Malmö-Świnoujście with Finnlines – our experiences with the ferry

Writer: Helena Bergström

Updated: August 2026 | What is it like to travel with Finnlines between Malmö and Świnoujście in Poland? We have traveled the route in both directions by motorhome – during the day from Malmö to Poland and at night from Świnoujście back to Sweden. Here we tell you about our experiences of the ferries, the food, the cabins and life on board, and about the possibility of booking electricity for the motorhome during the crossing.

Finnlines Malmö-Świnoujście

Finnlines began operating the Malmö–Świnoujście route in 2024, providing another option for those who want to travel by car or camper between southern Sweden and Poland.

This route was perfect for our long European trip, and in collaboration with Finnlines we tested the trips in both directions.

On the way to Poland we traveled during the day with the ship Finntrader. When it was time to go home to Sweden we traveled at night with the ship Finnpartner.

Electricity for the motorhome

One thing we like about Finnlines ferries is that you can book electricity for your camper, at a lower cost. The advantage of this is that you don't have to turn off the fridge when you turn off the gas (which you often have to do on ferries for safety reasons). Turning off the fridge for 9-10 hours can, in the worst case, ruin the food in the fridge, so, it's perfect to have electricity when you're traveling with a fully loaded fridge!

Day trip from Malmö to Świnoujście

On the outward journey to Poland, we traveled during the day with Finntrader. It was a leisurely day of travel where we had time to eat, work, relax in the cabin and spend some time out on deck.

Departure from Malmö

We started the trip with breakfast and just finished our meal before it was time to leave port. In a way, it was good, because it meant we had time to hang out on deck and watch as we left Malmö.

It was also really cool to stand on deck and watch as we passed under the Öresund Bridge. Mighty!

Hours on board - bar, cabin, WiFi

So how did we spend the hours on board? We bought WiFi, which meant we could work the whole way. Convenient! How did the WiFi work? It wasn't as fast as at home, but "good enough" if you say so. We were able to work the whole way without any major problems.

We spent some of the hours in the bar, where you can buy a drink if you want (or maybe a bun or a sandwich), and where there are also power sockets pretty much everywhere. We also spent a few hours in the cabin. We each took the opportunity to take a long, nice shower and we also dozed for a short while.

The last hour on board was time for dinner, and then we glided into the port of Świnoujście.

Night ferry from Świnoujście to Malmö

When we were going back, we made pretty much the same trip back, but at night. The ferry departed late at night from Poland, arriving in Malmö early the next morning.

On board we had a late buffet dinner and then continued up to the bar on board, where we each bought a glass to take out. Even though it was late, the evening was warm and it was nice to sit outside.

After dinner and hanging out on deck, it was time to crawl into bed. We slept really well, and after a (relatively short) night's sleep, it was time to get up for breakfast. We managed to look up on deck and see how we passed the Öresund Bridge, before we arrived in Malmö and it was time to drive off. A pleasant and comfortable trip! 

Cabin on board

We had a cabin on board on both of our trips. When traveling during the day, it is of course not necessary to book a cabin, but it is a nice luxury to be able to get away and rest for a few hours. When traveling on a night ferry, it feels even more important to have a cabin, and actually get a few hours of proper sleep.

On the daytime trip, from Sweden to Poland, we had a nice outside cabin with three beds.

On the way home, when we left at night, we also had a large and nice outside cabin with three beds, desk, armchair, large wardrobes (which you don't really have time to use during such a short trip, but still...) and an excellent bathroom with toilet and shower. We slept well here during the night!

Food and drinks on board

If you want to eat on board, a tip is to pre-book a meal package, which is significantly more affordable than buying meals on site.

Breakfast/brunch

On the daytime ferries, breakfast/brunch is served for about two hours in the morning/early afternoon. This is a relatively basic but filling buffet with things like sausages, fried potatoes, boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, white beans in tomato sauce, vegetables, cold cuts, yogurt, etc. We were very satisfied and thought everything tasted really good. The bread was fresh and the boiled eggs were not grey, but perfectly cooked and slightly creamy.

When you take the night ferry, breakfast is served very early, but still includes both cold and hot dishes. This time we saw sausages, meatballs, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs, white beans in tomato sauce, bread, cold cuts, vegetables, yogurt and juice.

Dinner on board

When we took the day ferry, dinner was served the very last hour of the trip, in the same buffet restaurant as breakfast. When we were here, the menu offered included chicken, meat and fish as well as rice, pasta, different types of potatoes and several different types of vegetables and salads.

We chose the chicken and were pleasantly surprised. The chicken was very tender and the different varieties of vegetables were also excellent. Simply delicious!

On the night ferry, dinner is served late and we ate at half past eight. Again, a similar buffet was served with a few main courses (chicken, steak, fish and the like), some carbohydrate-rich side dishes (for example, potato wedges, boiled potatoes and rice) as well as some warm vegetables, a few different salads and sauces, as well as bread and soup.

Like last time, we were pleasantly surprised that the food tasted really good. The chicken was tender and juicy, the salads were fresh and the mushroom sauce tasted absolutely delicious. A drink was included in the meal package and for us it was a beer and a glass of red wine, respectively, before we finished it all off with coffee and ice cream.

Bar, shop, WiFi and other services

There is also a (rather small) shop on board, where you can buy sweets, alcohol and other drinks, among other things. There is also a play area for the smaller children and, on at least one of the ferries, we saw that there was a sauna.

There are quite a few power outlets, if you need to charge your phone or computer, and you can buy WiFi if you want, which during our travels cost 12 euros for two.

Day trip or night ferry – what did we like best?

We found both the day and night trips to work well, but they have slightly different advantages. On the day trip we could work, eat and relax during the crossing, while the night ferry meant that the trip itself took very little time from our holiday. After dinner on board we could go to bed and wake up in Sweden the next morning.

Which option we would choose next time therefore depends mostly on the itinerary. If you have plenty of time, the day trip can be a nice break from driving, while the night ferry is practical if you want to make the most of your time.

Tips for Malmö and Świnoujście

Are you planning to continue your trip in Malmö or Świnoujście? Read our reports where you will find tips on what to see and do.

• Things to do in Malmö
• Things to do in Swinoujscie
• Travelling with a motorhome in Poland