Getting around by boat

Travel to Norway by ferry

There may be changes to ferry and boat timetables because of the coronavirus situation.

There are a lot of ferries connecting Norway and other European countries, including daily crossings from both Denmark, Sweden and Germany. You can often find discounts for pensioners, students and children. Package deals are also usually available.

In this article, you will find all the information you need about the different ferries going to Norway.

Car ferries and express boats in Norway

Norway has an extensive coastline, with many fjords and islands. In Fjord Norway and Northern Norway, travellers often have to rely on ferries and express boats for transportation. Choosing a ferry, can often times dramatically shorten the length of your trip. 

Express boats and car ferries sail up and down the coast, in sheltered waters and across open seas, to towns, villages and islands large and small. They provide good logistics for a holiday of island hopping or an itinerary of your own choosing.

Be prepared, there may be queues in the summer months. For the most popular ferries, we recommend you arrive early, such as at the Geiranger–Hellesylt and Lauvvik–Lysebotn connections in Fjord Norway and at Bognes-Lødingen and Bodø-Moskenes in Northern Norway.

The Norwegian coastal express – Hurtigruten and Havila

The long-established Hurtigruten sails from Bergen to Kirkenes, in Finnmark. The journey, Bergen–Kirkenes–Bergen, takes 11 days. This voyage offers you an exquisite way to experience the natural beauty of the coast. It is indeed “the world's most beautiful sea voyage”. What fascinates tourists most are all the tiny and not-so-tiny communities they stop at along the way.

Departures are daily and there are frequent stops along the coast. The ships can accommodate cars, making it easy to combine the cruise with a holiday in different places ashore.

Havila Kystruten also offers cruises and port-to-port tickets. They are sailing the same route twice a week, with some of the most environmental-friendly ships in the world.

Norwegian inland ships

In the last half of the 1800s, Norwegian inland ships made it possible to transport passengers and freight across Norways great lakes and inland fjords.

Many of them are still sailing their regular schedule today, and may be used as transportation.

Read more about the historic Norwegian inland ships here.