Never knew that route existed - or that it took passengers. As we're off to those parts in about six weeks and haven't booked anything yet I thought I'd have a look, but even allowing for the savings in fuel, hotel etc it looks quite pricy.

A back of the envelope calculation suggests it'll cost us about €450 / 500 to get to Gothenburg "overland" via Dover but their price worked out at close to €1200 (four of us). As it's a working boat maybe I could get a bit off that if I offered to swab the decks or something.

For one person on a bike though the price would be a lot closer and worth considering.

I came into Dover earlier today on a DFDS ferry (i.e. "the short sea route").
I took the opportunity to question one of those with the gold braid around his jacket cuff about the Imm- Goth route.

A few choice facts:
He didn't know about the existance of the route either - working the passenger ferrries he didn't think this an issue.

Then he took a look on the ships' computer terminal (and I couldn't see whatever detail he could ascertain but my questions flowed).

The route does not take passengers as such; everyone taken on board in transit is a driver of a vehicle.

There are 12 beds available, in total - he wouldn't comment about if that is 12 beds to one common room, or twelve separate bed spaces beyond that. It may be that he literally couldn't tell from the on screen detail.

It's a freight line; this means that it carries ro-ro but also containers shipped/stacked/handled in various ways (he wasn't sure on this point).
He was adament that 12 drivers would be the limit on a single sailing, the balance of cargo being of type that doesn't require an accompanying driver e.g. trailers loaded/unloaded by mechanical handling equipment at each end of the trip.

He was sure that the scheduling of the cargo is done quite a way ahead which is very sensible for the needs of their regular shipping agents/forwarders etc.

I got that conversation onto the concept of booking no more than 30 days ahead and he pretty much thought that was not a great idea in view of the detail above, but he didn't really seem to know - leading on to a direct question from me about carrying motorcycles (not declared up to now as a motive), he and those by now who had gathered around to listen, just chuckled among themselves - that was time to leave.

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Dave

Probably not surprising that the "posh" side of DFDS doesn't know that much about their red in tooth and claw commercial operations. So it looks like the "12 passengers" are likely to be commercial truck drivers who are travelling with their tractor units rather than a service aimed at tourists.

If that's the case I can imagine the accommodation being a single room down in the bilges with military rack style bedding screwed to the walls and a tv with a worn out supply of 80's porn video tapes for entertainment. Ok if I'm riding a rat bike to a winter rally in Norway but probably not the best choice if I'm travelling with my mother in law.

Could be worse.
The folklore says that one can be invited to dine with the captain at his table with his senior officers if one can tell a modicum of great tales of daring-do.

Alternatively, one might become part of the First Master Bates and Seaman Stains party, below decks?

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Dave