Puttgarden ⇄ Rødby · 45 min · about 19 km
Puttgarden Rødby ferry timetable
About every 40 minutes by day, 45 minutes across, day and night: the Puttgarden Rødby timetable is about as simple as ferry timetables get. The tables below show the departures for today, tomorrow or a later date, in both directions. If you are timing the last leg up from Hamburg, or the drive down from Copenhagen to catch a sailing back towards the Channel, this is the page to keep open.
Puttgarden Rødby ferry today: is it sailing, and is it on time?
Today, Wednesday 30 September
From Puttgarden
33 departures · first 02:00 · last 23:59
02:00 · 02:40 · 03:20 · 04:00 · 04:40 · 05:20 · 06:00 · 06:40 · 07:20 · 08:00 · 08:40 · 09:20 · 10:00 · 10:40 · 11:20 · 12:00 · 12:40 · 13:20 · 14:00 · 14:40 · 15:20 · 16:00 · 16:40 · 17:20 · 18:00 · 18:40 · 19:20 · 20:00 · 20:40 · 21:20 · 22:00 · 23:20 · 23:59
From Rødby
34 departures · first 00:20 · last 23:00
00:20 · 01:00 · 02:20 · 03:00 · 03:40 · 04:20 · 05:00 · 05:40 · 06:20 · 07:00 · 07:40 · 08:20 · 09:00 · 09:40 · 10:20 · 11:00 · 11:40 · 12:20 · 13:00 · 13:40 · 14:20 · 15:00 · 15:40 · 16:20 · 17:00 · 17:40 · 18:20 · 19:00 · 19:40 · 20:20 · 21:00 · 21:40 · 22:20 · 23:00
First sailings tomorrow: from Puttgarden 01:20 · from Rødby 00:20. These are the scheduled times. For delays and the status of a sailing, see the Scandlines departure monitor.
The two tables above show today’s departures, sailings that have already left are marked, and you can switch to tomorrow or another date. With a departure about every 40 minutes by day, missing one sailing with a Standard ticket usually means a wait of less than an hour for the next departure with space. With Low Price the ticket is lost. Cancellations are rare and almost always down to the weather. Whether a storm is forecast is on our page weather and sea conditions, and the ports have webcams if you want to see for yourself.
Fares per departure today and tomorrow
Price indication per departure, checked about once a week: car up to 6 m with up to 9 people, one way, per departure. The booking also lists an ETS surcharge of €3 per crossing. Low Price is limited per departure and shows as sold out once it is gone.
Loading fares…
Where is the ferry right now?
The four ferries on the route, Prins Richard, Prinsesse Benedikte, Deutschland and Schleswig-Holstein, send their position by AIS. The map shows whether your ship is still at the berth, halfway across the Fehmarnbelt or already coming in. Useful when you are picking someone up or want to know whether the ferry is on time.
The map opens centred on one ferry, with the line of its recent track. Switch to another ferry or to the whole crossing with the buttons. Other ships in the Fehmarnbelt stay visible; the Scandlines ferries carry their names as labels. Normally three of the four are sailing and one is in reserve or in dock.
Live map: Puttgarden to Rødby
The map comes from VesselFinder and shows ship positions sent by the ships themselves (AIS). It loads after you click, because VesselFinder then receives your IP address and may set cookies.
The four ferries on the route
More on the four ships on ferry live.
Sailing times and departures on the route
Puttgarden Rødby is Scandlines’ busiest route between Germany and Denmark. The crossing takes 45 minutes. At the moment three of the four Scandlines ferries on the route are in service, which gives a departure about every 40 minutes by day and fewer at night.
We sailed it ourselves: in February 2025 we took the car from Puttgarden to Rødby on a late afternoon sailing, the first leg of a test trip through Denmark and Sweden. The photos on this page are from that crossing.
The pattern can change with the next timetable and the ferries run less often at night, so always trust the table for your own date.
Check-in: when to be at the port
Fifteen minutes before departure is when the check-in for cars shuts. That is the Scandlines rule. Our advice is to aim for 30 minutes early: with a motorhome, a trailer or in the holidays you may queue for the booths. If you arrive early on a quiet day, it depends on your ticket: with Standard or Flex you can take an earlier sailing with space, while Low Price is only valid for the booked departure according to Scandlines.
How it works in Puttgarden
The road from the Fehmarnsund Bridge ends at a row of self-service booths under a roof, each lane marked for a vehicle length (“Max 6 m Self Service”) or for BroBizz users. A red hand says WAIT until the car in front has moved on. You hold your booking code up to the scanner, or the camera reads your licence plate, and the screen tells you which numbered lane to wait in. Traffic lights above the lanes turn green when your ferry is loading, and you drive up a ramp onto the car deck.
How it works in Rødby
The check-in in Rødbyhavn sits at the very end of the E47. Same system: booths, numbered lanes, traffic lights. Address and directions are on our page about Rødby ferry port.
On foot or with a bike
Yes, you can take this ferry without a car. Scandlines sells a 1-day return ticket for foot passengers on Puttgarden Rødby, listed on its website from 11 euros (checked 28 September 2026). A bike add-on costs 3 euros. In Puttgarden foot passengers reach the terminal over the wooden footbridge above the lanes, and the ticket kiosk stands at the end of the check-in area.
Trains no longer run to Puttgarden. The through trains to Copenhagen that once rolled onto the ferry stopped in December 2019, and since 31 August 2022 bus X85 has replaced the regional train from Lübeck: hourly from Lübeck Hbf to Puttgarden, with normal rail tickets and the Deutschlandticket valid. Check the stop in Puttgarden and the connections on the Danish side in a journey planner before you plan a trip without a car.
45 minutes on board: what you get
45 minutes is enough for a coffee, a walk on deck and a look in the shop, not for a long meal. Anyone used to a Channel crossing will find it over before the coffee has cooled. This is what we found on board:
- Food Express: self service with hot snacks, drinks and a buffet counter
- Coffee bar serving Starbucks coffee, with sandwiches and pastries
- Travel Shop with perfume, sweets, drinks and souvenirs
- Lounge with tables at the panorama windows
- Sun deck around the funnel, the best spot in calm weather
- Gaming machines in a separate area
- Toilets on the passenger deck, signposted
The ferries are double-ended, so the “front” you look out of on the way over is the back on the way back. On our crossing the sun went down halfway across and one of the sister ships passed us close by: worth going outside for. You cannot go back to your car during the crossing, so take what you need upstairs with you.
Arrival: Rødby and Puttgarden
Arriving in Rødby
The announcement to return to your car comes a few minutes before the ferry berths, and because the ship never turns round you simply drive straight off the other end. From the ramp you are on the E47 within a minute, towards Copenhagen or, with the exit at Rødbyhavn, into Lolland. Driving on to Sweden? A combination ticket covers the ferry and the Øresund crossing in one booking.
Arriving in Puttgarden
In Puttgarden the ramp leads onto the port road past the BorderShop and straight onto the E47 over the Fehmarnsund Bridge to the A1 towards Lübeck and Hamburg. If you want to stock up at the BorderShop, do it before the crossing: it is on the German side. More on our page about Puttgarden ferry port.
Weather, disruptions and what to do
- Always check the right direction: Puttgarden to Rødby or Rødby to Puttgarden.
- The crossing normally takes 45 minutes. In strong wind it can take longer or a sailing can be cancelled, but with three ferries in service the next departure is usually within the hour.
- Before you set off, look at the Scandlines departure board. Delays and cancellations are shown there.
- For the drive in Germany the ADAC traffic service helps, for Denmark Trafikinfo from the Danish Road Directorate.
- In doubtful weather, have a look at our page on weather and sea state on the route.
- If the route is closed, Rostock Gedser is the obvious alternative: about 150 km east, a 2 hour crossing.
Puttgarden Rødby timetable FAQ
How up to date is the Puttgarden Rødby ferry timetable?
The timetable above shows the planned departures for the date you pick and is loaded live. Check it again shortly before you leave, especially in strong wind or when you need to make a specific sailing. You can also check the official Scandlines departure board.
How long is the Puttgarden Rødby ferry crossing?
45 minutes, according to Scandlines. The distance across the Fehmarnbelt is about 19 km. Weather and port traffic can add a few minutes.
How many ferries sail between Puttgarden and Rødby?
The route has four hybrid ferries, three of which are in service at the moment. That gives a departure about every 40 minutes by day and fewer at night. The exact number of sailings depends on the day and the season, so check the table for your direction and date.
Which ferries operate the Puttgarden Rødby route?
The Scandlines ferries Deutschland, Schleswig-Holstein, Prins Richard and Prinsesse Benedikte, all built in 1997 and converted to hybrid drive in 2013 and 2014. They are double-ended ferries that load and unload without turning round.
Is a ticket at the port more expensive than online?
Usually. On 28 September 2026 Scandlines listed the Standard car ticket from 61.10 euros online, for booking at least three days ahead, and from 111 euros at the harbour. Booked online on the day itself, Standard costs more, so compare. Low Price tickets, from 48 euros, are only sold online and are tied to the sailing you book. All fares are on the prices page.
What happens if I miss my ferry?
That depends on your ticket type. A Low Price ticket is tied to the booked departure. Standard lets you take the next sailing with space on the same day, Flex can be changed freely. With a departure about every 40 minutes by day, a missed sailing on Standard usually means a wait of less than an hour.
Is the Rødby Puttgarden timetable different from Puttgarden Rødby?
It is the same route with the same rhythm, but each direction has its own departure times, and the first and last sailings of the day differ. Choose Puttgarden to Rødby when travelling from Germany to Denmark and Rødby to Puttgarden for the way back.
Found your sailing? Current fares are shown directly in the Scandlines booking.
Check ticket price