Coach & Minibus Hire in Germany

Warnemünde Shore Days in a Small Group

For many cruise passengers, Warnemünde comes down to one question: is Berlin worth it? With your own minibus and driver it can be, as long as the day is planned around the distance. Rostock, Schwerin and Lübeck are gentler options.

Berlin from the ship: a long day, honestly

The Brandenburger Tor is 243 km by road from the terminal. A car needs around two and a half hours on clear roads, and a bus takes longer, so count on five hours or more of driving before you have seen anything.

EU drivers' hours cap a single driver at 9 hours of driving a day, with a 45-minute rest due after four and a half hours behind the wheel, and the timetable is built around that. Berlin's centre is inside the low-emission zone, and the vehicle needs the green sticker to enter.

Sprinter 19-seat minibus, side view
Sprinter 19-seat minibus, side view

Off the ship and into the vehicle

Ships tie up either on the Warnemünde Passagierkai, at P1 to P4, P7 or P8, or further inland at LP31 and LP41 in the Rostock Überseehafen. Every excursion or shuttle company has to be registered with the port operator beforehand, so a transfer is booked ahead rather than found on the quay.

Parking at the terminal is not allowed during ship calls, so the meeting point and time are agreed before you sail. If anyone in your party uses a wheelchair, the P7 and P8 terminal buildings have step-free access and facilities for disabled travellers; ask for an accessible minibus too.

Cruise lines that call here

  • MSC Cruises
  • TUI Cruises
  • AIDA Cruises

Where the ships berth

  • The terminal buildings at berths P7 and P8 are step-free and have facilities for disabled passengers
  • Berths P1 to P4, P7 and P8 are on the Warnemünde Passagierkai; berths LP31 and LP41 are in the Rostock Überseehafen (seaport)
  • Warnemünde Cruise Center, Am Passagierkai 3, 18119 Rostock-Warnemünde

Closer to the coast

Three gentler outings: Rostock's centre, 15 km and roughly 20 minutes away; Schwerin and its lakeside castle, 98 km and a little over an hour; Lübeck, 133 km and an hour and a half. Any of them leaves time for lunch and a wander without watching the clock.

Prefer the train for Rostock? Warnemünde station is about five minutes on foot from the terminal, and the S-Bahn runs to Rostock Hauptbahnhof every 7.5 to 15 minutes.

Questions travellers ask

Which airport is closest to Warnemünde?

Rostock-Laage, 46 km by road. Hamburg Airport (195 km, roughly 2 h 10 min) and BER (264 km, nearer 2 h 50 min) are both long transfers.

Can the driver wait right outside the terminal?

No, parking there is not allowed while ships are in. You agree the pickup point and time when you book.

Is Berlin realistic on a short call?

Only if your all-aboard time leaves room for five hours or more of driving plus time in the city. On a shorter call, Schwerin or Lübeck gives you a fuller, calmer day.

More places your group could visit

Other vehicles with a driver