Rostock - Gedser & Öresund Bridge

From Rostock to Malmö: the route

The journey starts at the Überseehafen in Rostock, signposted from the A19 and around two hours from the Berlin ring road. The crossing to Gedser takes two hours. In Gedser, you drive straight onto the E55, which runs via Falster and Zealand towards Copenhagen. South of the capital, switch to the E20 and cross the Öresund Bridge into Malmö.

From Gedser, that is around 190 km, or a good two hours of driving. Budget around four hours in total from departure in Rostock to arrival in Malmö. The bridge is open around the clock, and the ferry runs overnight too – start early and you can be in Scania by lunchtime.

Because the bridge voucher stays valid for seven days after your travel date, you do not need to drive straight through. A stopover in Copenhagen or on Møn is possible without the ticket expiring.

On board the hybrid ferries

The route is served by the hybrid ferries M/V Berlin and M/V Copenhagen, each with room for up to 1,300 passengers and 460 vehicles. On board you will find a restaurant, a café, an onboard shop, free WiFi and a children's play area. Two hours is long enough for a proper sit-down meal, rather than rushing between the car deck and the stairwell – that is what sets this route apart from the shorter Puttgarden–Rødby crossing.

Dogs are welcome on board, but must stay on a lead or in a carrier. Details on travelling with pets are in the dog and pet guide, and notes on vehicle length and roof boxes are in the motorhome guide.

Check-in and the toll station

With a vehicle, be at check-in at least 15 minutes before departure; without a vehicle, 30 minutes. Your number plate or booking reference is enough – no printout needed. Keep ID handy in the glovebox even though both countries are in the Schengen area, as spot checks do happen at the Danish-Swedish border.

At the Öresund Bridge toll station, choose the blue lane for self-service or the yellow lane with staff, and show your voucher. More on the bridge, its lanes and alternatives is on the Öresund Bridge page.

Fares and prices

Scandlines groups its fares into four tiers. Low Price is the cheapest entry point, bookable online only within a fixed window before departure, with limited availability and mostly for evening and night sailings. Early Booker rewards booking ahead of time. Standard is valid for your booked departure plus any other free departure the same day, which takes the pressure off your schedule. Flex is the most expensive tier but can be rebooked and refunded free of charge, valid for up to three months after the booked departure.

Season and demand play a role too: summer holidays, weekends and midday departures are the most expensive, night and off-peak sailings the cheapest. Current fares for every combination are on the prices page, and a comparison of all four route combinations is in the Sweden Ticket guide.

Just the ferry, without the bridge

If you do not need the Öresund Bridge – for example because your trip ends in Copenhagen or continues via the Helsingør–Helsingborg ferry – you can book the crossing on its own.

When this route makes sense

If you are coming from eastern Germany – Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony or Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – Rostock is your nearest ferry port. It skips the detour via Hamburg and Fehmarn, the drive to the port is short, and the two hours on board are a genuine break rather than a rush.

Coming from Hamburg, Bremen, Lower Saxony or North Rhine-Westphalia, you will usually be quicker via Puttgarden–Rødby: a shorter crossing, a tighter schedule, but more motorway driving through Denmark. And if you would rather spend the night on board and arrive without a stopover in Denmark, Rostock–Trelleborg is the better choice.