Timetable and crossing times

Crossing times compared

These times cover the crossing between the ports. Wind and weather can shift them slightly; in a storm, sailings may be delayed or, rarely, cancelled.

Sailing times for your travel day

Departure times change with the season, on public holidays and during dry-docking. Instead of a table that goes stale, we send you the times for your specific date: enter the direction, the day and your vehicle in the form, send the enquiry, and the answer arrives by e-mail.

How much time should you allow?

• Car without trailer, low season: 20–30 minutes at the port is usually enough.
• Peak season, holiday weekends: allow 45–60 minutes.
• Motorhome, trailer, minibus: at least 45 minutes, as separate lanes and marshalling are involved.
• Foot passengers: separate check-in area, also closing shortly before departure.
• Trucks and freight: different procedures via the Scandlines freight department.

Season, weekday and demand

On Puttgarden–Rødby the service is densest during the day, with peak demand on Fridays and Sundays and at the start and end of school holidays in northern Germany and Denmark. Rostock–Gedser has fewer but very predictable sailings across the day – here a fixed booking pays off, because a missed departure can mean several hours of waiting.

Timetable questions

Where do I find the official Gedser – Rostock schedule?

On the Scandlines departures page you can select the Rostock–Gedser route and display the schedule for the date you want. We link to that page from several places on this site.

Is the schedule the same in both directions?

Departure times differ per direction because the ships run in rotation, so always select the specific direction in the official timetable.

What happens in a storm or if a sailing is cancelled?

In extreme weather Scandlines may cancel or move sailings. Affected bookings are normally moved to the next possible departure – current notices are on the official website.

Can I take a later sailing than booked?

That depends on your fare. Flexible tickets usually allow a later departure, while cheap saver fares are tied to the booked time. The conditions are shown during booking.