is there a ferry running from scotland to norway?

i thought i'd try get the bike on a boat from aberdeen to stavanger or bergen but aferry.com etc. don't seem to accommodate. seems i can get to shetlands though, but there is no boat between shetlands and norway either...

thanks in advance
dave

I´m about 95% certain, that there is not. Check out:

ferrylines.com: Ferries in the North Sea

For a long time, there was a connection between Newcastle and Bergen/Stavanger (I actually used it to go to the UK and back in 2005). But unfortunately that service was stopped 2-3 years ago, and if I´m not completely misinformed, it has not re-opened. Someone please correct, if I´m wrong.

DFDS Tor Line had a truck transport Ro-Ro ship with a small number of cabins going between Immingham UK and Norway (somewhere south from Oslo)... I don´t know, if this is still operating, but googling with the operator name should tell you that pretty quickly. Note, that it´s not really a car ferry, and you´d probably need to book well in advence.

Other than that, I think you´ll need to go via Netherlands, for example. But I must admit, that I haven´t followed the situation on North Sea ferries closely for a couple of years, so it is possible, that some new lines will emerge (but more common to close down the existing ones these days, I´m afraid...)

edit. just had a quick look at that map, and it seems that Harwich to Esbjerg Denmark might be possible. Then a short drive up thru Denmark, and another boat to southern Norway.

I tried to get a Scotland/Norway ferry a while ago and found only Newcastle the closest available.


Norway Ferry Routes - Newcastle to Kristiansend, Bergen & Stavanger

Ferries from Newcastle to Stavanger with Fjordline sail three times a week with a sailing time of 18 hours.
Ferries from Newcastle to Bergen with Fjordline sail three times daily with a crossing time of 25 hours.

Stunning country and amazing riding, I loved riding to the Arctic circle a few years back. If it's the first time, head OVER the tunnels and across the passes, all I can say is .....WOW!!

Although there is one tunnel not to be missed, the longest road tunnel in the WORLD and near bergen Lærdal Tunnel - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia the blue ice theme inside is awesome!

__________________
Geoffshing

'Security is a product of one's own imagination, it does not exist in nature as a rule, life is either a daring adventure or nothing.'

I agree, that Norway is an exceptional place to ride bikes.

Fjordline, however (which is the company, that used to run that line between Norway and the UK) nowadays seems to have services between 4 ports, none of which are in the UK: Bergen, Stavanger and Kristiansand in Norway, and Hirtshals in north Denmark. (Or at least their website has such info.)

dont forget to buy the stadoil coffee cup its not a bad camping thermos mug and you get free coffee at every gas stop(valid for one year) which is the only free thing you will find in noway.but it is awesome scenery.dont miss the lofotens on your way either!!

No ferries from Scotland to Norway.
Bergen-Shetlands-Iceland and return, stopped last year.
Smaller private boats sail from Scrabster to Bergen area. I was thinking of having a run up and trying to find a someone who may take a bike from Peterhead, Scrabster maybe Aberdeen.

Hi all

After a lengthy break in this thread I can add more bad news on ferry services to Scandinavia.

It was bad enough when the Newcastle to Bergen service was terminated by DFDS back in 2009, or thereabouts.

But at least we could console ourselves with their other North Sea service from Harwich to Esbjerg (DK)... well, we can until 29th September 2014!

Then no more ferries to Scandinavia.

At an idle moment in the office this afternoon I logged on to the DFDS website just to get an idea of the likely fares for 'self and my motorbike for a third visit to northern Scandinavia next springtime.

It was then that I noticed the one line of bold text at the bottom of a column of copy breaking the bad news to its customers!

I emailed DFDS to ask about it and received a response within the hour, and below is an extract of that reply...

We regret to confirm the closure to our Harwich-Esbjerg route from the 29th September 2014. DFDS Seaways’ historic passenger ferry route between Harwich and Esbjerg, Denmark has been struggling for some time due to increased fuel costs, a decline in passenger numbers and freight using the route. The route is therefore unable to bear the substantial additional costs that new Sulphur environmental rules will impose from 1st January 2015.

All I know is that on my previous trips that service has been very busy!

There has been rumour of a new operator (Norwegian Seaways Ltd) that was due to start this April just gone, allegedly resuming the old Newcastle to Bergen service, but April has come and gone. And nothing.

DFDS helpfully suggested the Newcastle to Amsterdam service.

Yeah great, pay to go a few hundred miles in the wrong direction just to get off that ferry the following day and then trek through highly congested Dutch and German motorways in the right direction for a whole day before being able to sense freedom and fresh air!!!

Wouldn't it be nice if our national MPs - or even our MEPs - were to think it might be a worthy cause to help keep some of these ferry services running?

I'm beginning to feel as though we're being isolated from the rest of Europe, with the only exit being via the English Channel ports which, for the majority of us in the UK, are hundreds of miles to the south.

Fine if you're wanting to travel south... a bit of a bummer if you're not!

End of justified rant!!!

This really sucks, I've been looking for over 2 hours now for a way to get from Scotland to Norway. All services closed! Why they don't keep like a weekly, every two weeks or monthly ones??? Am pretty sure people and businesses would adjust. Alternatively, they could use smaller ferries to keep the cost down etc. I'm sure it's costing more to move goods and people through south route taking under account petrol/CO2 and smaller things such as time spent etc. etc. that those ferries would pay off. They also provide tourists and Norwegians do earn decent salaries though not sure if they are that much into road travel. Anyway, I'd hire a boat once a year and share the cost amongst people willing to explore NO by bike or car.