Sea distance calculator

Each tool uses its own route network and its own point for each port. Some measure to the pilot station, some to the berth, and some route through a traffic scheme where others take the direct line. Against Pub. 151, the figures here are usually within 3 percent on ocean passages; on short hops, a few miles of port approach can make the bigger difference.

It takes the shortest safe route, so Asia to North Europe goes through Suez and the US East Coast to the US West Coast through Panama. The canals and straits it passes are listed under the result. Tick Avoid Suez to go round the Cape of Good Hope, or Avoid Panama to go round South America. The Corinth Canal is never used. North Sea to Baltic routes go round Denmark and through the Great Belt, since large car carriers cannot transit the Kiel Canal or the shallow southern Sound. A smaller RoRo vessel that can use Kiel saves roughly 250 nautical miles on those routes: tick Use the Kiel Canal.

More than 400 ports that handle RoRo or ferry traffic, including the main vehicle terminals worldwide. Search by port name, an older or local name, the country or the UN/LOCODE. Ports that only handle containers or bulk are not listed. You can also type a position, such as 36.1, 14.5 or 36°06′N 014°30′E, to start or end at sea, or add it as a point to pass through.

The route is measured against the sulphur emission control areas in force: the Baltic, the North Sea and English Channel, North America with the US Caribbean, the Mediterranean (since 1 May 2025) and the Norwegian Sea (since 1 March 2026). A river or harbour counts with the sea it opens onto. Fewer ECA miles leaves the areas by the shortest way even when the voyage gets longer, so you can compare the two routes and their fuel.

War-risk areas are the Joint War Committee listed areas the London insurance market uses; the circular and its date show with the result. A voyage into them usually carries an additional war-risk premium. Avoid war-risk areas keeps the route out wherever the calls allow: a Red Sea transit goes round the Cape, but a call at Jeddah still goes in. Navigating limits are the International Navigating Limits of hull cover, most of them ice seasons in the Baltic, the St. Lawrence and the Sea of Okhotsk.

They are the zones and seasonal areas of the International Convention on Load Lines, which set how deep a ship may load: to its winter, summer or tropical mark, depending on where it is and when. The result lists the zones the route crosses and each zone's seasons, for ships over 100 m. The voyage calculator adds a sailing date and says which mark is in force on the days the ship is in each zone. For planning only: the ship's load line certificate governs.

Use your service speed. Pure car and truck carriers typically run schedules at 16 to 20 knots, and slower when a line slow-steams to save fuel. The days at sea scale directly with speed, so 18 knots instead of 16 cuts about 11 percent off the passage time.

No, this page gives the sea passage only. The voyage calculator adds port stays, a departure date and local arrival times at every call, and the voyage costs: fuel, port charges, canal tolls, insurance and EU carbon.