Crossing guide
What the Klaipėda to Karlshamn crossing is like
DFDS states that the Klaipėda to Karlshamn ferry takes 13 hours. Its schedule has evening departures from Klaipėda arriving in Karlshamn early the next morning, and the clocks go back an hour on the way. Around six DFDS departures run each week, alongside TT-Line sailings, and times vary by day, so compare the week before you fix your plans in Sweden.
Leaving Klaipėda
DFDS sails from Klaipėda Central Terminal on Baltijos prospektas, which DFDS puts about 30 minutes by bus from the city’s train and bus station. Check-in opens three hours before departure and closes 90 minutes before. TT-Line sailings on the Karlshamn route use a different Klaipėda terminal, so check the one named on your booking.
Arriving in Karlshamn
The ship docks at Karlshamn on Sweden’s south coast, with the terminal on Öresundsvägen. Morning arrivals leave a full day for the drive onward through Blekinge or towards Malmö and Stockholm, but allow time to collect the car and clear the port before planning a fixed onward appointment.
Vessels
Ships commonly used on this route
Luna Seaways
Typical route vessel; assignment is not guaranteed. Check your booking for the ship actually operating.
Ciudad de Valencia
Typical route vessel; assignment is not guaranteed. Check your booking for the ship actually operating.
DFDS names Luna Seaways for this route and is bringing in Ciudad de Valencia to replace Optima Seaways during autumn 2026. Some departures that DFDS sells are operated by TT-Line ships, which follow TT-Line’s own pet rules.
Dogs aboard
Travelling with a dog on DFDS
Heading to Sweden, your dog stays with you in a pet-friendly cabin: DFDS stopped allowing pets to be left in cars on its Baltic routes. Luna Seaways adds heated kennels if the cabins are full, but you must bring the dog’s bedding, and DFDS does not list kennels on Ciudad de Valencia.
- Documents
- Between EU countries a dog needs an EU pet passport, a microchip and a rabies vaccination; after the first vaccination the dog must wait at least 21 days before travelling.
- Tapeworm
- The EU tapeworm treatment rule applies to dogs entering Finland, Ireland, Malta, Norway or Northern Ireland, so it is not needed for Sweden. Pets living outside the EU follow different rules.
- Booking
- Reserve the pet cabin, or a Luna Seaways kennel, when you book, and add each pet. Check-in in Klaipėda closes 90 minutes before departure, and the microchip is scanned there.
- On board
- Muzzle and lead, or a travel kennel, are required when you move the dog from the car or shuttle bus to the cabin. Assistance dogs apart, pets stay out of the public areas; use the exercise deck instead.
Carrier and border rules change. Confirm every item with DFDS, the official sources below and your vet before you travel.
Cabin alerts
What SailSoon watches on this route
DFDS monitoring currently covers the next 180 days. Dates further ahead are checked on a rotating schedule. Checks are made for two adults travelling with a car, so other party sizes or foot passengers may see different results. Prices we show are for the cabin or option only, not the full fare, and nothing is reserved for you: book and confirm the total price and pet terms with DFDS.
- Pet-friendly cabins
- Cabins DFDS marks as pet-friendly, when it offers them on the sailing. Check the pet rules and any pet charge on the booking page.
- Premium cabins
- The operator’s premium or deluxe cabin categories, including pet-friendly premium cabins where they exist.
- Standard cabins
- Ordinary private cabins for at least two people, inside or with a window.
- Not monitored
- Kennels, seats, shared berths, deck options and the full fare. Check those directly with DFDS.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long is the ferry from Klaipėda to Karlshamn?
DFDS puts the crossing at 13 hours. Departures leave Klaipėda in the evening and arrive in Karlshamn the next morning, Swedish time.
Which ships sail from Klaipėda to Karlshamn?
Luna Seaways and Ciudad de Valencia are the usual ships for this crossing. DFDS names Luna Seaways for this route and is bringing in Ciudad de Valencia to replace Optima Seaways during autumn 2026. Some departures that DFDS sells are operated by TT-Line ships, which follow TT-Line’s own pet rules. The ship on your booking is the one whose cabins and pet facilities apply.
Can I take my dog on the Klaipėda to Karlshamn ferry?
Yes, in a pet-friendly cabin, or in a kennel when Luna Seaways is the ship. Pets are not left in vehicles on DFDS’s Baltic sailings, and TT-Line-operated departures have their own pet arrangements.
What paperwork does my dog need for Karlshamn?
An EU pet passport, a microchip and a rabies vaccination given at least 21 days after the primary course. Sweden is not one of the countries that require the EU tapeworm treatment. Check the official guidance before you travel, as rules change.
Does SailSoon alert me to kennels on this route?
No. On DFDS we watch pet-friendly, premium and standard cabins only. Kennel space is not monitored, so check and book kennels directly with DFDS.
Sources
Where these facts come from
- DFDS: Karlshamn to Klaipėda (reviewed 2026-09-11)
- DFDS: Klaipėda to Karlshamn (reviewed 2026-09-11)
- DFDS: ship overview, Klaipėda–Karlshamn (reviewed 2026-09-11)
- DFDS: pet-friendly cabins, Klaipėda–Karlshamn (reviewed 2026-09-11)
- DFDS: pet travel (Baltic Sea routes) (reviewed 2026-09-11)
- DFDS: check-in and boarding (reviewed 2026-09-11)
- DFDS: travelling with pets (reviewed 2026-09-11)
- Your Europe: travelling with pets in the EU (reviewed 2026-09-11)
Member alerts
Get told when a Klaipėda to Karlshamn cabin appears
Create a free account, then set the dates and cabin types you need on this route. We email you when a matching cabin shows up in DFDS’s booking system.
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