What size car or camper can you bring?
Height and length limits for each fare class, what moves you into the next one, and how vehicles are loaded at the terminal.
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The standard car fare on the Hirtshals to Larvik ferry covers vehicles up to 5.00 m long and 1.95 m high, with up to four people. The motorhome package covers up to 5.00 m long and 2.55 m high for two people. Caravans and trailers are fared on the combined length of the outfit, and motorcycles are the cheapest vehicle on board.
The 1.95 m height limit is measured on the vehicle as it arrives at check-in, fully loaded. A roof box or a roof-mounted bike rack is enough to take an ordinary estate car over it.
The fare classes
| Vehicle | Max length | Max height | People included |
|---|---|---|---|
| Car, standard fare | 5.00 m | 1.95 m | Up to 4 |
| Motorhome, camper package | 5.00 m | 2.55 m | Up to 2 |
| Car plus caravan or trailer | Fared on combined length | Fared on height of the tallest unit | Quoted at booking |
| Motorcycle | Not a constraint in practice | Not a constraint in practice | Rider and pillion |
Limits as published by Color Line, August 2026. If your vehicle falls outside these limits you are quoted separately. You are not turned away.
Cars
An ordinary saloon, hatchback or estate sits under both limits, and up to four people travel on the standard fare. Because the fare is charged per person rather than per vehicle, the cost per traveller falls as the car fills up.
Two things that catch car drivers out:
- Roof boxes. A typical roof box adds 35 to 45 cm. On an estate already at 1.60 m that is fine, on a mid-size SUV at 1.75 m it is not.
- Roof-mounted bike racks. Worse than a box, because the bikes themselves are the high point and the height varies with what you loaded.
A tow bar mounted bike rack changes your length rather than your height, and length is the more forgiving of the two limits for a car.
Campers and motorhomes
Color Line sells a motorhome package for this route, advertised from €107 per person, covering vehicles up to 5.00 m long and 2.55 m high for two people. The height allowance covers most panel van conversions and compact coachbuilts.
It does not cover a large A-class or a long coachbuilt, which usually exceed 5 m. These are still carried but are quoted individually, at a higher fare. If your motorhome is around 7 m long, request a quote before planning the trip around this port.
Caravans and trailers
Carried on every sailing, fared on the combined length of car plus caravan. Practical points:
Measure nose to tail, including the tow bar
The measurement is the outfit as it stands hitched, not the caravan's catalogue length. The tow bar and any rear-mounted rack are part of it.
Book the combination, not the car
A caravan arriving on a car booking is charged at the applicable fare at check-in. Declare it when booking so the price is settled in advance.
Expect your own lane
Caravans and trailers are called forward in their own sequence, often after the cars. Arriving early does not change the order, it just means you wait somewhere more comfortable.
Caravans are unhitched before loading
You will be directed and, where needed, strapped. Follow the deck crew rather than parking to your own preference.
Motorcycles
Motorcycles are the cheapest vehicle class on this crossing and are not affected by the height and length limits. Bikes are loaded as a group and secured by the deck crew. Bring a seat cover if rain is forecast; the vehicle deck is enclosed but the boarding lanes are not.
Bicycles and foot passengers
You can cross as a foot passenger, and you can bring a bicycle. Two things to know before you plan a car-free trip around this route:
- Without a car, Hirtshals is reached by rail via Hjørring, with the Hirtshalsbanen local line running on to the port.
- Larvik on the other side is better connected, with rail and bus links up the coast towards Oslo.
Electric vehicles
Electric cars are carried on the same terms as any other car, fared on the same length and height limits. Two things are specific to them.
There is no charging on board. The crossing is 3 hrs 45 min with the vehicle deck sealed, so you arrive with the charge you left with. Plan Hirtshals as a charging stop rather than assuming the ferry will help.
Charging on arrival. Norway has one of the densest charging networks in Europe, so route planning on this trip generally matters more on the Danish and German legs than in Norway itself.
Some operators ask that electric vehicles are parked in a designated area or that the charge level is declared at booking. Check what Color Line asks for your sailing rather than assuming it is the same as the last ferry you took.
Gas bottles in a camper
Carried, and normal for a motorhome or caravan, but with conditions that are standard across ferry operators: bottles must be secured, valves closed, and the system switched off for the crossing. Declare them at booking if you are asked to. Refrigerators running on gas have to be off while you are on the vehicle deck.
Check this before departure rather than at the terminal, since the rule is enforced during loading.
Pets
Dogs and other pets travel on this route and must be added to the booking. Color Line requires car alarms to be switched off if an animal is left in the vehicle during the crossing. Norway’s import rules for animals apply separately from the ferry booking and are stricter, so check both.
Before you book
Confirm the height, the length and the number of passengers before booking. The prices page explains what affects the fare, and the Hirtshals port page covers check-in and loading.
Get a quote for your actual vehicle
Enter your vehicle's actual dimensions so the quoted fare matches the class you will be charged at check-in.
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Questions people ask
What is the height limit for the standard car fare?
1.95 metres, with a maximum length of 5.00 metres and up to four people in the vehicle. Above that height you move into a different fare class, and the camper package allows up to 2.55 metres high and 5.00 metres long for two people.
Does a roof box or bike rack change my fare?
It can, and this is the single most common surprise on this route. The measurement is your vehicle as loaded, not as it left the factory. A roof box on an ordinary estate car will often push you past 1.95 metres.
Can I take a caravan or a trailer?
Yes. Caravans and trailers are carried, but they are fared on combined length, so a car plus caravan is a different booking from a car. Measure the whole combination including the tow bar and any bike rack on the caravan's back.
Can I take a motorbike?
Yes. Motorcycles are the cheapest vehicle class on this route. They are loaded and secured separately from cars, in their own group.
Can I take my dog?
Yes. Pets are carried on this route and must be added to the booking. Color Line requires car alarms to be deactivated if an animal stays in the vehicle. Norway has its own entry rules for pets, so check those separately before you travel.