Freight forwarding Kiel – transport to and from the Czech Republic

Know your terminal before you book

Kiel, capital of Schleswig-Holstein, wraps around the Kieler Förde, a long inlet of the Baltic that splits the city into a west and an east shore. Each of its ferry terminals serves a different part of the North, and getting the terminal right is the first step of any booking:

• Schwedenkai, in the city centre next to the main station – overnight ferry to Gothenburg.
• Norwegenkai, on the west shore – daily service to Oslo.
• Ostuferhafen, on the east shore – ferries to Klaipėda in Lithuania and ro-ro services to Swedish ports on the Gulf of Bothnia such as Umeå and Sundsvall, which bring mainly paper and wood products.

Getting from one shore to the other means driving round the southern end of the inlet through town, so "Kiel port" alone is not enough information for the carrier.

Where the Kiel Canal meets the Baltic

In the Holtenau district, the Kiel Canal (Nord-Ostsee-Kanal) reaches the Baltic after crossing Schleswig-Holstein from the Elbe estuary at Brunsbüttel. It is just under 100 km long and, by number of transits, the busiest artificial waterway in the world, saving ships the long way round Denmark. Ship services, repair yards and marine suppliers cluster around the locks, and the city has a long shipbuilding tradition covering naval vessels, submarines and yachts. That creates steady inbound demand for engineering components, including from Czech manufacturers.

Typical imports to Czechia via Kiel

• Paper, pulp and sawn timber from northern Sweden, landed at the Ostuferhafen.
• Industrial goods and automotive parts from the Gothenburg area.
• Furniture and wood products from Lithuania, arriving on the Klaipėda ferry.
• Norwegian goods such as fish and seafood in reefer trailers or aluminium semi-finished products.
• Farm produce from Schleswig-Holstein: grain, rapeseed and dairy.

Northbound, Czech machinery, glass, construction chemicals, beer and marine components travel through Kiel. For deliveries ending in Sweden's second city, see freight forwarding Gothenburg.

Oslo means customs

Norway is not in the European Union. Anything that sails on the Kiel–Oslo ferry, or arrives from Norway and continues to Czechia, needs customs clearance: an export declaration on the shipper's side, an import declaration at destination and an EORI number for both parties. Having the documents ready before boarding avoids costly waiting in the port. Swedish and Lithuanian cargo is EU trade and travels on a CMR note with an invoice or delivery note.

Route, timing and local events

The A215 leaves Kiel for Bordesholm and joins the A7 towards Hamburg. From there the A24 leads to Berlin, the A13 to Dresden and the D8 across the border at Krásný Les to Prague – about 740 km in all. That is more than a single driver may legally cover in one day, so plan on delivery on the second working day, or ask for a double-manned truck. Brno is about 940 km away, also two working days. Hamburg's motorways and the Elbe tunnel are among Germany's most congested sections; more on the city at freight forwarding Hamburg.

In the last full week of June, Kiel Week – the world's largest sailing event – fills the waterfront, and some streets near the ferry quays close. We then schedule loading early in the morning or outside the main programme. Schleswig-Holstein observes Reformation Day on 31 October, on top of the national Sunday and holiday ban for trucks over 7.5 t and summer Saturday restrictions. Toll applies on motorways and federal roads.

• Full loads suit paper reels, timber and Lithuanian furniture.
• Single pallets travel more cheaply in pallet groupage.
• Urgent spare parts for a ship in port or at the canal locks go by express van straight to the vessel.
• Fish and seafood always travel in a reefer with a temperature record.

Get an indicative quote in the calculator; our dispatch desk works Monday to Friday, 8:00–18:00.