Ferry to Sweden now carrying passengers

  • 2000-01-27
  • By The Baltic Times staff
RIGA - Motorists can lop off about 1,500 km from the time it takes to drive from Liepaja to Sweden by hopping a new ferry service offered by the Amber Line.

Scandlines is now offering space to passengers and their autos on its Amber Line ferry route between Liepaja and Karlshamn, Sweden, just a few hours' drive from Stockholm and Copenhagen, and on its Euroseabridge service between Liepaja and Rostock, Germany. Rostock is a short drive from Berlin.

"I took the trip to Sweden myself a week ago, and I can tell you that compared to the long trip via Poland, it was heaven, said Claus Olsen of Scandline.

The line has carried freight on the two routes since the mid-1990s and in a few days will be opening the routes to passengers.

"For a long time now, we've wanted to expand the service to be able to offer space for passengers. With our new ferries we now have facilities for both lorry drivers and other passengers," said Scandlines Line manager Niels Tolstrup.

Between Liepaja and Karlshamn, the ferry "Kahleberg" entered service on Jan. 3, with three departures weekly in each direction . The ferry can accommodate up to 70 passengers who can have either a cabin to themselves or comfortable airplane-type seats. Crossing time is 18 hours. The vessel can carry cars, lorries and trailers, and caravans and so on.

Between Liepaja and Rostock, the ferry "Ask" goes into service with a capacity of 90 passengers. There are cabins and comfortable airplane-type seats aboard the ferry which takes 24 hours to reach Ask can also accommodate cars, lorries and trailers, caravans and so on. Crossing time is 24 hours.

Scandline is a limited company formed in 1998 by joining together the largest ferries in Denmark and Germany.