 there is no sailing to Iceland between 22 November and 31 December.
Accountability
📚 Sources
Every number and every date on this page comes from the source shown with it. Where there is no source or price, we could not find an official one and we point to the provider. Tips of our own are marked as such.
View 14 sources
- Color Line Kiel–Oslo (accessed 31 October 2026)
- Color Line Hirtshals–Kristiansand (accessed 31 October 2026)
- Color Line Hirtshals–Larvik (accessed 31 October 2026)
- Fjord Line Hirtshals–Kristiansand (accessed 31 October 2026)
- TT-Line Travemünde–Trelleborg (accessed 31 October 2026)
- Stena Line Kiel–Gothenburg (accessed 31 October 2026)
- Scandlines crossing times (accessed 31 October 2026)
- Scandlines Puttgarden–Rødby (accessed 31 October 2026)
- Scandlines Low Price (accessed 31 October 2026)
- Direct Ferries Rostock–Gedser (accessed 31 October 2026)
- Smyril Line Sailing Schedule 2027 (accessed 31 October 2026)
- Storebælt tariff (accessed 31 October 2026)
- Øresundsbron tariff (accessed 31 October 2026)
- Firstcamp Denmark (accessed 31 October 2026)