On Foot & by Bicycle

The Hirtshals - Kristiansand ferry works well without a car too: train to Hirtshals, then the ferry, and in Kristiansand the railway station is just a few minutes' walk from the terminal. Two things make the difference between a smooth trip and a rush: the right terminal in Hirtshals, and your ferry company's deadline.

Getting to Hirtshals without a car

Hirtshals railway station is the terminus of the regional line from Hjørring, where trains from Aalborg and Frederikshavn connect. From there it's about ten minutes on foot to the Color Line terminal at Norgeskajen 2. The Fjord Line terminal is in the west harbour at Containerkajen 4, 35 to 40 minutes on foot from the nearest station, Lilleheden; buses connect it with Aalborg, but otherwise a taxi from the railway station is the reliable option. Build in enough time: Fjord Line closes check-in 60 minutes before departure.

By bicycle, you can reach Hirtshals via Denmark's national cycle network; the North Sea coastal route runs into the town. Both terminals are reachable by bike via the normal access roads.

Check-in and boarding on foot

Foot passengers check in at the desk in the terminal building, with their booking number and a physical photo ID. With Color Line, the desk opens two hours before departure and closes 15 minutes before; the ferry company recommends 60 minutes. 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. After that, you board via the passenger gangway. All deadlines are on the Check-in page.

You carry your own luggage; Fjord Line offers no luggage service for foot passengers. On the day ferries SuperSpeed 1 and Fjord FSTR, you keep it with you in the seating area; on MS Stavangerfjord and MS Bergensfjord, in your cabin if you've booked one.

With your bike on board

Register your bike as a vehicle when you book; both ferry companies treat it as a class of its own. At the terminal you check in at the vehicle barrier, not at the foot passenger desk, and ride up the ramp onto the car deck alongside the motorbikes, where crew assign your spot and secure the bike. Panniers stay on the bike; take valuables with you. The car deck is closed during the crossing. E-bikes travel like regular bikes; the battery stays on the bike.

In Kristiansand you're among the first off the ferry and in the city centre within a few minutes. From there, National Cycle Route 1 runs along the south coast in both directions.

On board without a car

As a foot passenger, you'll find seating, food and drink and a shop on every ship. On the SuperSpeed 1, Business Class with wifi and refreshments or a reclining seat in Voyager Class is worthwhile for longer trips; on Fjord Line's cruise ferries you can add a cabin. The catamaran Fjord FSTR is the fastest option for foot passengers at 2 hours 25 minutes. See the Ferry Companies Compared page for which ship suits you, and Prices & Fares for foot passenger from-prices.

Onward travel from Kristiansand

Both terminals are in the city centre: Color Line at Havnegata 47, Fjord Line at Vestre Strandgate 31. Kristiansand railway station is a few minutes' walk from both, around 200 metres from the Color Line terminal. The Sørlandsbanen runs to Oslo and Stavanger, the adjacent bus station connects to the south coast and the Setesdal, and Kjevik airport is around 17 kilometres away. Full connections are on the Getting There & Onward Travel page, and the port itself on the Kristiansand Ferry Port page.