Motorhome & Caravan

For motorhome drivers, the Hirtshals - Kristiansand ferry is the direct way into southern Norway: no detour via Sweden, no Øresund Bridge, and from Kristiansand you're straight onto the coast road to Stavanger or up into the Setesdal. Both ferry companies take motorhomes, caravans and vehicles with trailers, but they charge differently. Know the differences and you'll book the right product and avoid extra charges at the terminal.

How the ferry companies charge

Color Line sells vehicles in packages. The motorhome package covers vehicles up to 5 m long and 2.55 m high and is priced for two people; the car package covers cars up to 5 m long and 1.95 m high. Anything longer or taller, which means most motorhomes from panel-van size upwards, is booked by its actual size in length bands. For a car with a caravan, Color Line charges by the total length.

Fjord Line charges for the vehicle and passengers separately and wants the total length including trailer and roof box. The ferry company checks the dimensions at the terminal and charges for any difference. Height counts too: vehicles over 1.95 metres go on different decks from low cars, which is why you have to book them as a motorhome, not a car.

With both, everything attached counts: bike rack, rear box, tow bar with carrier, roof box. Measure the loaded vehicle, not the figure in the registration document, and round up. Color Line's package prices, with the date they were checked, are on the Prices & Fares page.

Gas, fuel and appliances

Gas cylinders stay on board but must be turned off before you drive on. Fjord Line limits the quantity to no more than two 11 kg gas cylinders and/or five litres of fuel in a spare can, and requires a valid gas inspection certificate for built-in gas systems; keep it to hand at check-in. Color Line also requires the valves to be closed; if in doubt, ask about quantities when you book. A gas fridge, heating and cooker stay off during the crossing; with both ferry companies, the car deck is closed while the ship is under way.

For Norway itself, it's worth checking your cylinders: Norwegian connections differ from German ones, and you can't get an exchange cylinder everywhere. If you're staying longer, set off with two full cylinders.

Booking with a motorhome

With both ferry companies, spaces for tall vehicles are limited, because they only fit on certain decks. On holiday weekends and during the summer holidays, they go well before passenger places. So book early, give honest dimensions and choose the departure to suit your arrival time in Norway: Color Line's evening ferry arrives in Kristiansand shortly before midnight, Fjord Line's morning ferry in the early afternoon. If you don't want to drive far after arriving, take a daytime departure. All departures are in the timetable.

If you book the outward and return trip with the same ferry company, Color Line gives you a discount on the return and Fjord Line gives you Fjord Club points. There's nothing to stop you going out with one and back with the other if the times suit you better.

At the terminal

Motorhomes use the same check-in lanes as cars and are assigned to decks by height. In Hirtshals, the two ferry companies' terminals are separate, Color Line at Norgeskajen and Fjord Line in the west harbour at Containerkajen; both are signposted from the port entrance. With a motorhome, be there an hour before departure: with Fjord Line that's the deadline, with Color Line the recommendation. In Kristiansand, both terminals are in town; allow time to get through at rush hour. Both ports are described on the Hirtshals Ferry Port and Kristiansand Ferry Port pages, and the deadlines on the Check-in page.

On board and beyond

During the crossing, all passengers go up to the passenger areas. On the SuperSpeed 1 and the catamaran Fjord FSTR these are seating areas and restaurants; on MS Stavangerfjord and MS Bergensfjord you can add a cabin for the crossing of just under four hours. With both ferry companies, your dog may stay in the vehicle; the rules are on the Dog & Pets page.

In Norway, a motorhome up to 3.5 tonnes pays the car rate at the automatic toll stations; the bill is sent to the registered keeper later, and you don't need to register anything. From Kristiansand, the E39 takes you to Stavanger in about three hours, the E18 to Oslo in about four, and the Rv9 through the Setesdal into the mountains. The whole journey is described on the Getting There & Onward Travel page.