There are several ways to get from Bodo to the Lofoten Islands above the Arctic Circle in Northern Norway, and taking the Bodo Lofoten Ferry is one of them.
Bodo (or Bodø in Norwegian) is the first town north of the Arctic Circle in Norway. It is called the windy city situated right on the polar shore, only protected by a few scattered barren islands, and in 2024, the town will also be named the European Capital of Culture!
The distance from Bodo to Lofoten is so short that you can actually see the shores of the other from either side. From my house in Reine, Lofoten, I can gaze over to the hazy, beautiful mountainous shoreline in Bodø on clear days!
The ferry departs from the Ferry Terminal in Bodø city center and arrives in Moskenes in Lofoten, only a 20-minute drive from the southernmost village in Lofoten called Å.
Below, you will find everything you need to know to plan and book your ferry fare to travel from Bodo to Lofoten, as well as a few other must-know details about this ferry connection and alternative transport.
The Bodo Lofoten Ferry Connection
The ferry from Bodø to Moskenes in Lofoten departs every day year-round, with a few exceptions.
The exceptions are for selected holidays, so if you know that you are making the journey during a Norwegian holiday, you need to make sure the ferry departs when you need it or change your travel itinerary.
The ferry will take you from the center of Bodo to Moskenes in Lofoten, and this ferry route also has two other stops.
It continues to two other iconic island destinations (that you might love), the islands of Værøy (Varoy) and Røst. You can find more information about these two islands at the end of the article.
Some departures from Bodo are direct routes to Lofoten, while other departures are what we call “the milk route”; it stops at both other islands before you reach Moskenes in Lofoten and consequently takes a bit longer.
Reis Nordland App for Ferry Tickets
You can buy ferry tickets at the ticket office in Bodø Harbor, and you can also buy your ticket online.
To buy your ticket online, you can go to the Reis Nordland website, or you can download the Reis Nordland app, which you can find here for Apple and here for Anderoid.
Bodo Lofoten Ferry Prices
For pedestrians, that is, travelers without a car taking the ferry, the journey to Moskenes, Værøy, and Røst is FREE if you choose to drop in for the ferry.
If you want a seat guarantee, you need to book a ticket (which is basically the price of the seat guarantee) online or at the ferry port prior to departure.
For pedestrians, the seat guarantee is 250 NOK, which will be the total price for the ferry journey. For MC/moped and vehicles, the seat guarantee price will be in addition to the original price, which you can see below.
NB: Choosing drop-in is a viable option during shoulder seasons and parts of the winter, but be advised that during the summer peak season and also February and March (winter peak season), the ferry might be full.
Without a pre-booked seat guarantee, you will be left behind should the ferry be filled to capacity.
Price table for the Bodo Lofoten ferry:
Auto Pass payment for vehicles
Ferry tickets are generally paid through having an Auto Pass account on all county road ferries in Nordland County, Norway.
If you do not have an Auto Pass account and chip, you will be billed with an invoice after your journey.
In order to avoid the invoice option and possible payment delay costs, you can choose to pay with a Ferry Pay account.
What is FerryPay?
- Ferry Pay is a simple, invoice-free payment option (with no discounts) for vehicles that do not have an AutoPASS chip or an AutoPASS prepayment agreement for ferry.
- The Ferry Pay is available on all ferries in Norway that are part of the Auto PASS for ferry agreement. Most Norwegian ferries are part of this agreement.
- When you enter the ferry, the vehicle’s registration number will automatically be registered and linked to your Ferry Pay agreement.
- The credit card you have registered with Ferry Pay will automatically charge you one full-price ticket per ferry journey.
- Click here for information about ticket prices.
What are the benefits of Ferry Pay?
- You will avoid an invoice and invoice fee by mail from the ferry operator
- Receive all your receipts by email
- Add (and remove) as many vehicles as you want on your agreement
- Select a start and end date for the period you want to pay for a vehicle’s ferry journey.
- Access to My Page, where you can:
- Change payment cards
- Add and remove vehicles
- Choose how long an agreement is active
- Download receipts
- See the complete overview of times, places, ferry connections, and charged amounts for completed ferry journeys.
Click this link to register for Ferry Pay.
Port of Bodø and Port of Moskenes
In Bodø, you will find the ferry port in Terminalveien, close to the train station and the city center.
In the Lofoten Islands, the ferry port is located in Moskenes, only about 20 minutes from the southernmost point in Lofoten, the village of Å.
The Ferries
There are two ferries operating the ferry route BODØ – RØST – VÆRØY – MOSKENES in Lofoten.
Some of the departures are direct trips between Bodø and Lofoten, while other departures
About This Ferry Journey
The ferry journey from Bodø to Moskenes experiences a very high number of passengers in the high seasons, especially during the summer season.
If the ferry can not take all waiting passengers from Bodø at a specific departure, passengers to Røst and Værøy islands will be prioritized.
The ferry company recommends that passengers traveling to Lofoten choose the direct route to avoid being left behind in Bodø!
Prebooking
It is possible to pre-book with a seat guarantee for parts of the ferry capacity. This includes up to 30% capacity to and from Værøy/Røst and 50% capacity between Bodø and Moskenes.
If the departure is fully booked and you can not buy a ticket online, you can still go to the ferry port and get in line in case of no-shows.
If you have a pre-booked ticket, you need to be at the ferry port 45 minutes prior to departure.
Passenger registry
For journeys over 20 nautical miles, all passengers must be registered with name and personal details. You can register by clicking this link or using the QR code you find at the ferry port.
Service on board
Both ferries have a cafe serving drinks, as well as hot and cold food.
Seasonal Ferry Departures from Bodo to Lofoten
As I said above, the ferry from Bodø to Moskenes in Lofoten departs every day year-round, with very few exceptions for national holidays.
However, in addition to the exceptions on holidays, the weather and the elements are what mostly affect departures with the ferry to Lofoten.
In some periods of the year, it is quite common that ferry departures are delayed or canceled due to the weather.
This mostly happens during the autumn storms in October and November, which can be fierce, but it is not uncommon during winter, between December and March or April.
During the summer season, from late May through September, which is also peak tourist season in Lofoten, cancellations due to weather are not common.
You can visit the Reis Nordland website for information about both ferry and bus routes on your planned travel date.
Also, you can call for real-time information if you are worried about your ferry departure using this number: +47 910 09 600 (daytime hours).
Please note that the weather in Northern Norway changes fast. If there is a storm, you might not be able to get a departure or cancellation confirmation until immediately before the planned departure.
Alternative Transport from Bodo to Lofoten
If the ferry does not depart when you need it, or the ferry is canceled due to weather, there are two other options.
Alternative 1: The Express Boat from Bodo to Svolvær
You can also take the express boat from Bodo to Lofoten, but this boat arrives in the small town of Svolvær (Svolvaer), two hours north of Moskenes.
You will find information and departure times, and you can buy tickets on Reis Nordland.
If the ferry is canceled due to weather, however, it is likely that the speed boat is also canceled.
Alternative 2: Book A Flight
The second option is to fly. The airport in Bodø is just 5 minutes from the city center, and the flight is less than 30 minutes long.
Wideroe Air is the only airline that flies here; this is the airline that flies to all the smallest, most remote airports in Norway.
There are two airports in Lofoten:
- Svolvær (Svolvaer) Airport (northernmost)
- Leknes Airport (one hour drive further south)
From both Svolvær and Leknes, there are bus connections all the way down to Å in Lofoten or towards the north to Tromsø.
You can find information about the bus schedule on Reis Nordland as well, and you can buy tickets from the app.
Flights from Bodø to Lofoten are not as likely to be canceled due to weather as the ferry connection, so this is a better option if you need to make the journey on a specific day or time.
This is obviously not a good option for Roadtrippers and camper vans unless you decide to pick up a rental car in Lofoten instead.
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Alternative 3: Roadtrip
The first one is to drive, which is a really long detour.
It will take you around 12 hours to drive from Bodø to the Lofoten islands, as you need to travel quite a bit north before heading south again.
Wrap-Up Bodo Lofoten Ferry
I am confident you will have all the information you need to make sure you can catch the ferry from Bodo to Lofoten after reading this article.
If there should be anything missing, or you have further questions, please leave a comment, and I will make sure I find out for you!
PS: Did you know that Norway has applied to register the Lofoten Islands as a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
So please remember, when you visit, that nature up here is unique and fragile, so we humbly ask you to “leave no trace” from your time in Lofoten!
Welcome to Lofoten!
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