Ystad - Rønne Ferry: the Fast Crossing to Bornholm
At 80 minutes, the fast ferry from Ystad to Rønne is the shortest crossing to Bornholm and the only route with charging points on board. Getting there, check-in and departures.
By bornholm.de editorial team · Travel editors · Last updated: September 2026
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Ystad - Rønne is the backbone of travel to Bornholm: the shortest crossing, the highest frequency, and the only one of the three direct routes reliably served several times a day all year round. The operator is Bornholmslinjen. The trade-off is the overland leg to southern Sweden, as Ystad lies around 60 kilometres east of Malmö on the Swedish south coast.
The shortest crossing to Bornholm
The fast ferries cross the Baltic in a scheduled 80 minutes. For comparison, Sassnitz takes 3 hours 20 minutes and Køge 5 hours 30 minutes. If you want to keep your time at sea short, there is no alternative to Ystad.
Frequency matters as much as the crossing time. In high season up to 16 ferries run a day, and several departures remain outside the season. That makes this the only route on which missing a connection costs you hours rather than the whole travel day. For travellers from Poland it is also the second leg of today's usual route via Świnoujście, which is set out on Via Kołobrzeg to Bornholm.
Ystad ferry port: driving, rail and check-in
By car you reach Ystad across the Øresund Bridge and on via Malmö. Vehicle check-in is at Bornholmsgatan 1B; foot passengers use the entrance at Hamntorget 2. Both are right by the harbour, and Ystad's old town is within walking distance, which makes waiting time bearable.
Without a car, rail is the most reliable way. From Copenhagen the Øresundstog takes you via Malmö, where you change to the Pågatåg to Ystad; allow around 3 hours 45 minutes to the ferry. If you would rather stay seated, the Bornholm Expressen coach runs from Copenhagen and from CPH airport via Ystad and drives onto the ferry. More on connections is in the guide to travelling by train.
Check-in closes earlier here than on any other Bornholm route, just 10 minutes before scheduled departure for cars up to 2.95 metres high, foot passengers and bicycles. It extends to 30 minutes for electric cars with a reserved charging bay, wheelchair-accessible vehicles, passengers needing assistance, and for motorhomes above 2.95 metres, lorries, trailers and coaches. The deadline runs from the scheduled departure time, even if the ship is delayed.
Ystad - Rønne departures
The table shows this route's departures for a given day in both directions. Choose your date; return sailings from Rønne are on the second tab. All three Bornholm routes side by side are on the Bornholm ferry timetable page.
Ystad - Rønne departures
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Electric cars: the only route with charging on board
You can charge during the crossing on Ystad - Rønne, but not on the Sassnitz or Køge routes. Each ferry carries two charging stations with Type 1 and Type 2 connectors. Capacity is limited and the bay must be reserved when booking; if you have one, you need to be checked in 30 minutes before departure rather than 10.
Over an 80-minute crossing the charge you gain is modest, but it is normally enough for onward driving on the island. Bornholm itself has plenty of public charging points; the Danish map elbilviden.dk lists the locations.
On board and arriving in Rønne
Eighty minutes is too short for a cabin and long enough for a coffee. The ferry has a food service and an on-board shop. Dogs and cats may travel, on a lead or in a carrier and in the designated animal areas; they are not permitted in cabins, and many animals travel more calmly in the car. The rules for entering Denmark, including the dog breeds banned there, are covered in the guide to Bornholm with dogs.
At Rønne, vehicles to and from Ystad use the Sverigesvej access and foot passengers the terminal area at Dampskibskajen. Keep your passport or identity card to hand, as the authorities check travellers to and from Bornholm regularly. What the arrival town itself has to offer is covered in the guide to Rønne.
Who this route suits
Ystad works if you are travelling across the Øresund Bridge or by train via Malmö anyway, if flexibility matters more to you than the shortest overland distance, if you drive an electric car and want to charge on the way, or if you are travelling outside the summer months when the other routes thin out.
The argument against it is the approach: from northern Germany, Sassnitz gets you there with fewer kilometres. If you are setting out from Berlin or Hamburg and would rather not cross two more countries, look at the direct ferry from Sassnitz; if you are already on Zealand, at the night ferry from Køge. All three routes are compared in the overview of ferries to Bornholm.