Coach & Minibus Hire in Germany

Bremerhaven: Minibus Transfers to Your Ship

Bremerhaven's cruise terminal stands on the Columbuskaje, a quay about a kilometre long, with room for four ships at once. From here a minibus with driver takes your family or group to Bremen, to Hamburg, to the airport or back to the gangway.

At the Columbuskaje

Inside, check-in and waiting space is sized for around 4,000 passengers, and boarding bridges lead out to the ships. The terminal operator counts 20 bus spaces alongside a taxi rank and a shuttle, so a booked vehicle has somewhere to stop. Car park P1 is right by the door; P3, 500 m further off, only opens when a ship is arriving.

Seeing someone off? The visitor gallery on the fourth floor, entered from Steubenstraße 7, looks out over the quay.

Minibus interior with individual seats
Minibus interior with individual seats

Bremen, Hamburg and the airports

Bremen's Marktplatz is 68 km by road, just under an hour in light traffic, which turns the Town Musicians and the Schnoor into an easy half day. Bremen still has a low-emission zone that needs the green sticker, so mention the city when you book.

Bremen Airport is 72 km away, roughly an hour. Hamburg is a bigger trip: 184 km to the Rathausmarkt and 193 km to the airport, a good two hours either way. For a flight from Hamburg, leave extra room for motorway traffic.

Where the ships berth

  • Visitor gallery on the fourth floor, entrance at Steubenstraße 7
  • Check-in and waiting areas for about 4,000 passengers, with boarding bridges
  • The Columbuskaje is about 1 km long and has room for up to four cruise ships at once
  • Bremerhaven Cruise Port terminal (Columbus Cruise Center), Columbuskaje 1, 27568 Bremerhaven

By bus, train or on foot

On cruise days a city bus showing ‘Kreuzfahrt-Terminal’ links the terminal, the Havenwelten and Bremerhaven Hauptbahnhof, leaving from directly outside the station. Direct trains run between Bremerhaven and Bremen Hauptbahnhof in about 35 to 45 minutes.

The terminal is about 4.3 km from the town centre. From the station, the walk along the Kommodore-Ziegenbein-Promenade takes about half an hour: pleasant with a day bag, harder work with suitcases.

Questions travellers ask

Can a minibus stop at the terminal building?

Yes. There are bus spaces and a taxi rank at the building, and taxis wait there too. Your driver confirms the exact meeting point.

Car with driver or minibus?

A car with driver takes up to eight passengers. From nine it is a minibus, and with lots of luggage it can pay to choose one size larger than the headcount suggests.

How long is the drive to Hamburg?

Allow about 2 hours to the Rathausmarkt and about 2 h 15 min to Hamburg Airport in light traffic.

More places your group could visit

Other vehicles with a driver