A new ferry between IJmuiden and Kristiansand could make travelling from the UK to Norway by car considerably easier. Dutch initiative Nednorge plans to launch a direct ferry connection between the Netherlands and Norway in 2027. For British travellers, this could create an attractive new route to Norway via the Netherlands.
The plans were announced this week by Norwegian broadcaster NRK. Ron Eekels, one of the people behind Nednorge, visited the Port of Kristiansand to explore the possibilities for the new connection. Speaking to NRK, he estimated the chance of the route going ahead at ’95 percent’.
Three sailings a week from IJmuiden to Kristiansand
If the plans go ahead, the ferry is expected to operate between IJmuiden and Kristiansand three times a week from 2027. The service would carry both freight and passengers, with a particular focus on tourists travelling to Norway by car or motorhome.
IJmuiden is located on the Dutch North Sea coast, close to Amsterdam. This makes the proposed route particularly interesting for British travellers, as the Netherlands is already easily accessible by ferry from the UK.
A new way to travel from the UK to Norway?
There is currently no direct ferry from the UK to Norway. Travellers taking their own car or motorhome generally have to sail to mainland Europe first and then continue towards northern Germany or Denmark before taking another ferry to Norway.
The new IJmuiden–Kristiansand ferry could offer a much more convenient alternative. British travellers could take one of the existing ferries to the Netherlands and then continue to IJmuiden for the direct crossing to southern Norway, avoiding the long drive through Germany and Denmark.
This could be particularly convenient for passengers using the Newcastle–Amsterdam ferry, which arrives in IJmuiden itself. Instead of continuing hundreds of miles by road towards Germany or Denmark, travellers could potentially change ferries in the same port and sail directly to Kristiansand.
Return of the Netherlands-Norway ferry
A direct ferry between the Netherlands and Norway is not a new concept. Holland Norway Lines launched a service between Eemshaven and Kristiansand in 2022. The ferry later moved to Emden in Germany before the company went bankrupt in 2023.
According to the Port of Kristiansand, the previous service demonstrated that there was demand from both passengers and freight operators. The port is positive about the new plans and, according to NRK, has already signed a letter of intent with the Dutch initiative.
There is also another proposed ferry connection between the Netherlands and southern Norway. Plans are being developed for a ferry between Eemshaven and Arendal, with a possible launch in 2028. If both projects go ahead, there could eventually be two direct ferry routes between the Netherlands and Norway.
View all current routes from the Netherlands to Norway below.
Not yet available to book
The planned IJmuiden Kristiansand ferry is not yet available to book. The vessel, timetable, crossing time and ticket prices have not yet been announced.
For UK travellers planning a road trip to Norway, however, this is certainly a route worth watching. If the service launches in 2027 as planned, travelling from Britain to Norway via the Netherlands could become considerably easier. We will update this page as soon as more details about the new ferry become available.
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