Rostock ⇄ Gedser · 2 hours · 52 km
Cheap Rostock Gedser ferry tickets: what actually saves money
Between the most expensive and the cheapest way to take a car there and back on this route lie about 160 euros: 294 euros at the harbour against 130.60 euros with two Low Price tickets. The rules behind that are scattered over a dozen Scandlines pages. Here they are sorted by how much they save, with a worked example and the tickets that cost more than they seem. Fares checked on scandlines.com on 17 and 18 September 2026.
The saving rules, sorted by effect
| Rule | What it saves | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Never buy at the harbour | about 64 euros per crossing at the Early Booker price (online from 82.70 euros), about 31 euros when you book online late (from 116 euros). At the harbour Standard is from 147 euros | the Early Booker price needs at least three days and is limited. Late online booking works until two hours before departure |
| 1-day ticket for there and back on the same day | 44.60 euros against two Low Price tickets, 79.40 euros against two Standard tickets | return on the same calendar day, 86 euros online, 108 euros at the harbour |
| Weekend ticket for out on Friday and back on Sunday | 46.40 euros against two Standard tickets: from 119 euros return | only starting in Germany, only Friday and Sunday |
| Low Price instead of Standard | 17.40 euros per crossing | tied to exactly one departure, miss it and it is gone |
| Combination ticket instead of ferry and Øresund Bridge separately | about 15 euros each way | not available as Low Price |
| Standard plus Refund Service instead of Flex | about 60 euros, if all you want to cover is the risk of cancelling | rebooking still costs 30 euros plus any fare difference |
| Fill the car | the fare covers up to 9 people | none |
All amounts are differences between the “from” fares for a car up to 6 metres. The fare in the booking depends on day and departure, but that does not change the order of the rules. Every ticket type with its conditions is on the prices page.
How to find a Low Price departure
Low Price is not a fare that is simply always there. Scandlines says the number of tickets is limited, the offer is not available on all departures, and more of them are available at off-peak times, typically on weekdays, early in the morning, late in the afternoon or at night.
In practice that means:
- Try several departures on the same day in the booking. The fare is shown per departure. The early and the late ferries are the best candidates, the middle of the day on holiday weekends the least likely.
- Shift by a day if you can. Scandlines names weekdays as the quiet time, and on a holiday route Friday to Sunday is usually the busiest.
- Book early, but not blindly. For Standard, Scandlines gives the Early Booker price up to 3 days before departure. Low Price can sell out before that.
- Be honest about your drive. Low Price makes sense if you live in Rostock or stay there the night before. After 450 km from Dresden, Standard for 17.40 euros more is the insurance you want.
The departures themselves are in the live timetable. Low Price is limited to cars up to 6 metres and cannot be changed or refunded, but it can be upgraded to a more flexible fare for a fee plus the fare difference.
Worked example: a week in Denmark by car
A family crosses to Gedser on a Saturday and comes back a week later. The same trip, five ways to book it.
| Booked as | Return from | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Two Low Price tickets | 130.60 euros | both departures are fixed, short drive to the port |
| Low Price out, Standard back | 148.00 euros | the way out is predictable, the way back from holiday is not |
| Two Standard tickets | 165.40 euros | long drive, children, caravan |
| Easy Return | 234.00 euros | only if the return day is genuinely open |
| Two Standard tickets bought at the harbour | 294.00 euros | nobody |
Our pick for most people is the second row. On the way out you start rested and with a margin, so the risk is small. On the way back you come from Copenhagen or a holiday cottage, with packing, cleaning and a two hour drive first. That is where the 17.40 euros extra for Standard is well spent.
Our experience: on 19 February 2025 we sailed from Gedser to Rostock on a Standard ticket. On a winter weekday the ferry was far from full and the waiting lane almost empty, so Low Price would have been the smarter buy. In July or on a Friday afternoon we would not risk it.
What costs more than it seems
- Easy Return. Sounds like a return discount, but at 234 euros it costs 68.60 euros more than two Standard tickets. You pay for an open return. If you do not need that, skip it.
- Flex as the default. 157 euros per crossing is almost twice the Standard fare. Priority boarding and a drink are nice, but the value is in 90 days of free changes and refunds. If your date is fixed you are paying for nothing.
- The machine at the harbour. Fine for foot passengers, for cars the most expensive till on the route. One of the two machines in Gedser took cards only when we were there, with a 2.8 percent fee on company cards and cards from outside the EU.
- Two single tickets for a day trip. The 1-day ticket is cheaper than any pair of singles.
- The wrong length. From 6 metres a length surcharge applies, and the measurement includes a bike rack or roof box sticking out at the back. Book 5.99 metres and turn up with 6.40 and you should expect to pay the difference at check-in.
Saving around the crossing
- The right route. The Puttgarden Rødby ticket is 17 to 22 euros cheaper, but from Berlin and the east the detour of about 170 km eats that up again. The sums from four starting points are in the route comparison.
- No tolls to Copenhagen. There is no toll bridge between Gedser and Copenhagen. Only the Øresund Bridge to Sweden costs money, 420 DKK online instead of 470 DKK at the toll station, and less again in a combination ticket.
- Without a car. On foot a day in Denmark costs 15.50 euros return, a bike 3 euros extra.
- Food on board. Two hours is enough for a meal at the Food Express. If you want to save, take your own food upstairs: you cannot go back to the car during the crossing.
- Motorbike. Its own fare from 43.50 euros, and the 1-day ticket at 74 euros saves 13 euros over two singles.
Cheap tickets FAQ
When is the Rostock Gedser ferry cheapest?
On departures with Low Price, from 65.30 euros one way for a car. According to Scandlines more of these are available at quiet times: weekdays, early in the morning, late in the afternoon and at night. The offer is limited and not available on all departures.
How much more expensive is a ticket at the harbour?
A Standard ticket costs 147 euros at the harbour instead of from 82.70 euros online, the 1-day ticket 108 instead of 86 euros. Low Price and Easy Return are not sold at the harbour at all.
Is there a discount for a return trip?
Only in three cases: the 1-day ticket for the same day (from 86 euros), the weekend ticket for out on Friday and back on Sunday starting in Germany (from 119 euros), and the combination ticket to Sweden. Otherwise a return is two singles. Easy Return is not a discount, it costs more than two Standard tickets.
How far ahead do I need to book?
For the Early Booker price on Standard, Scandlines says no later than 3 days before departure. Low Price allocations can be gone earlier, especially in school holidays.
Is the Refund Service worth it?
If all you want is cover in case the trip falls through, yes. Standard plus Refund Service costs about 98 euros and can be refunded up to 90 days after the booked date, while Flex costs 157 euros.
Ready to book? Try two or three departures on your travel day in the booking, the fare is shown next to each one.
Check fares for your date Car Standard: online from €82.70 · at the harbour from €147