Hirtshals – Kristiansand
Hirtshals (DK) → Kristiansand (NO)
- Dog may stay in the vehicle
- Year-round
Key facts
- Via the ferry
- 3¼ hrs
- €100–350 one-way; Fjord Line motorhome deal (motorhome ≤6 m + FSTR seat) from ±€96–105, high season Color Line often €200–350 (indication)
- Overland
- 12 hrs
- ±1,100 km
Overland alternative: via the Øresund Bridge–Gothenburg–Oslo–Kristiansand (±1,100 km; Storebælt/Øresund tolls partly avoided but ±€125 Øresund + a long detour)
Shortest corridor Norway–continent: 3¼ hrs of sailing instead of ±12 hrs of detour through Sweden
Ferry or drive on? Do the mathsDeparture port & check-in
Color Line: everyone has to be there at least 60 min before departure, whether you travel by car, by motorhome or on foot. Check-in opens about an hour before departure and closes 15 min before departure; vehicles drive straight to the quay, foot passengers check in on the second floor. Fjord Line: likewise at least 60 min before departure, with boarding closing 30 min before departure. Come earlier during the summer holidays. In a motorhome, follow the signs for your own ferry operator once inside the port - Color Line and Fjord Line have separate terminals on different quays.
Facilities at the terminal
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Fresh water
Through Tornby Strand Camping or the autocamperplads in Hirtshals; no water filling point in the terminal.
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Chemical toilet
Through the campsites and motorhome aires in Hirtshals.
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Showers
At the campsites; the terminal has toilets only.
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Fuel
Petrol stations in Hirtshals - fill right up in Denmark, as fuel is dearer in Norway.
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Gas & LPG
Not known
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Groceries
Supermarkets in Hirtshals; stock up well, because prices in Norway are a good deal higher.
Where to spend the night before departure
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Hirtshals Autocamperplads
Motorhome aire- Distance to terminal
- ±2 km
- Price per night
- Not known
Overnight stays allowed
A motorhome aire in Hirtshals itself, listed in Bordatlas and in Danish stellplatz guides; details and the current rate cannot be established reliably - check on site or through VisitNordvestkysten.
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Stellplatz Doggerbanke, Hirtshals
Motorhome aire- Distance to terminal
- ±2 km
- Price per night
- Not known
Overnight stays allowed
Mentioned by German motorhome blogs as a spot a short distance from the ferry port; rate and facilities unverified.
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Tornby Strand Camping, Strandvejen 13, 9850 Hirtshals
Campsite- Distance to terminal
- ±5 km
- Price per night
- Not known
Overnight stays allowed
The classic ferry campsite: 5 km from the port and entirely geared to ferry travellers. Late check-in is accepted until the last ferry is in; for an early sailing the barrier opens at 06:30 and you pay only for the preceding night. There are also pitches outside the barrier for motorhomes and caravans, so you can leave during the night. Tel. +45 98 97 78 77.
The terminal accepts Danish kroner, Norwegian kroner and euros; the cash machine is on board. Restaurants in the port area. Book well ahead in high season: the number of places for long and high vehicles is limited.
Arrival & first stop
First motorhome stop after arrival
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Bobilparkering Kristiansand kommune, Ægirs vei 12, 4632 Kristiansand
Motorhome aire- Distance to terminal
- ±4 km
- Price per night
- summer 32 NOK per hour / 320 NOK per 24 hrs; winter (1 Nov - 28 Feb) 16 NOK per hour / 160 NOK per day; 1,500 NOK per month
Overnight: check in advance
The official municipal motorhome parking, with electricity, water, a tømmestasjon (waste disposal station) and wifi. Overnight stays are allowed and there is no maximum length of stay. Pay through the Parkering Kristiansand app, EasyPark or Parklink; electricity is booked and paid for through the Camp Booking app. Note: strictly for bobil (motorhomes) - campervans and converted buses are turned away - and you may not occupy more than two bays. The tømmestasjon and the water can be shut off in freezing weather.
LPG (autogas) is all but impossible to find in Norway; gas bottles are filled or exchanged through Norwegian suppliers using their own fitting - take enough gas with you from Denmark or Germany.
Norwegian toll rings work by number-plate recognition, with no barriers. Without an AutoPASS-brikke you get an invoice afterwards through Euro Parking Collection (EPC), by post or e-mail; you can register in advance at autopass.no to be invoiced electronically and get a discount. Vehicles over 3,500 kg fall into tariff group 2 and pay a great deal more - relevant for heavy motorhomes. Dipped headlights are compulsory by day and speed enforcement is strict.
The terminal on Vestre Strandgate puts you straight into the centre of Kristiansand; the E18 and E39 run past the city.
Border, documents & rules
Norway lies outside the EU and the customs union, so real import quotas apply and customs do check at the ferries. Stays longer than 24 hrs: goods up to 6,000 NOK duty-free. Shorter than 24 hrs: 3,000 NOK and no alcohol or tobacco allowance at all. Alcohol: for example 3 litres of wine (4 bottles) plus 2 litres of beer, or combinations including spirits - you have to pick one option. Tobacco: non-residents are allowed twice as much as Norwegian residents. Meat and cheese: 10 kilos in total at most, whatever the length of stay. Age limits: 20 for spirits, 18 for beer, wine and tobacco. Color Line points travellers to the Norwegian customs Kvote app; fines for exceeding the allowances went up on 1 July.
Motorhome tips
Fastest AND cheapest way to southern Norway; the FSTR is faster but wind-sensitive; gas bottle closed (checked at boarding with Color Line); book early for July/Aug