Puttgarden ⇄ Rødby · 45 min · about 19 km
Cheap Puttgarden Rødby ferry tickets: what actually saves money
From 48 euros one way online with Low Price, from 111 euros for Standard at the harbour: on this route how you book makes a real difference.
The rules behind that are scattered across a dozen Scandlines pages, so we have sorted them by effect, with a worked example based on the lowest from prices and the tickets that cost more than they seem. Fares checked on scandlines.com on 28 September 2026.
The saving rules, sorted by effect
| Rule | What it saves | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Book online ahead, not at the harbour | Standard is from 61.10 euros online if you book at least 3 days ahead, from 111 euros at the harbour; booked on the day itself, the online price can come close to the harbour price | the lowest online price is limited; online and in the app you can book up to 2 hours before departure, at the manned lane a handling fee from 15 euros can be added |
| 1-day ticket for there and back on the same day | 24 euros against two Low Price tickets, 50.20 euros against two Standard tickets | return on the same calendar day, from 72 euros online |
| Weekend ticket for out on Friday and back on Sunday | 29.20 euros against two Standard tickets: from 93 euros return | only Friday out and Sunday back |
| Combination ticket instead of ferry and Øresund Bridge separately | about 16 euros each way: Standard plus bridge from 101.25 euros, against 61.10 euros plus about 56 euros for the bridge online | not available as Low Price |
| Low Price instead of Standard | 13.10 euros per crossing | tied to exactly one departure, miss it and it is gone |
| Fill the car | the fare covers up to 9 people | none |
All amounts are differences between the lowest “from” fares for a car up to 6 metres, not what everyone saves. What your date costs depends on the day, the departure and demand. Every ticket type with its conditions is on the prices page.
How to find a Low Price departure
Low Price is not simply always there, and that catches people out. 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: on a route with a sailing about every 40 minutes by day, that means the early, the late and the night departures, and weekdays rather than weekends.
In practice that means:
- Try several departures on the same day in the booking. The fare is shown per departure. With many departures a day it is worth looking a few sailings either side of the time you wanted, but in the holidays and at short notice Low Price can be sold out.
- Shift by a day if you can. Friday to Sunday is the busiest on a holiday route.
- Book early, but not blindly. Low Price can sell out well before the day in the school holidays.
- Be honest about your drive. Low Price makes sense if you are on Fehmarn or Lolland already. After about 500 km from the Ruhr, for 13.10 euros more, Standard gives you some breathing room if the drive takes longer than planned, and on this route the next departure with space is usually within the hour.
The departures themselves are in the timetable. Low Price is limited per departure and cannot be changed or refunded. Vehicles over 6 metres can book it too, with a length surcharge.
Worked example: a week in Denmark by car
A family crosses to Rødby on a Saturday and comes back a week later. The same trip, five ways to book it, at the lowest “from” prices of 28 September 2026 for a car up to 6 metres. The Standard price of 61.10 euros needs booking at least three days ahead.
| Booked as | Return from | For whom |
|---|---|---|
| Two Low Price tickets | 96.00 euros | both departures are fixed, short drive to the port |
| Low Price out, Standard back | 109.10 euros | the way out is predictable, the way back from holiday is not |
| Two Standard tickets | 122.20 euros | long drive, children, caravan |
| Easy Return | 174.00 euros | only if the return day is genuinely open |
| Two Standard tickets bought at the harbour | 222.00 euros | nobody |
For many people the second row fits best, depending on how sure you are of your times. 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 13.10 euros extra for Standard is well spent, even if on this route a missed Low Price sailing only means buying a new ticket for the next one.
Our experience: we sailed from Puttgarden to Rødby on an afternoon in February 2025. The lanes were half empty and the ferry left on time. On a quiet day like that Low Price can be good value, as long as you are sure when you will reach the port: the ticket is only valid for the booked departure. In July or on a Friday afternoon, after a long drive, we would rather take Standard.
What costs more than it seems
- Easy Return. Sounds like a return discount, but at 174 euros it costs 51.80 euros more than two Standard tickets. You pay for an open return. If you do not need that, skip it.
- Flex as the default. 118 euros per crossing is almost twice the Standard fare. Priority boarding is nice, but the value is in free changes and refunds. If your date is fixed you are paying for nothing.
- The kiosk at the harbour. Fine for foot passengers, for cars the most expensive till on the route: Standard from 111 euros instead of 61.10.
- Two single tickets for a day trip. The 1-day ticket, from 72 euros, usually beats a 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. More on the page about motorhomes, caravans and trailers.
Saving around the crossing
- The right route. From Hamburg and the west this is the short and cheap crossing. From Berlin and the east, Rostock Gedser saves about 160 km of driving for a dearer ticket. The sums are in the route comparison.
- No tolls to Copenhagen. There is no toll bridge between Rødby and Copenhagen. Only the Øresund Bridge to Sweden costs money, 420 DKK online for a car 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 from 11 euros return, a bike 3 euros extra.
- Food on board. 45 minutes is enough for a coffee, not a meal you need to budget for. 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 31.70 euros, and the 1-day ticket at 57 euros saves 6.40 euros over two singles.
- The BorderShop. Not a ferry saving, but the reason half the Danish cars in the lanes are there: wine, beer and spirits at German prices, next to the check-in in Puttgarden.
Cheap tickets FAQ
When is the Puttgarden Rødby ferry cheapest?
On departures with Low Price, from 48 euros one way for a car. According to Scandlines more of these are available at quiet times, which on this route means the early, late and night sailings and weekdays. The offer is limited and not available on all departures.
How much more expensive is a ticket at the harbour?
A Standard ticket costs from 111 euros at the harbour instead of from 61.10 euros online if you book at least three days ahead. Booked online on the day itself, Standard can cost much closer to the harbour price, and at the manned lane a handling fee from 15 euros can be added. 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 72 euros), the weekend ticket for out on Friday and back on Sunday (from 93 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 a quiet weekday, a few days is enough; the lowest Standard price needs booking at least three days before departure. In the school holidays and on summer weekends Low Price allocations can be gone well before the day, so book as soon as your dates are fixed.
Is Flex ever worth it?
Yes, when your date is genuinely open or your plans are likely to change: Flex can be changed and cancelled and you board first. For a fixed date, Standard already gives you any sailing with space that day.
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 →