Easiest Northern Europe cruise ports to explore on your own

Ranked: easiest first

1. Copenhagen Denmark Easy
   From Langelinie, the Little Mermaid is a few minutes' walk and Nyhavn 20–30 minutes.
2. Ålesund Norway Easy
   The Art Nouveau center is 2–10 minutes' walk.
3. Bergen Norway Easy
   Central quays are 10–15 minutes' walk to Bryggen.
4. Stockholm Sweden Easy
   From Stadsgården berth 160, Gamla Stan is a 10–15 minute walk.
5. Tallinn Estonia Easy
   The medieval Old Town is a 15–20 minute walk.
6. Amsterdam / IJmuiden Netherlands Easy
   From PTA, Amsterdam Centraal is a 15-minute walk, or tram 26 one stop.
7. Dover England, UK Easy
   A hop-on/hop-off shuttle (YMS) runs to Dover Castle and town, about 15 minutes, with tickets from the driver.
8. Flåm Norway Easy
   The tiny village and Flåm Railway station are a short, flat walk. · Tender
9. Greenock (Glasgow) Scotland, UK Easy
   Greenock Central station is about a 10–15 minute walk.
10. Helsinki Finland Easy
    Tram 7 links West Harbour to the center.
11. Kiel Germany Easy
    Central terminals are about 10–15 minutes' walk from the station and center.
12. Oslo Norway Easy
    The quays are central.
13. Rotterdam Netherlands Easy
    Walk over the Erasmus Bridge to the center, or take the metro from Wilhelminaplein (3–4 minutes' walk) to Beurs.
14. Southampton England, UK Easy
    Southampton is mostly an embarkation port.
15. Stavanger Norway Easy
    The cathedral is about 5 minutes away and Old Stavanger (Gamle Stavanger) about 10.
16. Dublin Ireland Moderate
    Dublin Port is industrial; don't try to walk out. · Dock or tender
17. Geiranger Norway Moderate
    The village is tiny and right at the landing. · Dock or tender
18. Invergordon (Inverness) Scotland, UK Moderate
    Invergordon town (with murals) is right by the pier.
19. Reykjavík Iceland Moderate
    The free port shuttle no longer runs (as reported); check your ship for a shuttle, or use taxis or buses.
20. Zeebrugge (Bruges) Belgium Moderate
    From the port exit, a cruise coach goes to Bruges (about 25 minutes), or take the coastal tram to Blankenberge and a train to Bruges (about 11–15 minutes).
21. Le Havre (Paris & Normandy) France Book a tour
    Cruise-line shuttles go to the city center (Place Perret area).
22. Warnemünde (Berlin) Germany Book a tour
    The seaside resort is right at the pier.

How we rank

Ports are grouped by our rating (Easy, then Moderate, then Book a tour). Within each group, the shortest walk to town or the main sights that our guide states comes first, then the shortest stated distance. The quote under each port comes from its guide; check your pier, because some ports have more than one. How we rate ports.