The Aarhus to Odden timetable
Departure times change from day to day and are published online only. This page sets out how a sailing day is built and how late you can check in.
Checked
Molslinjen prints no fixed schedule for this route. The ships run as a shuttle, up to 24 times a day in each direction, and how many sailings there are depends on the day of the week and the season. So you can plan around the shape of the day, but you look up the exact times shortly before you travel.
The crossing at a glance
- Sailings a day
- up to 24
- Each direction, on the busiest days
- First weekday departure
- 05:30
- From Aarhus
- Last departures
- 21:00 to 22:00
- Moves with the day and the season
- Crossing
- 80 to 90 min
- Plan for 90
How the day is built
Every sailing day follows broadly the same shape.
On weekdays the first ship leaves at 05:30. It starts that early because commuters and freight travel too, not just holidaymakers. Through the day a ship sails roughly every hour to 90 min. Towards evening the sailings thin out, and the last one leaves between 21:00 and 22:00.
At weekends and in the school holidays the day does not start earlier. Molslinjen adds sailings in the late morning and the evening instead, which is exactly when holidaymakers want to travel. On a Saturday in July about twice as many ships sail as on a Tuesday in February.
Check-in deadlines
The published deadlines are short, and they assume a terminal where nothing is going on.
| Ticket | Check in no later than |
|---|---|
| Lavpris | 10 min before departure |
| Standard | 10 min before departure |
| BlueClass | 5 min before departure |
At both ports a camera reads your number plate. If you booked online you have nothing to hand over and nobody to queue for. That is the only reason you can still make a sailing with 10 min to spare.
That deadline says nothing about the approach. In holiday traffic the marshalling lanes back up, and the last stretch to the booth can add 10 or 15 min on its own. It works differently for foot passengers and cyclists: you report at the ticket office first, and that takes more than 10 min. Read foot passengers or by bike for that.
Which departures fill first
The ships fill first on Friday afternoon and evening eastbound, on Sunday afternoon westbound, and on Saturday mornings through July and August. On those sailings the Lavpris fares have gone weeks ahead, and on the day you pay up to three times the advance fare.
The quietest sailings are early on a weekday morning and the last ship of the day. The first departure before dawn and the last one after 21:00 are lightly loaded, and they are the cheapest too. If you can move your departure time, that saves you most here.
In the middle of a weekday you will usually get on without trouble. Mid-August is busier than you would expect, because Danish schools go back while the summer traffic is still running.
Reading the live timetable
The current sailings are on the operator’s timetable page, and that is the authority for your date. Two things to watch when you look at it.
First, the price and the sailing are one decision. The timetable shows fares alongside departures, and the difference between two sailings 90 min apart can be several hundred kroner. Scroll the whole day rather than taking the first departure that suits.
Second, the route is not always the same ship. Express 2, Express 3 and Express 4 are close sisters but not identical, and which one you get is not published in advance. If a particular lounge or facility matters to you, see on board.
Live sailings for your date
The times above describe the shape of a sailing day. Which departures run on your own date, and what they cost, appears only once you search that date.
You book through our partner. We may receive a fee for this, at no extra cost to you.
Disruption
Delays on this crossing are rare. They happen in strong wind, and it is the afternoon sailings that slip, because a delay early in the day carries through the rotation.
A live operating status is published online. If the wind is up and you have something to catch at the other end, check it before you leave home rather than when you are already in the queue.
Questions people ask
How many ferries a day sail between Aarhus and Odden?
Up to 24 in each direction on the busiest days, all year round. Quiet weekdays in winter have noticeably fewer, so the number is a ceiling and not a promise.
What time is the first ferry from Aarhus to Odden?
The first weekday departures are at 05:30. Weekends and holiday periods add sailings in the late morning and the evening rather than earlier in the morning.
How late is the last ferry?
The last sailings of the day are generally in the 21:00 to 22:00 window, and the exact time moves with the day and the season. Check the live timetable for your date before you plan around it.
How late can I check in?
No later than 10 min before departure for Lavpris and Standard tickets, and 5 min for BlueClass. In holiday traffic, allow far more than the minimum.
Does the timetable change in winter?
Yes. Aarhus to Odden runs all year, but with fewer sailings outside the season, and it carries the whole route while Ebeltoft to Odden is closed from roughly November to March.