Puttgarden ⇄ Rødby · 45 min · about 19 km
Puttgarden ferry port: getting there, check-in and the BorderShop
Puttgarden is where the road runs out. The E47 from Hamburg crosses onto the island of Fehmarn and simply stops at a row of check-in booths at its northern tip, and that is where the Scandlines ferry to Rødby leaves. If you have driven up from the Channel through the Netherlands and Hamburg, this is the last German port before Scandinavia, and the BorderShop next to the lanes is worth the half hour before you check in.
Check prices and book Car Standard: online from €61.10 · at the harbour from €111See the price example
Puttgarden ferry port at a glance
Where it is
Scandlines Fährhafen Puttgarden, Fährhafenstraße, 23769 Puttgarden (Fehmarn)Weather at the port
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Facilities
- Self-service check-in booths, one lane per vehicle length, plus a BroBizz lane
- Scandlines ticket kiosk and a Kasse machine at the check-in area
- Pre-order pick-up building for online BorderShop orders
- Toilets by the footbridge and in the BorderShop
- The multi-storey Scandlines BorderShop next to the lanes, with export desk, lockers and a car park
- Fast charging for electric cars at the BorderShop car park
- Railway station Puttgarden a short walk from the port
Not sure what the sea is doing? Wind and wave maps for the crossing, and what happens in a storm, are on our weather page, and the webcams show you the port as it looks right now.
Our visit: we drove in from the A1 on 17 February 2025, spent half an hour in the BorderShop and checked in for a late afternoon sailing to Rødby. The photos on this page are from that visit.
Getting there by car
Missing the port takes real effort. The A1 from Hamburg and Lübeck becomes the E47 at the end of the motorway, crosses the Fehmarnsund Bridge onto the island and runs straight up to the port. Puttgarden is signposted from well before Lübeck.
From Hamburg: about 150 km on the A1, then the E47 over the bridge. Allow two hours, more on a Friday afternoon or in the summer holidays when the Fehmarnsund Bridge and the last kilometres on Fehmarn slow down.
From Lübeck: roughly 90 km, an hour and a quarter on a normal day.
Sat nav: “Scandlines Puttgarden” or the address Fährhafenstraße, Puttgarden. Ours showed “Scandlines Puttgarden, Rødby check-in” with 30 minutes to go as we passed the bridge.
Overhead signs above the check-in lanes sort the traffic by vehicle length. Trucks have their own lanes and their own check-in.
Check-in and boarding in Puttgarden
Fifteen minutes before departure is the cut-off for cars. Give yourself 30 and you have time to spare; on a quiet day you may even be put on the earlier sailing.
The check-in is a row of self-service booths under a roof. Each lane is marked for a vehicle length (“Max 6 m Self Service”) and one lane is for BroBizz transponders. A red hand on the pole says WAIT until the car ahead has cleared the booth. At the booth you hold your booking code up to the scanner, or the camera reads your licence plate, and the screen tells you which numbered waiting lane to go to. If you have no ticket yet, the kiosk at the end of the check-in area sells one at the harbour price, so book on your phone in the queue instead: the difference is real.
In the waiting lanes you sit under a gantry with lane numbers and traffic lights. When your ferry is loading, the light for your lane turns green and you drive up the ramp onto the car deck. The ferries are double-ended, so you drive straight on and later straight off at the other end. Once on board you go upstairs and cannot return to the car until arrival.
Live departure times are on the timetable, all ticket types on the prices page.
The BorderShop: shopping before you sail
The Scandlines BorderShop in Puttgarden is a multi-storey tax-free store right next to the check-in lanes, and it is signposted with big yellow arrows from the moment you leave the E47. It exists mainly for Danish and Swedish shoppers who come over for wine, beer and spirits at German prices, and on a weekday afternoon we saw more Danish plates in the car park than German ones. Anyone can shop there, whatever your number plate.
- Parking: the sign at the entrance allows one hour of parking; the parking fee board applies beyond that. Fast chargers for electric cars stand in the car park.
- Opening hours: the notice on the door in February 2025 said 8 to 20 every day of the week. Check the current hours on the BorderShop website before you count on it.
- Layout: several floors linked by escalators, with a floor directory at the entrance, lockers and toilets.
- Pre-order: online orders are collected at the separate pre-order building on the port road.
- Export desk: the export declaration desk handles the paperwork for Danish deposit refunds and larger purchases.
Do the shopping before the crossing, not after: the BorderShop is on the German side, and once you are in the waiting lane there is no way back to it.
Reaching the port without a car
Puttgarden has a small railway station at the end of the line from Lübeck, a short walk from the port. The through trains that used to roll onto the ferry to Copenhagen stopped in December 2019, so today you take a regional train to Puttgarden and walk to the check-in. Foot passengers cross the wooden footbridge above the lanes to the terminal and the gangway. Check current train times with Deutsche Bahn before you go.
Foot passengers pay 11 euros for a 1-day return ticket, a bike 3 euros extra (scandlines.com, 22 September 2026). Buy online or at the Scandlines kiosk at the check-in.
On the Danish side, Rødbyhavn is small: check the bus connections to Rødby and Maribo before you plan a trip without a car.
Arriving in Puttgarden from Rødby
From the car deck you drive straight onto the port road, past the pre-order building and the BorderShop, and within two minutes you are on the E47 towards the Fehmarnsund Bridge and the A1 to Lübeck and Hamburg. If you want to stop on Fehmarn, the beaches at Burgtiefe and the town of Burg are 15 minutes away.
Puttgarden ferry port FAQ
What is the address of the Puttgarden ferry terminal?
Scandlines gives Fährhafenstraße, 23769 Puttgarden on the island of Fehmarn. Follow the E47 from the A1 over the Fehmarnsund Bridge, it ends at the check-in.
How early should I be at the port?
Check-in for cars closes 15 minutes before departure. Aim for 30 minutes, more with a motorhome or a trailer or in the holidays. With a sailing every half hour, arriving early often means an earlier ferry.
Can I buy a ticket at the port?
Yes, at the Scandlines kiosk at the check-in, but at the harbour price: from 111 euros for a Standard car ticket instead of 61.10 euros online on 22 September 2026. Book on your phone before you reach the booths.
Is there parking at Puttgarden ferry port?
The BorderShop car park allows one hour of parking with a ferry ticket, with fees beyond that according to the board at the entrance. Cars normally go on the ferry; ask Scandlines about longer parking for foot passengers.
Can I get to the port by train?
Yes, Puttgarden station is a short walk from the port. Trains no longer go onto the ferry: since December 2019 you change to the ferry on foot.
Where is the Fehmarnbelt tunnel being built?
Right next to the port: the German tunnel portal is under construction east of Puttgarden. What the tunnel means for the ferry is on our page about the Fehmarnbelt tunnel.
Sailing from Puttgarden? Check today’s fares and book directly with Scandlines.
Check prices and book Car Standard: online from €61.10 · at the harbour from €111