Scandinavian Seaways – The Old Name for DFDS Seaways

Scandinavian Seaways – The Old Name for DFDS Seaways

Between the years of 1988 and 1999 DFDS Seaways operated under the name Scandinavian Seaways, if your were one of the many 1000’s of passengers that travelled in that period you may well be looking to travel with that company on the same route you did back then.

The name Scandinavian seaways was apt for the company as they were primarily operating routes from Scandinavia to the UK. Unfortunately the ferry links between the UK and Scandinavia have dwindled and DFDS now only operate one route between the UK and Scandinavia. In fact DFDS are currently the only operator to offer any passenger ferry route between the UK and anywhere in Scandinavia.

That ferry route is between Harwich in the UK and Esbjerg in Denmark and as mentioned above is the only active passenger ferry route operated via the UK and anywhere in Scandinavia.

Previous routes included a UK to Sweden ferry connection, that connected Newcastle in the UK with Gothenburg in Sweden via a stop in Norway at the Kristiansand port, though in 2006 DFDS Seaways stopped this route. After that route closure there was just two Scandinavian UK routes available, the Harwich Esbjerg route that is still running and the ferry route between Newcastle and Bergen in Norway.

The Newcastle to Bergen route also stopped at two other ports in Norway, Haugesund and Stavanger. However on the 1st September 2008, the last DFDS ferry between the UK and Norway was sailed after DFDS announced that route was losing money and had been for many years despite efforts to improve the profitability the route.

To take take your car from the UK to anywhere in Scandinavia now means using the Harwich to Esbjerg ferry route or if you perhaps live in the north of England using one of the UK to Holland routes – Denmark is only a few hours drive from ferry ports in Holland – there is currently two routes on offer connecting the north of England with Holland, Newcastle to Amsterdam operated by DFDS and Hull to Rotterdam operated by P&O ferries.

Read more on Scandavian Seaways

2 thoughts on “Scandinavian Seaways – The Old Name for DFDS Seaways

  1. Dear Sir/Madam
    Are there an plans to re instate the ferry routes to Sweden or Denmark now after Brexit (profit from tax free sales? At least that would be ONE positive thing with Brexit!). Me and my British wife used the Gothenburg to Harwich route when we lived in Sweden and it was a excellent and relaxed way of travel instead of driving all the way across Europe from Sweden. We now live in the UK but I have family and friends all around Sweden and it would be fantastic to be able to get there by car and drive around Sweden.

    Regards

    Kjell Nilsson

    1. Hi Kjell

      Thanks for getting in touch with us! We always value the opinions, thoughts and ideas our customers have. Unfortunately at the moment there aren’t any plans to re-instate the routes to Sweden or Denmark. We agree though; these routes are greatly missed and it would provide fantastic travel opportunities to Scandinavia. We hope in the future these routes will be re-introduced so we can bring you some amazing deals and travel inspiration for visiting these wonderful countries.

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