Lerwick ferry

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Davidwd
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Lerwick ferry

Post by Davidwd »

Has anyone used the ferries between Scotland to Lerwick to Bergen? Are they cycle friendly?

Thank you
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Tigerbiten
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Re: Lerwick ferry

Post by Tigerbiten »

It stopped running well over 5 ago now.
So no.
I don't think the Harwich-Esbjerg ferry still runs.
So the most northern ferry is now Newcastle-Ijmuiden.
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jerry
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Re: Lerwick ferry

Post by jerry »

To rub salt into the wound, DFDS container ships took cyclists (me included) from Immingham to Larvik in Norway for bargain prices until very recently, but when I contacted DFDS to re-book they said that due to recent tightening of security rules, they can no longer handle passengers using container ships from the UK... so it looks like a case of getting a container ship booking from Rotterdam to Norway now.
"A mountain is a geological wave -- we are the real surfers!" -- William Neally
531 ST 700c Nigel Dean, Brompton Touring Special, Thorn Explorer tandem, Original Bickerton 14"/16", Moulton TSR-27 20", Bacchetta Giro 26"
Davidwd
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Re: Lerwick ferry

Post by Davidwd »

I suppose Harwich to Hook then and use the trains up to Norway!
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jerry
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Re: Lerwick ferry

Post by jerry »

Possibly but expensive I think! I think .... Harwich to Hook, short taxi ride, Rotterdam to Norway on DFDS - see here https://www.dfds.com/freight-shipping/r ... -rotterdam - if you decide to go by rail, I've used the train from the Hook before and it's going to add a week to your trip (ouch!!) by return so ferry is the way to go... http://blissonwheels.blogspot.co.uk/200 ... -home.html
"A mountain is a geological wave -- we are the real surfers!" -- William Neally
531 ST 700c Nigel Dean, Brompton Touring Special, Thorn Explorer tandem, Original Bickerton 14"/16", Moulton TSR-27 20", Bacchetta Giro 26"
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foxyrider
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Re: Lerwick ferry

Post by foxyrider »

The ferry companies have forced cyclists onto the airlines. OTOH flying will be a lot quicker and probably cheaper so whilst the ferry would be nice to Norway (if the North Sea isn't too rough) flying might actually be the best solution.

Security is a new excuse, the real reason is that after withdrawal of the Esbjerg / Bergen routes more people than they were prepared to accommodate wanted to use the commercial services so they stopped anyone using the services, allows them to say there's no demand.
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
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jerry
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Re: Lerwick ferry

Post by jerry »

Very valid point foxyrider - security probably is the latest excuse. Flying would be cheaper and generally it's less hassle. But it always feels really adventurous to watch the coast approaching and then push a bike down the ramp and ride off instead.

I guess the fact that there's so few posts on this thread probably points to the fact that there's very few UK cyclists wanting to get to Norway anyway, and those that do are happy to travel within their baggage allowance.
"A mountain is a geological wave -- we are the real surfers!" -- William Neally
531 ST 700c Nigel Dean, Brompton Touring Special, Thorn Explorer tandem, Original Bickerton 14"/16", Moulton TSR-27 20", Bacchetta Giro 26"
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andrew_s
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Re: Lerwick ferry

Post by andrew_s »

jerry wrote:there's very few UK cyclists wanting to get to Norway anyway, and those that do are happy to travel within their baggage allowance.

Alternatively, they are unhappy about their baggage allowance but manage, or they just go somewhere else where it's warmer and less baggage is required.
pq
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Re: Lerwick ferry

Post by pq »

If it makes you feel any better, I used that ferry service in 2008 (it had stopped going to Lerwick by then) and it wouldn't have been ideal for you. Getting from Bergen to Scrabster would have been fine, but doing the journey the other way would have been very very slow. You'd have had to catch the boat to the Faroe Islands, then wait while it did return trips to both Iceland and Denmark, then reboard and go to Bergen. Would have taken around a week if memory serves.

My trip is written up here: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/Northatlanticdrift
One link to your website is enough. G
gloomyandy
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Re: Lerwick ferry

Post by gloomyandy »

Personally I'd love to be able to get a ferry to Norway and would really like to be able to get one to the Faroe Islands, but it seems that now I have the time to do so (and the interest) there is no ferry to use! I love travelling by ferry (most of my trips involve one or more!), it just seems so much part of the adventure. They also often seem simpler to use (you push your bike on, not wrap it up in a box and wave it goodbye!).

Having spent a fair bit of my working life flying to one place or another, I really don't fancy that as part of my cycling trip (probably not a rational reason but...). One of my biggest disappointments was having a much planned and looked forward to flight to Barra (to land on the beach runway) cancelled due to "operational reasons", ruining birthday celebrations. So even though I know ferries can have problems and that flying may be cheaper, faster etc. My experience has just been that a ferry can be more fun and that when things do go wrong the people I've been dealing with have been genuinely helpful, rather than just trying to get rid of you as fast as possible with as little cost as possible to the company. Almost certainly irrational I know, but the thought of starting a trip that is often about being out in wonderful wild locations, by going through the check in hassle at a typical airport just does not appeal!

So yes I'd love to have a ferry!
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jerry
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Re: Lerwick ferry

Post by jerry »

Tell you what, we could charter a fishing boat - like the WWII Shetland Bus in reverse? Leave from the North East of the UK, and chug over to Norway dropping a bunch of cyclists off for a ride up the coast towards Trondheim ... what's the point of the North Sea Cycle Route if several of the major links are broken, I ask myself :-).
"A mountain is a geological wave -- we are the real surfers!" -- William Neally
531 ST 700c Nigel Dean, Brompton Touring Special, Thorn Explorer tandem, Original Bickerton 14"/16", Moulton TSR-27 20", Bacchetta Giro 26"
pq
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Re: Lerwick ferry

Post by pq »

If you like avoiding flying, another one of my trips might interest you. I managed to get to Albania on a mixture of trains, my bike and a long ferry trip.

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/balkanised
One link to your website is enough. G
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Tigerbiten
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Re: Lerwick ferry

Post by Tigerbiten »

andrew_s wrote:
jerry wrote:there's very few UK cyclists wanting to get to Norway anyway, and those that do are happy to travel within their baggage allowance.

Alternatively, they are unhappy about their baggage allowance but manage, or they just go somewhere else where it's warmer and less baggage is required.

Or I cannot get my recumbent trike and trailer on a plane without paying airfreight prices ....... :cry:
It would be cheaper to buy something secondhand at the start of a tour after flying out and resell it at the end before flying back.
But I'd still need to carry all the parts needed to mod whatever I buy so I can ride it single handed.
So still not easy, just cheaper ........... :D
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foxyrider
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Re: Lerwick ferry

Post by foxyrider »

jerry wrote:Very valid point foxyrider - security probably is the latest excuse. Flying would be cheaper and generally it's less hassle. But it always feels really adventurous to watch the coast approaching and then push a bike down the ramp and ride off instead.

I guess the fact that there's so few posts on this thread probably points to the fact that there's very few UK cyclists wanting to get to Norway anyway, and those that do are happy to travel within their baggage allowance.


I certainly prefer the relative low hassle business of ferry travel to flying but unless someone is prepared to carry non commercial passengers it's not going to happen.

In theory it's possible to get passage on a variety of shipping but in practice - dunno if it's worth the hassle.
Convention? what's that then?
Airnimal Chameleon touring, Orbit Pro hack, Orbit Photon audax, Focus Mares AX tour, Peugeot Carbon sportive, Owen Blower vintage race - all running Tulio's finest!
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jerry
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Re: Lerwick ferry

Post by jerry »

pq, that's a great write-up of your trip to the Balkans at https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o= ... =7079&v=NL - thanks for sharing! :D
"A mountain is a geological wave -- we are the real surfers!" -- William Neally
531 ST 700c Nigel Dean, Brompton Touring Special, Thorn Explorer tandem, Original Bickerton 14"/16", Moulton TSR-27 20", Bacchetta Giro 26"
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