Køge - Rønne Ferry
The night crossing from Zealand
The night ferry from Køge, just south of Copenhagen, reaches Rønne early in the morning. Its departure after midnight makes it easy to book the wrong day.
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Køge - Rønne is the longest of the three direct routes to Bornholm and the only one that leaves from Denmark itself. Køge lies on Køge Bay south of Copenhagen, around 40 minutes away by S-train, the scheduled crossing takes 5 hours 30 minutes, and it runs as a night service. The operator is Bornholmslinjen.
Overnight from Zealand to Bornholm
If you are travelling via Zealand you have two options: carry on across the Øresund Bridge to Ystad and take the fast ferry, or board at Køge and spend the night at sea. The second saves you a night's accommodation and the drive through southern Sweden, at the cost of time at sea and a short night.
Unlike the Sassnitz route, Køge - Rønne runs year-round and usually daily. That makes it often the obvious choice for travellers from Copenhagen who want their travel day to start on the island.
The date trap: departure after midnight
This route has a trap built into the timetable itself. The ferry leaves at 00:30, half an hour after midnight. In the timetable it therefore carries the date of the arrival day, not of the evening on which you have to be at the port.
In practice: if you book for a Saturday, you need to be in Køge on Friday evening. Overlook that shift and you will turn up a day late. Check twice which date is on your ticket and which evening it actually means.
A second consequence follows. Getting to Køge has to work at that hour. From Køge station, the free bus 106 leaves at 00:05 and reaches the terminal in five minutes, timed to connect with the ferry. If you are travelling without a car, check that your train from Copenhagen gets to Køge in time for it, particularly on Sundays and public holidays.
Køge ferry port: opening hours and check-in
The terminal is at Baltic Kaj 1, 4600 Køge, which is the address for foot passengers and for vehicles left without a driver. In keeping with the night departure, the site only opens around 21:30 and is staffed from 22:00. Arriving earlier in the evening gains you nothing; you will find the terminal closed.
Check-in closes 15 minutes before scheduled departure for standard, flex and lowprice tickets, covering vehicles up to 2.95 metres high and 3,500 kg, foot passengers and bicycles. It extends to 30 minutes for wheelchair-accessible vehicles, passengers needing assistance, electric cars with reserved charging on board, and for lorries, articulated lorries, semi-trailers and coaches. For dangerous goods this route alone applies a 60-minute deadline. The scheduled departure time is what counts, even if the ship is delayed.
Køge - Rønne departures
The table shows this route's departures for a given day in both directions. Keep the date behaviour of the night sailing described above in mind. All three Bornholm routes side by side are on the Bornholm ferry timetable page.
Køge - Rønne departures
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On board: cabin or reclining seat
Five and a half hours overnight make this the only Bornholm crossing on which where you sleep actually matters. A cabin is not included in the cheapest fare and is booked separately; without one you will find reclining seats on board. Whether you need a cabin depends less on the fare than on what arrival day holds: if you disembark in Rønne at six in the morning and drive straight on, you will notice the difference.
Passengers with a disability can book special cabin tickets on this route for themselves and a companion. These are not sold online but requested from the operator's booking service no later than the day before departure.
Pets may travel, on a lead or in a carrier and in the designated animal areas. They are not permitted in regular cabins, although a few cabins where dogs are allowed can be booked by phone with the operator; on an overnight crossing, that affects how you plan. Leaving your dog in the car for the crossing is allowed and calmer for many animals. The rules for entering Denmark and the dog breeds banned there are covered in the guide to Bornholm with dogs.
With an electric car, it is best to charge before check-in: there are charging points in the town of Køge, a short drive from the ferry terminal, and once you have checked in, charging at the port is no longer possible.
Arriving in Rønne early in the morning
The ferry reaches Rønne early in the morning. Vehicles to and from Køge use the Tysklandsvej access, foot passengers the terminal area at Dampskibskajen. At that hour shops and rental desks on the island are still closed and an early check-in at your accommodation is rarely possible. Plan the first morning deliberately, with breakfast in Rønne or a first drive to the coast.
Keep your passport or identity card to hand, as the authorities check travellers to and from Bornholm regularly.
Who this route suits
Køge works if you are coming from Copenhagen or elsewhere on Zealand, if you would rather spend the night crossing than paying for a hotel, or if you want your travel day to be spent entirely on the island.
It argues against itself if your schedule is tight, if your journey cannot get you to Køge late at night, or if you are travelling with a dog and the cabins where dogs are allowed are sold out. If you prefer a short crossing, take the fast ferry from Ystad; if you are coming from Germany without a detour through Denmark, the direct ferry from Sassnitz. All three routes are compared in the overview of ferries to Bornholm.