Ferry Hirtshals - Kristiansand

The Hirtshals - Kristiansand ferry is the shortest link between Denmark and Norway: around 130 kilometres across the Skagerrak, from the northern tip of Jutland to Norway's south coast. Two ferry companies share the route. Color Line runs it with the fast ferry SuperSpeed 1 in 3 hours 15 minutes, and Fjord Line in summer with the catamaran Fjord FSTR in 2 hours 25 minutes and year-round with the cruise ferries MS Stavangerfjord and MS Bergensfjord in just under four hours. If you're driving to Oslo, Stavanger or the fjords, this route saves you the detour via Sweden.

Below, you'll find the crossing step by step: getting there, check-in, time on board, vehicles and bikes, arrival and choosing a ticket. Departures and fares change most often, so you'll find them in the timetable and on the Prices & Fares page.

Getting there and the terminal

Both ferry companies depart from the port of Hirtshals, around 50 kilometres north of Aalborg. The E39 runs straight from Hamburg or Aalborg to the port entrance; from there you follow the signs for your ferry company, since the two terminals are separate. Color Line checks in at the Fergeterminalen, Norgeskajen 2; Fjord Line at the Nordsøterminalen on Containerkajen 4. Without a car, you reach Hirtshals railway station on the regional train from Hjørring; it's about a ten-minute walk to the Color Line terminal, and considerably further to the Fjord Line terminal.

In Kristiansand the terminals are also separate, but both are in the city centre: Color Line at Havnegata 47, Fjord Line at Vestre Strandgate 31. The railway station and bus station are within walking distance of both. Both routes in detail: Hirtshals Ferry Port and Kristiansand Ferry Port.

Check-in and departure

The deadlines differ by ferry company, and that's the most important number here. With Fjord Line, check-in is only possible up to 60 minutes before departure; boarding starts an hour before and ends 30 minutes before departure. With Color Line, check-in opens two hours before departure and closes 15 minutes before; the ferry company still expects all guests at the terminal at least 60 minutes before departure. If you plan both ferry companies around the same deadline, you'll find Fjord Line's barrier already down.

Norway is part of the Schengen area but not the EU. There are customs checks on ferries from Denmark, and both ferry companies require a physical photo ID: a national ID card or passport, for children too. With Color Line the minimum age for travelling unaccompanied is 16, and 20 for a day trip. Lanes, documents and the process by car, on foot and by bike are described on the Check-in page.

On board

What awaits you depends on the ship. The catamaran Fjord FSTR is built for speed: café, bar, tax-free shop and a children's play area, but no cabins. Color Line's SuperSpeed 1 also has no cabins, but offers a buffet restaurant, Bluefins Kitchen and a lounge, a duty-free shop that opens 15 minutes after departure, and two optional seating classes: Business Class on deck 8 with wifi, coffee and newspapers, and Voyager Class on deck 9 with reclining seats. The cruise ferries MS Stavangerfjord and MS Bergensfjord sail with cabins in twenty categories, a buffet, an à la carte restaurant and a 500-square-metre tax-free shop; for the almost four-hour crossing, a cabin is especially worthwhile at night or with young children.

You can pay by card on all ships. Color Line also accepts euros, Danish and Norwegian kroner on board, so you don't need kroner in advance. Wifi with Color Line is chargeable and included only in Business Class. The ships in detail are on the Color Line and Fjord Line pages; if you want to decide between the two, see the direct comparison under Ferry Companies Compared.

Vehicle, bike and pet

Cars, motorbikes, motorhomes, trailers and bicycles travel with both ferry companies. Color Line charges the standard fare for cars up to 5 metres long and 1.95 metres high; taller vehicles and motorhomes are booked as a vehicle package. Fjord Line wants the total length including trailer and roof box, and limits gas and fuel on board. How to measure and book is on the Motorhome & Caravan page. Without a car, you board as a foot passenger via Hirtshals railway station; the process is described on the On Foot & by Bicycle page.

Dogs and cats can travel too, but need a microchip, valid rabies vaccination, EU pet passport and a tapeworm treatment 24 to 120 hours before arrival for Norway. On board, the animal stays in the vehicle or in a dog box; only Fjord Line's cruise ferries also have exercise areas on the rear deck. Full details are on the Dog & Pets page.

Arrival and onward travel

In Kristiansand you drive straight into the city: Color Line's terminal is at the harbour next to the city centre, Fjord Line's on Vestre Strandgate, both a few minutes from the E18 and E39. Via the E18 it's around 320 kilometres to Oslo, and via the E39 along the south coast around 240 kilometres to Stavanger. Foot passengers reach Kristiansand railway station within a few minutes' walk; from there the Sørlandsbanen runs to Oslo and Stavanger. The whole travel chain, with and without a car, is on the Getting There & Onward Travel page.

In the other direction, the E39 runs from Hirtshals via Aalborg and Kolding back towards Germany; it's around 500 kilometres to Hamburg.

Tickets and fares

Both ferry companies sell at dynamic prices: what you pay depends on the day of travel, departure, vehicle and booking time. You get the best fare by booking early, travelling midweek and avoiding holiday periods; Fjord Line's catamaran sailings and the cruise ferries are separate products with their own prices. Color Line bundles car and passengers into package fares, while Fjord Line rewards members of the free Fjord Club with points on every booking.

The dated price overview with both ferry companies' from-prices, seating classes and dog fares is on the Prices & Fares page; frequently asked questions are answered in the FAQ.