In a nutshell
- Juist is a car-free island. You’ll need to leave your car at the harbor before departure — or simply take the train.
- Whether you travel by ferry or plane depends on the length of your stay and how much luggage you have — but the ferry is usually the best option for most visitors.
- On the island, you get around on foot, by bike, or by horse-drawn carriage.
- Read on for a step-by-step breakdown of everything you need to know for a smooth, stress-free vacation on Juist.
Getting to Norddeich
Getting to the Ferry
You can reach Norddeich Mole and the ferry port by car or by train. The train station is conveniently located right next to the ferry dock. From there, it’s only a few minutes’ walk to baggage drop-off and the island ferry. The speedboats (also called water taxis) are a bit farther away — about ten to fifteen minutes on foot.
Parking in Norddeich
Juist is car-free. That means your car can’t come with you to the island. You can leave it in Norddeich at a long-term parking lot for the duration of your vacation. Parking costs 6 euros per day (12 euros for electric vehicles with a charging station).
Book a parking spot in Norddeich
Enter this address into your GPS: Am Hafen, 26506 Norden-Norddeich
The parking lots for island visitors are not far from the ferry dock. If you’d rather not walk, you can take the Inselparker bus shuttle for 1 euro per person. The shuttle picks up island guests fifteen minutes before each departure to Juist directly at the parking lot and takes them to the ship.
Parking Lots and Docks on a Map
To help you find the parking lots in Norddeich and the docks for the ships to Juist, we’ve marked everything on a map.
Ferry to Juist & Tickets
Juist is tide-dependent. That’s why the ships don’t depart at the same time every day. You have three ferry options: the large island ferry, and the smaller water taxis Inselexpress and Töwerland-Express.
Island ferry: Runs one to two times daily and costs around 20 euros per person. Departs from the Juist terminal.
Water taxi: Each runs about three times daily and costs between 40 and 55 euros per person. The Inselexpress departs from ferry dock 3. The Töwerland-Express from the Osthafen (twenty minutes’ walk from the Juist terminal).
It’s best to book your crossing to Juist online in advance, since seats are limited. Plus, booking online is 2 euros cheaper than buying a ticket at the harbor.
Book the Juist ferry online
By the way: Hiking to Juist at low tide is prohibited. The tidal flats in these areas are unpredictable. The tide can come in very suddenly, and the mudflat can suck you in so strongly in places that it won’t let you go. Seriously — let’s skip that one.
Luggage in Norddeich
What happens to your luggage — and how much you can bring — depends on which ferry you choose. The different ships have different sizes and capacities, so it’s worth knowing the details before you pack.
Island ferry: There are red luggage containers at the dock. Simply place your luggage (aside from your carry-on) into a container compartment. Make a note of your container number so you can easily find your bags on Juist. The containers are loaded onto the ship before departure and unloaded upon arrival.
Water taxi: Since the water taxis are smaller and faster, only one large piece of luggage and one carry-on per person are allowed. Luggage is handed over directly at the water taxi and returned on board when you arrive at Juist. No containers here.
Strollers can be brought on all ships to Juist!
Are Bicycles Allowed on Juist?
Island ferry: For an extra charge of 15 euros, you can bring your bike on the island ferry. It can be stored on deck in a designated area. Bringing your own bike is actually much cheaper than renting one on the island.
Water taxi: Space on the water taxis is limited anyway, so bringing a bicycle isn’t possible.
The Crossing to Juist
Island ferry: The crossing to Juist on the large ferry takes about 90 minutes. It’s super relaxed — you can sit on deck or inside, and there are restrooms and an onboard bistro with a solid selection. We love the sandwiches!
Water taxi: The crossing by water taxi takes only about 45 minutes, but it’s less comfortable. There are no restrooms and no onboard bistro. In our opinion, the water taxi works best for a day trip or a quick overnight stay on Juist.
Just planning a day trip to Juist? Read on here:
Arriving on Juist
Island ferry: The island ferry docks at the only large pier on Juist. From the ship, you walk across the gangway into the harbor building, where you can pay your visitor’s tax right away. Then it’s outside to the harbor plaza, where the luggage containers are unloaded.
Water taxi: The water taxis dock at the north pier on Juist — which is also right at the harbor, so don’t worry. It’s a good idea to pay your visitor’s tax at the harbor building before heading to your accommodation.
Luggage on Juist
Island ferry: Once the island ferry has docked at Juist, the luggage containers are moved off the ship and onto the harbor plaza. As soon as the containers are opened, you can grab your bags. Did you remember your container number?
Water taxi: You collect your luggage directly on the water taxi, so no extra stop needed.
How Do You Get from the Harbor on Juist to Your Hotel?
After arriving on Juist, you can reach your accommodation in a few different ways:
- Horse-drawn carriages: Carriages are always standing by at the harbor and the airfield. They’ll take you and your luggage to Loog and into town. It’s best to book your ride online in advance.
- Luggage service: The Gerber luggage service transports your bags to your desired location for a fee starting at 5 euros. You can then walk or take the carriage unburdened.
- Luggage porters: Many hotels on Juist have their own porters who will pick up your luggage on arrival. Contact your hotel for details.
- Luggage carts: Many accommodations on Juist also provide luggage carts. You can request one through your hotel or host and pull the cart to your place yourself.
Visitor’s Tax & TöwerCard
Your ferry ticket (or plane ticket) is what’s known as the TöwerCard. If you book online, your TöwerCard will be a digital ticket. If you buy at the harbor or the airfield, it’ll be issued to you there.
You need the TöwerCard to pay your visitor’s tax. The easiest approach is to pay the applicable amount right after arriving on the island at the tourism desk in the harbor building — or in advance through the online visitor’s tax registration. Check the visitor’s tax rates to find out your individual amount.
When you use a service on the island that requires your TöwerCard, simply present it. The card is scanned and checked to confirm that your visitor’s tax has been paid. Free activities and the beach are of course excluded.
Really important: The visitor’s tax must be paid before you leave — otherwise they won’t let you off the island. Sounds strict, but that’s genuinely how it works.
Getting Around on Juist
You already know that Juist is a car-free island. Here, you get around only by horse-drawn carriage, bicycle, or on foot.
The horse-drawn carriages are something like buses for the island and are also called Inseltaxis (island taxis).
While carriages can be found and flagged down all over the island, it’s best to book your rides on a Juist horse-drawn carriage online in advance. Especially when you’ve just arrived with your luggage, it’s much more convenient to have it sorted beforehand.
There are two carriage operators on Juist. For the eastern part of the island, book with Fuhrbetrieb HUF, and for the western part with Fuhrbetrieb Schwips.
Flying to Juist
Flying to Juist really only makes sense if you’re traveling light — for example, if you’re staying just one or two nights.
The plane to Juist departs from Norden-Norddeich airfield. Unfortunately, there’s no public transit connection to get there, so you’ll need to arrive by car or taxi. You can then easily park at the airfield’s parking lots for 6 euros per day.
Book a parking spot at Norden airfield
Enter this address into your GPS: Westerlooger Strohweg 5, 26506 Norden
Book a flight to Juist
In under 10 minutes, you’ll be flown from Norden airfield to the airfield on Juist. The real highlight is the view of the tidal flats and the East Frisian Islands from above — seriously stunning.
You land at the eastern end of the island. From there, take a horse-drawn carriage into town. Don’t try it on foot — it takes a long time and is genuinely exhausting.
Accommodations on Juist
On Juist, there are far more vacation rentals than hotels. But that’s actually a big part of the island’s charm. There’s something special about making your morning coffee while gazing out at the tidal flats, or relaxing on “your own” terrace in the afternoon, don’t you think?
If you’d like to read more about our favorite places to stay on Juist, check out our dedicated article:
Beach Chairs & Bicycles on Juist
Renting Beach Chairs on Juist
Even though you can do a lot on Juist spontaneously, we’d recommend booking your beach chair in advance. That way you avoid hunting around on the island and have your spot secured from day one.
A beach chair for one to two people costs about 70 euros for 6 days.
Bicycle Rentals on Juist
For an extra 15 euros, you can bring your own bike on the island ferry to Juist. Alternatively, there are plenty of bike rental shops on the island.
Prices for rental bikes vary quite a bit. Depending on the shop and model, expect to pay around 20 euros per day.
Children’s bikes and cargo bikes for kids are also available to rent, by the way — super convenient if you’re traveling with little ones.
Juist with a Dog
Are you bringing your dog to Juist? Then you’ve picked a great destination! Juist is an incredibly dog-friendly island.
You can take any ferry with your four-legged friend and sit inside or on deck. The crossing costs just under 9 euros per dog. Just make sure your pup has had a bathroom break beforehand.
The island has dog-friendly accommodations, varied walking routes, and of course the beach.
And the best part: Outside of swimming season (from October to May), the entire beach is open to dogs!
During swimming season (from June to September), the main swimming beach and the Loogbad are reserved for people. In all other beach areas, dogs are welcome to romp and dig to their hearts’ content.
Please always follow the leash rules and keep your dog away from the dunes. You really don’t want them digging holes and damaging the dunes — after all, the dunes protect the entire island. Juist still needs them!
