All information about the ferry between Bodo and the Lofoten Islands + Vaeroy

To reach the lofoten Islands , probably the most beautiful place in Norway there are a number of options. You can either arrive directly by road from the north, the road coming from Tromso, or by plane directly to Harstad/Narvik (Evenes airport).
But a very common option is to arrive in Bodo, which offers many advantages:

• direct flights from Oslo
• road access from central Norway
• above all, a ferry to Lofoten

The ferry from Bodo to southern Lofoten in Moskenes is super convenient. It only lasts 3h15 (sometimes a bit more). You don’t have to go up from Bodo to the entrance to Lofoten, much further north, and then drive another 3 hours to go back down to Svolvaer. So that saves a hell of a lot of time!
But is it always the best solution, how much does the ferry cost, how long does it take and how often? Let’s find out!

When is it best to take the ferry from Bodo?

As I said in the introduction, there are two ways to enter the Lofoten Islands:

• from the north of the Lofoten Islands
  • via Harstad/Narvik airport (there are also airports in Leknes and Svolvaer, but these are rarer), located at the entrance to the Lofoten Islands, you’re easily 3 or 4 hours (with photo breaks) away from the center of the Lofoten Islands, the most interesting part of the island
  • by road, via the E6 which becomes the E10. The Lofoten Islands are very large, all in length, and it takes 6 hours to get from one end to the other!
• From the south, via the ferry from Bodo, this ferry reaches the Lofoten Islands (Moskenes) and Vaeroy. We arrive at the very south of the islands, on the fabulous island of Moskenesoya, not far from Reine and A i Lofoten.

1. You’re only visiting the Lofoten Islands
   • In that case, it’s probably best to arrive in Harstad/Narvik. It’s quicker because you arrive directly at Lofoten, can rent a car there and then head further south.
   • Arriving in Bodo and taking the ferry doesn’t really offer any advantages: the plane takes the same amount of time, car hire is the same, but you’ll have to take the ferry. So a bit more expensive (with the car) and takes more time. Unless you want to visit the city, that’s the only advantage I can see. After that, the ferry ride is great fun too, and the views of the mountains are very pretty!
2. You can also visit the north (Tromso, Senja, Finnmark)
   • Unless you make a huge detour from Narvik to Bodo (more than 5 hours’ drive), you’ll have to come to Lofoten by road. In general, you’ll arrive in Tromso to visit the region (Alta too, but that’s rarer)
   • On the other hand, what could be interesting, at least to take advantage of both options, is to arrive by road to the north, drive down to the Lofoten Islands and, once you’ve finished, take the ferry back rather than driving all the way up. And you take another route up from Bodo, passing the Stetind, the “national” mountain
3. Coming from the south, by car or train
   • The easiest way to do this is to take the ferry from Bodo to Moskenes, as you’re coming from the south. So you need to take the ferry, and from there head up to the Lofoten Islands. As you’ll probably be visiting other places in the north of the country, you’ll take the road back to Vesteralen, Senja and Tromso.
   • If you’re traveling by train, this is perfect, as Bodo is the end of the Norwegian rail network. So you can easily get to the pier. What’s more, as we’ll see, it’s free for pedestrians!

How to take the ferry from Bodo to Lofoten / Moskenes

The company operating this route is Torghatten Nord this is where you’ll find all the information you need (which we’ll go into in more detail below), and also where you can make your reservation. This company also manages a number of routes in the north of the country, such as from Senja to Tromso.
So, here’s how to make a reservation on their website, which is now clean and easy to use:

• First of all, you’ll need to switch the site to English, in the top left-hand corner
• Enter the port of departure (Bodo), the port of arrival (Moskenes) and a date, then click on “search”

• The website is very easy to use and to understand
• You need to enter the port of departure, arrival and date again, then choose the type of ticket:
  • chose the kind of car (normal + size), campervan, caravan… and the attached passengers
  • Zero emission means “electric vehicle”, which is distinguished because it’s cheaper
  • A vehicle necessarily includes a driver
  • For example: if you are a car and 2 people, you need to add a vehicle and a person (passenger)
• Then click on “search”

• The results are now displayed, showing what’s sold out (in red) and what’s available. With a price summary on the right

• Once you’ve selected the time, you need to enter the vehicle and passenger details
• You have the option of paying online or using the code of your Autopassferje number if you have ordered it before
• Finally, you’ll be asked to pay by credit card on the next page, a secure payment

• Book your ferry ticket on Torghatten Nord

What are the ferry schedules between Bodo and the Lofoten Islands?

The ferry runs all year round, with more or fewer rotations depending on the season. You can find all the official 2026 timetables here:

• low season: October 1 to May 17 (winter schedule, usually 2 departures per day, see detailed timetable here)
• high season: May 18 to September 6, with many departures per day (see detailed timetable here)

Careful, it’s not easy, we’re going to separate low season and high season and the days (yes, why make it simple when you can make it complicated):

• • Direction Bodo – Moskenes:
    • High season (May 18 to September 6)
      • Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 1:15am* / 3:15am / 6am / 7am / 10am* / 12pm / 4pm / 5pm (via Værøy/Røst, arrival 11:45pm) / 5:45pm* / 7:45pm
      • Tuesday, Thursday: 1:15am* / 3:15am / 5:30am (via Værøy, arrival 10am) / 6am / 10am* / 12pm / 3:30pm / 5pm (via Værøy/Røst) / 5:45pm* / 7:45pm
      • Saturday: 1:15am* / 3:15am / 6am / 8am / 10am* / 12pm / 4pm / 5pm / 5:45pm* / 7:45pm
      • Sunday: 1:15am* / 3:15am / 7am / 8am / 10am* / 12pm / 4pm / 5pm (via Værøy/Røst) / 5:45pm* / 7:45pm
      • * these departures only run from June 15 to August 9 (4th vessel “D-Ruta” in peak summer)
    • Low season (October 1 to May 17, watch out, it REALLY changes every day)
      • Monday: 4:45pm
      • Tuesday: 1am / 5am (via Røst/Værøy, arrival 12pm) / 4:45pm
      • Wednesday: 1:45am (via Værøy) / 3:15pm
      • Thursday: 0:15am / 5am (via Værøy at 10:30am) / 4:45pm
      • Friday: 1am / 4:45pm
      • Saturday: 4:30pm
      • Sunday: 1pm / 9pm
  • Direction Moskenes – Bodo
    • High season (May 18 to September 6)
      • Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 5am* / 8am / 9:45am (via Værøy/Røst, arrival 4:30pm) / 11am / 2pm* / 3:45pm / 8pm / 9:30pm* / 11:30pm / 0:15am (next day)
      • Tuesday, Thursday: 5am* / 8am / 9:45am / 10:30am (via Værøy) / 2pm* / 3:45pm / 7:15pm / 9:30pm* / 11:30pm / 0:15am (next day)
      • Saturday: 5am* / 8am / 9:45am / 12pm / 2pm* / 3:45pm / 8pm / 8:45pm / 9:30pm* / 11:30pm
      • Sunday: 5am* / 8am / 11am / 1pm / 2pm* / 3:45pm / 8pm / 9:30pm* / 11:30pm / 0:15am (next day)
      • * these departures only run from June 15 to August 9
    • Low season
      • Monday: 8am / 8:30pm
      • Tuesday: 8am / 12:15pm / 8:30pm
      • Wednesday: 8am / 7pm
      • Thursday: 8am / 8:45am / 8:30pm
      • Friday: 8am / 8:30pm
      • Saturday: 8am
      • Sunday: 3:30pm / 4:45pm

Important: the ideal website/app to plan your trips is Entur.no, which of course includes ferry timetables. Super convenient!

Summer schedules, hover over the image to zoom in, or click here to download the file

Winter schedules, hover over the image to zoom in, or click here to download the file

How much does the ferry cost?

Here are the official prices (from the Torghatten Nord website) for the Bodo – Moskenes crossing. Good news: the trip to/from Værøy and Røst is now entirely free, even for vehicles!

• Conventional vehicle (petrol, diesel, hybrid), driver + passengers included:
  • under 6 m: 605 NOK (~€52)
  • 6 to 8 m: 1,302 NOK
  • 8 to 10 m: 1,677 NOK
  • 10 to 12.5 m: 1,905 NOK
• Electric or hydrogen vehicle, driver + passengers included:
  • under 6 m: 424 NOK (~€37)
  • 6 to 8 m: 651 NOK
  • 8 to 10 m: 839 NOK
• Motorcycle with driver: 177 NOK (89 NOK for an electric one)
• Caravan / trailer: there is no longer a specific caravan price, the tariff is now based on the total length of vehicle + caravan (e.g. 5 m car + 5 m caravan = 8-10 m bracket, so 1,677 NOK)

Pedestrians and bicycles:

• it’s free for pedestrians if you arrive without a reservation: they will simply take your name at boarding
• if you want a guaranteed spot (“plassgaranti”) by booking in advance, it costs 65 NOK per adult (35 NOK for a child/military/honorary) – the choice is easy to make when the ferry is not full!
• it’s also free for bicycles

Reservation (“plassgaranti”): if you want to guarantee your slot, the reservation fee is added to the ticket price:

• car up to 6 m: +130 NOK
• 6 to 8 m: +170 NOK
• 8 to 10 m: +200 NOK
• motorcycle: +65 NOK

You can find all the official prices on the ferry route 18-782 page on Torghatten Nord.
With Autopass Ferje and the norwegian Toll Tag, you will have huge discounts, up to 50%!

4 recommended places to stay in Lofoten Islands

Do I need to book the ferry in advance?

ATTENTION: Only 50% of the spots are on sale on the website (and just 30% for Værøy/Røst). The other half are reserved for cars arriving directly on site. But in this case I recommend arriving early, especially at weekends and ESPECIALLY in high season.
In high season, yes, you MUST reserve your slot. And several days in advance, sometimes 2 weeks if you want a precise crossing time, and even more when it’s the weekend. In June/July, some times (usually 11am and 1pm) are typically already booked up two weeks ahead.
For example, in peak season, when you check the day before, more than half of the slots are usually full and only the least convenient departures (3am, 5/6pm) remain. So I really think it’s best to secure a place and make a reservation. Most people, in June and outside weekends, still book the day before or 2 days before.
Important: an online reservation must be made before 8pm the day before departure, and you must be at the dock at least 45 minutes before departure.
In low season, from mid-September to April, I’d say it’s not worth booking in advance. As a precaution, I’d still only do it at weekends, but don’t forget that 50% of places are available on site, so at worst, out of season, just arrive early 🙂

How to get to Vaeroy

Vaeroy is the super-pretty little island just below the Lofoten Islands. It’s also served from Moskenes and Bodo, but there are far fewer daily trips.

• You can bring your car / camper
• Moskenes – Vaeroy: 1h30, free (yes, the trip to/from Værøy and Røst is now entirely free, even for vehicles!)
• Bodo – Vaeroy: about 5h15, also free
• In low season: there is an evening arrival and every other day a morning arrival (one from Moskenes, but not daily)
• High season: at least 2 connections per day, including one to/from Moskenes
• The timetables change every day, so you really need to look at the Bodo/Moskenes timetables I’ve put up before. Vaeroy is also indicated there

5 activities you must do in Lofoten

• What are the most beautiful places in Lofoten Islands
• The best places to stay in Lofoten Islands (Svolvaer, Reine…)
• The most important map of Lofoten Island
• The mandatory activities in Lofoten

Main resources about Lofoten Islands

• Discover Trollfjord by boat, the narrowest fjord in the country
• Discover some of the world’s most beautiful beaches
• Kayaking in paradise waters
• Visit the Lofotr museum, for an insight into Viking life
• Go fishing on a real fisherman’s boat

Useful Information about Bodo

Bodo is directly accessible by plane from Oslo or Bergen, so don’t hesitate to compare flights.
If you arrive in Bodo, you can rent a car there. It’s generally cheaper than renting in Moskenes, and more flexible. But you have to add the cost of the crossing. Still, I think it’s more cost-effective. You can also try Getaround, car rental between private individuals (and receive €15 for your first rental).
There’s not much to see in Bodo, but if you arrive at the end of the day, you’ll have to spend the night there before going to your next adventure.
In that case, I recommend :

• • Thon Skagen for great beds and incredible breakfast
  • Quality Hotel Ramsalt for the best view and great breakfast
  • If you’re looking for a flat, then take a look at Aurora Central Apartment