Alternative route for the shut down Harwich – Esbjerg ferry route by car

2/16/2018 4:21:57 PM

There are several freight ferries across the North Sea, operated by DFDS, including between the UK and Scandinavia.

Routes include Immingham (near Hull) to Ejsberg (Denmark), Brevik (Norway), or Gothenburg (Sweden), and from Tilbury (near London) to Gothenburg. Note there is currently a freight ferry from Harwich to Ejsberg, but this is due to end in September, along with the passenger ferry.

These freight services have some spaces for passengers, including cars. See this document for passenger information (including prices). It seems there is no online booking system, you have to phone or email the office to book.

Note these are long distances and the ferries are not particularly fast, most journeys take over 24 hours, up to 37 hours from Gothenburg to Tilbury. And as these are primarily freight ferries, the departure or arrival times may be inconvenient for passengers, some are late at night.

Update: As of February 2018, the DFDS website states:

Due to UKBF port approval private passengers are not permitted to be
carried through Immingham, this means that we can no longer accept
leisure fare paying passengers on the freight routes through
Immingham.

The Tilbury-Gothenburg route is no longer listed.

8/28/2014 6:08:08 PM

As you have discovered the ferries from uk to Scandinavia are an endangered species, and as I discovered when I tried to answer this question earlier, that personal knowledge can also go out of date, and even when you back it up with info from a supposedly trustworthy link, and then that info is also out of date!

As you detailed in your question there seems to only be the options of ferry to holland or Belgium, and then drive.

In your question you also indicated that you were prepared to hire a car in Copenhagen, but that luggage might be an issue if travelling by air. Depending on how much time you have for this trip, could I suggest a different option.

The excellent seat61 website shows several options for travelling to Scandinavia by train. And whilst there is no auto train option, you might thing about travelling by Eurostar to Brussels, followed by sleeper train to Sweden

http://www.seat61.com/Sweden.htm#.U_9sAGK9KSM

This would solve your luggage problem to some extent, although you still have to carry it!

I hope you enjoy your trip, Scandinavia is super and I can’t wait to return.

Credit:stackoverflow.com‘

About me

Hello,My name is Aparna Patel,I’m a Travel Blogger and Photographer who travel the world full-time with my hubby.I like to share my travel experience.

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