This summer, a large percentage of Northern Europeans started their holidays on board one of Scandlines’ ferries, the ferry operator claimed.
During June, July and August, Scandlines transported 2.7 mill pax and 728,000 cars between Germany and Denmark, up from 2.6 mill pax last year.
The number of passenger cars has also increased – from 716,509 cars in 2023 to 727,978 in 2024.
”Already in early summer, we saw a lot of interest in booking ferry tickets for the summer holidays. This sent a clear signal that the summer would be busy. And it turned out to be true. We are pleased that we could give so many people a good start to their holidays. We have had a stable operation without any cancellations,” said Vice President Head of Commercial Management, Lars Kyrø.
The weekend of 19/21 July saw the largest number of passengers (146,209), while the weekend of 26/28 July saw the largest number of cars – 40,235.
Some of the passengers took advantage of Scandlines’ dynamic ticketing system, which means lower prices for passengers who are able to book well in advance or travel on the less busy departures.
This system also helps to utilise the ferries’ capacity more efficiently and strengthen Scandlines’ competitiveness. Because competition for customers is intense, Scandlines launched a new app that has made it easier to book tickets.
The ferry operator is also installing license plate scanners at ports to make check-in faster. Many followed the call to travel outside rush hours. Throughout the summer, Scandlines has offered a departure every half hour around the clock on the crossing between Puttgarden and Rødby and every two hours and all night between Rostock and Gedser.
While most holidaymakers prefer to start their journey in the morning or early afternoon, they are generally more flexible when travelling home and use the ferry throughout the day and night.
“Our passengers are increasingly using the ferry all day and night when returning home from holiday. We want to distribute the passengers so that no one experiences any significant waiting time and everyone has a really good experience,” Kyrø explained.
Scandlines has also transported a large number of buses and lorries. In July alone, 3,003 buses were handled.
