Larvik ferry port: arrival and the road out
The terminal address, how long disembarking takes, how Norwegian tolls work for a foreign car, and which road to take at the gate.
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The Color Line terminal in Larvik is at Revet 8, 3255 Larvik, coordinates N59 2.4001, E010 2.9368, on the spit on the eastern side of the harbour. Budget twenty to 30 min from docking to driving out of the gate on a full sailing. The E18 runs past Larvik in both directions: north for Oslo, 135 km, south-west for the coast.
Arrange tolls before you arrive. Norway charges them automatically by number plate, with no barriers, and the options differ substantially in cost.
The terminal address
Color Line AS, Revet 8, 3255 Larvik, coordinates N59 2.4001, E010 2.9368. The terminal sits out on Revet, the spit on the eastern side of the harbour, about 1.5 km from the town centre, walkable but not immediately adjacent.
Vehicles drive off directly onto the road network. There is no routine customs stop, but Norway is outside the EU customs union and spot checks take place, so the duty-free allowances are enforced limits.
Stay in the vehicle until your deck is called
Vehicles are unloaded deck by deck, so there is no advantage in going down to the car early.
Twenty to 30 min from docking to the gate
On a full summer sailing. Considerably less on a quiet crossing.
Right for Oslo, left for the south coast
The E18 runs past Larvik in both directions and is signposted from the port road. It is the only decision you need to make in the first 5 min.
Tolls start immediately and invisibly
There are no toll barriers in Norway. Cameras read the number plate and the charge follows by post. See the section below.
Norwegian road tolls
There are no toll booths. You will not be asked to stop, take a ticket or pay anything. Cameras read your number plate and the charges are collected afterwards, which is the part that surprises people three months later.
Three ways this goes for a foreign vehicle:
- Do nothing. You are invoiced at your home address one to three months later, with no discount, plus a fee for looking your details up in your national vehicle register. This is the most expensive option and also the default.
- Register your plate with Epass24 before or during the trip. No discount, but the correct rate for your vehicle and no lookup fee.
- Order an AutoPASS visitor tag two to three weeks before you travel. This is the cheapest route, with a discount on every passage plus the hourly rule and monthly cap.
The roads out
For Oslo and the east: the E18 north, about 135 km, 1 hr 40 min. Straightforward dual carriageway most of the way, and tolled.
For Telemark and the mountains: west on the E18, then inland on the smaller roads.
For the south coast: the E18 south-west towards Kristiansand, roughly 230 km along the coast.
Fuel, food and the first stop
Fill up before you leave Denmark, not after you arrive. Fuel in Norway is significantly more expensive than in Denmark, and the saving on a full tank is one of the largest single savings available on this trip.
There are filling stations and supermarkets within a few minutes of the terminal in Larvik, which matters if you land in the evening: Norwegian supermarkets keep shorter hours than Danish ones, and on Sundays most are closed. If you arrive on a Sunday evening with an empty fridge and a long drive, buy what you need in Hirtshals before you board.
Onward by public transport
For foot passengers, Larvik has a railway station on the Vestfold line with services north towards Tønsberg, Drammen and Oslo, and buses along the coast. Hirtshals, by contrast, is reached by train to Hjørring and then the Hirtshalsbanen local line.
Plan a car-free trip in this direction and it works. Plan it the other way and the Danish end is the harder half.
If you have time in Larvik
Three things within walking distance of the terminal:
- Herregården, the baroque manor house pictured above, one of the oldest and largest wooden buildings in the country.
- Bøkeskogen, the largest beech forest in Norway, on the hill behind the town, with marked paths of around 20 min.
- The waterfront, still in commercial use, with fishing boats and boatyards rather than a promenade.
Staying the night
On a late sailing you arrive in Larvik at night with 135 km still to drive to Oslo. If that applies, book a room in Larvik before you leave home.
Somewhere to stay in or near Larvik
Useful if you are on a late sailing, or if you would rather start the Norwegian driving fresh in the morning.
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Going back the other way
The return crossing leaves from this same terminal, and the same check-in rules apply: 2 hrs before for the opening, 60 min before as the recommended arrival, 15 min before for the close. Fuel is the exception: it is cheaper in Denmark, so on the return leg it is generally cheaper to fill up after arriving in Hirtshals.
For what waits on the other side, the Hirtshals port page covers the terminal there, and onward from Larvik goes further into the Norwegian side of the trip.
Book the return from Larvik
Booking the outbound and return together attracts a 10 percent discount on the return leg, which is the simplest saving available on this route.
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Questions people ask
Where is the ferry terminal in Larvik?
Color Line AS, Revet 8, 3255 Larvik. Color Line publishes the coordinates as N59 2.4001, E010 2.9368. The terminal sits on Revet, the spit on the eastern side of the harbour, a short distance from the town centre.
How long does it take to disembark?
Budget twenty to 30 min from docking to driving out of the gate on a full sailing, less when it is quiet. Vehicles come off by deck, and there is no way to influence which deck you were loaded onto.
How far is Larvik from Oslo?
About 135 km, or 1 hr 40 min on the E18. That proximity is the main reason to choose this crossing over Kristiansand, which is roughly 320 km from Oslo.
Do I need to pay tolls in Norway?
Almost certainly, yes. Norwegian tolls are collected automatically by number plate recognition, with no barriers to stop at. Foreign vehicles are either invoiced afterwards or can register in advance, which is cheaper.
Is Larvik worth stopping in?
For an hour or two, yes. Herregården is one of the oldest wooden buildings in Norway, the Bøkeskogen beech forest is the largest in the country and the waterfront is pleasant. It is a good place to eat before driving on, not a destination.