Rostock ⇄ Gedser · 2 hours · 52 km
Rostock Gedser ferry: live departures and checked fares
Independent guide, sailed and photographed by us. And honest about whether this route is right for your trip, or Puttgarden Rødby is the better choice.
The Scandlines ferry sails between Rostock and Gedser several times a day and takes about 2 hours. Below you find today's departures in both directions, what a ticket costs and what to expect at both ports.
Check prices and book Car Standard: online from €82.70 · at the harbour from €147See the price exampleNext sailings
- Sailed and photographed by usEvery photo on this site is our own
- Live timetableBoth directions, updated all day
- Fares checked 21 Sep 2026By hand, against scandlines.com
- Independent guidePart of the FerryGoGo network
What will your crossing cost?
Two choices, every ticket option with its fare side by side. "From" fares on scandlines.com, checked on 21 September 2026. The fare in the booking depends on day and departure.
Range for a single crossing: €65.30 to €157. The difference is not comfort, it is how much change of plan the ticket forgives.
What each ticket allows when plans change
Low Price
from €65.30
The cheapest fare, online only and only on selected departures, mostly weekdays, early, late and at night.
Tied to exactly one departure. Miss it and it is gone: no changes, no refund.
Check the fare for your dateStandard
from €82.70
Valid for the booked departure and any other departure with space on the same day.
Another day: 30 euros plus any fare difference. At the harbour the same ticket costs €147.
Check the fare for your dateFlex
from €157
Free changes and refunds for 90 days, a reserved space, priority boarding.
More than twice the Low Price fare. Only worth it if your date really is open.
Check the fare for your dateThe 1-day ticket saves €44.60 compared with two Low Price tickets and is valid on every departure of the day.
1-day ticket
from €86
There and back on the same calendar day, all departures in both directions, up to 9 people in the car.
The return has to be on the same day. At the harbour €108 instead of €86.
Check the fare for your dateTwo Low Price tickets
from €130.60
Two single crossings at the cheapest fare.
Costs more than the 1-day ticket and ties you to two fixed departures. For a day trip the worse choice.
Check the fare for your dateWith Scandlines a return is two single crossings. There is no discount for coming back, you only choose how flexible each crossing should be.
Changing and cancelling: the rules per ticket
Two Low Price tickets
from €130.60
Cheapest if both departures are fixed and you are sure to be at the port on time.
Both tickets are lost if you miss the departure. Risky after a long drive.
Check the fare for your dateTwo Standard tickets
from €165.40
On both travel days you can take the next ferry with space if you have to.
Each ticket is tied to its day, another day costs 30 euros plus any difference.
Check the fare for your dateWeekend ticket
from €119
Out on Friday, back on Sunday, any departure on both days, a car with up to 9 people. Cheaper than two Standard tickets.
Only for exactly that pattern starting in Germany. Rebooking costs a fee, other days are not covered.
Check the fare for your dateEasy Return
from €234
One booking for both directions, back on whichever ferry has space. Online only.
Considerably more than two Standard tickets. Do the sums before you take it.
Check the fare for your dateBooked separately, a Standard ferry ticket (€82.70) and the Øresund Bridge online (420 DKK, about €56) come to about €138.70. The combination ticket is roughly 15 euros below that.
Combination tickets to Sweden: the sums and how it works
Combination ticket with the Helsingør Helsingborg ferry
from €122.75
Rostock Gedser plus the 20 minute ferry across the Øresund. Good for Gothenburg, the west coast and Stockholm via the E4.
The Øresund crossing is valid from 8 hours before to 8 hours after your booked Rostock Gedser departure.
Check the fare for your dateCombination ticket with the Øresund Bridge
from €124.25
Rostock Gedser plus the bridge from Copenhagen to Malmö in one booking. Good for Malmö, Skåne and the east coast.
Combination tickets are not available as Low Price.
Check the fare for your dateCombination ticket Flex with the bridge
from €205
Free changes and refunds for 90 days, priority boarding.
Flex only comes with the bridge, not with Helsingør Helsingborg.
Check the fare for your dateWith a motorhome or caravan Low Price is not available. Standard is the sensible fare: with a caravan on the hook any delay on the motorway quickly becomes a missed ferry.
Over 6 metres a length surcharge is added, which Scandlines only shows in the booking. The measurement includes a bike rack and the drawbar. Low Price is for cars up to 6 metres only. Length bands and heights for motorhomes and caravans.
Standard
from €82.70 plus length surcharge
Valid for the booked departure and any other departure with space on the same day.
Another day: 30 euros plus any fare difference. At the harbour the same ticket costs €147.
Check the fare for your dateFlex
from €157 plus length surcharge
Free changes and refunds for 90 days, a reserved space, priority boarding.
More than twice the Low Price fare. Only worth it if your date really is open.
Check the fare for your dateThe 1-day ticket is a car fare. For longer vehicles the length surcharge is added, the exact fare is shown in the booking.
Over 6 metres a length surcharge is added, which Scandlines only shows in the booking. The measurement includes a bike rack and the drawbar. Low Price is for cars up to 6 metres only. Length bands and heights for motorhomes and caravans.
1-day ticket
from €86 plus length surcharge
There and back on the same calendar day, all departures of the day.
Return on the same day. Much more expensive at the harbour than online.
Check the fare for your dateTwo single crossings, each with the length surcharge. Book early for July and August, spaces for long vehicles can go faster.
Over 6 metres a length surcharge is added, which Scandlines only shows in the booking. The measurement includes a bike rack and the drawbar. Low Price is for cars up to 6 metres only. Length bands and heights for motorhomes and caravans.
Two Standard tickets
from €165.40 plus length surcharge
On both travel days you can take the next ferry with space if you have to.
Another day costs 30 euros plus any difference.
Check the fare for your dateTwo Flex tickets
from €314 plus length surcharge
Free changes and refunds for 90 days, a reserved space.
Only makes sense if your travel days really are open.
Check the fare for your dateCombination tickets exist for long vehicles too. On the bridge a higher toll class applies from 6 metres. Enter the real length in the booking and you see the total.
Over 6 metres a length surcharge is added, which Scandlines only shows in the booking. The measurement includes a bike rack and the drawbar. Low Price is for cars up to 6 metres only. Length bands and heights for motorhomes and caravans.
Combination tickets to Sweden: the sums and how it works
Combination ticket with the Øresund Bridge
from €124.25 plus length surcharge
Ferry and bridge in one booking.
Enter the real overall length, it sets both prices.
Check the fare for your dateCombination ticket with the Helsingør Helsingborg ferry
from €122.75 plus length surcharge
The short ferry instead of the bridge, for the west coast and Gothenburg.
Øresund crossing valid from 8 hours before to 8 hours after the booked departure.
Check the fare for your dateMotorbikes have their own, much cheaper fare.
Motorcycle ticket
from €43.50
One way for a motorbike or moped.
Secure the bike against the swell on the car deck.
Check the fare for your dateThe 1-day ticket saves €13 compared with two single crossings.
Motorcycle 1-day ticket
from €74
There and back on the same day, all departures. Good for a ride to Falster or Møn.
Return on the same calendar day.
Check the fare for your dateTwo single crossings
from €87
If you stay overnight after all.
Costs more than the 1-day ticket.
Check the fare for your dateA return is two single crossings.
Two motorcycle tickets
from €87
One single crossing in each direction.
The change rules depend on the fare you choose.
Check the fare for your dateBoth combination tickets exist for motorbikes too.
Combination tickets to Sweden: the sums and how it works
Combination ticket with the Helsingør Helsingborg ferry
from €59.75
Rostock Gedser plus the short ferry across the Øresund.
A return is two single crossings.
Check the fare for your dateCombination ticket with the Øresund Bridge
from €61.25
Rostock Gedser plus the bridge to Malmö.
A return is two single crossings.
Check the fare for your dateWithout a vehicle there is one listed ticket, and it is cheap.
Without a car or by bike: the whole procedure
1-day ticket for foot passengers
€15.50
There and back on the same calendar day, online or at the harbour. A bike costs €3 extra, the add-on is sold at the harbour.
For a single crossing, for example on the way to Copenhagen, check in the booking what Scandlines offers. Check-in in Rostock is 30 minutes before departure.
Check the fare for your dateThe Rostock Gedser ferry in short
Scandlines links Rostock in northern Germany with Gedser on the Danish island of Falster. It is the shortest sea route between Berlin and Copenhagen: about 2 hours on the water, then motorway on both sides. Two hybrid ferries, the Berlin and the Copenhagen, sail the route all year.
Our own photos from the crossing. Click to enlarge.
Why you can trust this page: the RostockGedser.com team crossed from Gedser to Rostock on the ferry Berlin on 19 February 2025, as the last leg of a test trip through Germany, Denmark and Sweden that also took in Puttgarden Rødby, the Øresund Bridge and the Helsingør Helsingborg ferry. Every photo on this site is our own. Timetables are live, fares carry the date we checked them.
Today’s sailings from Rostock to Gedser
Pick a date to see the departures from Germany to Denmark. Sailings in the other direction and more days are on the full Rostock Gedser timetable.
What a ticket costs and which one to pick
Scandlines sells the crossing per car, not per person: a car up to 6 metres with up to 9 people on board pays one fare. The cheapest way across is a Low Price ticket on a quiet departure, booked online. On 17 September 2026 the one-way car fares started at 65.30 euros (Low Price, tied to one sailing), 82.70 euros (Standard, any sailing that day) and 157 euros (Flex, free changes for 90 days). A same-day return costs from 86 euros. At the harbour the same Standard ticket cost 147 euros, so book on your phone before you reach the check-in booths.
Rostock Gedser or Puttgarden Rødby?
Scandlines runs both routes. Puttgarden Rødby is a 45 minute crossing with a departure every half hour, but it starts further west, on the island of Fehmarn. Coming from Berlin, Dresden, Poland or anywhere east, Rostock Gedser saves you driving and is usually the faster door-to-door option to Copenhagen. Coming from Hamburg or the west, Puttgarden Rødby wins. Prices are in the same range, so let the driving decide. Compare the alternatives, and in bad weather check our weather and sea state page before you leave.
Why Rostock Gedser: the honest comparison
| Rostock Gedser | Puttgarden Rødby | Overland via Storebælt | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crossing | about 2 hours | 45 minutes | no ferry, toll bridge |
| Departures | 8 to 9 a day each way | every 30 minutes | whenever you like |
| Berlin to Copenhagen | about 390 km, just under 7 h | about 560 km, just over 7 h | about 790 km, over 8.5 h |
| Hamburg to Copenhagen | about 350 km, about 6.5 h | about 315 km, about 5 h | about 515 km, just under 6 h |
| Car, one way, from | €65.30 | €48 | about €27.50 toll |
| Best choice from | Berlin, Saxony, Poland, Czechia | Hamburg, Bremen, the Netherlands | anywhere, for Jutland and Funen |
Our verdict: from Berlin and the east, Rostock Gedser wins on kilometres and comfort, while time and money come out about even. From Hamburg, take Puttgarden.
Full route comparison with costs
Kilometres and hours: route calculation on OpenStreetMap data, 18 September 2026, centre to centre, with 30 minutes for check-in. Fares: lowest online car fare on scandlines.com, checked 17 and 18 September 2026. Bridge toll: 2026 tariff, 205 DKK.
The two ports
Rostock ferry port
The ferry leaves from the Überseehafen (overseas port) east of the city, not from Warnemünde. From the A19 follow the signs for Seehafen and then Gedser. Check-in for cars closes 15 minutes before departure, foot passengers check in at the ferry centre 30 minutes before. City bus 19 stops at the Seehafen stop and a Scandlines BorderShop is signposted in the port. Rostock’s old town is a good 15 minutes away by car. More about Rostock ferry port.
Gedser ferry port
Gedser is a village of a few hundred people at the southern tip of Denmark, with the E55 running straight to the ferry. Cars queue in numbered lanes with traffic lights, foot passengers buy tickets at machines in the old station building and walk up a gangway. The station hall doubles as a waiting room with toilets and a small exhibition about the port’s history. Buses 740 and 743 connect to Nykøbing Falster and Marielyst. More about Gedser ferry port.
Two hours on board
The ferries Berlin and Copenhagen are the same design: a car deck through the bow, a lounge with big windows, the Food Express self-service cafeteria, a buffet restaurant, a Travel Shop, a pirate-themed play corner, gaming machines and an outer deck around the funnels and the rotor sail. Two hours is enough for a meal and a walk on deck. You cannot go back to your car during the crossing.
Where you go from here
To Copenhagen: from Gedser it is about 160 km on the E55 and E47, roughly 2 hours by car. There is no direct Rostock Copenhagen ferry, the crossing to Gedser plus the drive is the route. Rostock to Copenhagen explained.
To Sweden: after Copenhagen you choose between the Øresund Bridge to Malmö and the Helsingør Helsingborg ferry further north. Scandlines sells both together with the Rostock Gedser crossing as a combination ticket. See our page on combination tickets to Sweden. We used the bridge one way and the ferry the other on our trip.
To Berlin: from Rostock port straight onto the A19, about 230 km and 2.5 hours to the Berlin ring.
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Rostock Gedser ferry FAQ
How long does the Rostock Gedser ferry take?
About 2 hours for the 52 km crossing, according to Scandlines. Add time for check-in and for sailing up the river Warnow on the Rostock side.
How often does the ferry sail?
In September 2026 the live timetable showed 9 departures per direction on weekdays and 8 on Sundays. The first sailing from Rostock is around 04:15, the last around 22:30.
How much is the ferry with a car?
From 65.30 euros one way with a Low Price ticket booked online, from 82.70 euros for Standard, checked 17 September 2026. The fare covers the car and up to 9 people.
Can I go as a foot passenger or with a bike?
Yes. A 1-day return ticket for foot passengers costs 15.50 euros, a bike 3 euros extra. You buy the day ticket online or at the machines in the terminals, the bike add-on at the harbour. How it works is on the page Foot passengers and bikes.
Is there a ferry from Rostock to Copenhagen?
Not a direct one. You sail to Gedser and drive about 2 hours to Copenhagen, or take the bus and train from Gedser.
Is this site run by Scandlines?
No. RostockGedser.com is an independent guide by the RostockGedser.com team. We earn a commission when you book through our links, at no extra cost to you. The operator is Scandlines. More on who we are and how we work.
Do I need a passport for the Rostock Gedser ferry?
Germany and Denmark are both in the Schengen area, so there is no routine passport control at the ferry, but you need to carry a valid passport or national ID card. Spot checks happen: when we arrived in Rostock the police were checking cars at the port exit.
Ready to book? Today’s fares are in the Scandlines booking, in English.
Check prices and book Car Standard: online from €82.70 · at the harbour from €147