Ferries to Sweden

Rostock - Gedser

The ferry from Rostock to Gedser on Falster is the alternative to the Vogelfluglinie for travellers from eastern Germany. The crossing takes about 2 hours, after which you again choose between the Öresund Bridge and the Helsingør - Helsingborg ferry.

More routes via Denmark

• Frederikshavn - Gothenburg: from northern Jutland to Gothenburg in around 3 hours with Stena Line, several times a day. Details on the route page.
• Rønne - Ystad: from Bornholm to Skåne in 80 minutes on the Bornholmslinjen high-speed catamaran. Details on the route page.
• Grenå - Halmstad: discontinued. Stena Line gave up the route on 30 April 2026; any offers still listing it are out of date.

Direct from Germany to Sweden

If you'd rather skip the drive through Denmark, Germany has three ferry ports with direct connections to Sweden: Kiel, Travemünde (near Lübeck) and Rostock. Depending on your starting point and your destination in Sweden, different routes make sense - here's an overview of the most popular connections:

Kiel - Gothenburg

The Stena Line route from Kiel to Gothenburg is the northernmost direct connection and one of the most popular ferry routes to Sweden. It's ideal if you're heading to Gothenburg, Stockholm or even northern Sweden and want to avoid a long drive. The ship departs Kiel daily at around 18:45 and reaches Gothenburg early the next morning - so you spend a relaxed night in your cabin on board and save on a hotel stay. Gothenburg makes an excellent base for exploring western and central Sweden.

Travemünde - Trelleborg

From Travemünde you reach Trelleborg at the southern tip of Sweden (Skåne region). This route is especially convenient if you're travelling from the Hamburg area or northern Germany. The connection runs several times a day, with departures both during the day and overnight. Daytime sailings don't require a cabin, which keeps the crossing cheaper; cabins are available on overnight sailings. Trelleborg is the gateway to southern Sweden, with motorways continuing on towards Stockholm or along the west coast to Gothenburg.

Travemünde - Malmö

As an alternative to the Trelleborg route, there's a direct connection to Malmö. This route runs up to three times a day and gets you straight to Sweden's third-largest city in about 9 hours. Both daytime and evening departures are on offer - on the overnight ferry you can sleep in a cabin and arrive in Malmö well rested in the morning. This route is ideal if your destination is in the Skåne region or you want to start right in the Öresund area.

Rostock - Trelleborg

If you're travelling from Berlin or eastern Germany generally, Rostock is the ideal departure port. The route to Trelleborg runs several times a day. As with the Travemünde connections, you can choose between cheaper daytime crossings without a cabin and comfortable overnight sailings with a cabin. The crossing takes around 6-7 hours. This route is a particularly convenient way to reach southern Sweden quickly.

Via Poland to Sweden

If you're travelling from eastern Germany, the Polish ferry routes are often the shortest and cheapest connections to Sweden. Świnoujście lies right on the border on the island of Usedom, Gdańsk and Gdynia on the Bay of Gdańsk.

• Świnoujście - Malmö: Finnlines overnight ferry in about 9 hours, on board in the evening, in Malmö in the morning. Details on the route page.
• Świnoujście - Trelleborg: TT-Line and POLSCA Baltic Ferries in around 7 hours, by day and overnight. Details on the route page.
• Świnoujście - Ystad: POLSCA with its brands Polferries and Unity Line, by day and overnight. Details on the route page.
• Gdańsk - Nynäshamn: Polferries overnight in around 18 hours to a port 60 km from Stockholm. Details on the route page.
• Gdynia - Karlskrona: Stena Line three times a day in around 10 hours to Blekinge. Details on the route page.
• Gdańsk - Karlshamn: Polferries overnight in around 13.5 hours. Details on the route page.

Via Norway to Sweden

A ferry via Norway can make sense if you're heading to central Sweden or want to build Norway into your trip.

Kiel - Oslo

The ships of Color Line make the Kiel - Oslo route a travel experience in its own right. The daily crossing is also marketed as a mini-cruise, and the onboard comfort and facilities match that billing. The ship departs Kiel in the afternoon and reaches Oslo the following morning. This route costs more than the direct ferries to southern Sweden, but it saves you a long drive across the country if you're heading to central Sweden (Värmland or Dalarna, for example).

Sandefjord - Strömstad

On the short day route across the Oslofjord, Color Line takes you from Sandefjord to Strömstad on Sweden's west coast in around 2.5 hours. Details on the Sandefjord - Strömstad page.

From Finland and Åland to Sweden

Across the northern Baltic, the big overnight ferries run to Stockholm: from Helsinki and from Turku with Viking Line and Tallink Silja, each calling at Åland along the way. If you'd rather cut down the driving, take one of the short Åland routes instead: from Långnäs or Naantali to Kapellskär with Finnlines, or from Eckerö to Grisslehamn with Eckerö Linjen in 2 hours. Further north, Wasaline connects Vaasa with Umeå across the Kvarken. Everything about this corridor is on Sweden - Finland ferries.

From the Baltics to Sweden

From Estonia, Tallink Silja sails overnight from Tallinn to Stockholm, with DFDS running a seasonal service from Paldiski to Kapellskär. From Latvia, Stena Line connects Ventspils with Nynäshamn; from Lithuania, TT-Line and DFDS sail from Klaipėda to Karlshamn and, less frequently, to Trelleborg. All Baltic routes are overnight ferries with cabins and carry cars and motorhomes.