Getting to Kristiansand
To Kristiansand by air, rail, coach and car
Coming from the UK, Ireland or further afield, you fly to Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik, with a change, or travel on by train or coach from Oslo or Stavanger. If you drive across the Continent, the ferry from Hirtshals in Denmark takes you straight into Kristiansand harbour. By car you arrive on the E18, E39 or Rv9 and pass automatic toll points around the city.
On this page
By ferry
Color Line and Fjord Line sail to Kristiansand from Hirtshals in Denmark. Both dock at the ferry terminal on Havnegata, and from there you can walk into the city centre. Ferry operators, the crossing, check-in and parking at the terminal are covered on the Ferries page.
Hirtshals is the only port with ferries to Kristiansand; the former Holland Norway Lines route from Eemshaven has been discontinued. If you drive from the Continent, your route therefore takes you through Denmark to Hirtshals.
By air
The airport is Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik (Kristiansand lufthavn), run by Avinor. Direct flights link Kjevik with Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Oslo and Bergen. None of these routes serves the UK or Ireland, so you fly with a change at one of these airports.
Bus 35 runs into town from stop B outside the domestic terminal, along with a few departures on line 36. There is no dedicated airport express. The bus keeps to a fixed timetable and does not wait for delayed flights. Tickets are sold in the "AKT Billett" app, and buying in advance is cheaper than paying on board. AKT has the timetable and stops.
Taxi Sør and Agder Taxi offer taxi rides, and you can also book through the Ridel app. Drivers must quote a fixed price before the journey starts.
By train
Kristiansand station is on Vestre Strandgate, within walking distance of the ferry terminal. Line F5 from Oslo S to Stavanger S stops here. The bus station is 50 metres away.
From Oslo the fastest train takes 4 h 26 min, with up to eight services a day. The operator on this line is changing, so search for connections on the Norwegian journey planner Entur, which shows trains and buses from all operators.
By coach
Up to 34 coaches a day run between Oslo and Kristiansand, and the fastest takes around 4 hours. Vy's VY190 runs from Oslo via Arendal, Kristiansand, Stavanger and Haugesund to Bergen. Kristiansand to Stavanger takes around 3.5 hours.
The stop is called Kristiansand rutebilstasjon. At most stops the Vy coach only takes passengers who have bought a ticket in advance. Local buses in the city are run by AKT; city routes carry M numbers such as M1 to M4, and tickets are also sold in the "AKT Billett" app.
By car
From the east you reach Kristiansand on the E18, from the west on the E39 and from the north, out of Setesdal, on the Rv9. From Oslo the drive on the E18 takes around 4 hours, from Stavanger on the E39 around 3.5 hours. For the ferry terminal, follow the E39 and the signs for Denmark.
For a first walk around the city centre, see Kvadraturen. Places outside the city are listed under Around Kristiansand.
Tolls around Kristiansand
Ferde runs 14 toll points around Kristiansand. You only pay in one direction, and within 60 minutes only the first passage counts. A higher rate applies Monday to Friday from 06:30 to 09:00 and from 14:30 to 17:00. On the E39 heading west towards Lyngdal there are five more toll points. There you pay in both directions, and there is no one-hour rule.
All toll points are automatic, and a camera records the number plate, foreign vehicles included. If you register your car with Epass24, you pay by card or invoice and avoid extra charges. Without registration the toll company retrieves the keeper's details from the vehicle register in your home country and adds the cost to the invoice. Only vehicles over 3,500 kg are issued a toll tag at the border. Ferde describes the process for foreign vehicles; the nationwide system behind it is AutoPASS from Statens vegvesen.