Ferry from Travemünde (Lübeck): two night lines to Sweden
Travemünde is not really a town: it is the port of Lübeck, twenty kilometres from its brick old city, set where the Trave meets the Baltic. That is also why it is hard to search for — the terminal is called Travemünde, but the address, the hotel and the evening before are all called Lübeck.
Two overnight ferries leave for Sweden, and both serve the same purpose: skipping the whole of Denmark. It is the route of those coming from far away — southern Germany, Switzerland, Austria, northern Italy. Five hundred kilometres of road and both of Denmark's paying crossings vanish at once, against one night in a cabin.
The two lines out of Travemünde
Travemünde to Trelleborg, the historic line (TT-Line)
Between eight hours forty-five and ten hours depending on the rotation, from 62 euros per person. You board in the evening, sleep in a cabin, and land in southern Sweden at first light — half an hour from Malmo and three hours from Gothenburg.
TT-Line has run this route since 1962: one of the oldest scheduled links in the Baltic, and still the most direct way into Skane. The E6, which runs up to Oslo, begins at the port gate.
Today's sailing times, the fare scale by vehicle length and frequently asked questions on the route page. See the route page →
Compare prices and book →Travemünde to Malmo, for the Copenhagen connection (Finnlines)
Between eight forty-five and nine and a half hours, three sailings a day on weekdays, from 140 euros per person. You land in Malmo itself — a quarter of an hour from Copenhagen over the Oresund bridge.
The ticket costs more than the Trelleborg one, but it sets you down in town and right at the bridge. If Copenhagen or the Danish coast is on the programme, this is the one that makes sense — the toll, of course, still applies: the 2026 rates are set out on the Copenhagen page.
Today's sailing times, the fare scale by vehicle length and frequently asked questions on the route page. See the route page →
Compare prices and book →Which one to take
- Trelleborg if you are heading for northern Sweden or Norway. The cheaper of the two, and the E6 starts at the end of the quay.
- Malmo if Copenhagen is on the programme. The Oresund bridge is minutes from the terminal — so is the toll.
- Either, if you are coming from southern Germany. The alternative is five hundred kilometres more and two paying crossings in Denmark: the sum tips quickly towards the cabin.
- Neither for western Norway. Bergen from Trelleborg is still a full day's drive; the Hirtshals ferry sets you down there directly.
Through Sweden, or across Denmark?
Both routes end in the same place. One costs a night in a cabin, the other a day of driving and two paying crossings. Here are the three ways from Travemünde to Malmo, at 2026 rates.
Travemünde to Malmo, the three routes
| Route | Driving | Time at sea | Cost of the crossing |
|---|---|---|---|
| By ferry Travemünde to Trelleborg | about 35 km after landing | 8h45 to 10h, night on board | from 62 euros per person |
| Via Puttgarden, then the Oresund bridge | about 290 km, 3h30 | 45 min | 48 to 67 euros + 470 DKK (~63 euros) |
| All by road: Jutland, Great Belt, Oresund | about 515 km, 5h30 | none | 235 DKK + 470 DKK, some 95 euros |
Measured over a single day, the Danish road wins: leave Travemünde in the morning, be in Malmo in late afternoon. The Trelleborg ferry does not save time — it saves a night. You board after dinner, sleep, and the next day starts in Sweden, rested, instead of starting halfway.
The honest reckoning therefore adds three things to the Danish ticket: the fuel for five hundred kilometres, the two paying crossings, and the hotel night that has to happen somewhere. Counted that way, the cabin rarely comes out dearer — and it is clearer still from southern Germany, where the ferry erases a second full day of driving.
Today's prices on Travemünde to Trelleborg · Travemünde to Malmo · Puttgarden to Rodby
On the water in Lübeck and Travemünde
Twenty kilometres separate the terminal from the old city, and the Trave links them better than the road: you head up the river between brick warehouses and shipyards. The best way to spend the half-day before an evening sailing.
Take the helm yourself, no licence needed
EXCURSION ⚡ Licence-free e-boat · up to 6 people · 1-3 hrs After a short briefing, and with no licence needed, you steer a small, silent electric boat yourself around Lübeck's Old Town island (UNESCO). Up to 6 people, cushions and a central table: enough for a picnic, sharing an ice cream or an evening outing with friends.
- Electric motor = zero noise, zero smell · ideal for photos and children
- Price per group (49 € per hour) · life jackets and briefing included
- ⚠️ Set route (one 1-hr loop) · driver must be 18 or over
On the other side of the Baltic
Two easy outings at the far end if you have a few hours: the canal cruise in Malmo, an hour under the low bridges of the old town, and the local history museum in Trelleborg, steps from the terminal, which explains what a Viking ring fortress was doing on this spot.
Where to stay in Lübeck before departure
Both ships leave in the evening, so the night before is usually spent on the road. But if you arrive the day before, **sleep in Lübeck rather than at the port** — the old city is twenty minutes from the terminal, and a room there often costs less than one in the harbour district. Two well-rated addresses, and the rest of the choice just below.
A four-star on the Schmiedestraße, next to the market square and the town hall.
- Air-conditioned, soundproofed rooms
- Breakfast included, bottle of water on arrival
- Small bathrooms, reviewers say
A five-star on the bank of the Trave, facing the salt storehouses and the old town.
- Heated indoor pool with a view
- Buffet breakfast included and highly rated
- Central station four minutes on foot
What to do in Lübeck and Travemünde
- The Holstentor and the seven spires, as a walking loop: Lübeck's old town sits on an island two kilometres long, and everything on it is brick.
- Marzipan, which is to Lübeck what mustard is to Dijon: the Niederegger house has made it since 1806 and can be visited on the first floor.
- The European Hansemuseum, which tells how a town of a few thousand people ran Baltic trade for three centuries.
- Travemünde beach, beside the terminal: four kilometres of sand, a lighthouse, and the Passat — a four-masted barque from 1911 moored there for good. The fallback when boarding is two hours off.
For the rest of the journey on to Norway, every line compared in a single article: Taking the ferry to Norway: lines, prices, booking
Lübeck on foot, between two ships
Seven spires, a city gate that appeared on German banknotes before the euro, and the largest brick old town in northern Europe, UNESCO-listed since 1987. Two hours with a guide is enough for the circuit — and the terminal is twenty minutes away.
EXCURSION 🏛️ UNESCO · 1h30 on foot · departs from the Holstentor Starting from the Holstentor, 1h30 on foot through the Hanseatic Old Town (UNESCO): the red-brick town hall, St Mary's Church, the salt storehouses and medieval courtyards hidden behind carriage gateways, hard to find on your own. Anecdotes about Thomas Mann, the Hanseatic League and marzipan.
- Short format, perfect on a stopover or at the start of a stay · plenty of anecdotes
- Access to Gänge (courtyards) you would never find on your own
- ⚠️ Guide in GERMAN only · group sometimes ~30 people
