Ferry Kiel (Germany) ⇄ Gothenburg (Sweden) times, fares, duration
A hotel on the Kaistraße, seven hundred metres from Kiel's ferry terminal.
- Family rooms with a kitchenette
- Breakfast included, limited choice
- Indoor parking and EV chargers
A Hampton in central Kiel, eight hundred metres from the station.
- Soundproofed rooms and a fitness room
- Breakfast included
- The morning coffee draws criticism in reviews
Kiel–Gothenburg ferry timetableGeneral times
⚠️ General times, subject to change: from one date to the next these times shift by a few minutes, and the operator sometimes swaps ships. Exact times are shown when you book.
How much does the Kiel–Gothenburg ferry cost?
How these figures were read
- You leave Kiel at 17:45 and step ashore at 9:15: the night replaces a day of driving, and costs the itinerary nothing.
- Two large ships in rotation, the Stena Germanica and the Stena Scandinavica — restaurants, bars and cabins in several categories.
- From Göteborg the Swedish roads climb fast: Oslo in 3 hours 30 minutes, and the E45 opens up the far north without a single fjord to drive around.
- The cabin is compulsory, and therefore already assigned: nobody ends the night in a seat on the upper deck.
- Late August collapses: on the calendar, the last week of the month costs about a hundred euros less than mid-month. Shifting by seven days pays off more than any promotion.
- You do not arrive in Norway: at least 3 hours 30 minutes of driving remain, and a great deal more if you are aiming west.
- Just one departure a day in each direction: if that ship is full, there is no fallback later the same day.
- Because the cabin is compulsory, the fare starts higher than on a daytime crossing.
- The calendar's "from" figure is not the final price: the €250.50 shown for 15 August becomes €420.50 once the compulsory cabin is counted in.
- The calendar is highly volatile: sold out on 1 August, €535.50 on the 2nd, €142.50 on the 26th. Between two Saturdays in the same month, the price can double.
The Kiel–Gothenburg ferry in detail
Kiel has two evening ferries. One runs straight to Oslo in twenty hours; the other cuts diagonally across to Sweden and hands your day back the very next morning. The second touches no Norwegian port, but for anyone leaving southern Germany, Switzerland or Austria it is often the better trade-off: you board at 17:45, have dinner, sleep, and step ashore at 9:15 with a full day ahead.
One departure a day in each direction, operated by the Stena Germanica or the Stena Scandinavica — two large ships, with restaurants, bars and several categories of cabin. The cabin, precisely, is not optional: it is compulsory, and already assigned by the time you reach the booking step. So nobody spends the night in a seat — but the fare starts well above a daytime crossing, and the departure calendar gives no hint of it.
What you gain is measured in kilometres saved. From Göteborg the E6 climbs to Oslo in 3 hours 30 minutes and the E45 opens up the far north without a single fjord to drive around: Swedish roads run straight where Norwegian ones wind. What you lose is flexibility — if the evening ship is full there is no fallback later the same day, and at least three and a half hours of driving still wait at the other end.
Price on this route reads on two levels, and confusing them is expensive. The departure calendar displays "from" figures that leave out the cabin, compulsory though it is: on Saturday 15 August 2026 it announces €250.50, when the total to pay for two people, a car and the standard cabin comes out at €420.50 at the next step. One hundred and seventy euros apart. Those calendar amounts keep all their usefulness, but for comparing dates with each other — not for building a budget.
And on that score they say something clear. Across August alone they run from €142.50 to €535.50: the first weekend is out of reach, the middle of the month settles around €220, the last week collapses below €160. Moving your departure seven days later into late August saves a good hundred euros — often more than watching for a promotion. Season matters too, but more mildly than elsewhere: €420.50 on 15 August against €255.50 on 12 November for the same cabin, two thirds more, where other routes on this page double or triple from one season to the next.
Kiel–Gothenburg ferry map
Route map…
Preparing your Kiel–Gothenburg crossing
Hotels on both sides, activities and car hire
Kiel–Gothenburg ferry: frequently asked questions
How much does the Kiel – Göteborg ferry cost?
Expect from €255 to €420, depending on the season, for two people, the car and the cabin. This is a dynamic price: it depends on the date, on the departure time and on how far ahead you book. Taken on 1 August 2026 from the operator's booking engine, it gives an order of magnitude, not a guaranteed fare.
Do you need to book?
Yes, absolutely. One departure a day in each direction and a compulsory cabin already assigned: if the ship is full, there is no fallback later the same day. The calendar shows sold-out dates from the very start of August. Go to the booking site →
How long does the Kiel – Göteborg crossing take?
The crossing takes about 15 hours 30 minutes. 1 departure a day in each direction: 17:45 from Kiel, arriving 9:15 in Göteborg.
Where do you land, and what is there to see nearby?
Göteborg, in Sweden. Oslo is 3 hours 30 minutes away on the E6; the E45 runs north.
Who is this crossing right for?
Anyone setting off from southern Germany or Switzerland who wants to turn a night of driving into a night of sleep, and anyone heading up towards northern Scandinavia through Sweden.
