Hirtshals ferry port: terminal, check-in and parking
The terminal address, when check-in opens and closes, where to park and where to stay the night before an early sailing.
Checked
The Color Line terminal in Hirtshals is at Fergeterminalen Norgeskajen 2, 9850 Hirtshals, coordinates N57 35.54, E009 58.0048. Check-in opens 2 hrs before departure and closes 15 min before it, and Color Line asks everyone to arrive at least 60 min ahead. There is parking at the port for foot passengers, and the town has a handful of places to stay.
Hirtshals is a town of a few thousand people on the northern tip of Jutland, built around its harbour. The port is well signposted and the town itself is compact.
The terminal address
Color Line AS, Fergeterminalen Norgeskajen 2, 9850 Hirtshals. Color Line publishes the coordinates as N57 35.54, E009 58.0048, which is worth putting into the sat nav rather than the town name. Hirtshals has a large working fishing harbour that you meet first coming into town, and the ferry terminals sit separately from it.
The E39 runs into Hirtshals and the port is signposted from the edge of town. There are no tolls on the Danish motorway network on this approach.
Check-in, in the order it happens
2 hrs before departure: check-in opens
The earliest you can join the boarding lanes. In July and August, arriving close to this time is advisable.
60 min before: Color Line's recommended arrival
Color Line's stated minimum arrival time, for foot passengers as well as vehicles.
At the booth: documents and measurements
Valid ID for everyone, a passport strongly encouraged because border controls apply, and your booking reference. If your vehicle looks over the height in your fare class, this is where it is measured.
15 min before: check-in closes
Check-in closes. After this, Color Line's rebooking terms apply.
Boarding: by lane, not by arrival
You are directed into a numbered lane and called forward as a group. Campers, caravans and freight load in their own sequence, so being early in the car park changes nothing about your place on the ramp.
Parking
There is parking at the port for foot passengers, in both short and long stay areas. If you are leaving a car for a week or more, confirm the arrangement when you book rather than turning up and reading a sign, because the terms differ between the areas and the port is not a place where you want to be solving that problem 40 min before departure.
The night before
Driving up from Germany or the Netherlands, an overnight stop before a morning sailing splits the journey. Two options:
- Hirtshals itself. Walking distance to the terminal and no morning drive at all. The town is small, so the supply of rooms is limited and summer weekends go early.
- Aalborg, about 1 hr south. Considerably more choice of hotels and restaurants, and a 60 km drive north in the morning.
Somewhere to sleep before an early sailing
Hirtshals has a handful of options within reach of the terminal. Aalborg, an hour south, has considerably more.
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Getting to the terminal by road
The E39 runs into Hirtshals and the port is signposted from the edge of town. Coming up the E45 from the south, you leave it at Aalborg and follow the E39 for the last 60 km. There are no tolls on the Danish motorway network on the way.
Put the coordinates into the sat nav rather than the town name. Hirtshals has a large working fishing harbour that you meet first, and more than one ferry operator uses the port: Color Line sails to Larvik and Kristiansand, Fjord Line to Kristiansand, Stavanger and Bergen, and Smyril Line to the Faroe Islands and Iceland. The terminals are separate, and following signs for the wrong one costs you 15 min you may not have.
Eating and waiting
The terminal has the basics: a waiting area, toilets, ticket desks and a small cafe. It is a working ferry terminal rather than an airport, so do not plan a meal around it.
The town centre is a 5 min drive and has supermarkets and a few places to eat. Buying food before boarding is worth considering: there are three restaurants, a cafe and a bar on board, all charged separately from the ticket, and the buffet fills immediately after departure.
If you arrive with hours to spare
The North Sea Oceanarium is the main attraction and takes an hour or two, which suits families breaking a long drive. There is also the lighthouse, the wartime bunker museum in the dunes and the working fishing harbour. Together they fill the gap before a sailing.
Continue planning your journey
The drive up here is the part that varies most by where you started, and that is getting to Hirtshals. For what happens on the other side, the Larvik port page covers arrival and the road out.
Book the sailing that fits your drive
Once you know when you will realistically reach Hirtshals, the departure choice makes itself. Compare a few times on your date.
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Questions people ask
Where is the Color Line terminal in Hirtshals?
Color Line AS, Fergeterminalen Norgeskajen 2, 9850 Hirtshals. The GPS coordinates Color Line publishes are N57 35.54, E009 58.0048. It sits on the western side of the harbour, separate from the fishing port you see first as you come into town.
When does check-in open and close?
Check-in opens 2 hrs before departure and closes 15 min before it. Color Line asks all guests, with or without a vehicle, to arrive at least 60 min before departure.
Can I park at Hirtshals if I am leaving the car behind?
Yes, there is parking at the port for foot passengers. If you are travelling for more than a few days, confirm the long stay arrangement when you book rather than assuming, because terms differ from the short stay areas.
Is there anywhere to stay in Hirtshals the night before?
Yes, and for anyone driving up from Germany or the Netherlands for a morning sailing it is usually the sane choice. Hirtshals is small, so options are limited and fill up in summer. Aalborg, an hour south, has far more rooms.
What is there to do in Hirtshals if I arrive early?
The North Sea Oceanarium is the main attraction. There is also the lighthouse, the bunker museum and the fishing harbour. Together they fill an hour or two rather than a full day.