Country guide
Norway ferries
Norway runs two quite different kinds of boat, and the rules that matter to a visitor — whether you queue, whether you pay, whether you can bring a car — depend entirely on which one your route actually uses.
- Routes
- 150
- Terminals
- 219
- Sailing times
- 3,165
- Operators
- 27
Do I buy a ferry ticket in Norway?
Not on the road ferries — the vehicle is billed automatically by length through AutoPASS and foot passengers are usually free. Express boats (hurtigbåt) do sell tickets.
Do I need to book ahead?
Road ferries are turn-up-and-go, so arriving early in the queue matters more than reserving. On express boats and the busiest tourist crossings, book.
How many crossings does SailNordic cover in Norway?
150 routes across 219 terminals, with 3,165 individual sailing times published from operator and transport-authority data.
Are the timetables the same all year?
No. Summer and winter timetables differ on most routes and sharply on tourist crossings — each timetable here shows the season it was published for.
What you are boarding
The kinds of ferry in Norway
Ferje — car ferry
Part of the road network. Turn up, queue, drive on. Billed by vehicle length through AutoPASS; foot passengers usually free.
Hurtigbåt — express boat
Passengers only, no cars. A ticket is required, and popular island runs can fill up in summer.
Coastal liner
Hurtigruten and Havila work the long Bergen–Kirkenes coastal route. Built for the journey, not for crossing a fjord.
The car ferry, the ferje, is legally part of the road. It carries a national or county road number across a fjord, it takes no reservation on most crossings, and you join the queue at the quay in the order you arrive. There is no ticket office: the vehicle is read at the ramp and billed afterwards by length. Foot passengers on these road ferries normally walk aboard free.
The hurtigbåt is the opposite — a fast passenger catamaran, no cars, a real ticket, and a seat worth securing in advance on the island runs. Several of the crossings visitors search for in Lofoten, Troms and Finnmark are hurtigbåt services rather than car ferries, which is why "just drive to the pier" is bad advice on some of them.
Timetables split by season almost everywhere. A summer sailing list can be twice the winter one on tourist routes, and the smallest island links drop to a handful of departures a week once the season ends. Every timetable on this site is labelled with the season it was published for.
The payment side has its own guide: AutoPASS for Ferries sets out the length bands, the discount account and how foreign-registered cars are invoiced.
Coverage
Norway ferries in numbers
These counts cover the Norway crossings SailNordic publishes a page for, compiled from operator and transport-authority timetables. Seasonal services are included with the season they were published for.
Where to sail
Regions
Full index
Every Norway crossing, by region
All 150 routes we publish, grouped by the coastal region they cross. Each links through to its timetable, crossing time and operating days.
Nordland 42 crossings
- Bodø → MoskenesBjørn ferjekai Dønna → SandnessjøenSandnessjøen → Bjørn ferjekai DønnaSkarberget → BognesBognes → SkarbergetSkrova → SvolværBognes → LødingenLødingen → BognesForøy → ÅgskardetAndalsvåg → HornLevang → NesnaSøvik → HerøyMoskenes → VærøyHerøy → SøvikJektvik → KilboghamnMelbu → FiskebølKilboghamn → JektvikVærøy → MoskenesDrag → KjøpsvikTræna → SannaBrønnøysund → YlvingenKaljord → StokmarknesSanna → TrænaVindstad → ReineKirkefjord → VindstadLovund → TrænaNesna → SandnessjøenVåg → BodøRødøy → JektvikSelvær → TrænaJektvik → RødøyBodø → Mevær hurtigbåtkai FleinværJektvik → RødøyStokkvågen → TrænaSkutvik → SvolværMelfjordbotn → KilboghamnJektvik → KilboghamnBrønnøysund → SandnessjøenBjørn → NesnaSvolvær → SkutvikTjøtta → ForvikNesna → Bjørn
Vestland 34 crossings
- Lavik → OppedalOppedal → LavikSandvikvåg → HalhjemHalhjem → SandvikvågMannheller → FodnesAnda → LoteLote → AndaHatvik → VenjanesetDragsvik → HellaÅrsnes → GjermundshamnHodnanes → JektavikHellesylt → GeirangerMasfjordnes → DuesundKrokeide → HufthamarKvanndal → UtneSkjersholmane → RanavikIsane → StårheimHalhjem → VågeVåge → HalhjemKinsarvik → UtneSkånevik → UtåkerOrnes → SolvornLeirvik → RanavikSydnes → UtbjoaMatre → SkånevikAskvoll → VærlandetFlorø → VillevikMjømna → SkjerjehamnLeirvik → BorgundøyFlorø → SmørhamnStrandkaiterminalen → FrekhaugAskvoll → FlorøVik → BalestrandFlorø → Kinn
Møre og Romsdal 14 crossings
Rogaland 14 crossings
Finnmark 10 crossings
Other crossings 8 crossings
Troms 7 crossings
Trøndelag 6 crossings
Oslo og Akershus 6 crossings
Vestfold og Telemark 4 crossings
Innlandet 2 crossings
Agder 2 crossings
Østfold 1 crossing
The network
Busiest Norway terminals
The ten with the most published sailing times — a rough proxy for how much traffic actually moves through the pier. The full terminal index lists every quay by region.
| Terminal | Region | Ferry links | Sailing times |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortavika | — | 1 | 116 |
| Arsvågen | — | 1 | 113 |
| Horten | — | 1 | 107 |
| Moss | — | 1 | 104 |
| Halhjem | Vestland | 2 | 102 |
| Lavik | Vestland | 1 | 98 |
| Oppedal | Vestland | 1 | 97 |
| Sandvikvåg | Vestland | 1 | 85 |
| Gamlebyen fergeleie | Østfold | 1 | 83 |
| Smertu fergeleie | Østfold | 1 | 83 |
Who runs them
Operators
- Nordland fylkeskommune
- Statens vegvesen
- Skyss
- FRAM
- Kolumbus
- Snelandia
- Svipper
- AtB
- Ruter
- Farte
- Fjord1 ASA
- Torghatten Sør
- Høgsfjordferja
- Norled AS
Read next
Practical guides for Norway
- AutoPASS for Ferries explainedBest time of year for Nordic ferriesTaking a car or campervan aboardNorway's E39 highway ferriesHurtigruten vs local car ferries
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Do I buy a ferry ticket in Norway?
Not on the road ferries — the vehicle is billed automatically by length through AutoPASS and foot passengers are usually free. Express boats (hurtigbåt) do sell tickets.
Do I need to book ahead?
Road ferries are turn-up-and-go, so arriving early in the queue matters more than reserving. On express boats and the busiest tourist crossings, book.
How many crossings does SailNordic cover in Norway?
150 routes across 219 terminals, with 3,165 individual sailing times published from operator and transport-authority data.
Are the timetables the same all year?
No. Summer and winter timetables differ on most routes and sharply on tourist crossings — each timetable here shows the season it was published for.
Can I take a campervan on a Norwegian ferry?
Yes. Vehicles are charged by length band, so a campervan costs more than a car but boards the same way — no ticket, no reservation on most road ferries.
Which Norway ferry regions does this site cover in depth?
Lofoten, Western Fjords, Geiranger & Møre — each has its own guide with the crossings, timetables and local boats for that area.
Where do these timetables come from?
From published operator and transport-authority schedules, compiled route by route. SailNordic does not sell tickets and is not affiliated with any operator — always confirm the exact departure before travelling.