About HAM to Kiel
Kiel is the capital of Schleswig-Holstein, on a long Baltic fjord at the eastern end of the Kiel Canal. It is a major ferry and cruise port and hosts the Kieler Woche, one of the world's largest sailing events, every June.
Straight up the A7
The airport lies only a few kilometres from the A7, which is why Kiel is such an easy run. Your driver joins the motorway north of Hamburg and follows it past Neumünster to the Bordesholm junction, then takes the A215 into Kiel. From the end of the motorway, the route continues on the city ring roads to your quay or address. The distance is roughly 95 to 105 kilometres.
Allow 65 to 80 minutes to the city centre. The Theodor-Heuss-Ring through Kiel and the A7 around Hamburg at rush hour are the points where time is lost; the stretch in between is usually quiet.
Three cruise quays, three different approaches
Kiel's cruise ships do not all berth in the same place. Check your documents for the quay before you book, because the east bank terminal is a good 15 minutes further than the city centre ones.
- Ostseekai – on the west bank in the city centre, with two terminals, large luggage halls and shore power. The main station is within walking distance. TUI Cruises with Mein Schiff and other lines use it often.
- Norwegenkai – opposite the centre on the east side of the Hörn, home of the Color Line ferries to Oslo and also used by cruise ships on some dates.
- Ostuferhafen – on the east bank around eight kilometres from the centre, in the freight port of Neumühlen-Dietrichsdorf. Its cruise berth handles large ships, and MSC uses it regularly. Check-in and luggage drop are combined here.
What to tell your driver for Kiel
Name the quay, not just "Kiel port". The Schwedenkai near the main station is the Stena Line ferry terminal to Gothenburg, and confusing it with the Ostseekai costs time. Add the ship or ferry name, your flight number and the number of suitcases. If you are a group, a minibus from HAM takes up to twelve passengers with luggage. You meet your driver at the meeting point at HAM named in your confirmation.
Kieler Woche: the city's busiest week
Every year in late June, the Kieler Woche turns the waterfront into one long festival with sailing regattas, ships and stages along the Kiellinie and around the Ostseekai. Streets near the water are closed or crowded, and traffic on the ring roads slows to a crawl in the evenings. If your cruise or ferry leaves during that week, land early and expect the last kilometres to take longer than the motorway.
Kiel beyond the quays
Not every trip ends at a ship. Your driver takes you to hotels in the centre, to the university, to companies in the port or to the locks of the Kiel Canal in Holtenau. If you want to stay on the coast, the Baltic resorts north of Kiel are close; see the page about Baltic Sea resorts from HAM or the overview for Schleswig-Holstein.
Back from Kiel to Hamburg Airport
For the return, book a ride from your quay to HAM and allow around 75 minutes plus a buffer for the A7 near Hamburg. Ships in Kiel usually berth early, so a flight from late morning onwards is often possible on disembarkation day, especially from the Ostseekai. From the Ostuferhafen, add a quarter of an hour. The cruise terminal overview covers Hamburg's own terminals, and the port publishes current berth information on Port of Kiel ↗.
