Ferry to Bornholm
Køge - Rønne
The only direct ferry from the Danish mainland, a night crossing from the Køge Bugt
- 5 hours 30 minutes overnight with Bornholmslinjen on the Hammershus, one sailing a day each way
- Departure shortly after midnight, so you must be in Køge the evening before your ticket date
- Check-in in Køge closes 15 minutes before departure for cars under 2.95 m, foot passengers and bikes
Table of Contents
Getting to the terminal in Køge
The Bornholmslinjen terminal is at Baltic Kaj 1, 4600 Køge, in the harbour of the town on the Køge Bugt south of Copenhagen; both foot passengers and drivers use this address. By car the port is reached from the E20 and E47 motorways of the Copenhagen area. In front of the terminal there is two-hour parking, and near Køge station there are spaces without a time limit for anyone leaving the car behind for the week. Because the ship sails after midnight, the terminal area only opens at 21:30 and is staffed from 22:00; arriving earlier in the evening gains nothing. Bus 106 links Køge station and the terminal in five minutes, timed to the ferry: it leaves the station at 00:05 and the terminal at 22:45 after the arrival.
Check-in and departure
The night ferry leaves shortly after midnight, which means the sailing carries the date of the morning it arrives. Book for a Saturday and you must be in Køge on Friday evening; this is the most common mistake on the route. Check-in closes 15 minutes before the scheduled departure for cars up to 2.95 m, foot passengers and bicycles, and 30 minutes before for vehicles above 2.95 m, lorries, trailers and coaches, for vehicles for disabled passengers and for passengers who need help boarding. Dangerous goods must be checked in 60 minutes before, a rule that applies only in Køge. The deadlines remain valid when the ferry is delayed, and travellers to and from Bornholm are regularly checked by the authorities, so keep your passport or identity card to hand.
On board the Hammershus
The Hammershus is a combined freight and passenger ferry, so the crossing is a conventional ship rather than the fast catamarans of the Ystad route. Provianten, the restaurant and kiosk, is open from early morning until late with hot food, smørrebrød, coffee, soft ice and sweets. Cabins are booked separately on top of the ticket, and there are special berth tickets for disabled passengers and their companions, requested from Bornholmslinjen no later than the day before travel. Without a cabin you spend the night in the lounges, which is fine for a five-and-a-half-hour crossing if the first island day is not too ambitious.
Vehicles, bicycles and pets
Cars, motorhomes, caravans, lorries, trailers and coaches all sail on the Hammershus, and bicycles are checked in with the 15-minute deadline. Book the vehicle height correctly, because anything above 2.95 m has the 30-minute rule, and reserve early for the summer holidays: with one sailing a night, vehicle space on this route sells out sooner than on the Ystad shuttle. Dogs and cats travel in the marked dog areas of the passenger decks, on a lead or in a carrier and never on the seats, or stay in your car for the crossing; cabins are not available to pets. The Danish food and veterinary authority lists the dog breeds that may not be brought into Denmark, and Bornholm is no exception.
Arrival in Rønne and onward travel
The ship docks in Rønne on Bornholm's west coast early in the morning. Cars to and from Køge use the Tysklandsvej access, foot passengers the terminal at Dampskibskajen 5. At that hour the island is still asleep, so plan the first hours around a breakfast in Rønne or an early drive to the coast rather than a holiday-home check-in. From Rønne the main roads lead to every corner of the island within about half an hour, and buses depart from the harbour area.
Tickets and fares
Bornholmslinjen sells Standard, Flex and Lowprice tickets; a cabin, a vehicle and pets are added during booking. Fares are dynamic and rise with demand, so the operator's advice is to book as soon as the travel dates are fixed, particularly with a vehicle and for weekends, when Bornholm's holiday homes change over. The booking window on this page shows the fare for your date, and the timetable the sailing for your night.
Køge - Rønne
The night ferry from Zealand
Køge - Rønne is the longest of the three direct routes to Bornholm and the only one from the Danish mainland. Køge lies on the Køge Bugt a few kilometres south of Copenhagen, and Bornholmslinjen sails the 5 hours 30 minutes crossing as a night ferry on the Hammershus, once a day in each direction, all year.
The route has one quirk that matters more than anything else: the ship leaves shortly after midnight, so the departure carries the date of the arrival day. Whoever books for a Saturday must be in Køge on Friday evening. Get that right and the night ferry is the relaxed way from Copenhagen to Bornholm: no drive through Sweden, no bridge toll, and a whole first day on the island after an early-morning arrival.
- Crossing time
- 5 h 30
- Operator
- Bornholmslinjen
- Frequency
- nightly, all year
- From price
- DKK 249
Next departures
FAQ Køge - Rønne
FAQ
Frequent questions about the Køge - Rønne crossing.
How long does the ferry from Køge to Rønne take?+
5 hours 30 minutes, sailed overnight on the Hammershus, with arrival in Rønne early in the morning. It is the longest of the three Bornholm crossings but the only one that starts on the Danish mainland. Exact times are in the timetable.
Why does the departure show a time just after midnight?+
Because the night ferry really does leave shortly after midnight, in the night leading into the ticket date. A ticket for Saturday means being in Køge on Friday evening. Check that your train or bus still runs at that hour: Køge station has a bus to the terminal that leaves at 00:05.
When do I have to be checked in at Køge?+
15 minutes before the scheduled departure for cars up to 2.95 m, foot passengers and bicycles; 30 minutes for higher vehicles, trailers, coaches, vehicles for disabled passengers and passengers needing assistance; 60 minutes for dangerous goods, a rule that exists only in Køge. The terminal area opens at 21:30 and is staffed from 22:00.
Do I need a cabin?+
Not by rule. A cabin is a separate booking on top of the ticket; without one you spend the five and a half hours in the lounges. If you want to start the island day rested after an early-morning arrival, book the cabin. Pets are not allowed in cabins.
Can I take my car or motorhome?+
Yes. The Hammershus is a combined freight and passenger ferry with room for cars, motorhomes, caravans, lorries and coaches. Vehicles over 2.95 m check in 30 minutes before departure. Reserve early for the summer holidays, as this route has only one sailing a night.
Can I bring my dog?+
Yes, in the marked dog areas of the passenger decks, on a lead or in a carrier and not on the seats, or in your car for the crossing. Cabins are not available to pets. Denmark bans a number of dog breeds, listed by the Danish food and veterinary authority, and that applies on Bornholm.