Finnlines

About Finnlines

Finnlines is a Finnish shipping company and one of the leading freight and ferry operators on the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the Bay of Biscay. Founded in 1947, the company started out with six old steamships meant to strengthen Finland's merchant fleet. Today Finnlines employs around 1,700 people across seven countries.

The fleet comprises around 20 ships with a total capacity of roughly 88,000 lane metres; the average ship age is about 15 years. Finnlines runs around 190 departures a week. For travellers, the passenger network on the Baltic is what matters most, while freight dominates the rest of the company's routes.

Part of the Grimaldi Group

Finnlines is wholly owned by the Grimaldi Group, a multinational logistics conglomerate headquartered in Naples. The group is among the world's largest ro-ro operators and Europe's biggest provider linking passenger and freight traffic on the "Motorways of the Sea".

The Grimaldi Group is family-owned by the Grimaldis, operates a fleet of over 130 ships and employs around 17,000 people. As part of this network, Finnlines' reach extends well beyond the Baltic, as far as South America, West Africa and the Mediterranean.

Finnlines to Sweden

For your trip to Sweden, the route that matters is Travemünde - Malmö - the only direct ferry from Germany to Malmö. In around nine hours, Finnlines takes you from the Skandinavienkai in Lübeck-Travemünde across the Baltic to southern Sweden, with up to three sailings a day: daytime, evening and overnight. Just before arrival, the ferry passes under the Öresund Bridge, a highlight of the crossing; from Malmö, Copenhagen is a quick trip across the bridge. Since 2024 Finnlines has also run the Świnoujście - Malmö route, filling a gap for travellers from eastern Germany.

If you'd rather experience the Baltic as a short getaway, book the route as a Travemünde - Malmö mini cruise: outward and return crossing in one booking, two nights on board, with a full day in Malmö in between.

From Finland, Finnlines sails the Naantali - Kapellskär route twice daily year-round: in 8 to 9 hours, Finnsirius or Finncanopus takes you from the coast near Turku through the archipelago to Kapellskär, north of Stockholm. Along the way the ferry calls at Långnäs on Åland; if you're already on the islands, you can join there and reach Sweden on the Långnäs - Kapellskär leg in around three and a half hours.