Getting to Bornholm

Routes to Bornholm at a glance

Bornholm sits on its own in the Baltic Sea, closer to Sweden than to the Danish mainland, and can only be reached by sea or air. All three direct ferries dock at Rønne, all run by the same operator, Bornholmslinjen, a subsidiary of Danish Molslinjen. Which route suits you best depends mainly on which direction you're travelling from and whether you're bringing a car.

The Ystad-Rønne route is the backbone of Bornholm travel - the fastest crossing, the highest frequency and the lowest starting price, running year-round. It's the recommended default whether you drive over the Øresund Bridge or take the train via Malmö. For a full breakdown of every connection, ship type and feeder route, see the overview of ferries to Bornholm. If you're short on time or travelling without a car, check the flight to Bornholm from Copenhagen, Billund or Aalborg.

By car and ferry

For many travellers, combining car and ferry is the most convenient option. All three routes take cars, motorhomes, motorbikes and bicycles, and there are two sensible ways to approach the journey.

Via Ruegen and the direct ferry: if you're coming from Germany, the drive to Sassnitz/Mukran puts you on the direct ferry, a crossing of around 3 hours 20 minutes to Rønne. The cheapest lowprice ticket here starts from 699 DKK for a vehicle plus up to five people. This direct ferry is, however, strongly seasonal - it typically runs daily in high season from June to August, drops to around three or four times a week in the shoulder season, and can fall to about once a week in deep winter.

Via Sweden to Ystad: driving via Denmark and the Øresund Bridge gets you to Ystad for the 80-minute fast ferry. This route means more time on the road but less on the water, and it's cheaper too, from 199 DKK, with up to 16 departures a day giving far more flexibility. The Køge-Rønne overnight ferry generally runs daily year-round; it departs at night and arrives early morning. A cabin isn't compulsory - the lowprice ticket from 199 DKK doesn't include one, and reclining lounge seats are available on board, with cabins costing from 349 DKK extra.

Travelling by electric car is manageable. Charging during the crossing, though, is only available on the Ystad-Rønne route: each ferry there has two charging points with Type 1 and Type 2 connectors, and the charging bay must be reserved when booking. On the M/S Hammershus serving Sassnitz and Køge, on-board charging isn't offered - only harbour charging points are available, and these become inaccessible once you've checked in. On the island itself, plenty of public charging points fill the gap; the Danish map elbilviden.dk lists locations.

Without a car: train, bus and flight

Bornholm is also easy to reach without your own car. Flying is the fastest option: the flight from Copenhagen takes just 35 to 40 minutes, from 549 DKK one way, and Rønne Airport is only five kilometres from town. For details on connections, baggage transfer and getting into town, see the guide to flying to Bornholm.

By train, the most reliable route is via Copenhagen and Ystad. From Copenhagen, take the Oresundstog via Malmö, then change onto the Pågatåg to Ystad - a total journey of around 3 hours 45 minutes, connecting with the fast ferry. Combined train-plus-ferry tickets via DSB start from 149 DKK one way, with the ferry included in the price. Via Sassnitz, the RE27 train only runs seasonally straight through to the Mukran ferry terminal; outside the season you'll need to change onto a bus. Which route suits which starting point is covered in detail in the guide to travelling to Bornholm by train.

If you'd rather stay in your seat the whole way, take the Bornholm Expressen coach (operated by Vikingbus). It runs from Copenhagen and Copenhagen Airport via Ystad to Rønne and rolls straight onto the ferry, so there's no need to change. If you're travelling from Poland, there is currently no scheduled direct ferry - for the background on the discontinued route and today's route via Sweden, see via Kolobrzeg to Bornholm. If you're arriving by cruise ship as a day visitor, the practicalities of going ashore are covered in the guide to cruising to Bornholm.