⛴️ Top 7 ferry routes in Scandinavia: how to see the North without a single flight

🌊 Why ferries are the best way to enter Scandinavia in 2026

If you want to see Scandinavia not as a collection of disparate images, but as a living, interconnected region, ferries are one of the most authentic ways to do so.

A plane will show you a couple of clouds and a photo in an app. A ferry shows you

● what the Danish coast looks like from the water;

● how the Swedish skerries stretch to the horizon;

● how the fjord slowly opens up before Oslo;

● how Helsinki and Tallinn simultaneously live in the same Baltic Sea.

In 2026, ferries will have an even greater advantage over aeroplanes:

● less stress: no endless queues for security checks, strict restrictions on liquids and rushing through gates;

● a smaller carbon footprint: many people consciously choose trains and ferries over domestic flights;

● more travel, less logistics: a night on a ferry = one transfer + one hotel + one dinner with a sea view.

If you've been eyeing up a 10-day route through Scandinavia for a while or dream of travelling through the north "by land", these seven ferry lines are your basic building blocks.

🗺️ TOP 7 map: what and how they connect

Before looking at each route, it's useful to see the whole picture: who connects whom and how this helps you see the North without flying.

This is not a complete list of routes, but it is enough to plan a winter city break in Scandinavia or a 10-day tour of the north without a single flight within the region.

⚓ 1. Copenhagen – Oslo: a night mini-cruise between the capitals

This route usually ends up in plans at the dream stage: "leave Copenhagen in the evening, wake up in Oslo, and in between — the sea and the lights of the fjord."

The format is as follows:

● in the evening, you board the ferry at the port of Copenhagen;

● you settle into your cabin, have dinner, and stroll around the decks;

● at night, the ship sails along the coast of Denmark and Sweden;

● in the morning, you wake up as you approach Oslo via the fjord.

On board:

● cabins ranging from the most basic without windows to comfortable ones with windows and a breakfast package;

● restaurants (from buffet to à la carte);

● bars, sometimes small shows;

● shops and, on some ships, a sauna/jacuzzi.

The route works perfectly as part of a combined circle: a trip to Norway without flying from Denmark, or a "connecting night" on a longer Scandinavian tour.

An important detail: this is still a cruise. If you find noise and commotion difficult to tolerate, check the description of the specific voyage and the type of passengers. Some days there are many families and pensioners on board, while on other dates, party-goers dominate.

🌉 2. Helsinki – Stockholm: night ferry through the skerries and the Åland Islands

The Helsinki–Stockholm route is, in a sense, a "Scandinavian classic." Two northern capitals, one Baltic Sea, a night in a cabin — and a whole world of skerries and islands between them.

What it looks like:

● evening: departure from Helsinki, views of the waterfront, islands and sea forts;

● night: sailing along the Åland Islands and skerries, with an occasional stop in Mariehamn;

● morning: entering the Stockholm archipelago — cottages, pine trees, islands in the mist.

The ferry itself is an attraction. Many locals buy a "round trip cruise" even without staying overnight in Stockholm: just to spend the evening and night on the water.

It's easy to combine Helsinki and Stockholm:

● Day 1 — arrival in Helsinki, walk through the city centre, sauna, dinner;

● Evening/night — board the ferry and spend the night on board;

● Day 2 — Stockholm, old town, museums, fika;

● Night — hotel in Stockholm or return ferry.

If you are planning a trip around Finland without a car, the Helsinki–Stockholm ferry is a natural "bridge" to Sweden and further on to Norway.

🚢 3. Turku–Stockholm: the ferry taken by locals

The Turku–Stockholm route is less "Instagrammable" but very practical. The journey time is shorter than from Helsinki, there are more departures, and the passengers are more diverse: residents of both countries, truck drivers, students, families.

Why is this route valued by those who have travelled around the north?

● tickets are often cheaper than on the "capital" line;

● there is less of a "floating shopping centre" effect;

● it can be conveniently combined with the Helsinki-Turku train (about two hours).

Turku itself is the oldest city in Finland, quiet and atmospheric: a river, a castle, an old town centre. In other words, you get another city along the way, not just a port.

At the same time, the skerries and the Åland Islands are still there — the view from the window will be no less cinematic than on the capital route.

⚓ 4. Helsinki – Tallinn: two hours to another country

Helsinki and Tallinn are separated by only about 80 kilometres of water. For ferries, this is 2–2.5 hours — exactly the same amount of time you would spend at the airport before boarding a plane.

It feels like

● a large high-speed bus, only on the sea;

● which takes you to another capital twice a day and brings you back.

The most common route is:

● the morning flight from Helsinki to Tallinn;

● 5–8 hours walking around Tallinn: the old town, observation decks, cafes;

● evening ferry back.

This route is indispensable if you:

● want to add a medieval Instagram-worthy old town to your Finland trip;

● are planning a trip to Scandinavia + the Baltic countries;

● are not visiting Helsinki for the first time and are looking for a new destination for a day trip.

Important: technically, Tallinn is no longer part of Scandinavia, but for many routes it is an integral part of a northern tour — just like the Åland Islands or the German coast, for example.

🌙 5. Stockholm – Tallinn: Scandinavia plus the Old Town overnight

If Helsinki–Tallinn is a quick round trip, then Stockholm–Tallinn is a classic overnight ferry. Depart in the evening, spend the night on board, and arrive in another city in the morning/afternoon.

This route

● adds red brick, cobbled streets and the fortress walls of Tallinn to the Scandinavian picture;

● allows you to leave Stockholm not for the airport, but for a "voyage";

● connects perfectly with other ferries and trains in the region.

For example, you can build a gentle circle:

● arrival in Stockholm → 2 days in the city;

● overnight ferry to Tallinn → day in Tallinn;

● short ferry to Helsinki → 2–3 days in Finland;

● flight home.

This way, your holiday will naturally include a tour of Scandinavia and the Baltic states, rather than just "one capital and one fjord".

⛴️ 6. Gothenburg – Frederikshavn: a bridge for those travelling by land

Gothenburg – Frederikshavn is a route that often appears in the plans of those travelling by car, motorbike or camper van.

The journey takes about three and a half hours, with several departures per day. It is not so much the scenery itself that is important (although the Scandinavian coastline is delightful here), but rather the function:

● it is a convenient "jump" between western Sweden and northern Denmark;

● it is an alternative to a long detour via bridges and motorways;

● it is an opportunity to weave Sweden into a large car tour of Scandinavia without unnecessary detours.

A common scenario:

● you are travelling through Germany → Denmark;

● spend a couple of days in Copenhagen/Aarhus;

● travel north to Denmark;

● take a ferry to Gothenburg;

● then on to Norway or deeper into Sweden.

🏔️ 7. Hirtshals – Western Norway: a direct gateway to the fjords

Hirtshals is a small port in northern Denmark. From the point of view of an independent traveller, it is a "portal" to Norway: from here, you can take a ferry to several Norwegian ports on the west coast.

Essentially, the route works like this:

● you travel through Europe to northern Denmark;

● in the evening or during the day, you board the ferry;

● after 10–16 hours (depending on the route), you arrive in Norway — in the land of fjords and mountains.

What's good about it:

● you don't have to travel through the whole of southern Sweden and cross bridges;

● you can "save" one country on the way there and return via Sweden/Denmark, making a circle;

● in combination with other routes, you get a very flexible itinerary with entry and exit points at different locations.

This is a case where the expression "a route through Norway without a plane" ceases to be an abstraction: you can actually reach the fjords by car or by train + ferry.

🧭 How to put together your own northern circle from these routes

The best thing about the Scandinavian ferry network is its combinatorics. These are not just separate broken lines, but a fully connected network from which you can assemble your own figures.

Here are a few working plans:

Short weekend "two capitals"

○ Helsinki → night ferry → Stockholm → plane/train home.
Seasonally, you can add a short ferry to Tallinn and visit three cities in 3–4 days.

Baltic + Scandinavia in a week

○ Stockholm (2 days) → night ferry → Tallinn (1 day) → shuttle → Helsinki (2–3 days).
Here, ferries act as connectors, but each sea is a separate story.

Classic "Scandinavian circle" without internal flights

○ Copenhagen → night ferry to Oslo → train/bus to Sweden → Stockholm → night ferry to Helsinki → flight home.
This route goes well with what you have already read about the 10-day route through Scandinavia.

Auto-north: fjords and citie

○ Europe → Denmark → Hirtshals–Norway → fjords → Sweden → Gothenburg–Frederikshavn → back to Europe.

The main principle: first decide where you definitely want to go (e.g. Copenhagen, fjords, Stockholm, Helsinki), and then see which ferries connect these points most logically.

🧳 What to take with you on the ferry: a checklist without romanticisation

Beautiful sunrises are great, but on a real ferry, you quickly remember everyday life: sockets, food, noise, children, rocking.

After your first trip, it becomes clear that a ferry is not a "romantic prop" but a very practical form of transport which, if you prepare for it, can save you a lot of logistical stress.

🌅 The North without aeroplanes: why it's not just about the environment

Many people come to ferries because of climate concerns: they want to fly less and travel more by train and ship. This is an important reason, but it is far from the only one.

Ferries change the very fabric of travel:

● the journey ceases to be a "hole in time" — it becomes a separate day, a separate evening, separate frames;

● you begin to feel the distances: how many hours it takes to get from Finland to Estonia, how long it takes to walk along the fjord, how close the capitals are to each other;

● There are pauses: no turnstiles or frames, you can just sit with a book on the deck and look at the water.

For some, this will be "too slow." But if you want to not only collect a set of flags, but really feel the north, travelling through Scandinavia without planes may turn out to be not an unusual feat, but the most logical format.

Save this list of routes, combine them according to your dates and cities, transfer them to your notes and add them to your plans for 2026. And if you want to discuss a specific scenario — for example, "7 days, arrival in Helsinki, I want maximum water and minimum airports" — just ask this as a separate question.