While most travellers head to Sweden to one of the many international airports or by car, train or bus across the Öresund Bridge, there are also a plethora of ferries to the country.
These are convenient for travellers with their own car on a road-trip across Europe, heading to Sweden from Poland, the Baltics or Finland.
How much do tickets cost on each route? Which companies sail to Sweden and how long does the cruise take? Read in this chapter.
Where to buy a ferry ticket?
When travelling to Sweden, you can take advantage of the many companies running different routes. The easiest way to compare them all is via the search engine directferries.com, where you can buy your ticket directly.
We recommend buying online, especially when travelling by car in the summer, when last-minute bookings can sell out.
Polferries, Unity Line, Viking Line, Tallink Silja Line, DFDS, Stena Line, TT Line, Finnlines, FRS Baltic, Eckerö Line, Wasaline sail to Sweden.
How much do ferries to Sweden cost?
The prices of ferries vary considerably depending on the specific route, but also on the time of booking. Boat tickets work a bit like airline tickets, and as availability increases, so do prices.
We list one-way prices, but there are no discounts for return sailings.
Ferry routes to Sweden are similarly long. The average price for a pedestrian ticket ranges between 30 eur and 50 eur. For a car, you will then pay between 90 eur and 250 eur.
However, the amounts are very approximate and vary by up to 100% depending on the specific route, company, date and availability.
How long does the ferry to Sweden take?
The shortest journey is from Frederikshavn, Denmark (3.5 hours), while the longest regular ferries leave from Tallinn, Estonia (17.5 hours).
The sailing time varies not only according to the route, but also according to the type of ship and speed. In particular, some night services run deliberately slower to give passengers enough time to rest and to accommodate decent departure and arrival times.
How does it work on the ferry?
Are you about to take your first trip on a large ferry to Sweden? How does it work on such ships?
If you're travelling by car, check-in usually takes place 90 minutes before departure, when you drive to the large marshalling yards in the harbour. You pay for your ticket through the drive-in ticket office or show your ticket purchased online.
You will then board the ferry at the direction of the staff. Everything is very clear and well organised. Parking in the bowels and boarding can be compared to parking in an overhead garage.
If you are travelling on foot, just check in 30 minutes before departure at the ticket office.
On the ship, you leave your car behind and are free to move around all the passenger areas. If you don't pay for a stateroom, there are comfortable seats scattered throughout the ship. You can also take advantage of the seating in the dining rooms, even if you don't order anything.
Especially in the summer, many travelers take their own air mattresses on the ship and sleep on the open-air decks.
Sleeper cabins for 1 to 6 people with showers are also available on longer itineraries. However, you have to pay extra and these cost from 60 to 250 eur depending on the level of luxury.
On the ferries there are always restaurants, small grocery stores, sometimes casinos, bars or stages for any performances. Payment can be made in cash in euros or by credit card.
In the direction of the UK, passport control is carried out before boarding the ship (i.e. in France, Spain or the Netherlands) and also after arrival on the island. In the other direction, you only go through passport control when you arrive.
Which routes are used?
See the list of regular ferry routes to Sweden. Prices are indicative and we list the lowest available amounts for which a ticket can be purchased. The price is for 1 car with 1 driver. Each additional passenger will increase the price from 20 eur to 30 eur.
From Poland
- Świnoujście - Trelleborg: from 95 eur with car (from 43 eur for pedestrians) , the cruise takes 6 hours and sails twice a day
- Świnoujście - Ystad: from 95 eur with car (from 44 eur for pedestrians), the cruise takes 7 hours and sails 5 times a day
- Świnoujście - Malmö: from 180 eur with a car (no pedestrians without a car), the cruise lasts 9 hours and sails 1x a day
- Gdansk - Nynäshamn: from 235 eur with car (from 88 eur for pedestrians) , the cruise takes 18 hours and sails once a day
- Gdynia - Karlskrona: from 120 eur by car (from 55 eur for pedestrians), the cruise lasts 9.5 hours and sails 2-3 times a day
- Compare and buy ferry tickets from Poland
From Germany
- Rostock - Trelleborg: from 60 eur with car (from 35 eur for pedestrians) , the cruise takes 6 hours and sails 5-8 times a day
- Travemünde - Trelleborg: from 90 eur with a car (from 50 eur for pedestrians) , the cruise takes 10 hours and sails 2-4 times a day
- Travemünde - Malmö: from 100 eur by car (from 27 eur for pedestrians) , the cruise takes 9 hours and sails 2-3 times a day
- Kiel - Gothenburg: from 320 eur with car (from 150 eur for pedestrians) , the cruise lasts 14.5 hours and sails once a day
- Sassnitz - Trelleborg: from 117 eur with car (from 31 eur for pedestrians) , cruise takes 2.5 hours and sails 0-2 times a day, only available on frs-baltic.com
- Compare and buy ferry tickets from Germany
From Denmark
- Frederikshavn - Gothenburg: from 83 eur with car (from 20 eur for pedestrians), the cruise takes 3.5 hours and sails 3-5 times a day
- Grenaa - Halmstad: from 83 eur with a car (no pedestrians without a car), the cruise takes 4.5 hours and sails 1-2 times a day
- Helsingør - Helsingborg: from 199 dkk with car (pedestrians without car are not transported), sailing time 20 minutes and sailing every 30 minutes, only available on oresundslinjen.dk
- Compare and buy ferry tickets from Denmark
From Finland
- Helsinki - Stockholm city centre: from 130 eur with car (from 70 eur for pedestrians), cruise takes 16.5 hours and sails 2-3 times a day
- Naantali - Kapellskär: from 60 eur with a car (from 30 eur for pedestrians), the cruise takes 8.5 hours and sails 2 times a day
- Turku - Stockholm city centre: from 60 eur with car (from 17 eur for pedestrians), cruise takes 10.5 hours and sails 2 times a day
- Mariehamn - Stockholm city centre: from 130 eur with car (from 30 eur for pedestrians), the cruise takes 6.5 hours and sails 4-5 times a day
- Langnas - Stockholm city centre: from 102 eur by car (from 55 eur for pedestrians), the cruise takes 6.5 hours and sails 1x a day
- Langnas - Kapellskär: from 110 eur by car (from 13 eur for pedestrians), the cruise takes 3.5 hours and sails 4 times a day
- Eckerö - Grisslehamn: from 39 eur by car (from 10 eur for pedestrians), the cruise takes 2 hours and sails 3 times a day
- Vaasa - Umeå: from 106 eur by car (from 42 eur for pedestrians), the cruise takes 4 hours and sails 1-2 times a day
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From Estonia
- Tallinn - Stockholm city centre: from 210 eur with car (from 90 eur for pedestrians), the cruise takes 17.5 hours and sails 3-4 times a week
- Paldiski - Kapellskär: from 155 eur with a car (pedestrians only are not transported), the cruise lasts 10.5 hours and sails once a day
- Compare and buy ferry tickets from Estonia
From Latvia
- Ventspils - Nynäshamn: from 70 eur with car (from 38 eur for pedestrians), the cruise takes 9 hours and sails once a day
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From Lithuania
- Klaipeda - Karlshamn: from 155 eur by car (from 40 eur for pedestrians), the cruise takes 13 hours and sails 2-3 times a day
- Klaipeda - Trelleborg: from 170 eur with a car (from 70 eur for pedestrians), the cruise takes 18,5 hours and sails 3 times a week
- Compare and buy ferry tickets from Lithuania