Ferry to Norway from the Netherlands
How to get to Norway from the Netherlands
Holland Norway Lines sailed Eemshaven to Kristiansand from 2022, moved the route to Emden in Germany in 2023 and went bankrupt in September 2023. Since then there has been no ferry between the Netherlands and Norway. New plans keep surfacing, a possible IJmuiden to Kristiansand ferry from 2027 and the Eemshaven to Arendal plans, but neither can be booked yet.
So from the Netherlands you drive to the next ferry: Kiel to Oslo in Germany, or Hirtshals to Kristiansand and the other Hirtshals routes in Denmark.
Coming from the UK
British travellers reach these routes the same way, after one of the three ferries from the UK to the Netherlands: Newcastle to Amsterdam, Hull to Rotterdam or Harwich to Hook of Holland. They are included in the route cards on this page.
Map: ferry routes to Norway from the Netherlands via Germany or Denmark
About these crossings
With the direct ferry gone, the choice is between sailing long and driving short, or the other way round. Kiel to Oslo is the long sail: six hours from the Dutch coast, then 20 hours on the ship. Hirtshals to Kristiansand is the short one: ten hours of driving, then a crossing of a little over two hours. A popular combination is out on one and home on the other, so you see the south coast and the Oslofjord without driving the same road twice.
Ferries to Norway from the Netherlands
The routes that work, in order of how often we would recommend them:
- Kiel to Oslo with Color Line: 20 hours overnight, a cabin included, the least driving and the most comfortable arrival.
- Hirtshals to Kristiansand with Fjord Line or Color Line: the cheapest way in, about 2 hours 15 minutes on the fast ferry, after a long day at the wheel.
- Hirtshals to Larvik, Stavanger or Bergen: Larvik for Oslo at a lower fare, the overnight ships for the west coast.
- Copenhagen to Oslo: the other overnight ship, if Copenhagen is on the itinerary.
- Kiel to Gothenburg: via Sweden, often cheaper than the Oslo boat and three and a half hours from the Norwegian border.
Step 1: the ferry to the Netherlands
For UK travellers, Hull, Harwich or Newcastle makes little difference to what follows. Newcastle lands you a little further north at IJmuiden, but Kiel and Hirtshals are roughly the same drive from all three Dutch ports, so choose on price and on the English port nearest to you.
Step 2: from the Netherlands to the ferry
- Kiel to Oslo: drive to Kiel, about six hours, and sail overnight to Oslo. The most logical route for Oslo and eastern Norway.
- Hirtshals to Norway: drive to the top of Denmark, about ten hours, and choose Kristiansand, Larvik, Stavanger or Bergen. Return by a different route if you like.
- Copenhagen to Oslo: drive to Copenhagen, about nine hours including the Puttgarden to Rødby ferry, and sail overnight to Oslo.
- Kiel to Gothenburg: for Sweden and Norway in one trip, sail to Gothenburg, drive to Oslo and take the Oslo ship back to Kiel.
On board and route maps
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- Map with routes to Norway from the UK
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- Restaurant
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- Docking of the Color Fantasy © FerryGoGo
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- Playground for the little ones on the Color Fantasy © FerryGoGo
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- Restaurant on Color Fantasy © FerryGoGo
More impressions from the crossings
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- Map with routes to Norway from the UK
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- Restaurant
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- Docking of the Color Fantasy © FerryGoGo
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- The Color Fantasy © FerryGoGo
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- Playground for the little ones on the Color Fantasy © FerryGoGo
Driving time from the Dutch ports
- Rotterdam or Amsterdam to Kiel: about 6 hours.
- Rotterdam or Amsterdam to Frederikshavn or Hirtshals: about 10 hours.
- To the Swedish-Norwegian border via the Øresund Bridge: about 15 hours.
The further you drive, the shorter and cheaper the ferry. Where that balance tips depends on how many of you are in the car and whether you count a hotel night.
Coming back: Norway to the Netherlands, and on to the UK
The same routes work in reverse, and the choice is the same: how much do you want to sail and how much to drive. From Oslo the Color Line ferry to Kiel is the comfortable option, with about 4.5 hours from Kiel to the Dutch border and 6 hours to Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Hook of Holland. It is also the expensive one, because a cabin is compulsory. Without a car there is a train alternative: Kiel to Amsterdam takes 7 to 8 hours with a change in Hamburg, and Kiel station is a short walk from the Color Line terminal.
From the south coast, Kristiansand or Larvik to Hirtshals is the budget route: a short crossing, then about 10 hours’ drive to the Netherlands, so most people stop for a night in Denmark or northern Germany. From Stavanger or Bergen the overnight Fjord Line ships to Hirtshals do the same job for the west coast. And from Oslo you can drive 3.5 hours to Gothenburg and take Stena Line’s overnight ferry to Kiel, which many families use to combine Sweden and Norway in one loop.
Travelling on to the UK? From the Dutch coast the North Sea ferries continue to England: Hook of Holland to Harwich with Stena Line, Rotterdam to Hull with P&O and IJmuiden to Newcastle with DFDS. Our guide to ferries to the UK from the Netherlands compares the three.
Kiel or Hirtshals?
Kiel to Oslo is a 20-hour night crossing on one of Color Line’s two cruise ferries, and after a day of motorway it is a genuine rest; the ship arrives in Oslo at ten the next morning. Hirtshals gives you more destinations and lower fares, and the two combine well: Kiel out, Hirtshals back, which suits a road trip or a camper holiday through southern Norway. From the UK, the drive to Kiel is six to nine hours depending on where you landed; the Gothenburg ferry from Kiel is the alternative if Sweden is part of the plan.
Our take
From the Dutch ports the Kiel ferry is the obvious choice for Oslo: six hours of motorway, then a night at sea and a morning arrival. Only go on to Hirtshals if you want the south coast, Stavanger or Bergen, or if the price difference on your date is large; the extra four hours of driving are real. If you are reading this from Britain, the leg to the Netherlands is the part we know best: we have sailed Harwich to Hook of Holland and Newcastle to Amsterdam ourselves, and the UK to Norway guide puts the whole journey together with prices. Since October 2026 the Harwich ferry and the Kiel to Oslo ferry are heading for the same owner, Stena, which has agreed to buy Color Line; nothing changes for bookings until the deal closes in 2027.
Driving to Denmark for the ferry
The Danish ports are a long way north, but for a Scandinavian road trip they are worth it: from Hirtshals you choose your landing, Larvik, Kristiansand, Stavanger or Bergen, and from Copenhagen the overnight ship takes you to Oslo. All of these can be combined with the Kiel routes above.
Ferry and drive via Germany, Denmark and Copenhagen
The route with the least time on a ferry runs via Puttgarden in Germany to Rødby in Denmark, a 45-minute crossing we have driven several times. From Rødby it is two hours to Copenhagen, then the Øresund Bridge to Malmö and the E6 north to Norway.
Prices and availability
Select Germany or Denmark as the country of departure in the booking module to see the crossings into Norway with live fares; the UK to Netherlands ferries are booked separately.
Before you go
All the ferries above carry cars. Norway is strict on pets, and a few other things matter on the longer sailings:
- Passport: since Brexit a driving licence or ID card is not enough for UK travellers.
- Download in advance: on night crossings Wi-Fi is slow or paid and roaming at sea is expensive.
- Foot passengers: not every sailing takes them, so check first.
- Children on a night ferry: our tips for travelling with kids on the ferry.
- Drive on the right after you roll off; the first ten minutes are the hard ones.
- Seasickness: where to sit and what helps.
Luggage and pets
Luggage is not restricted within reason. Pets travel for a fee, in kennels or pet cabins depending on the ship, and Norway requires a pet passport and specific vaccinations. Country rules and company policies are in a separate guide.
Useful for travellers to Norway
Tips for ferry travellers
I am planning to drive to Norway from France and wish to take the ferry from Netherland to stravanger or thereabouts what can you offer?