Motorhomes & vehicles

On the Stockholm - Helsinki overnight ferry, your motorhome travels on the car deck while you spend the night upstairs on board. Both ferry companies take motorhomes, caravans and vehicles with trailers. But they describe their limits differently: Viking Line with fixed vehicle classes by length and height, Tallink Silja with limits on weight, width and vehicle-and-trailer combinations. If you know your dimensions beforehand, you'll book the right class and avoid surprises at the terminal.

Viking Line: vehicle classes

On this route, Viking Line classifies vehicles by length and height:

Give the exact dimensions when you book, including any roof box, kayak or bike rack on the roof. So don't go by the data sheet; measure what actually rolls onto the ramp.

Online, you can book at most two vehicles up to 7 metres long and 2.4 metres high with Viking Line. If your vehicle is larger, you can only book one vehicle or one vehicle with trailer online. What each class costs is on the Prices & fares page.

Tallink Silja: limits for vehicles with trailers

Tallink Silja sets limits for combinations of a towing vehicle and a trailer or caravan:

• up to 2.4 metres high and up to 12 metres long, or
• up to 4.4 metres high and up to 14 metres long.

If your combination is larger, contact Tallink Silja's customer service. Vehicles over 3.5 tonnes or wider than 2.6 metres go through the freight department. Up to nine people can travel per vehicle booking. Here too, give the exact dimensions when you book.

Gas, fuel and heating

Viking Line doesn't allow vehicles running on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Vehicles running on natural gas or biogas (CNG or CBG) are allowed. Gas bottles may only travel in a caravan, with the valve closed and taped. Parking heaters must not run on board.

For gas bottles and gas systems with Tallink Silja, clarify the rules with the ferry company when you book.

Vehicle documents

Viking Line requires the original vehicle registration certificate and a country identification code on the vehicle. Keep the registration document with your passport or national ID card so that you have both to hand at check-in.

Check-in and loading

With Viking Line, check-in opens about 1.5 hours before departure. Vehicles must be ready for loading at least 30 minutes before departure, and vehicles over 2.40 metres high 45 minutes before.

In Stockholm, Viking Line's vehicle check-in is at the Fotografiska museum, 700 metres from the terminal. Coming from Slussen, you can't turn left there; approach from the east, from the direction of Nacka, and turn right at Fotografiska. In Helsinki, cars check in at Gate C at the Katajanokka terminal.

With Tallink Silja, you check in at the terminal with your vehicle 1.5 hours before departure. At the Olympia terminal in Helsinki, vehicle check-in runs from 15:00 to 16:15. All deadlines for both ferry companies are on the Check-in page, and how to get to the terminals is on the Stockholm ferry port and Helsinki ferry port pages.

On board and on arrival

With Viking Line, the car deck is closed during the crossing and opens 15 to 30 minutes before arrival. Before leaving the deck, take everything you need for the night upstairs with you, including medication, charging cables and clothes for the next day. The Cabins page shows the cabins on the four ships.

There are no charging points for electric cars on board with Tallink Silja, so charge your vehicle before departure. On arrival, vehicles leave the ship straight away.

If your dog is travelling with you, it may not stay in the vehicle on the car deck with either ferry company. The rules are on the Dogs & pets page.

Parking in Helsinki

If you want to leave your vehicle in Helsinki and continue on foot: the Olympiaparkki car park below the Olympia terminal can only be used with a prior booking and has a maximum height of 3.2 metres. The Getting there & onward travel page describes onward connections from the ports.