Ferry to the Netherlands from Norway
How to travel to Holland from Norway with a car
From Norway to the Netherlands
If you want to travel from Norway to the Netherlands, the ferry from Kristiansand to Eemshaven is the most comfortable choice. It is a direct night cruise with lots of entertainment on board.
There are also a few alternative routes available if you want to travel to Europe from Norway by ferry:
- The luxurious ferry from Oslo to Kiel and then drive (about 5 hours) from Kiel to the Netherlands.
- The fast ferry from Kristiansand to Hirtshals and finally drive from Kristiansand to the Netherlands. (this drive takes about 10 hours)
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Norway to Netherlands ferry map
Eemshaven is an industrial port in the northernmost part of the Netherlands. From here you can continue your way by car to cities that are more lovely as travel destinations as the port of Eemshaven is nothing more than an industrial port. You simply need to get out of there as fast as you can!
There is a train from Eemshaven to the city of Groningen. Here you can transfer to trains in other directions. Amsterdam is 2 hours by train from Groningen.
- Train information and tickets can be found on the website of the local train website: NS.nl/en
Alternative routes
Eemshaven-Kristiansand is a new route and because of quite popular.
This means that if you are booking too late, the ferry might be full or over-priced. In that case, a very nice alternative is the luxury ferry from Oslo to Kiel in Germany. From Kiel, you can drive in 4 to 4.5 hours to the Dutch border. See the map below for all alternative routes.
Check availability and compare prices
An easy way to find a good price is by filling in the fields below:
Travel tip: Take time to compare ferries!
It can be very rewarding to take the time to make your booking. In some cases it may be more economical to travel there with the Kristiansand-Eemshaven ferry and depart from Kiel for the return journey. You can find the prices in the booking module above.
Also on this page
From Kristiansand to Eemshaven
MS Romantika
From Norway to The Netherlands via Germany
From Kiel, it is still a 4 or 5-hour drive to the Dutch border, but since you arrive early in the morning by ferry this fits well in any travel schedule.
There is also a reasonably good ICE train connection to Amsterdam from Kiel. A train journey takes between 6.5 and 8 hours and the station is not far from the port of arrival in Kiel.
Ferry to the Netherlands via Denmark
There are a number of short and fast crossings between Norway and Denmark. In addition, these are also reasonably affordable if you compare them with Kiel-Oslo or Kristiansand-Eemshaven. The disadvantage of this choice is the long drive that you then have to make to the Netherlands.
Upon arrival
Eemshaven is quite northern in the Netherlands, but the Netherlands has good train connections and roads. The continuation of your journey will therefore be quite easy.
The approximate travel times by car after arrival are as follows:
- By car from Eemshaven to Amsterdam or Rotterdam: ± 3 hours
- By car from Eemshaven to the Belgium border > 3.5 hours
- By car from Kiel to Amsterdam or Rotterdam: ± 6 hours
- By car from Hirtshals to Amsterdam or Rotterdam ± 10 hours
Frequently asked questions
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.
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 the Netherlands from Norway vary a lot. To give an indication: a ferry will start at around €225,- per person. Depending on when you travel and whether you bring a car camper, and what kind of cabin the total price can move to €500 for the crossing quickly (one way).
