All Ferry Routes to Sweden

Four direct ferries sail from Germany: the overnight Kiel - Gothenburg with Stena Line, Travemünde - Trelleborg and Rostock - Trelleborg with TT-Line and Stena Line respectively, and Travemünde - Malmö with Finnlines. There is also a weekly Travemünde - Karlshamn sailing.

The shortest sea crossing from Germany is Puttgarden - Rødby at 45 minutes, followed by the drive through Denmark and over the Öresund Bridge. The shortest direct ferry to Sweden is Rostock - Trelleborg, around 6 hours by day.

The route via Denmark with a short ferry crossing and the Öresund Bridge is often the fastest way to Malmö, though it means around 200 km on Danish roads. The direct ferries from Travemünde, Rostock and Kiel skip that drive and offer cabins for the night. Which option works out cheaper is shown in the price overview.

From Poland, TT-Line and POLSCA Baltic Ferries sail from Świnoujście to Trelleborg, POLSCA from Świnoujście to Ystad, Finnlines from Świnoujście to Malmö, Polferries from Gdańsk to Nynäshamn and from Gdańsk to Karlshamn, and Stena Line from Gdynia to Karlskrona. All routes also sail overnight with cabins.

Viking Line and Tallink Silja sail to Stockholm from Helsinki, Turku, Tallinn and Åland. Finnlines docks at Kapellskär north of Stockholm, while Polferries and Stena Line dock at Nynäshamn south of the city. All the routes into the capital are compared on the Ferries to Stockholm page, with departures in the timetable.

These are the main ferry companies operating 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
• Öresundslinjen on the short Helsingør - Helsingborg crossing
• Polferries and Unity Line from Poland, including Świnoujście - Ystad and Gdańsk - Nynäshamn

It depends on where you are starting from and where in Sweden you are headed:

• From western and southern Germany: the fastest way is via Puttgarden - Rødby and the Öresund Bridge, bundled in the Sweden Ticket
• From northern Germany and Berlin: Rostock - Trelleborg, a short direct ferry with frequent departures
• To Gothenburg and western Sweden: the overnight Kiel - Gothenburg ferry
• To Malmö and Scania: Travemünde - Malmö or one of the Trelleborg routes
• From eastern Germany and Poland: Świnoujście - Malmö, Świnoujście - Ystad or Świnoujście - Trelleborg

Rule of thumb: if you want to save time, take the short ferry plus bridge. If you'd rather travel relaxed and sleep through the crossing, book the direct ferry with a cabin.

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

Foot passengers check in at the passenger terminal, either at a counter or a kiosk, often in a different location 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 ferry company's terminal information before you travel, as the distance between the station and the ferry terminal can be several kilometres at some ports.

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

Tip: switch off mobile data as soon as the ferry sets sail. At sea, your phone can easily latch onto expensive onboard networks that fall outside EU roaming rules.

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

On the short Öresund and Fehmarn Belt ferries, facilities are limited to a café, seating areas and a shop - which is all you need for a 20- to 45-minute crossing. What's on board your ship is listed on each route page.