Ferry to Norway: every route, prices & tips

Driving to Norway by car or camper, you have three options: the long ferry straight from Kiel, a short crossing from northern Jutland, or the overland route through Denmark and Sweden. Which one works best depends on where in Norway you're heading, your vehicle and when you travel. Everything below comes from the ferry operators' own websites (as of 24 September 2026). Timetables and prices change – always check the operator's site before you book.

Ferries to Norway: every route at a glance

In two places the operators' pages contradict themselves: in one offer box Color Line gives 3 hrs 15 min for Hirtshals–Larvik instead of 3 hrs 45 min, and in the FAQ for the Bergen route Fjord Line says "approx. 12 hours". The timetable at booking is what counts.

Which ferry suits your trip?

Kiel–Oslo is the only direct route from Germany in our list. You skip the drive through Denmark but spend a night on board – cabin included, because you can't book this route without one. A good choice if you're heading for Oslo, eastern Norway or the route through Telemark.

Hirtshals–Kristiansand or Larvik are the short crossings. You drive through Denmark to the northern tip of Jutland and reach southern Norway in about three to four hours. On Fjord Line's Kristiansand route no cabin is needed.

Hirtshals–Stavanger–Bergen takes you overnight straight into fjord country. If the west coast is your goal, you avoid the long drive across southern Norway. Fjord Line recommends a cabin; according to the route page it isn't compulsory.

Copenhagen–Oslo is an overnight ferry leaving in the afternoon and arriving the next morning – handy if you're driving via Zealand anyway. Pets must stay in the cabin, not in the car.

What about Langesund, Eemshaven and DFDS?

Old information is still around, including on booking sites:

• Langesund: Fjord Line no longer calls at Langesund. According to its own press release of February 2023, it ended the service it had run since 2014.
• Sandefjord–Strömstad is no longer in Fjord Line's route list; Color Line runs this crossing.
• Eemshaven–Kristiansand (Holland Norway Lines): on 24 September 2026 we could find no bookable service. Holland Norway Lines' domains redirect to unrelated websites, and Fjord Line has no page for an Eemshaven route either. We found no official announcement that the service has ended.
• DFDS Copenhagen–Oslo: DFDS sold the route to Gotlandsbolaget, which has run it since 31 October 2024; it is now called Go Nordic Cruiseline.

On 24 September 2026 the comparison site Direct Ferries still listed Hirtshals–Langesund and "Copenhagen–Oslo" under DFDS. Use such sites to compare prices, but check the route with the operator.

How much does the ferry to Norway cost?

The operators use flexible pricing. Only "from" prices with conditions are public – here are the examples from 24 September 2026:

• Color Line Kiel–Oslo: camper package from €333 per person for two people in a motorhome up to 5 m long and 2.55 m high, in a standard inside cabin; longer or taller vehicles cost extra. Car package from €155 per person (car up to 5 m / 1.95 m). The homepage and the route page disagree on whether this package is for two or four people.
• Color Line Hirtshals–Kristiansand/Larvik: camper package from €107 for two people, car from €49 (Kristiansand) or €53 (Larvik) per person – book by 29.09.2026, travel 16.09.–16.12.2026.
• Fjord Line: motorhome/caravan packages from €96 (Kristiansand, Fjord Club members only), €137 (Stavanger) and €170 (Bergen) per person, for two travellers and a vehicle up to 6 m long and 4.5 m high.
• Return trip: book outbound and return with a vehicle together at Color Line and you get at least 10% off the vehicle on the way back, all year.

For a quick price comparison across operators for your date, try Direct Ferries.

What drives the price: length, height, season and cabin

• Vehicle size: Color Line books every vehicle by total height and length, including roof box and bike rack. If the details are wrong, an extra fee can be charged at check-in. Fjord Line also asks for total length and height and charges extra for wrong details.
• Season and demand: Fjord Line describes a flexible price system and always shows the lowest price. On some Color Line departures, spaces for campervans are limited.
• Passengers: package prices are for a set number of people; each extra person costs more (Color Line Kiel–Oslo: €40).
• Cabin: compulsory on Kiel–Oslo, recommended on the night ferry to Bergen.

Our tip: measure your vehicle once with everything attached, and write down its length and height. You'll need the same figures on Norway's domestic ferries, where length sets the price – more in our guide Norway tolls and ferries explained.

Taking a camper and a dog on board

• Check-in: Kiel–Oslo with a vehicle at least 120 minutes before departure; Color Line in Hirtshals at least 60 minutes before.
• Dogs with Color Line: animals are not allowed in cabins or public areas. Kiel–Oslo: kennel €68, dog in the car €58 per crossing, a maximum of 10 kennels. Denmark–Norway: kennel €15, dog in the car €9 per crossing. No pets on the Kiel–Oslo–Kiel mini cruise.
• Dogs with Fjord Line: €15 per crossing, whether in a kennel or in the car; the cruise ferries have dog-friendly cabins, bookable by phone.
• Dogs with Go Nordic (Copenhagen–Oslo): in the cabin only, not in the car.

When you arrive at a ferry port: Statens vegvesen says ferry terminals and rest areas in Norway are not meant for overnight stays. Where you can park up instead is covered in our guide Where to sleep with a camper in Norway.

When does driving via Denmark and Sweden make sense?

Instead of a long ferry you can drive: across the Fehmarnbelt ferry or the bridges into Denmark, over the Øresund Bridge into Sweden, and up the E6 to Oslo. Or combine short ferries to Sweden:

Scandlines treats vehicles registered as motorhomes like cars regardless of weight, but charges by length. The Great Belt Bridge measures total height and length. From Gothenburg, according to Stena Line, Oslo is about 3.5 hours by car.

The overland route via Sweden works well when:

• you want to take in Sweden or Denmark anyway,
• you're heading for Oslo, eastern Norway or the north and want to drive up the E6,
• the Norway ferries are full or the dates don't fit,
• you'd rather not sleep on board.

For the western fjords, the direct ferry to Bergen or Stavanger is usually the shorter way. For either option, add up bridge tolls, fuel and perhaps a night on the road before you decide.

Stena Line has no route to Norway itself, but gets you to Sweden via Kiel–Gothenburg or Frederikshavn–Gothenburg – bookable directly with Stena Line.

Booking tips

1. Compare early: operators show flexible "from" prices; for summer weekends with a camper, it pays to look at prices early.
2. Book outbound and return together: at Color Line, at least 10% off the vehicle on the return.
3. Give honest measurements: including bike rack and roof box – that saves surcharges at the terminal.
4. Check the clubs: some prices are for members only (Fjord Club, Color Club).
5. Stay near the port: if you sail early from Hirtshals or in the afternoon from Kiel, sleep close by – for example via Booking.com or at a campsite you find on camping.info.

And once you've landed? In Norway itself, road tolls and many domestic ferries are charged automatically by number plate. How that works and how to register in advance is explained in our guide Norway tolls and ferries explained.