Ferry to Norway from Germany
Ferries from Germany to Norway
Germany has one ferry to Norway, Kiel to Oslo, and it is a good one. Everything else means driving on: north through Denmark to Hirtshals or Copenhagen, or across to Sweden and up the E6. This page sets the three out so you can pick by destination and budget. Starting in Britain? Our UK to Norway guide covers the whole journey, North Sea crossing included.
The routes in short
- Kiel to Oslo: the direct overnight ferry, 20 hours, cabin included.
- Via Denmark: drive to Hirtshals for Kristiansand, Larvik, Stavanger and Bergen, or to Copenhagen for the Oslo ship. The old Frederikshavn to Oslo ferry stopped in 2020.
- Via Sweden: a ferry to southern Sweden, or the Øresund Bridge, then about 300 miles of road to the Norwegian border.
From the UK, reach Germany after one of the ferries to Holland: Harwich to Hook of Holland, Hull to Rotterdam or Newcastle to IJmuiden; Kiel is about six hours from any of them.
Map: ferry from Germany to Norway
The map shows the one direct crossing, Kiel to Oslo, and the Danish and Swedish routes you can drive to. The alternatives are compared below.
About the crossings from Germany to Norway
1. The direct ferry: Kiel to Oslo
Color Line sails daily at 14:00 from Kiel and arrives in Oslo at 10:00 the next morning, about 20 hours on the Color Fantasy or the Color Magic. A cabin is compulsory, which is why the fare looks high next to the Danish crossings; set against a hotel night and a day of driving it is fair. The ships are built as cruise ferries, with several restaurants, bars, a show and plenty for children, so the holiday starts at the Norwegenkai. Kiel is about six hours from Hook of Holland and an hour and a half from Hamburg. In October 2026 Stena, the owner of Stena Line, agreed to buy Color Line; nothing changes for sailings or bookings until the deal closes in 2027 (what the takeover means).
Two planning notes. Fares rise as a sailing fills, so compare neighbouring days if you can. And you do not have to come back the same way: return via one of the Danish routes, or from Gothenburg to Kiel if you want Sweden in the loop.
Our take
If Oslo or the east of Norway is where you are going, take the Kiel boat and do not overthink it: the night on board replaces a hotel and a day through Denmark, and the arrival up the Oslofjord is the best entrance Norway has. Go to Hirtshals instead when the south coast or the fjords are the destination, or when the budget matters more than the ship; the Kristiansand crossing costs a fraction of Kiel to Oslo. The combination many of our readers settle on is out via Kiel and home via Kristiansand to Hirtshals, which turns the trip into a loop. For the Danish leg we have driven both Scandlines crossings ourselves (Puttgarden to Rødby and Gedser to Rostock), and the Kiel to Gothenburg guide has our photos of the Schwedenkai if you prefer the Swedish detour. We have not sailed Kiel to Oslo ourselves yet; the Color Line timings above are the operator’s, checked October 2026.
2. Via Denmark: the Hirtshals ferries
Hirtshals, at the top of Jutland, is about 220 miles from the German border at Flensburg and five hours from Hamburg. From there the crossings are short and relatively cheap: Kristiansand in a little over two hours on the fast ferry, Larvik in under four, and the overnight ships to Stavanger and Bergen for the west coast. It suits anyone who does not mind the driving and wants a choice of landing, and it pairs naturally with Kiel to Oslo for a loop.
3. Via Sweden
Self-drivers can go through Sweden instead. Get into southern Sweden either by direct ferry from north-east Germany or via Denmark and the Øresund Bridge, then drive about 300 miles to the Norwegian border on the E6. It is the long way, and makes sense when Gothenburg or the Swedish west coast is part of the trip.
4. Via Copenhagen
The Copenhagen to Oslo overnight ship is the fourth option. It needs the extra drive to Copenhagen, about nine hours from the Dutch border including the Puttgarden ferry, so it is for people who want the Danish capital in the itinerary rather than the quickest way north.
Use the route map to weigh driving against sailing for your own trip; the right answer depends on where in Norway you are heading.
Driving from Germany to Norway via Sweden
There are two ways into southern Sweden. The first is over the Øresund Bridge between Copenhagen and Malmö. You can drive to Copenhagen over the Danish bridges, but most people take the short Scandlines crossings instead, Rostock to Gedser or Puttgarden to Rødby, both of which we have driven; the bridge toll can be bought with the ferry ticket. The second is one of the ferries from north-east Germany straight to Sweden, Rostock or Travemünde to Trelleborg. Either way, once in Sweden you still have more than 300 miles (500 km) to the Norwegian border.
On board, ferries and route map
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- Kiel to Oslo route
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- Kiel to Oslo
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- Kiel and Copenhagen to Oslo
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- Aboard the Color Line
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- The luxurious cruise ships from Color Line on the Kiel Oslo route
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- Color Line ferry to Norway
Travel tip: do not rush the Kiel connection
Check-in at the Norwegenkai in Kiel closes well before the 14:00 departure, so do not try to combine it with the same-morning arrival of a night ferry from England; sleep near Hamburg instead. Book the return at the same time: Color Line gives at least 10% off the vehicle on a return booking.
Prices and availability
Enter the crossing and your dates below for live fares and sailing times on Kiel to Oslo and the alternatives.
Useful for travellers to Norway
Tips for ferry travellers
If we can’t have UK to Scandinavia, Netherlands to Norway is better than nothing. Why won’t ferry companies invest in UK routes? There is a lot interest. DFDS sailings book up quickly.