Ferries from Copenhagen: Oslo, Bornholm & More

Copenhagen is a port city, but the choice of classic ferry routes is smaller than the maritime setting might suggest. By far the most important line out of the city itself is the overnight ferry to Oslo; around the capital there are also connections to Bornholm, Germany and neighbouring Sweden. This guide sorts out which ferry suits which trip, what it costs in 2026, how to reach the terminal, and when the crossing is actually worth it compared with flying, the train or the coach.

The overnight ferry to Oslo

The only major scheduled ferry running directly out of the Copenhagen city area goes to Oslo. It was operated by DFDS for many years, but since 1 November 2024 it has run under the brand Go Nordic Cruiseline, backed by the Swedish shipping group Gotlandsbolaget. The two ships, Nordic Crown and Nordic Pearl, are unchanged – if you know the route from earlier trips, you'll find it largely as before, with only the name and booking platform new.

The crossing is a pure overnight sailing of around 17.5 hours. Departure is daily at 16:30, with arrival at the destination port the next morning at around 10:00 – identical in both directions. The stop in Frederikshavn that was sometimes made in the past has been dropped, and the ships now sail straight through. Daily departures in both directions are in the timetable; exact timings can vary by season, so your booking confirmation is always the definitive word.

Because the ferry sails overnight, a cabin is compulsory and included in the fare – there's no deck- or seat-only passage. The fleet was refurbished in 2025; you can choose between simple economy cabins, standard cabins with a sea view, and premium cabins. On board there are buffet and à la carte restaurants, a duty-free shop and evening entertainment – the crossing works as much as a mini-cruise as it does a means of transport.

What the Oslo ferry costs

Fixed daily rates can't be given, as fares are dynamic and shift with season, demand and cabin category. As a guide, early-booked MiniCruise or one-way fares start at around DKK 286 to 293 per person (roughly €38–40); comparison sites list entry-level fares on the Copenhagen–Oslo route from around €30.

Average prices from comparison data give a more realistic picture than the absolute lowest fares – for foot passengers, the average sits at around US$145 (roughly US$55–465), and with a car it's noticeably higher, at an average of around US$645. Travellers who are flexible and book early therefore pay markedly less; spontaneous car crossings in the high season sit at the other end of the scale. Since the cabin and overnight stay are bundled into the ticket, it's worth weighing the fare against what a hotel night plus a separate transfer would cost.

The ferry terminal and how to get there

The Oslo ferry departs from the Go Nordic Cruiseline terminal (the former DFDS terminal), at Dampfærgevej 30, 2100 Copenhagen Ø, in the Søndre Frihavn harbour basin around two kilometres north-east of the city centre. The terminal is open daily from 09:00 to 16:30.

There are several ways to get to the ship:

• Shuttle bus – connects the terminal daily with Nørreport station and Copenhagen Central Station (København H). Exact departure times and fares are given in your current booking documents.
• Bus 27 – stops directly at the terminal; routes 14, 23 and 164 also pass nearby.
• Train and metro – the nearest stations are Østerport (S-train and metro) and Nordhavn (metro line M4), around 750 metres and roughly a ten-minute walk away respectively.

A single ticket on Copenhagen's public transport starts at around DKK 24 (two zones, city centre) and is valid across zones for bus, S-train and metro alike – how the fare system works is covered in the guide Public transport in Copenhagen.

Travellers arriving by car can park at the terminal for DKK 195 per day, or DKK 390 for a MiniCruise; taking the car on board costs an extra DKK 450 (MiniCruise only). A reservation is recommended, by phone on +45 72 62 16 66.

Check-in, boarding and travel documents

Check-in closes 15 minutes before departure, so by 16:15 at the latest – arrive later and you risk missing the ship. Boarding happens in stages, starting at 13:30 for premium cabins and 15:15 for standard cabins and vehicles.

There's an important point on travel documents – they must be shown in physical form; a digital ID or mobile driving licence isn't accepted. In detail:

• Nordic citizens aged 16 and over – passport or a physical Nordic driving licence.
• Schengen-area citizens (for example from Germany, Austria or Switzerland) – passport or a national photo ID card.
• All other travellers, including children – passport.

Two practical points for the crossing itself – foot passengers need to be able to carry their own luggage, as there's no baggage handling service. If you're travelling with a car, you have no access to the vehicle during the crossing; anything you need overnight has to go into the cabin beforehand. Large electrical appliances such as kettles are banned on board.

Ferries to Bornholm, Germany and Sweden

Beyond Oslo, there are other ferry routes in the region, though only some of them start directly from Copenhagen.

To Bornholm, the route is run by the state-mandated operator Bornholmslinjen. The fast standard connection is the Ystad–Rønne catamaran from Ystad in southern Sweden (around 80 minutes) – you can reach Ystad from Copenhagen over the Øresund Bridge by train or car. There's also a night ferry from Køge (south of the city), directly out of the Copenhagen bay, to Rønne, which takes around 5.5 to 6 hours. More on day trips into the surrounding area is in the guide Day trips from Copenhagen.

To Germany, Scandlines runs two classic routes – Gedser–Rostock, with around ten daily departures roughly every two hours, and the short Rødby–Puttgarden crossing. On Gedser–Rostock, a car costs between around €70 (standard) and €153 (flex) in 2026, depending on fare. Both ports lie south of Copenhagen and are easy to reach overland.

To Sweden, the once-important Malmö–Copenhagen ferry has been replaced by the Øresund Bridge; today you cross to the Swedish mainland by train or car over the bridge. Genuine short ferry crossings to Sweden survive mainly further north – the busy Helsingør–Helsingborg route crosses the Øresund in a good 20 minutes and is a popular half-day trip.

Ferry, flight, train or coach to Oslo?

On the Copenhagen–Oslo route, the ferry competes with three overland alternatives, and which one suits you depends chiefly on what matters most – speed, price or the experience itself:

• Flight – the fastest option at around 1 hour 20 minutes of flying time, with tickets from about €30–52. Worth bearing in mind – Oslo Airport (OSL) is around 50 kilometres from the city centre, on top of the usual time spent at the airport.
• Train – via Gothenburg with one change, taking around 8 to 8.5 hours, tickets from about €27–34. A relaxed day's journey through southern Sweden.
• Long-distance coach – the cheapest but slowest overland option, from around US$38.
• Ferry – the longest option at 17.5 hours, but it bundles an overnight stay and the crossing into one.

The ferry is therefore less appealing if you simply want to get there as fast as possible, but makes sense in three cases in particular – if you want to bring your own car without hire-car costs, if you see the crossing itself as part of the trip (for example as a MiniCruise), or as a money-saving option, since an overnight stay and the transfer come bundled into one ticket. For the best light on the approach into the Oslofjord, aim roughly for late spring through early autumn, when daylight lasts longest. For how to reach Copenhagen itself, see the guide Getting to Copenhagen.