Frequently Asked Questions

Four direct ferries link Germany and Sweden: Rostock - Trelleborg (Stena Line and TT-Line, around 6 hours), Travemünde - Trelleborg (TT-Line, around 8 hours), Travemünde - Malmö (Finnlines, around 9 hours) and Kiel - Gothenburg (Stena Line, around 14 hours overnight).

There are also routes via Denmark: the short Puttgarden - Rødby ferry (45 minutes), followed by either the Øresund Bridge or the 20-minute Helsingør - Helsingborg ferry. From Poland there are sailings on Świnoujście - Trelleborg, Świnoujście - Ystad, Świnoujście - Malmö and Gdańsk - Nynäshamn, and from Denmark there is also Frederikshavn - Gothenburg.

These are the main ferry operators on routes to Sweden:

• Stena Line on Kiel - Gothenburg, Rostock - Trelleborg and Frederikshavn - Gothenburg
• TT-Line on Travemünde - Trelleborg, Rostock - Trelleborg and Świnoujście - Trelleborg
• Finnlines on Travemünde - Malmö and Świnoujście - Malmö
• Scandlines on the transit routes Puttgarden - Rødby and Rostock - Gedser
• Øresundslinjen on the short Helsingør - Helsingborg ferry
• Polferries and Unity Line from Poland, for example Świnoujście - Ystad and Gdańsk - Nynäshamn

Departure frequency depends on the route:

• Rostock - Trelleborg: up to 9 departures a day, Stena Line and TT-Line combined
• Travemünde - Trelleborg: up to 8 departures a day with TT-Line
• Travemünde - Malmö: up to 3 departures a day with Finnlines, by day, evening and night
• Kiel - Gothenburg: one departure a day in each direction, leaving in the evening and arriving the next morning
• Helsingør - Helsingborg: up to 53 departures a day, roughly every 20 minutes during the day

Extra crossings are added in peak season, while some are dropped in winter. You will find exact times in the timetable and on the individual route pages.

Crossing times range from 20 minutes to almost 18 hours. The direct ferries from Germany take:

• Rostock - Trelleborg: around 6 hours, night crossings slightly longer
• Travemünde - Trelleborg: around 8 hours
• Travemünde - Malmö: around 9 hours
• Kiel - Gothenburg: around 14 hours as an overnight ferry

The routes via Denmark are much shorter: Puttgarden - Rødby takes 45 minutes, and Helsingør - Helsingborg just 20 minutes. However, you then need to add the drive through Denmark, either to the Øresund Bridge or to Helsingør.

Yes, several routes run overnight. Kiel - Gothenburg is the classic overnight ferry: board in the evening, arrive in Gothenburg the next morning. Travemünde - Malmö and Świnoujście - Malmö also have evening and night departures, as do Travemünde - Trelleborg and Rostock - Trelleborg. The longest overnight crossing is Gdańsk - Nynäshamn, at around 18 hours.

The advantage is obvious: you sleep through the crossing and save the cost of a hotel night. A cabin is worth booking on the long routes, and it can sell out quickly in peak season.

That depends on your starting point and your destination in Sweden:

• From western and southern Germany: the fastest way is via Puttgarden - Rødby and the Øresund Bridge
• From northern Germany and Berlin: Rostock - Trelleborg, a short direct ferry with many departures
• To Gothenburg and western Sweden: the overnight ferry Kiel - Gothenburg
• To Malmö and Skåne: Travemünde - Malmö or the Trelleborg routes
• From eastern Germany and Poland: Świnoujście - Malmö, Świnoujście - Ystad or Świnoujście - Trelleborg

As a rule of thumb: if you want to save time, take the short ferry plus the bridge. If you would rather travel at a relaxed pace and sleep through the crossing, book the direct ferry with a cabin.

The price depends on the route, season, how far ahead you book, vehicle length and the number of passengers. As a rough guide: the short routes via Denmark are the cheapest, the direct ferries from Germany cost more, and overnight crossings with a cabin are the most expensive. A day crossing without a cabin is nearly always the most affordable way to take a direct ferry.

You will find the current fares for all routes in the price overview. The booking process on each route page shows the binding price for your date and vehicle.

The Øresund Bridge charges a toll, and you also have fuel costs for the long drive through Denmark plus the short ferry across the Fehmarn Belt. A direct ferry such as Rostock - Trelleborg saves the bridge toll and several hundred kilometres of motorway driving, but takes longer on board.

For travellers from western and southern Germany, the combination of ferry and bridge is usually the fastest option, sold by Scandlines as a package deal. From northern Germany, the direct ferry is generally the better choice. You will find a cost comparison with current fares in the price overview.

These levers reliably bring the price down:

• Book early: the cheapest allocations, such as the Finnlines SPECIAL fare, are limited and go first
• Book the outbound and return crossing together: most operators give a discount for this
• Choose a day crossing instead of an overnight one: without a cabin, the crossing becomes noticeably cheaper
• Travel outside peak season: vehicle spaces and cabins are much cheaper outside the school summer holidays
• Use membership discounts: ADAC members (the German motoring association) get a reduction with Stena Line, and the Finnlines Star Club gives regular customers a discount
• Check your vehicle length: prices are tiered by length, and a roof box or trailer can easily push you into the next category

The price overview shows how fares differ between routes.

Yes, operators tier passenger fares by age. Infants usually travel free, children and teenagers pay a reduced passenger fare, and with TT-Line a young child can share a bed in the cabin with their parents if two adults book the cabin. Senior fares are rare and usually only available on request.

For groups of around ten people or more, it is worth contacting the ferry operator directly, as separate group fares are available. All fare tiers are summarised in the price overview.

Yes. On a mini-cruise you book the outbound and return crossing as one package, sleep on board, and have a day in Sweden in between. TT-Line offers short trips like this from Travemünde and Rostock to Trelleborg, Finnlines runs one on the Travemünde - Malmö route lasting around 36 hours including two nights on board, meals and sauna access, and Stena Line offers one on Kiel - Gothenburg.

This is especially practical for southern Sweden: from Trelleborg and Malmö you can comfortably reach Lund, Ystad and even Copenhagen by train in a single day. You will find the package prices in the price overview.

After booking online and paying, you usually receive a booking confirmation by email within a few minutes. This also serves as your e-ticket.

At check-in in the port, you show the barcode either printed out or directly on your phone – with most operators, you do not need to print anything. What matters is that the code is clearly readable on the screen. If nothing has arrived 24 hours after booking, contact the ferry operator's customer service and check your spam folder.

As a rule of thumb: be at the port at least 90 minutes before departure, earlier still in peak season. The exact times are shown in your booking confirmation and vary by port and operator.

Typically, vehicle check-in closes 60 minutes before departure, while foot passengers can check in up to 30 minutes before. If you arrive after check-in has closed, you risk losing your booking without a refund. Details for individual terminals are on the route pages, for example Kiel - Gothenburg and Rostock - Trelleborg.

If it looks like you will not make it in time, call the ferry operator's customer service immediately. It may still be possible to rebook onto a later departure, provided seats are available and your fare allows it.

As a general rule, the booking is forfeited without a refund once check-in has closed. With Scandlines, standard and flex tickets are valid for any departure on the booked day, so if you miss your ferry you can simply take the next one. With cheaper discount fares, this right is usually lost.

Tip: build in enough buffer time for your journey to the port, especially in peak season and on routes prone to traffic delays.

This depends on the fare, not the route:

• Discount fares such as Finnlines SPECIAL or TT-Line Economy are usually non-refundable and only rebookable with restrictions
• Flexible fares such as TT-Line FLEX can be rebooked or cancelled free of charge right up until shortly before departure
• Scandlines gives you a short free right of withdrawal after booking; rebooking costs a fee plus any price difference

The earlier you cancel or rebook, the lower the fees. The binding terms are in your booking documents.

In storms or technical problems, a departure can be postponed or cancelled. Under EU Regulation 1177/2010, you are entitled to assistance in the event of significant delays or cancellations – meals and refreshments, and overnight accommodation if needed.

If the operator cancels the crossing, you are usually offered a choice between a free rebooking onto the next available departure and a full refund. With Scandlines, all tickets are valid for any departure on the booked day in the event of a disruption.

Tip: give a reachable mobile number when booking, so you are the first to hear about any changes.

Yes, all routes to Sweden are served by car ferries. Cars, motorhomes, caravans, motorbikes and bicycles are all welcome on board. The vehicle price is based on length, and a trailer or roof box can easily push you into the next category, so measure honestly when you book.

On the Travemünde - Malmö route, Finnlines lets you plug your motorhome into the mains during the crossing for a small fee, so the fridge keeps running. You will find more details in the motorhome to Sweden guide and in the price overview.

Yes, Stena Line, TT-Line and Finnlines all take foot passengers on their Sweden routes, as do the short ferries across the Øresund and the Fehmarn Belt.

Foot passengers check in at the passenger terminal, at a counter or a machine, often in a different place and at different times from vehicles. In Rostock, for example, you need to collect your ticket at the counter around 45 minutes before departure. Check your operator's terminal information before you travel, as the passenger terminal can be some distance from the train station at certain ports.

There is no fixed luggage limit like on a flight. If you are travelling with a vehicle, you can bring as much as fits in the car – your luggage stays in the locked vehicle on the car deck during the crossing. As a foot passenger, you carry whatever you can carry yourself; there is no baggage drop-off.

Important: the vehicle decks are closed off during the crossing. Take anything you will need on board out of the car beforehand – medication, valuables, travel documents, and on long crossings toiletries and a change of clothes too.

No. For safety reasons, all passengers must leave the vehicle decks before departure. The crew locks them, and access is only reopened shortly before arrival, once announced. Until then, you stay on the passenger decks – in your cabin, the restaurant or the lounge areas.

The same applies to pets: on the long routes such as Kiel - Gothenburg and Travemünde - Malmö, animals may not stay in the vehicle, so you will need a pet cabin. On shorter routes, some operators allow dogs to stay in the car. Check this before you book.

Wi-Fi is available on all the major Sweden ferries, though the terms differ. With TT-Line, onboard Wi-Fi is free. Stena Line offers free basic access for messaging and simple browsing, plus a paid premium option for faster connections. With Finnlines, Wi-Fi is chargeable and can be added in advance or on board.

Tip: switch off mobile data as soon as the ferry departs. At sea, your phone can easily latch onto expensive maritime networks that are not covered by EU roaming rules.

On the direct ferries you will find restaurants and buffets, bars and cafés, an onboard shop, cabins ranging from inside cabins to suites, lounge areas and children's play corners. Finnlines has a sauna area on its ships, and the overnight ferry Kiel - Gothenburg also has a cinema and evening entertainment.

On the short Øresund and Fehmarn Belt ferries, the facilities are limited to a café, seating areas and a shop – which is all you need for a 20 to 45-minute crossing. You will find what is on board your ship on the relevant route page.

You can pay by card on board, and many operators also accept cash in euros as well as Swedish kronor. In Sweden itself, the currency is the Swedish krona (SEK); euros are accepted only in a few places.

Sweden is one of the most cashless countries in Europe: card or phone payments work almost everywhere, and some shops no longer accept cash at all. A credit or debit card without high foreign transaction fees is all you need for the whole trip.

Yes, dogs and cats are welcome on the Sweden ferries. Stena Line, TT-Line and Finnlines all have dedicated pet cabins with easy-clean flooring, plus a dog exercise area on the outer deck.

Important: register your pet at the time of booking. There are only a small number of pet cabins, they sell out early during school holidays, and a cabin is compulsory on the long routes. A surcharge applies, and with TT-Line a maximum of two animals are allowed per cabin. Dogs must be kept on a lead on board. You will find more in the travelling to Sweden with a dog guide.

For entry from the EU, the following rules apply:

• a microchip for identification, implanted before or at the same time as vaccination
• a valid rabies vaccination, given at least 21 days before entry
• an EU pet passport with the vaccination recorded
• registration with Swedish customs, which can be done online

Sweden has no breed bans. From 1 March to 20 August, dogs must be kept on a lead in forests and open countryside, and year-round in towns and on campsites. Details are in the travelling to Sweden with a dog guide.

Sweden is part of the EU and the Schengen area. EU citizens need a valid national ID card or passport; children also need their own identity document. Bring the vehicle registration document for your car – the Green Card is no longer compulsory for EU citizens, but it is still useful to have.

If you are travelling with a pet, you will also need the EU pet passport, a valid rabies vaccination and the customs registration. Travel can be refused without valid documents, with no refund of the ticket. Check your paperwork before you set off, not just at the terminal.