Compare prices
Heligoland Ferry: Prices and Fares
What the crossing costs comes down to the departure port, the travel period and the seating class.
- Day return, open return or one-way: three ticket types that add up very differently
- Three travel periods per season, plus supplements for Panorama, Premium and the front row
- Discounted fares for children, infants, seniors, families, groups and school parties
Starting fares by route
The cards show the lowest available starting fare from each departure port.
Prices per person, one way
© OpenStreetMap contributors
What the ferry to Heligoland costs
Prices at a glance
What the three ports cost
You travel to Heligoland as a passenger, not with a car: the island is car-free and none of the ships has a vehicle deck. That takes away the biggest cost factor of other ferry routes and leaves three variables - the departure port, the travel period and the seating class.
The Halunder Jet catamaran run by FRS Helgoline serves all three ports. The further up the Elbe you board, the longer the crossing and the higher the fare.
| Day return, adult, Jet Class, 2026 season | Travel period C | Travel period B | Travel period A |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuxhaven - Helgoland | €76.20 | €84.10 | €94.20 |
| Brunsbüttel - Helgoland | €82.30 | €91.20 | €101.40 |
| Hamburg - Helgoland | €92.10 | €102.80 | €114.70 |
Travel period C is the cheapest of the three and A the most expensive; which one applies depends on the date you travel and is shown when you book. The amounts are Jet Class base fares for the outward and return leg on the same day.
Day return, open return or one-way
The ticket type matters more than any other choice. If you sail out in the morning and back in the evening, take the day return - it is the cheapest way to do the round trip. Two separately bought one-way tickets come to €111.60 from Cuxhaven against €76.20 for the day return, a good third more. Only if you stay overnight on the island do you need the open return: €94.10 from Cuxhaven, €102.90 from Brunsbüttel and €112.00 from Hamburg.
For a day trip it is the timetable rather than the fare that shapes your day: from Cuxhaven you get several hours on Heligoland, while from Hamburg the day is tighter because the return sails in the afternoon. The timetable shows the departures for your date.
What makes up the fare
A few items come on top of the base fare, and it pays to know them in advance:
- Seating class. Jet Class is included in the base fare. Panorama Class in the window row costs a supplement per leg of €9.80 from Cuxhaven and Brunsbüttel and €16.50 from Hamburg; Premium Class in its own lounge costs €29.00 per leg. The front row in the VIP area with access to the balcony carries a further supplement.
- Fuel surcharge. Both operators currently levy a temporary surcharge. With Cassen Eils it is €0.25 per leg on the MS Helgoland and €0.50 on the catamaran.
- Luggage. Hand luggage up to 45 × 30 × 17 cm and 8 kg travels free. Multi-day tickets include one piece of checked luggage of up to 20 kg, and every further piece costs extra - as does delivery to your accommodation on the island.
- Dog. €22.00 on a day return from Cuxhaven and Brunsbüttel, €27.00 from Hamburg.
- Parking. At Brunsbüttel the car park by the jetty is free, at Cuxhaven the car park at the ferry terminal charges after 15 minutes, and in Hamburg you pay city-centre rates at the Landungsbrücken.
A bicycle cannot be taken across to the island - cycling is not permitted on Heligoland, and the ships carry bikes only on the stretches along the Elbe.
Who travels at a discount
Children aged 4 to 14 pay roughly half: from Cuxhaven their day return starts at €42.40, from Hamburg at €50.30. Infants up to the age of 3 travel without a fare, and only the class supplement still applies to them. Travellers aged 60 and over, and those with a disability rating of 70 per cent or more, have their own day-return fare - €69.00 from Cuxhaven, €74.00 from Brunsbüttel and €83.00 from Hamburg.
Groups do considerably better. A family of two adults and up to three children pays €185.60 from Cuxhaven for the whole day return. From ten people the group fare applies (€67.90 from Cuxhaven), from 25 people a further rate, and school parties of 16 or more travel from Cuxhaven for €52.10. These fares are graded by travel period in the same way as the base fares.
Year-round from Cuxhaven: the seaside steamer
Alongside the catamaran, Cassen Eils runs the MS Helgoland seaside steamer from Cuxhaven - daily and all year round, taking around two and a half hours instead of 75 minutes. The pricing is simpler here, because there are only two seasonal rates.
| MS Helgoland from Cuxhaven, 2026 season | Low season | High season |
|---|---|---|
| Adults, day return | €66.00 | €68.00 |
| Adults, open return | €76.40 | €78.60 |
| Children 4-14 years, day return | €33.00 | €34.00 |
| Teenagers 15-17 years, day return | €49.50 | €51.00 |
| Family, 2 adults and 3 children | €165.00 | €170.00 |
High season runs from 29 June to 31 August 2026, low season covers the rest of the sailing period from late March to 2 November. The open return stays valid for two months, which makes it attractive for a longer stay on the island. If you want to cross in winter, this ship is your only choice anyway. Which operators serve which port is set out on the Heligoland ferry operators page.
How to make the crossing cheaper
- Board at Cuxhaven if your journey there allows it - it is the lowest fare on every ticket type.
- Take the day return as long as you are not staying overnight on the island. Two one-way tickets always cost more.
- Move your date to a cheaper travel period if you are flexible; from Hamburg there is more than €22 between travel period C and travel period A.
- Stay in Jet Class if a table and a reclining seat are enough - Panorama and Premium cost a supplement per leg.
- If you are travelling in a group of ten or more, book as a group rather than individually.
Rebooking and cancellation with FRS Helgoline are possible up to seven days before travel for an administration fee; between three and seven days beforehand 50 per cent falls due, and after that the full fare. Cassen Eils refunds in full up to seven days beforehand, and half, less a fee, between two and seven days.
Common questions about prices
The questions that come up most often about ticket types, classes and discounts.
How much does the ferry to Heligoland cost?+
On the FRS Helgoline catamaran, a day return in Jet Class starts at €76.20 from Cuxhaven, €82.30 from Brunsbüttel and €92.10 from Hamburg. In the most expensive of the three travel periods the same tickets cost €94.20, €101.40 and €114.70. From Cuxhaven the MS Helgoland seaside steamer sails as well, where a day return starts at €66.00.
Is a day return cheaper than two one-way tickets?+
Yes, by a wide margin. From Cuxhaven a day return costs €76.20, while two one-way tickets add up to €111.60. Only if you sail out and back on different days do you need the open return: it costs €94.10 from Cuxhaven and €112.00 from Hamburg.
How much does a dog cost on the crossing?+
With FRS Helgoline you pay €22.00 for your dog on a day return from Cuxhaven and Brunsbüttel and €27.00 from Hamburg, or €11.00 and €13.50 respectively one-way. Cassen Eils carries dogs on a lead at the applicable fare.
Do I need a cabin on the ferry to Heligoland?+
No. Every sailing is a daytime crossing of between 70 minutes and three and a half hours, and there are no cabins on board. What changes the price is the seating class: Jet Class is the base fare, while Panorama Class, Premium Class and the front row cost a supplement per leg.
When is the crossing cheapest?+
In the cheapest of the three travel periods, and from Cuxhaven rather than Hamburg. Which travel period applies depends on the date you travel; the departures for your travel day are in the timetable. Outside the catamaran season, the year-round seaside steamer from Cuxhaven is the only option.
Got a date in mind?
Check the departures for your travel day and the fare for your seating class.