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Short sea shipping: Moving goods efficiently on seas and rivers

Looking for a fast and economical short sea shipping solution in Europe? Our short sea services connect key industrial regions and markets. With regular liner services, an extensive network of locations and years of experience, we are reliable for short sea transportation.

Efficient short sea shipping for European markets

Our short sea shipping serves as your link to European markets. With regular routes between major ports, we offer a cost-effective and sustainable transport solution. Take advantage of our years of experience and our extensive network of locations, with services that include door-to-door deliveries and regular transport. By operating our own terminals in the ports, we ensure the right equipment is always available to unload your cargo. Our experts support you in every situation, while our reliable hinterland connections ensure smooth onward transport, so your goods reach their destinations efficiently and on time, even beyond the coast.

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Benefits

Depending on your requirements regarding the type of goods, size, weight and handling method, even large cargo volumes can reach their destination quickly via short sea or combined transportation.

Shift your goods to our short sea vessels to relieve the traffic on European roads and lower your carbon footprint.

Profit from a wide selection of short sea routes, multiple available ports and Rhenus terminals with prioritized and customized handling and storage.

We offer on-time delivery thanks to optimized processes and reliable schedules in short sea transportation.

Choose Rhenus for your short sea transport

  • Fixed schedules and optimized supply chains
  • Smooth processes thanks to our expertise in the areas of steel, aluminum, paper, grain, gypsum, sand, gravel and wood
  • One-stop shop: From full charter and breakbulk to short-term or long-term projects, we provide the right short sea transportation solution for your shipment
  • Specialist in Saimaa trade (Finland) and sea-river transport
  • Short sea: Our own vessels and chartered tonnage with a carrying capacity of approximately 1,500 to 8,000 tons ensure the quality of transportation and delivery of your goods
  • Sustainable logistics: Rhenus aims to be fully climate neutral by 2030
  • A dedicated contact person handles your entire short sea needs
  • Regular departures and connections to a variety of European seaports and inland ports
  • Fixed schedules, easy booking and streamlined supply chains
  • Door-to-door delivery reduces handling and damage while speeding up the delivery of goods
  • Assistance with customs clearance and port documentation
  • Modern management system with DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 certificate
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Want to move your goods efficiently and sustainably between port cities and coastal regions?

Our short sea experts are happy to explain our full range of services and provide you with a customized offer.

Frequently asked questions

Short sea shipping includes all maritime transport services that do not cross an ocean. It is part of the multimodal supply chain, combining road, rail and inland waterways. Due to Europe’s network of rivers, short sea transport has been essential to European trade for centuries.

Short sea vessels can transport steel, aluminum, paper, wood, grain, sand, gravel, liquids, bulk, breakbulk, oversized project cargo and much more.

While short sea shipping is not necessarily faster than trucks or trains, it provides greater efficiency in logistics and supply chain management. Moving large volumes of goods in one single voyage reduces the complexity, coordination and costs of operating fleets of trucks, while regular services enable businesses to plan their logistics more accurately.

Rhenus operates short sea shipping in the North Sea, Baltic Sea, the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean, with connections to Europe’s inland waterway terminals.

Short sea shipping will remain an integral part of Europe’s logistics landscape, with sustainability becoming a stronger focus. The development of efficient vessel designs and the use of alternative fuels such as methanol and liquefied natural gas will reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Automation and digitalization will further improve efficiency and expand accessibility for businesses of all sizes.