Algeciras to Hamburg shipping route.

The shipping route from Algeciras, Spain to Hamburg, Germany covers 1,659 nautical miles port to port, on a direct course. On a globe the two ports sit 2,274 km apart, so the ship sails 1.35 times the straight line distance. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar.

Pure steaming time is 4.9 days at 14 knots. A carrier that slow steams at 12 knots to save fuel needs 5.8 days, and a fast 18 knot string about 3.8. Container transit time on a liner service is longer than the steaming time: ships call at other ports on the rotation, and cargo may transship at a hub. Add terminal time at Algeciras and Hamburg to plan the full ocean transit time.

696 nm of the route, 42% of it, lies inside North Sea ECA and Mediterranean Sea ECA. In an emission control area ships must burn fuel with no more than 0.1% sulphur or clean the exhaust with scrubbers. That fuel costs more, and carriers add it to the ocean freight bill as a low sulphur or ECA surcharge.

Container freight rates on Algeciras to Hamburg move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Hamburg (DEHAM) carriers give about 3.83 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.

Of the 65 port to port routes from Algeciras in this directory, Hamburg is the 12th shortest. Closer destinations include Bremerhaven (1,612 nm), Piraeus (1,449 nm) and Rotterdam (1,405 nm).