Rostock - Trelleborg Ferry

The Rostock - Trelleborg ferry links Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with the southern tip of Sweden. From Rostock port (Überseehafen), where the A19 ends, to Trelleborg in Skåne takes around six hours across the Baltic Sea; the average across all departures is 6 hrs 15 min, and it takes longer at night. Two ferry companies share the route: TT-Line with the ferries Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, and Stena Line with the M/S Skåne and the M/S Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Together they run five to six departures a day in each direction, all year round.

Who is this route for? Anyone travelling to Sweden from eastern Germany or Berlin, or already on the A19: the motorway takes you straight to the ferry, with no detour via Hamburg or Denmark. Below, you'll find the crossing step by step. Departures and fares change most often, so they have their own pages: the timetable and Prices & fares.

Getting there and the terminal in Rostock

Both ferry companies depart from Rostock port, address Zum Fährterminal 1, 18147 Rostock. By car you take the A19 to its end; from Lübeck and Hamburg you come via the A20, from Berlin via the A24 and the Wittstock interchange. In the port, follow the signs for your ferry company: TT-Line checks in at self-service kiosks in its own lane, Stena Line at the Ferry Centre. Without a car you reach the port by S-Bahn or tram and then bus to the stop "Seehafen Fähre". You can't walk from the terminal onto the ship; a shuttle bus takes you on board. Full details: Rostock ferry port.

Check-in and departure

Deadlines differ by ferry company. With TT-Line, check-in for vehicles closes 30 minutes before departure; with Stena Line it's 60 minutes before, for cars and foot passengers alike. There's one catch: TT-Line also sells Stena Line's departures. If your TT-Line ticket shows the Skåne or the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Stena Line's 60-minute deadline applies.

Sweden is part of the EU and the Schengen area, but you still need a valid passport or national ID card, and children need their own. The Check-in page describes the lanes, opening hours and process for vehicles, foot passengers and cyclists.

On board

Both ferry companies run classic ferries with cabins, a restaurant and a shop. Stena Line's ships are the larger of the two: the M/S Skåne and the M/S Mecklenburg-Vorpommern are each 200 metres long and carry up to 600 passengers. On board there's a restaurant, a shop, reclining seats, sleeping berths and cabins, plus superior cabins with a double bed on the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. Stena Line accepts card payment only.

TT-Line mainly runs the Tom Sawyer and the Huckleberry Finn on this route, both with 134 cabins. If you don't want a cabin, you travel in a Pullman seat; from Rostock there's no obligation to book a cabin, even at night. Wi-Fi is free in the public areas. The ships in detail are on the TT-Line and Stena Line pages, and a direct comparison is on the Ferry companies compared page.

Day ferry or night ferry?

Departures fall into three time slots: morning, afternoon and late evening. The morning ferry gets you to Sweden by the afternoon, leaving time the same day to continue to Malmö, Gothenburg or beyond. The afternoon ferry arrives in the evening, good for a first night in Skåne. The late-evening ferry is the classic overnight crossing: you sleep in a cabin or a seat and drive off early in the morning. It sails more slowly, 7.5 hours instead of six with Stena Line, arriving early in the morning.

Vehicle, bike and pet

Cars, motorhomes, caravans, motorbikes and bicycles travel with both ferry companies. Motorhomes may be up to 4 metres high with both; the gas stays switched off for the crossing. How to measure your vehicle and what applies on board is on the Motorhome & caravan page. Without a car you board as a foot passenger or with a bike; the Foot passengers & bicycles page describes the shuttle-bus process at both ports.

The two ferry companies differ considerably when it comes to dogs. With TT-Line, your dog can join you on a short lead in all public areas, and every restaurant has a dog zone. With Stena Line, animals stay out of the public areas; both ships have pet cabins that you book in advance. For Sweden, your pet needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination and an EU pet passport. Full details on the Dogs & pets page.

Arrival in Trelleborg and onward travel

In Trelleborg both ferry companies dock on Norra Nyhamnsgatan, right next to the town centre. It's around 30 kilometres to Malmö via the E22 and E6, and around 45 kilometres to Ystad; the E6 continues up the west coast via Halmstad to Gothenburg. Without a car, the Pågatåg runs from Trelleborg station to Malmö. The full onward journey is on the Getting there & onward travel page, and the port itself is described on the Trelleborg ferry port page.

Tickets and fares

Both ferry companies sell at dynamic prices: what you pay depends on travel date, departure, vehicle and when you book. You travel most cheaply by booking early, on weekdays and outside school holidays. Cabins and pet cabins are booked as an add-on to the crossing. From prices for foot passengers and cars are on the Prices & fares page; common questions are answered in the FAQ.