Netherlands
SpainRotterdam to Barcelona shipping route.
1,928 nautical miles direct, about 5.7 days of steaming at 14 knots.
Sea Distance Between Ports: Rotterdam and Barcelona
Port to Port Distance on the map, along real shipping lanes.
RotterdamStrait of GibraltarBarcelonaShipping time from Rotterdam to Barcelona
| Route | Distance | 12 kn | 14 kn | 18 kn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| direct (shortest) | 1,928 nm | 6.7 d | 5.7 d | 4.5 d |
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About the Rotterdam to Barcelona shipping route
Rotterdam to Barcelona is a 1,928 nautical mile shipping route on a direct course, heading south from the Netherlands to Spain. That is 3,571 km of water against 1,186 km as the crow flies. On the way the vessel passes Strait of Gibraltar.
At sea, the voyage lasts 6.7 days at 12 knots, 5.7 days at 14 knots and 4.5 days at 18 knots. 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 Rotterdam and Barcelona to plan the full ocean transit time.
960 nm of the route, 50% 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 Rotterdam to Barcelona move with fuel prices, ship capacity and the season. Compare several carriers before booking: the cheapest sailing is often the slowest one. At Barcelona (ESBCN) carriers give about 6 free days before demurrage and detention charges start, so plan the truck or rail pickup before the box lands.
Of the 60 port to port routes from Rotterdam in this directory, Barcelona is the 6th shortest. Closer destinations include Valencia (1,789 nm), Algeciras (1,405 nm) and Gdansk (885 nm).
FAQ
How many nautical miles from Rotterdam to Barcelona?
The port to port distance from Rotterdam to Barcelona is 1,928 nautical miles (3,571 km), direct. The route passes Strait of Gibraltar.
What is the shipping time from Rotterdam to Barcelona?
About 5.7 days at 14 knots and 4.5 days at 18 knots of steaming, without port calls. Scheduled liner services add calls and transhipment.
How much of the route is in an emission control area?
960 nm sit inside ECA waters (North Sea ECA, Mediterranean Sea ECA), where ships burn 0.1% sulphur fuel.
Is the return route the same?
The reverse route Barcelona to Rotterdam has its own page with the same distance and route.
More port to port distance
- Rotterdam to
Hamburg310 nm - Rotterdam to
Gothenburg489 nm - Rotterdam to
Gdansk885 nm - Rotterdam to Algeciras1,405 nm
- Rotterdam to Valencia1,789 nm
- Rotterdam to
Genoa2,260 nm - Genoa to Barcelona364 nm
- Algeciras to Barcelona545 nm
Marsaxlokk to Barcelona669 nm
Piraeus to Barcelona1,100 nm
Port Said to Barcelona1,591 nm
Mersin to Barcelona1,651 nm
How we count: sea routes follow shipping lanes and canals, time is pure steaming at 14 knots without port calls. Engine navo-distance-time 0.3.0. See all sea distance between ports or the Shipping Routes Directory.