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.
Booking online avoids the €15+ handling fee charged when buying your ticket in the manned harbour lane.Book online & save at least €15
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.
Puttgarden ferry port at a glance
Where it is
Scandlines Fährhafen Puttgarden, Fährhafenstraße, 23769 Puttgarden (Fehmarn)Weather at the port
Loading forecast…
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
- No trains any more: bus X85 from Lübeck runs to Puttgarden, check the stop in the journey planner
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 in 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; with a Standard or Flex ticket you can often take an earlier sailing with space on a quiet day; Low Price is only valid for the booked departure.
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. Booking online ahead is usually cheaper, and online or in the app you can book up to two hours before departure: online and harbour prices compared.
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.
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 border shop with German prices (not duty-free) 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: max. one hour with a parking disc; for longer, use the port’s pay car park next door. Fast chargers for electric cars stand in the car park.
- Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 6:00 to 20:00, Sunday 8:00 to 20:00, according to bordershop.com (checked 23 September 2026).
- 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: this is where Scandinavian residents sign the export declaration that lets them buy cans without deposit.
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
Trains no longer run to Puttgarden. The through trains that used to roll onto the ferry to Copenhagen stopped in December 2019, and since 31 August 2022 the regional train from Lübeck has been replaced by bus X85. It runs hourly from the forecourt of Lübeck Hbf via Haffkrug, Lensahn, Oldenburg, Großenbrode and Fehmarn-Burg to Puttgarden, and normal rail tickets and the Deutschlandticket are valid. Bikes travel on a rack at the back: up to five normal bikes, at most three e-bikes, no carbon frames or S-pedelecs, so space is limited. The bus runs until the new railway for the Fehmarnbelt link is ready, and there is no date for that yet. Check the stop in Puttgarden in the journey planner before you go. Foot passengers cross the wooden footbridge above the lanes to the terminal and the gangway.
Foot passengers pay from 11 euros for a 1-day return ticket, a bike 3 euros extra (scandlines.com, 28 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 about every 40 minutes by day, arriving early with a Standard or Flex ticket often means an earlier ferry; Low Price is only valid for the booked departure.
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, against from 61.10 euros online if booked at least three days ahead (28 September 2026). At the manned lane a handling fee from 15 euros can be added. Book online before you set off; that is possible up to two hours before departure.
Is there parking at Puttgarden ferry port?
The BorderShop car park allows max. one hour with a parking disc; for longer, use the port’s pay car park next door. Cars normally go on the ferry; ask Scandlines about longer parking for foot passengers.
Can I get to the port by train?
Not by train any more. Since 31 August 2022 bus X85 replaces the train from Lübeck; it runs hourly to Puttgarden, and normal rail tickets and the Deutschlandticket are valid. Check the stop in Puttgarden in the journey planner. The through trains to Copenhagen stopped using the ferry in December 2019.
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.
Booking online avoids the €15+ handling fee charged when buying your ticket in the manned harbour lane.