Sweden - Finland Ferries

Night ferry or day ferry

Between Sweden and Finland, you can choose between the classic overnight ferry and shorter daytime crossings. From Helsinki you board in the South Harbour in the late afternoon, sleep in your cabin, and sail into the Swedish capital through the archipelago the next morning. From Turku, the crossing is the shortest link between mainland Finland and Stockholm at around 11 hours: by day you watch the archipelago go by from the deck, in the evening you sleep in your cabin and wake up in Stockholm early the next morning. On the daytime sailing a seat is enough; overnight, a cabin comes with the booking.

From Helsinki and Turku to Stockholm

Viking Line and Tallink Silja Line sail Helsinki - Stockholm year-round, seven days a week, with one departure each in the evening. The overnight crossing takes around 18 hours, your car stays on the vehicle deck, and you pass through the Stockholm archipelago in the morning light.

The same two operators serve Turku - Stockholm with up to 3 departures a day: Viking Line with the Viking Glory in the morning and the Viking Grace overnight, Tallink Silja Line with the Baltic Princess in the evening. The route passes through two archipelagos and across the Åland Sea; depending on the sailing, the ships call at Mariehamn or Långnäs on Åland along the way.

From Naantali and Vaasa

Naantali - Kapellskär is the Finnlines route with two departures daily: a daytime sailing in the morning or an evening sailing with a cabin, taking 8 to 9 hours with a stop at Långnäs on Åland. Kapellskär lies on the coast of Roslagen, where the E18 begins its run via Norrtälje to Stockholm. For travellers with a car or motorhome who want to bypass Stockholm, this is the direct route.

Vaasa - Umeå is the northern link across the Kvarken: Wasaline sails year-round, with up to 2 departures daily taking 3.5 to 4 hours. With a vehicle, be at the gate 1 hour before departure.

Åland: a stopover or a starting point in its own right

Mariehamn lies halfway between Finland and Sweden, and almost every large ferry to Stockholm calls in here. On Mariehamn - Stockholm you board a ship that has already come from Helsinki, Turku or Tallinn, and you're in the Swedish capital in around six to seven hours; up to four departures a day. Långnäs - Stockholm sails twice daily in around 6.5 hours, and Långnäs - Kapellskär with Finnlines twice daily in around 3.5 hours.

The shortest crossing is Eckerö - Grisslehamn: Eckerö Linjen sails three times daily in 2 hours, and the terminal in Grisslehamn is open daily from 08:30 to 20:00. In summer, the Birka Gotland also sails Mariehamn - Visby, overnight in around 10 hours to Gotland.

By car, motorhome and with a dog

Cars, motorhomes and bicycles travel on every route. With Finnlines there's no barrier-free access from the car deck to the lift; if you're travelling with reduced mobility, contact customer service before booking. On Tallink Silja Line, dogs travel in pet-friendly cabins; with Viking Line, a maximum of two pets are allowed per cabin, a lead is required outside it, and pets may not stay in the car during the crossing. Operator-by-operator rules are in the guide Travelling to Sweden with a dog, arrival ports under Ferry ports in Sweden, and Ferries to Stockholm compares the routes into the capital. Departures for your travel day are shown in the timetable, and all routes to Sweden under Ferry routes to Sweden.