Is anyone aware of any plans for the reinstatement of ferry services from anywhere in the UK to anywhere in Scandinavia for 2011?

It appears to me that our only option at the moment will be to cross from Harwich to Holland and head north.

Is there a quicker alternative?

You may want to consider DFDS ferry from Harwich to Esjberg in Denmark. Drive east across Denmark to Copenhagen and take the sea bridge to Malmo in Sweden or drive to North Denmark and take ferry from Hirtshals to Kristiansand in Norway (Color lines).

Hook of Holland and Esbjerg are the best options but the Esbjerg ferry is 3 times the price of the other. Earlier this year I used the Holland ferry it was £127. DFDS wanted more than £400!!. If you have a bike that can do 80mph all day then the autobahns aren't too bad. Apart from all of the road works. I did it on my 250, I camped in Denmark on my second night.

DFDS Tor Line do Immingham to Gothenburg. It's a freight route, but the cabins and 'driver's mess' (where you take meals, make tea/cofee, video and tv lounge) are better than their own passenger ferries. Bit steep in terms of cost, but it does include meals. I lived in Sweden from 2006 - 2009 and used it a lot. I'm from near Newcastle and they used to do ferries direct to Sweden and Norway, then closed them both in 2007. Also be aware that the shortest non-direct route is Harwich to Esbjerg, as has been stated, but, it's still a long and boring way into Sweden and you have to factor-in bridge crossings or ferry from Denmark to Sweden. A lot depends on where you are. If in south of England, Harwich is worth considering (Stena Line). If in the North, Tor Line is best. It's a nove experience too, you get to meet a slightly different type of traveller.

Thanks for that very useful information everyone. Much appreciated. It looks like we have a few options for going one way and coming back another. The Thor Line looks particularly interesting.

Cheers

The main problem with one way tickets is they're usually close to the return price. I should check the cost against a return ticket before going the one out/one back route. I guess they expect to make their money on what you spend on the ferry and prefer you use their boat twice for maximum profit.

However, if you're not sure what date you will be coming back you can book a flexi ticket for the return sailing for a little extra which gives you some options.

Hi

I have just booked:


Paid £257 inc 2 meals for Harwich, UK to Hirtshals, Denmark one way ferry, 19 hrs, mid june 2010. No discount for return journey.

Return leg is looking like £350, but i'm going to ride back to UK overland to Calais, France.

Paid €79 return for Hirtshals, Denmark to Kristiansand, Norway crossing, 2hrs 15 on the fjordlines ferry

For Denmark to Norway, Fjordlines seems cheaper.

Fjordlines also do a Hirtshals to Stavenger and Bergen service which is also quite cheap if you have time on your hands and want to get further north without racking up the miles.

Hope this helps

x

Perhaps surprising, but there is a ´ferry´ (well, I dont know, if you can really call it that - it´s not a normal ferry, and probably has very limited # of cabins) between Norway and the UK (but I have no personal experience of this, no idea what it costs, etc):
DFDS Seaways' Brevik - Immingham freight ferry shipping route - DFDSSeaways.com/Freight

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...-sweeden-37749

yep has been done, however, it is a freight priority service, so you can be 'bumped' off if full- so good if you have time on your hands

I have emailed DFDS 3 times about this and never got a reply, not going to bother ringing them now as i've booked via Harwich but I think persistence is the key!

Did the Immingham-Brevik route last year with two bikes.
Was good value for money, wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

Full story is in this thread
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...e-arctic-55055

__________________
He who makes a beast out of himself
Gets rid of the pain of being a man

finally got an answer and some info on one of the freight routes, this came through a month or two ago:

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with or without notice.


Departure Gothenburg
Arrival Tilbury
Tuesday
19.00
Thursday
08.00
Thursday
19.00
Saturday
08.00
Saturday
18:00
Monday
08.00
Departure Tilbury
Arrival Gothenburg
Tuesday
19.00
Thursday
08.00
Thursday
19.00
Saturday
09.00
Saturday
16:00
Monday
08.00