{{Short description|Route in European road network}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Confuse|European route E018}} {{Infobox road |country=EUR |type=E |route=18 |length_km=1890 |length_ref={{citation needed|date=July 2025}} |direction_a=West |terminus_a=Craigavon, United Kingdom |junction={{jct|country=EUR|E|6}} in Oslo, Norway<br>{{jct|country=EUR|E|16}} Sandvika, Norway |direction_b=East |terminus_b=Saint Petersburg, Russia |countries=United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia }}

'''European route E18''' runs between Craigavon in Northern Ireland and Saint Petersburg in Russia, passing through Scotland, England, Norway, Sweden and Finland. It is about {{convert|1890|km|mi|-1|abbr=off}} in length.

Although the designation implies the possibility of a through journey, this is no longer practical as there are no direct car ferry crossings between the United Kingdom and Norway.<ref name=frukno>{{cite web |url=https://www.littlescandinavian.com/2016/04/13/from-uk-to-norway-by-car-and-ferry-this-is-how-we-travel-to-scandinavia/ |title=From UK to Norway by car and ferry |work=The Little Scandinavian |publisher=Scandi Media Ltd. |access-date=28 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828131331/https://www.littlescandinavian.com/2016/04/13/from-uk-to-norway-by-car-and-ferry-this-is-how-we-travel-to-scandinavia/ |archive-date=28 August 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>

== United Kingdom == The route starts in Northern Ireland and runs from Craigavon (M1) – Belfast (M2, A8) – Larne, then to Scotland: Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway (A75) – Gretna – then England via the (M6) – Carlisle (A69) to Newcastle. As is normal for European routes in the United Kingdom, it is not signposted as such.

=== Northern Ireland === *x15px|link=M1 motorway (Northern Ireland): Craigavon – '''Belfast''' (Start of multiplex with {{Jct|country=EUR|E|1}} at x15px|link=A1 road (Northern Ireland) Lisburn) *x15px|link=A12 road (Northern Ireland): '''Belfast''' *x15px|link=M2 motorway (Northern Ireland): '''Belfast''' – x15px|link=A8(M) motorway (Northern Ireland) (Multiplex with {{Jct|country=EUR|E|16}}) *x15px|link=A8(M) motorway (Northern Ireland): x15px|link=M2 motorway (Northern Ireland) – x15px|link=A8 road (Northern Ireland) *x15px|link=A8 road (Northern Ireland): x15px|link=A8(M) motorway (Northern Ireland) – Larne (End of multiplex with {{Jct|country=EUR|E|1}})

=== North Channel === *20px: Larne – Cairnryan

=== Great Britain === *x15px|link=A75 (Great Britain): Stranraer – x15px|link=A74(M) and M74 motorways *x15px|link=A74(M) and M74 motorways: x15px|link=A75 (Great Britain) – ''Anglo-Scottish border'' (Start of multiplex with {{Jct|country=EUR|E|5}}) *x15px|link=M6 motorway: ''Anglo-Scottish border'' – Carlisle (End of multiplex with {{Jct|country=EUR|E|5}}) *x15px|link=A69 (Great Britain): Carlisle – '''Newcastle upon Tyne''' (Interchange with {{Jct|country=EUR|E|15}} at x15px|link=A1 road (Great Britain))

== North Sea == There are no car ferries from Newcastle to Norway. Freight-only ferries may operate from other United Kingdom ports to Norway or Denmark, but for car journeys the only practical route is a crossing to France, Belgium or the Netherlands, followed by a road journey through Germany and Denmark, and a ferry crossing from there to Norway.<ref name=frukno/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dfds.com/freight-shipping/routes-and-schedules/brevik-immingham |title=Brevik – Immingham to Brevik |publisher=DFDS |access-date=28 August 2017 |archive-date=28 August 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828131804/https://www.dfds.com/freight-shipping/routes-and-schedules/brevik-immingham}}</ref>

== Norway == The route continues as a motorway from Kristiansand in Norway. E18 is connected with the E39 Ferry to Denmark. The ferry runs from Kristansand to Hirtshals, takes about 3 hours and 15 minutes, and is operated by Color Line.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurodrive.co.uk/newcastle-ferry-port.htm|title=Newcastle Ferry Port, England – Information, Map, Directions & more for Newcastle Ferry Terminal with Eurodrive: the ferry price comparison site|website=eurodrive.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eurodrive.co.uk/index.htm|title=Eurodrive – Cheap Ferry Crossing Tickets for Ferries-France and more with Eurodrive: the ferry price comparison site|website=eurodrive.co.uk}}</ref>

In Norway, the E18 has a length of {{convert|410|km|0}}, of which {{convert|232|km}} are motorway. It runs Kristiansand – Arendal – Porsgrunn – Larvik – Sandefjord – Tønsberg – Horten – Drammen – Oslo – Ås – Askim – Ørje (at the Swedish border).

A flyover carrying the E18 Holmestrand bypass, opened in 2001, partially collapsed in February 2015 following a landslip, necessitating its demolition and reconstruction.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newsinenglish.no/2015/02/02/bridge-collapses-on-e18-highway/|title=Bridge collapses on E18 highway|website=newsinenglish.no}}</ref>

== Sweden == From Ørje, the E18 crosses the border into Sweden at Töcksfors. It has a length of {{convert|510|km|0}}, of which {{convert|245|km}} are motorway. It runs Töcksfors – Karlstad – Örebro – Västerås – Stockholm / Kapellskär.

== Baltic Sea == The connection over the Baltic Sea is from Stockholm or Kapellskär in Sweden via Åland to Turku or Naantali in Finland, by ferries operated by Silja Line, Viking Line or Finnlines. It is also possible to take a direct ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki or to continue from Åland by island hopping over bridges, by cable ferries and ferries in Åland and Åboland, partly along the Archipelago Ring Road, but these routes are not part of the E18.

== Finland == {{see also|Finnish national road 1|Ring III|Finnish national road 7|Turku Ring Road}}

In Finland the E18 goes from Åland through southern Finland by way of Naantali – Turku – Salo – Lohja - Nummela – Espoo – Vantaa – Porvoo – Loviisa – Pyhtää – Kotka – Hamina – Vaalimaa to the border with Russia. Crossing the border to Russia often used to require queuing as the volume of traffic using it increased.<ref>[http://alk.tiehallinto.fi/alk/rajaliikenne/e18_en.html Queue situation at the Finnish/Russian border] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070514151024/http://alk.tiehallinto.fi/alk/rajaliikenne/e18_en.html |date=14 May 2007 }}</ref> The situation has since 2009 improved thanks to increased capacity, and a new parking lot constructed by 2016 is expected{{Fix|text=Out of date}} to solve the problem for good.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://yle.fi/uutiset/rekkaparkki_latauspisteita_sahkoautoille_ja_kymmenia_siltoja__e18-tien_viimeinen_osuus_valmistuu_vuonna_2018/7170446|title=Rekkaparkki, latauspisteitä sähköautoille ja kymmeniä siltoja – E18-tien viimeinen osuus valmistuu vuonna 2018|publisher=YLE|date=4 April 2014|access-date=4 April 2014}}</ref>

== Russia == {{see also|M10 highway (Russia)}} In Russia, E18 goes along the M10 highway from the Finnish border to Saint Petersburg. The stretch of M10 between Saint Petersburg and the Finnish border was redesignated as A181 in 2018.<ref>[http://www.kodeks-luks.ru/ciws/site?tid=0&nd=902246832&prevDoc=902246832&mark=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000065E0IS#I0 ООО Компания "Кодекс-Люкс": Законодательство, судебная практика, нормы, правила, стандарты России] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120407062825/http://www.kodeks-luks.ru/ciws/site?tid=0&nd=902246832&prevDoc=902246832&mark=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000065E0IS#I0 |date=7 April 2012 }}. Kodeks-luks.ru.</ref> The route runs through northwestern Leningrad Oblast and mostly through sparsely populated areas. Since 2003, after opening of the Vyborg bypass, E18 no longer goes through Vyborg.<ref>[http://www.rosavtodor.ru/shownewsn.php?id=324 Federal Highway Agency of Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation (in Russian)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071024022638/http://www.rosavtodor.ru/shownewsn.php?id=324 |date=24 October 2007 }}. Rosavtodor.ru.</ref> Near Saint Petersburg, the route runs through suburbs, such as Sestroretsk and Olgino. E18 terminates at the western border of Saint Petersburg.

There are plans to expand the road from one to three lanes in each direction because of the increasing volume of traffic.<ref>[http://www.baltinfo.ru/2011/08/18/Trassu-Skandinaviya-rekonstruiruyut-i-rasshiryat-do-shesti-polos-223520 (in Russian)]. Baltinfo.ru (18 August 2011).</ref> In 2012, the highway has been connected with the Western Rapid Diameter near Beloostrov by expanded existing junction of M10 with the Zelenogorsk highway. It is likely to be a new terminus of E18.<ref>[http://www.stpr.ru/projects/current/3/159.html (in Russian)]. Stpr.ru.</ref>

== Gallery == <gallery mode="packed"> File:The M1 near Moira (1) - geograph.org.uk - 300860.jpg|The M1 near Craigavon, Northern Ireland File:Motorway sign on slip road. - geograph.org.uk - 1307259.jpg|The A75 sign near Gretna, Scotland File:DrammenBridgeNorth.JPG|European Route E18 motorway leads over Drammen Bridge, Norway File:E18-junction133.jpg|The E18 passing through Västerås, Sweden File:Stocksundet - Sikreno.JPG|The E18 crossing the Stocksundet between Stockholm and Kapellskär File:Valtatie 7.jpg|The E18 at Kotka, Finland </gallery>

== References == {{Reflist}}

== External links == {{Commons category|E18|E&nbsp;18}} {{Wikivoyage|E18|E&nbsp;18}} * [https://unece.org/DAM/trans/conventn/MapAGR2007.pdf UN Economic Commission for Europe: Overall Map of E-road Network (2007)] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20070514151024/http://alk.tiehallinto.fi/alk/rajaliikenne/e18_en.html Queue situation at the Finnish–Russian border]

{{E-road}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:European Route E18}} Category:European route E18 E18 18 18 E018 E018E 1-0018E 1-0018E 1-0018E 1-0018E 1-0018E E018 1-0018E 1-0018E 1-0018E E018 1-0018E E018 E018 E018 E018 E018