Gothenburg – Kiel
Ferry to Germany
Gothenburg – Kiel
Ferry to Germany
The Gothenburg Kiel ferry route connects Sweden with Germany. Currently there is just the 1 ferry company operating this ferry service, Stena Line. The crossing operates up to 7 times each week with sailing durations from around 14 hours 30 minutes.
Gothenburg Kiel sailing durations and frequency may vary from season to season so we’d advise doing a live check to get the most up to date information.
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Gothenburg, situated on the mild western coast of Sweden, is a major port city built on the banks of the Göta älv river. Founded by King Adolphus in the mid-17th Century, the city has evolved into the second largest settlement in the country with a rich musical culture centred around the neo-classical Gothenburg Concert Hall. It is also home to Scandinavia’s most popular film festival, an event that attracts over a 100,000 cinema fans every year. Gothenburg port is the largest in the region and overseas trading has long been a lynchpin of the city’s economy. Cruise passengers visiting the port are well accommodated too. The terminal on the south side of the river is a modern, open-plan building currently operated by Stena Line. Check-ins are processed through a streamlined electronic system, specifically designed to handle the 1.7 million ferry-goers that pass through every year. Those arriving at the port can catch a shuttle bus into the centre of the city or board a tram at the nearest station of Järntorget just 20 minutes away on foot. Gothenburg is supplied by a vast network of transport links, the busiest of which being the city’s Central train station that whisks passengers across most of Sweden. Two routes currently leave from the port; a daily service to Frederikshavn, Denmark and the half-day sail south across the Kattegat area of the North Sea to the city of Kiel in Germany.
On the northern coast of Germany sits the proud maritime city of Kiel, home of the German Navy’s Baltic fleet and host of Kiel Week - an annual sailing event that ranks as the biggest of its kind in the world. The city’s reputation as a centre of sea-craft was cemented during the Olympic games of Germany in 1936 and 1972 when it was chosen as the location for all sailing heats. Kiel (meaning “quill” in German,) is named after the narrow inlet of the Baltic sea around which the city is built. Today the port is a lively transport hub and trade route. Ships arriving into port can make use of the manmade Kiel Canal, the world’s busiest artificial waterway that cuts all the way across the northern tip of Germany and into the North Sea. Nearly half a million passengers travel to and from the port of Kiel every year. There are 4 different cruise terminals across the harbour, all large facilities within walking distance of the Kiel HBF train station that services the city and ventures towards Hamburg just 60 miles south. There is also plenty of parking for those travelling by car and a luggage transfer service that makes disembarking a pleasantly smooth experience. Currently there are three passenger routes leaving from the port throughout the week. Two services sail north across the Great Belt strait of the Baltic sea to stops in the Swedish city of Gothenburg and the Norwegian capital of Oslo, both routes taking ferry-goers beneath the magnificent Storebælt suspension bridge. Another service makes the long journey eastwards to Klaipėda found on the west coast of Lithuania.
