Note: Ferry usage in routing

The route calculation will evaluate ferry connections and can suggest ferry transport for parts of the route if they are evaluated to be the optimal path.

In order to alert users of this issue, route sections representing ferry travel always include the following notice:

"notices": [
    {
        "title": "No schedule information available.",
        "code": "noSchedule",
        "severity": "info"
    }
]

In the absence of ferry timetables, the service uses a simple model for calculating ferry travel duration, which consists of fixed values for the boarding duration, deboarding duration, and speed along the ferry path. These fixed values are the same for all ferries. Note that model values are subject to change at any time.

The board and deboard times are output in the pre/post-actions in the route section representing ferry travel. Also note that the ratio between the length and duration of the depart action is 40 km/h:

"preActions": [
    {
        "action": "board",
        "duration": 1200
    }
],
"actions": [
    {
        "action": "depart",
        "duration": 101454,
        "length": 1127205,
        "instruction": "Take the Helsinki-Rostock Ferry. Stay on for 1127 km.",
        "offset": 0
    }
],
"postActions": [
    {
        "action": "deboard",
        "duration": 600
    }
]

Potential issues

The discrepancy between this simple model and the actual ferry times can lead to the API calculating routes with undesirable behavior, including:

• Route durations that are too long or too short compared to reality.
• Routes that do not utilize a ferry, where taking a ferry would have produced a better route.
• Routes that utilize a ferry that should not be used (e.g., if the ferry is only available in summer, or only goes once per day).
• Routes that utilize a ferry, where utilizing a different ferry would have produced a better route.

Recommendations

Check your ferry schedule

If you are using a route that includes a ferry section, you may want to check the ferry schedule for that particular ferry, and adjust your expected travel time accordingly.

Guide route calculation to use your preferred ferry

If the API is calculating a route that does not use your preferred ferry, our recommendation is to guide the route calculation by adding a passthrough waypoint on the preferred ferry segment. Place the passthrough waypoint near the departure port to ensure that the route uses the ferry in the intended direction.

For a sample request demonstrating truck routing with ferries, including the use of passthrough waypoints, see this tutorial:

• Use ferries

Guide route calculation away from ferries you want to avoid

If the API is calculating a route that uses a ferry that you prefer not to use, our recommendation is to use the avoid[segments] or avoid[areas] features.

For a sample request using avoid[segments] see this tutorial:

• Avoid segments

For a sample request using avoid[areas] see this tutorial:

• Avoid areas