Timetable
Ferries to Gothenburg
Direct from Kiel or Frederikshavn, or via southern Sweden and Norway: all routes compared
- Direct overnight from Kiel with Stena Line
- From Frederikshavn in 3.5 hours
- Alternatives via Malmö and Trelleborg
Popular routes
Our most booked connections to Gothenburg.
Prices for a car incl. driver, one way
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Route map: Gothenburg
All ferry routes at a glance
Interactive map of all ferry connections for travelling to Gothenburg.
- Scandlines
- Finnlines
- TT-Line
- Stena Line
- Color Line
- POLSCA Baltic Ferries
Scandlines 2 hours
Check prices Finnlines 8 hours 45 minutes
Check prices TT-Line 7 hours 30 minutes
Check prices TT-Line 5 hours 30 minutes
Check prices Stena Line 5 hours 45 minutes
Check prices Scandlines 44 minutes
Check prices Stena Line 3 hours 45 minutes
Check prices Stena Line 15 hours 30 minutes
Check prices Color Line 20 hours
Check prices Color Line 2 hours 30 minutes
Check prices Finnlines 9 hours 15 minutes
Check prices POLSCA Baltic Ferries 7 hours
Check prices TT-Line 6 hours
Check prices Ferries to Gothenburg
Table of Contents
Which route to Gothenburg?
The table shows the right ferry for each starting point, the journey time from the Swedish arrival port to Gothenburg, and the total duration of the crossing plus onward journey. Departure times are in the timetable, and prices in the price overview.
| From where | Which route | Journey time from port | Total duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Germany, Kiel | Kiel - Gothenburg, Stena Line, overnight | Arrival direct in Gothenburg | 15.5 hours by ferry |
| North Jutland, Frederikshavn | Frederikshavn - Gothenburg, Stena Line, by day | Arrival direct in Gothenburg | 3.5 hours by ferry, plus the drive there (360 km from Flensburg, around 3.5 hours) |
| Lübeck, Travemünde | Travemünde - Malmö, Finnlines, day and night | 2 hours 45 minutes from Malmö | around 12 hours |
| Lübeck, Travemünde | Travemünde - Trelleborg, TT-Line, day and night | 3 hours from Trelleborg | around 12 hours |
| Rostock | Rostock - Trelleborg, Stena Line and TT-Line | 3 hours from Trelleborg | 9 to 11 hours |
| Eastern Germany, Świnoujście | Świnoujście - Trelleborg, TT-Line and POLSCA | 3 hours from Trelleborg | around 10 hours |
| Eastern Germany, Świnoujście | Świnoujście - Malmö, Finnlines, overnight | 2 hours 45 minutes from Malmö | around 12 hours |
| Fehmarn, Puttgarden | Puttgarden - Rødby, Scandlines, then the Öresund Bridge | 4.5 hours from Rødby | a good 5 hours, plus the bridge toll |
| Rostock via Denmark | Rostock - Gedser, Scandlines, then the Öresund Bridge | 3 hours to Malmö, 2 hours 45 minutes onward | around 8 hours, plus the bridge toll |
| Kiel via Norway | Kiel - Oslo, Color Line, overnight | 3 hours 20 minutes from Oslo | one night plus half a day |
| Norway, Sandefjord | Sandefjord - Strömstad, Color Line, by day | 160 km on the E6 from Strömstad | 2.5 hours by ferry plus the drive |
Direct to Gothenburg
Kiel - Gothenburg
Board in Kiel in the evening, arrive in Gothenburg in the morning: Stena Line runs the Kiel - Gothenburg route once daily in 15.5 hours. Since it sails overnight, a cabin is always part of the booking, and dogs are welcome. The highlight is the approach through the Gothenburg archipelago and under the Älvsborg Bridge. Terminal, timetable and the mini-cruise option are on the route page.
Frederikshavn - Gothenburg
If you'd rather travel by day with a shorter time at sea, cross with Stena Line from Frederikshavn to Gothenburg: 3.5 hours across the Kattegat, several times a day. Frederikshavn lies at the end of the Danish motorway, 360 km and around 3.5 hours from Flensburg.
Via southern Sweden to Gothenburg
The routes to Trelleborg and Malmö are often noticeably cheaper than the direct ferry, but add just under three hours' driving. From Travemünde, Finnlines sails to Malmö up to three times a day and TT-Line to Trelleborg several times a day, both by day and overnight. From Rostock, Stena Line and TT-Line sail to Trelleborg; the two operators have sailed separately since September 2018, so always check both offers. For travellers from Berlin and eastern Germany, it's worth looking at the departures from Świnoujście: TT-Line and POLSCA to Trelleborg, Finnlines overnight to Malmö.
Via the Öresund Bridge
The Vogelfluglinie from Puttgarden to Rødby takes just 45 minutes, after which you continue across Zealand and the Öresund Bridge into Sweden; it's around 4.5 hours from Rødby to Gothenburg. Scandlines offers combined tickets covering the ferry and the bridge toll. From Rostock, the ferry to Gedser covers the same route in 2 hours, and it's around 3 hours from Gedser to Malmö.
Via Norway
Color Line sails daily overnight from Kiel to Oslo, and the onward journey to Gothenburg takes 3 hours 20 minutes from Oslo. The round trip Kiel - Oslo - Gothenburg - Kiel also works without a car. If you're already in Norway, you can take a shortcut across the Oslofjord: Color Line sails from Sandefjord in around 2.5 hours to Strömstad, from where it's a good 160 kilometres on the E6 to Gothenburg.
Arrival ports for Gothenburg
| Port | Location and onward travel | Routes |
|---|---|---|
| Gothenburg, Deutschland-Terminal | Elof Lindälvs gata, near the Älvsborg Bridge; tram 3 and 9 from Chapmans Torg to the central station | Kiel - Gothenburg |
| Gothenburg, Stena Danmarksterminal | Masthuggstorget, trams 3, 9 and 11 right outside the terminal | Frederikshavn - Gothenburg |
| Strömstad | west coast, 160 km north on the E6; railway and bus station five minutes from the berth | Sandefjord - Strömstad |
| Malmö, Norra Hamnen | Skåne, 2 hours 45 minutes by car | Travemünde - Malmö, Świnoujście - Malmö |
| Trelleborg | Skåne, 3 hours by car | Travemünde - Trelleborg, Rostock - Trelleborg, Świnoujście - Trelleborg |
| Oslo (Norway) | 3 hours 20 minutes by car to Gothenburg | Kiel - Oslo |
Location, routes and operators for all Swedish ports are compared on the Ferry ports in Sweden page.
FAQ: Gothenburg
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers about the ferry connections to Gothenburg
Which ferries sail to Gothenburg? +
Two routes go direct to Gothenburg with Stena Line: overnight from Kiel, and by day, several times daily, from Frederikshavn in Denmark. Alternatively, you can reach Gothenburg via southern Sweden, for example with Finnlines from Travemünde to Malmö or with TT-Line to Trelleborg, then continue by car from there.
How long is the crossing to Gothenburg? +
The overnight ferry Kiel - Gothenburg takes around 15.5 hours: you depart in the early evening and arrive the next morning. The daytime ferry Frederikshavn - Gothenburg across the Kattegat is noticeably faster, covering the route in just 3.5 hours.
Do I need to book a cabin for the ferry to Gothenburg? +
Yes. Since the direct Kiel - Gothenburg route sails overnight, a cabin is always part of the booking. On the short daytime crossing from Frederikshavn you don't need one.
How do I get to the ferry port, and how do I travel on? +
Kiel lies centrally in northern Germany and is well connected by motorway. The Danish motorway leads to Frederikshavn in Denmark: from Flensburg it's around 360 km and about 3.5 hours' drive. If you travel via southern Sweden, factor in the onward journey: from Malmö it's a good 2 hours 45 minutes to Gothenburg, from Trelleborg around 3 hours, from Oslo around 3 hours 20 minutes.