Ferry to Norway from Scotland
Most booked ferries to Norway
How to travel by ferry from Scotland to Norway
Norway is a popular holiday destination and used to be easily accessible with direct connections such as the Newcastle-Bergen-Stavanger ferry. Unfortunately, there are no direct ferries from Scotland or England to Norway these days.
However, since a new connection appeared connecting Holland with Norway directly it's easier than ever to travel from Scotland to Norway by ferry. (Indirectly)
This is possible with one of the two ferries to Holland and a 3-hour drive to the ferry departing from Eemshaven to Norway. However, it is also possible to drive further to Germany or Denmark and then make your crossing to Norway.
If you want to know how to travel from Scotland to Norway, just keep on reading and check our unique ferry map with all possible connections.
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Map with all ferry routes to Norway
If you travel from Scotland, it is best to choose one of the two ferries to Holland first. From there, you can choose to take the next ferry from Denmark, Germany, or Holland. We'll cover these options further down this page but let's have a look at how to travel to mainland Europe first.
Traveling to Norway from Scotland in 3 steps:
- Drive to Newcastle (A) or Hull (B).
- Take the ferry to Amsterdam (A) or to Rotterdam. (B)
- Drive from either Amsterdam or Rotterdam to Eemshaven (#1. best option) or to Kiel (#2. luxurious option) or to Hirtshals(#3. the alternative).
- (Eemshaven) Will get you in Kristiansand.
- (Kiel) Will get you in Oslo.
- (Hirtshals) Will get you in Bergen or Kristiansand.
It is possible to travel in a few other ways however from Scotland these are probably the best options out there as most other options have a focus on German travelers from the East / South not from the South West.
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Travel tip: Eemshaven-Kristiansand is the shortest drive
Depending on where you live in the UK, you can book one of the ferry's to Rotterdam or Amsterdam. From here, Eemshaven can be reached by car in about 3 hours.
Also on this page
Travel to Holland first
It does not matter much whether you take the ferry from Hull or Newcastle to The Netherlands. This can best depend on the price and the travel distance to the departure port from Scotland. Although the arrival of the Newcastle-Amsterdam ferry is slightly more northerly, it does not matter much in terms of travel time to the ports of Eemshaven, Kiel, or Denmark.
Scotland/England ⇔ Holland
Newcastle-Amsterdam
Hull-Rotterdam
Travel time by car after the first crossing
- From Rotterdam or Amsterdam to Eemshaven: ± 3 hours
- From Rotterdam or Amsterdam to Kiel: ± 6 hours
- From Rotterdam or Amsterdam to Hirtshals ± 10 hours
- Or ± 15 hours to the Swedish/Norwegian border via the Oresund toll bridge.
The further you are prepared to drive yourself, the shorter and cheaper the next crossing will be.
Ferry from The Netherlands to Norway
You can travel from the Netherlands to Norway via the Eemshaven-Kristiansand ferry connection and start your vacation early. This ferry has all the luxury you need and is a very pleasant crossing for many. And this is also a bit of a problem: since this cruise ferry is so popular, you need to book far in advance.
Holland ⇔ Norway
Eemshaven-Kristiansand
Ferry from Germany to Norway
An interesting route to consider is the 20h ferry from Kiel to Oslo. Depending on which crossing you choose from the UK to the continent, the distance to Kiel is between 6 and 9 hours by car. This is a night crossing on the beautiful ship from Color Line. This is sometimes a cheaper alternative for the Holland-Norway ferry so be sure to compare these.
Germany ⇔ Norway
Kiel-Oslo
Ferry from Denmark to Norway
The departure ports in the north of Denmark are not just around the corner, but anyone taking a road trip to Scandinavia will certainly benefit from one of these crossings.
Depending on where the rest of your vacation or trip will take place, you can choose between various destinations. For example: Larvik, Kristiansand, Oslo, Langesund and Bergen.
The advantage of traveling from Denmark to Norway is mainly the short sailing time. These differ between 2 hours and 15 minutes and approximately 19 hours.
Denmark ⇔ Norway
Frequently asked questions Ferry Scotland-Norway
There is no direct ferry from Scotland to Norway. You can choose to travel to Holland (Rotterdam or Amsterdam) or France and drive to the north of The Netherlands (Groningen). From there you can take a ferry to Kristiansand. Other options are to travel to Germany (Kiel) or Denmark (Hirtshals, Copenhagen).
Three ferry companies sail to England from the Netherlands. These are P&O ferries, Stenaline and DFDS. The ferries from France to Dover are from P&O ferries and DFDS.
There is only one ferry connection from the Netherlands to Norway: the crossing from Eemshaven to Kristiansand. It is operated by HNL – Holland Norway Lines.
By boat to England from the Netherlands can be done in 6.5 hours. This is how long the shortest crossing takes between Hoek van Holland and Harwich (day trip). The longest crossing, on the other hand, takes more than 16 hours (night sailing). This one goes between IJmuiden / Amsterdam and Newcastle.
From departure to arrival takes 18 hours on this route. You will leave in the afternoon (15.00) from Eemshaven to Kristiansand where you will arrive the next morning on 09.00
If you don't dislike a longer drive you can drive to Kiel, Kopenhagen, Langesund, or Hirtshals. You will be longer in the car but the crossing by ferry is a lot shorter.
Depending on whether you bring a car and book a cabin, the costs for the ferry to Norway vary a lot. You can cross to France first, but the options to the Netherlands are more convenient. From there on you can travel via the Ferry in the North of the Netherlands or drive further by car and take the ferry from Germany or Denmark to Norway. To give an indication: a ferry to the Netherlands will be approximately €100,- per person and from the Netherlands to Norway up to around €200,- per person. So if you opt for the easy way this will cost you somewhere around €300,- to travel to Norway.
On both crossings, you can take your dog along. Be sure to inform about vaccination rules and rules aboard the ships.
