Rostock to Gedser ferry
Rostock to Gedser: a longer route between Germany and Denmark
The Rostock to Gedser ferry is the longer of Scandlines’ two main Germany to Denmark crossings. It is less of a quick shortcut than Puttgarden to Rødby, but it can be a very useful route if you are driving through eastern or northern Germany, heading towards Copenhagen, southern Sweden or returning from Denmark with a different route south.
The crossing takes around 2 hours, so you get more time on board than on the shorter Puttgarden to Rødby ferry. That makes the route feel less like a quick hop and more like a proper break in the journey: enough time to eat, sit down, walk around and reset before the next driving stretch.
For many travellers, the choice is not simply Rostock to Gedser or Puttgarden to Rødby. It depends on where you are driving from, where you want to arrive in Denmark, and whether your onward route points more naturally towards Copenhagen, the Øresund Bridge, Helsingør to Helsingborg or southern Sweden.
Map: ferries from Rostock to Gedser and Puttgarden Rodby
About the Rostock to Gedser crossing
Rostock to Gedser is the right Germany to Denmark crossing when your route runs through eastern or northern Germany. It is longer than Puttgarden to Rødby, and that is part of the point: two hours is enough to eat, walk the deck and arrive rested, with a different landing in Denmark.
From Gedser you drive north through Falster and Zealand towards Copenhagen, and from there into Sweden over the Øresund Bridge to Malmö or on the Helsingør to Helsingborg ferry for the west coast. The alternative is Puttgarden to Rødby, the shorter hop that is usually the better short cut from Hamburg and the west.
Compare the whole journey rather than the crossing time: the drive to the German port, the sailing, the road through Denmark and the final crossing into Sweden. From Berlin, Rostock wins; from the Netherlands, Puttgarden does.
Ferry from Rostock to Gedser
The Rostock to Gedser ferry links Germany with Falster and Zealand, the islands that carry Copenhagen, with Sweden a bridge further on.
The crossing in brief
- Route: Rostock (Germany) to Gedser (Denmark)
- Duration: 2 hours
- Operator: Scandlines
- Alternative: Puttgarden to Rødby, 45 minutes
Of Scandlines’ two Germany to Denmark routes, Puttgarden to Rødby sits to the west on the map and cuts about 87 miles of driving on the way to Copenhagen; Rostock to Gedser sits to the east and suits southern Zealand, Sweden and anyone coming from Berlin.
Sailings and check-in
- Crossing time: about 2 hours, with 8 to 9 departures a day in each direction.
- Check-in: at least 15 minutes before departure; earlier at holiday weekends.
- Timetable: the sailings for your date, in both directions, are in the Rostock Gedser ferry timetable on RostockGedser.com.
Booking Scandlines tickets
Book online; by phone or at the port there is a £13 surcharge, and in summer the online fare classes sell out first.
Our own crossing from Gedser back to Rostock
Our ferry adventure: the shortcut to Denmark and Sweden!
Crossings to combine with Rostock to Gedser, and the alternatives
On board and ferry route maps
Before you go
Travelling between the UK and Denmark via France, the Netherlands or Germany, a few things are worth knowing:
- Passport: since Brexit a driving licence or ID card is not enough.
- Download in advance: on the long North Sea crossings Wi-Fi is slow or paid and roaming at sea is expensive. Two hours to Gedser is fine.
- Children on a night ferry: our tips for travelling with kids on the ferry.
- Drive on the right after you roll off.
- Seasickness: where to sit and what helps.
Useful for travellers to Scandinavia
