Step 1: From the UK to mainland Europe, Dover-Calais as our first choice.ย
Step 2: From Mainland Europe to Norway, the Kiel to Oslo cruise-ferry as our first choice.
Getting to Norway
Unfortunately, there is no direct ferry to Norway from The United Kingdom. Yet, you can get there quite easily by car and two ferries! It is possible to get to Norway without ferries, but that is not advisable since that's a very long drive through Sweden!
- There are fiveย logical routes (we logically excluded the Southern UK routes to France) to reach mainland Europe from the UK.
- Three follow-up connections will eventually get you to Norway from Western Europe.
There used to be a connection from Eemshaven/Emden to Norway. This connection was a logical second step. However, this connection doesn't exist anymore and ended in September 2023.
Sit tight. We will explain why the picks above are our preferred options and provide you with all possible routes on this page. Let's start with our map:
UK to Norway ferry route map
Get to the continent first
As a direct connection doesn't exist, you must first get to mainland Europe. You can choose between direct crossings to Holland (Netherlands) or various options from Dover to France, depending on where in the UK you depart.
Departure is possible fromย Newcastle,ย Hull,ย Harwich, and the two Dover connections: Dover-Calais and Dover Dunkirk.ย
Timetable, availability, and compare prices
If you already know which routes you want to take, you can compare sailings and request prices using the module below. If you want to book two ferries, you must do this in two separate steps.
Below the booking module, we provide more details about different Norway from UK ferry options.
Eemshaven-Kristiansand is the shortest drive
Depending on where you live in the UK, you can book one of the ferries to Rotterdam or Amsterdam. From here, Eemshaven can be reached by car in about 3 hours.
Ferries from UK to European Mainland
The first step of your journey from the UK to Norway by ferry can be done via the crossings below.ย
For example: to travel by ferry from Dover to Norway, you can book the Dover-Calais ferry and then arrange a second ferry from Holland, Germany, or Denmark to reach Norway.
Travel time by car between the first and second ferry
- From Rotterdam to Kiel (Germany): ยฑ 6 hours 30 minutes
- From Calais to Kiel (Germany): ยฑ 9 hours 30 minutes
- From Calais to Hirtshals (Denmark): ยฑ 14 hours 15 minutes
Cruise ferries to Norway from Germany (and the Netherlands)
From Europeโs mainland, most people choose a cruise ferry from ย Kiel or a fast ferry from the North of Denmark.ย
t was possible to travel from the Netherlands to Norway via the (new in 2022) Eemshaven-Kristiansand ferry connection. This ferry however went bankrupt.ย This ferry has all the luxury and is a 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; we even advise people to book a year early!
Important: The ferry from Eemshaven to Kristiansand has moved ports and now departs from Emden; making it the Emden-Kristiansand crossing.
Another 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 more of a ‘cruise' experience than a ferry experience.
On this page you'll find more information about the ferries from Germany to Norway.
The luxurious cruise ships from Color Line
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 Norway 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.ย
The advantage of travelling from Denmark to Norway is mainly the short sailing time. These differ between 2 hours and 15 minutes and approximately 19 hours.
Drive to Norway from the UK
It may not be the most obvious route, but we'll mention it anyway: it is also possible to drive to Norway!
You can choose to take the Channel tunnel and drive all the way to Copenhagen. From here you can take the bridge to Sweden and drive further to the north to Norway.
Beware though: there are many toll routes and additional costs attached to these routes.ย
You must travel 1566 kilometres from Calais to the Swedish-Norwegian border for this.
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Frequently asked questions Ferry UK-Norway
There is no direct ferry from the UK to Norway. You can choose to travel toย Holland (Rotterdam or Amsterdam) or France and drive to the north of The Netherlands (Groningen). From here you can take a ferry to Kristiansand. Other options are to travel to Germany (Kiel) or Denmark (Hirtshals, Copenhagen).
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.
The travel-duration from departure to arrival is about 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.ย
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 more easily are the various connections you can take to the Netherlands. From there on you can travel via the Ferry in the North of the Netherlands or drive further by car and take the ferry a bit later to Germany or Denmark. To give an indication: a ferry to the Netherlands will be approximately โฌ100,- per person, and from the Netherlands to Norway up to around โฌ200,- per person. So if you opt for the easy way this will cost you somewhere around โฌ300,- to travel to Norway.
On most crossings, you can take your dog along. Be sure to inform about vaccination rules and rules aboard the ships.
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