I’ve been dreaming of a road trip to the North Pole for ages, but I’ve struggled to find enough time for it in the summer. It didn’t work out this time either, but I’d managed to set aside a whole three weeks and decided to spend them travelling around Denmark. Denmark is tiny, so right from the start I planned to drive the length of the country, from west to east. In this article, I’ve shared my impressions and observations, practical information and my itinerary, in case you’d like to follow in my footsteps.
How to get to Denmark by car
If we stick to the obvious routes, there are three options:
- By road to the Jutland Peninsula – you enter Denmark in southern Jutland via the town of Padborg. This route is the longest, but it is the only sensible option if your destination is Jutland (or further on, the Norwegian fjords). It also makes sense if you want to travel through the whole of Denmark. In that case you’ll probably arrive or depart this way. On the other hand, it doesn’t make sense if you’re only going to Copenhagen or Zealand.
- Puttgarden (Germany) – Rødby (Denmark) ferry – the ferry runs non-stop every half hour. The crossing takes 45 minutes and you disembark in the south of the Sjælland region, on the island of Falster.
- Ferry from Rostock (Germany) to Gedser (Denmark) – the shortest option in terms of driving time, but the ferry itself takes 2 hours. This ferry is a bit more expensive and runs roughly every 2 hours, so you’ll need to plan your timing a bit better.
Both ferries are operated by Scandlines. The ferry to Rødby is smaller, more of a shuttle really, and has fewer decks. But you can eat, have a coffee or shop in the duty-free on both. On the Gedser route there’s a full-service restaurant on board (though it mainly serves schnitzel and chips or ready-made salads) as well as an all-you-can-eat buffet.
Both ferries are quite expensive, and prices vary depending on the time of day and season. So do check the price and, if possible, plan your journey around the cheaper option. As a rough guide, Puttgarden–Rødby costs around 100 euros and Rostock–Gedser around 140 euros per car.
Pick up your car right after landing in Copenhagen and skip the wait for buses, compare rental prices online in one place and most bookings cancel free.
How much does it cost to travel by car in Denmark?
As you’ve probably guessed, Denmark isn’t exactly a budget holiday destination, and the costs associated with a car are no exception.
Roads and tolls
In Denmark, you don’t need a motorway vignette, nor will you have to pay any motorway tolls; these are free for vehicles weighing up to 12 tonnes. There are only two toll points where you will have to pay:
- The Great Belt Bridge – the bridge between the islands of Fyn and Zealand. It costs 230 DKK for a car (350 with a trailer, 120 for a motorbike). The toll booth is only on the Sjælland side, so if you’re coming from Fyn, you pay when you leave the bridge.
- The Øresund Bridge – between Copenhagen and Malmö in Sweden – so this doesn’t apply to you if you’re staying in Denmark. It costs 505 DKK for a car (230 for a motorbike).
All the other bridges are free to use, and you don’t need to worry about finding a toll gate waiting for you at the end of the bridge.
Ferries
Whatever you save on the motorway toll, you’ll more than make up for it on ferries. Between many destinations – particularly between the islands – the only way to travel is by ferry, and these are quite expensive in Denmark. A crossing lasting just a few minutes might cost you 80 DKK, but in popular tourist destinations such as the island of Fanø, you could easily pay over 450 DKK (for a return journey). Of course, you can also avoid such journeys, or leave your car at the port and head to the island with just your bike.
Parking
Parking is free in many places; in smaller towns, you can even park in the town centre or near tourist attractions. However, it is usually subject to time restrictions. There are no barriers; it’s at your own risk. However, there is a system in place to monitor this, so to park for free in Denmark you’ll need to get a parking disc (parkering skive).
A parking disc is a sticker with a clock face and a hand; when you park, you set it to the time you arrived, so it’s clear if you’ve been there too long. The maximum time you can park for free is indicated on the blue ‘P’ parking sign. It will usually show ‘2 timer’ (2 hours) or ‘3 timer’, or possibly ‘1 time’ (1 hour). In places where there are, for example, only three parking spaces for quick stops, the limit may be as short as 15 minutes. In other places, however, it may be 24 hours.
I bought the parking disc at the first petrol station I came across after crossing the border into Denmark (apparently you can also buy them on the German side); it cost me around 20 DKK.
Petrol
At the time of my visit, Natural 95 cost somewhere between 13.59 and 13.89 DKK. By way of comparison, it was noticeably cheaper in Germany. So it’s worth planning your refuelling in advance.
I don’t have an electric car yet, so I haven’t really kept track of it, but I’d definitely say there were loads of places to charge up – more than back home. Most car parks, even those rest areas by the roadside, had something, as did shops and hotels.
Food shopping
When it came to buying bits and bobs from supermarkets, I practically only went to Rema 1000 – a Scandinavian chain – as I found their range the most appealing. Ready-made smørrebrød and a selection of salads, lovely fruit, local cheeses.
Danish bakeries are brilliant; they have really good bread and loads of lovely ‘cakes’ such as spandauer, snails and other sweet treats. So it’s often sweet pastries, but sometimes they’ve got good filled baguettes too. It’s not exactly cheap, but it’s definitely cheaper than going to a restaurant.
My itinerary
How much time do you need for Denmark? I reckon my nearly three weeks are just about right for the whole of Denmark. If you love road trips (by which I mean you enjoy the views from the car, you enjoy the journey itself, and you don’t mind driving and spending a lot of time in the car). What I didn’t manage to see (or rather, I didn’t fancy travelling so far just for one or two days) is the island of Bornholm, which is definitely worth a visit.
Day 1: Journey to Germany
I set off after midday and ended up in Wendeburg (just a place I chose at random where I found somewhere to stay); if it hadn’t been after the lavender season, I would have gone via Lüneburg.
Day 2: Arrival in Denmark (Tønder)
This is where the route gets a bit illogical – that’s because the original plan was to visit Sønderborg and the surrounding area in the east and then head to Tønder (in the west) to find accommodation, but it was pouring with rain, so I went straight to Tønder, had a quick look round the town, bought up two bakeries’ worth of bread, and went to rest and enjoy my first impressions of Denmark (which, apart from the downpour, were thoroughly positive – I just marvelled at how beautiful everything was) at my accommodation.
I stayed at Bjerremark Hotel og Kursuscenter, which is a typical large Danish building (the sort of place where I imagine weddings must be held – truly beautiful premises).
Day 3: Møgeltønder + Sønderborg
Møgeltønder has a lovely street full of historic houses, as well as Schackenborg Castle. It’s just a short distance from Tønder, so I went along to have a look.
Then I had that rather illogical journey to Sønderborg ahead of me, but that little town is definitely worth a visit. Gråsten Slot is the royal family’s summer residence, and the royal yacht Dannebrog was moored at the jetty. Otherwise, it’s a lovely little town for a stroll through the centre, along the waterfront and on the town beach.
Whilst I was in that part of the country, I had a bit of a drive around the island of Als, visiting Taksensand Fyr lighthouse, the harbour at Fynshav and the waterside at Steg gaf. On the way back, I also popped in at Dybbøl Banke, a historic battlefield and a place of great significance to the Danes; there’s the Dybbøl Mølle mill there, which houses a museum.
I stayed at the KonceptHotel in the town of Oksbøl for a few days and went on day trips from there. The breakfasts were excellent (though in Denmark, they were generally above average everywhere).
Day 4: Ribe + Rømø
Back to the west. Ribe is Denmark’s oldest town, with a lovely town centre and cathedral. Not far from there is the Viking Centre, a reconstruction of a Viking village. It’s a lovely, lively open-air museum, with tents, animals, warriors, woodcarvers, blacksmiths and plenty of stalls.
The island of Rømø is connected to the mainland by a causeway – quite a long one, in fact – with a road running along it and sheep grazing all around. This is where I set off for the first of many beaches in Jutland, Lakolk Strand, where people usually drive to and have picnics. And then on to another one like that near Sønderby.
Day 5: Fanø
It’s probably not worth travelling to Fanø unless, like me, you’re desperate to see the sea lions. The island is beautiful, and I may well have seen the prettiest little houses of the whole trip there. The only problem is the cost of the ferry, which is high, especially in high season. Because of this, it’s worth considering staying here for a while, but I think accommodation is more expensive here too, and at such short notice I couldn’t manage to find anything worthwhile.
I drove along Sønderho Strandvej to the beach to see the seals; I left the car at the side of the road and walked (barefoot) about a good kilometre from there to the sea. The seals were on a headland just across the water; even with the naked eye, I could see there were a good two hundred of them, but I could only see their faces clearly through binoculars. Occasionally one would swim a bit closer, surface and then swim off again. Well, I spent a good two hours there, but none of them actually came anywhere near me.
I also stopped off on the mainland at Blåvandshuk Fyr lighthouse, which is situated at Denmark’s westernmost point. There’s a lovely view of the surrounding area from the dunes, but I also climbed up to the top of the lighthouse (admission 70 DKK).
Day 6: Vorupør
Looking back, I realise I made a mistake on this part of the road trip – I should have taken it more slowly. Next time! Western Denmark, along the beaches, has a really laid-back atmosphere – tiny towns, a wild sea you could watch for hours, lovely campsites, and surf and kitesurfing schools. Just the way I like it.
I drove through Henne Strand, Hvide Sande, the little town of Søndervig and Thy National Park all the way to the little town of Vorupør, where there’s a large campsite, a beach full of surfers and the national park museum, so it’s quite lively there.
Day 7: Limfjord + Skagen
In the morning, I spent some time watching the surfers in Vorupør and then in Klitmøller, but after that I set off towards the Limfjord, which is a system of straits. I didn’t even have a specific place in mind to visit; I just thought it might be nice there.
I just followed my nose and, quite by chance, ended up at Ejerslev Havn, a small harbour by a sort of lagoon – well, actually, there was just a café and a few little cottages there. Paradoxically, this was the sort of place I’d dreamt of when I imagined what a road trip in Denmark would be like. A tiny harbour, a place selling mainly smørrebrød, outdoor seating with a view of the boats. It felt as if it were at the end of the world, yet at the same time it was quite lively.
From there, I drove further north and reached Feggesun Havn, where the road ended right at the ferry. It was the smallest ferry port I’d come across in Denmark. There were perhaps four of us on the ferry, just a short trip to the other side (I hadn’t even noticed on the map beforehand that the route crossed the water rather than following the road).
Then I headed back to the beaches – Blokhus Strand and Saltum Strand – and then on to the very north of Denmark. I skipped Hirtshals, which I’d planned to visit, but somehow I felt I wouldn’t have time (which wasn’t true) and decided to leave it for another time. Which will probably happen at some point, Hirtshals is important mainly because it’s a port from which you can take a ferry to the Faroe Islands and Iceland, or closer to Norway, to the port of Kristiansand (which I’d actually visited two years earlier and which is a lovely little town).
In any case, I was heading to Skagen and, above all, to Grenen, Denmark’s northernmost point where the North Sea and the Baltic Sea meet; in good weather, you can actually see two different colours of sea side by side there. I wasn’t lucky enough to see that, but the line where the seas ‘collide’ was quite distinct. I also came across some seals there. It’s about a kilometre’s walk along the beach to the very northernmost tip. As for Skagen itself, I just had a quick look around.
I didn’t check in until I’d travelled from Grenen, at the family-run Hotel Inger, where the staff were really friendly and, of course, the food was brilliant.
Day 8: Råbjerg Mile + Aalborg
This morning I set off for Kandestederne Strand, where there was an incredible gale, so that was out of the question. A short way along the route, however, is a much more significant place, Råbjerg Mile, which is a shifting dune about two kilometres long. It was windy there too, and I’d recommend wearing long trousers – the sand is very sharp when the wind blows and can actually hurt quite a bit.
From there, I travelled to Denmark’s fourth-largest city, Aalborg. After a week of wandering through small and even smaller towns, it seemed huge to me; there were traffic jams in the city, and I had to park in a multi-storey car park. But it’s a lovely city.
In the evening, I set off for Aarhus, where I stayed at the lovely HORISONT Hotel, a conference hotel.
Day 9: Mols Bjerge + Aarhus
This morning I set off for Mols Bjerge National Park; I just drove off on a whim, came across some cows and horses, and had a picnic by the sea.
From there, I drove to Denmark’s second-largest city, Aarhus. This was the first – and only – time during the whole trip that I really struggled to find a parking space, but I managed it in the end. I visited Den Gamle By, which is an open-air museum – it’s a whole little town with shops ranging from a butcher’s to a household goods shop, as well as craft workshops, a school and so on. Most of them are furnished in great detail with replicas (such as meat), but some shops, like the bakery, are actually up and running, and you can buy things there. Admission is, as usual, quite pricey (205 DKK), but I thought it was lovely; I spent over an hour there.
In the afternoon, I spent some time exploring the Danish hills. First, I went to Himmelbjerget (147m), which is actually a bit of a climb (that is, if, like me, you let your sat-nav lead you into the woods at the foot of the hill, rather than to the Hotel Himmelbjerget, which is practically right next door at the same altitude). From the tower, there’s a lovely view of the surrounding area and Lake Julsø.
I then headed off to Denmark’s highest hill, Møllehøj (170 m), where, strangely enough, it doesn’t even feel as though you’re ‘above’ anything. And perhaps that’s what made it interesting. From the car park, the walk is more or less flat across a meadow past a cowshed to a bench, from which you can look out over the surrounding fields, but it’s not that classic view from above. Just typical of Denmark.
Day 10: Kolding
I was feeling a bit worn out from travelling, so I decided to stop off for a while and spend the whole day there. I parked the car in Kolding the night before and left it there all day. It’s a lovely little town, with plenty of cafés and suchlike, and at the same time there isn’t really anything major to explore, so it’s great for a little break. But as I say, it would have been better to take this day off a bit earlier, near the beaches.
I stayed right in the centre, so I could go for walks and pop into the bakeries in town, at the Kolding Hotel.
In this part of Denmark, just before Kolding, is Billund, home to Legoland, which is certainly worth a visit for some people, but I decided to give it a miss this time.
Day 11: Jelling + Fyn
Kolding was also my last stop in Jutland; from there, I set off, taking a short detour back to the island of Fyn. I made that detour to Jelling. There are 10th-century runestones there, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s nice, but nothing special enough to warrant a major detour unless you’re passing by anyway.
I don’t know if it’s still down to a bit of tiredness or if there really isn’t all that much to see in Fyn (probably not), but I headed straight to my accommodation in Odense.
My accommodation was a bit further from the centre of Odense, but it was a lovely 30-minute walk there – a sort of country estate where even people who didn’t stay there would come to the restaurant for dinner, and a good base for trips around Funen. Milling Hotel Knudsens Gaard.
Day 12: Egeskov
This morning I set off for Egeskov Castle, where they were holding some sort of fire brigade day – there were loads of fire engines, attractions, an exhibition of campervans and all sorts of things. Apart from that, though, it’s a lovely complex, with a garden, a maze and a pond – it’s really beautiful.
After leaving Egeskov, I went on to have a look at the town of Svendborg and Valdemars Slot that afternoon.
Day 13: Odense
I set aside the following day to explore the town of Odense itself, which is Denmark’s third-largest city. It doesn’t really have the feel of a big city; the centre is just as compact as in smaller towns. There’s a lovely park and, of course, the main attraction: the museum and birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen.
Day 14: Hørby
This morning I made my final stop on the island of Fyn before heading to Sjælland. I stopped off at the Knudshoved Fyr lighthouse, which offers a view of the Storebæltsbroen, the bridge between the islands. Or rather, there are actually two bridges, as roughly halfway across there is a small islet called Sprogø (which you probably can’t even drive onto); in the past, it was a place where demoralised women were sent.
On Zealand, I took the route via Næsby Strand, through the town of Holbæk and on to Hørby, a tiny harbour town, which I’d chosen to visit primarily because I’d booked a lovely little hotel there.
Hørby Færgekro has exactly the nautical style I love, with a view of the water. It’s a wonderfully relaxing place, with steps leading down to the water just a short distance from the hotel.
Day 15: Roskilde + Frederiksborg Castle + Kronborg
Roskilde is a university town and was once the seat of the Danish kings; it’s a lovely place to stop for a coffee, and there are some nice shops and a small square in front of the cathedral.
Frederiksborg Castle is a castle in the town of Hillerød. It has extensive gardens where you can stroll for hours, and is surrounded by water.
I then headed to the Rabarbergården farm shop and restaurant for lunch, but unfortunately it was full. I then walked past Vejby Strand and all the way north to Hornbæk Strand, which suddenly felt like a classic southern European beach – lots of people sunbathing, no big waves.
Finally, I also went to Kronborg, a castle with extensive fortifications. You can literally see Sweden from there – specifically Helsingborg, which is just a stone’s throw across the sea. I thought about it for a moment, but the ferry is ridiculously expensive for a day trip.
Day 16: Jægersborg Dyrehave + Frederiksberg + Dragør
Jægersborg Dyrehave Park is notable for its deer. Otherwise, it’s just a path through the woods, and there’s an amusement park on the edge – I didn’t go there. But back to the deer – I didn’t expect to see any, but they were grazing in the meadow in front of Eremitageslottet Castle and there were loads of them – I don’t know, maybe 200 or more. At one point they were crossing the road, then running back again. If I hadn’t come across them there, the park would have been rather boring (just a walk through the woods and across the meadows), but with the deer alone I definitely spent over an hour there.
I hadn’t planned to stop off in Copenhagen. For one thing, I really didn’t fancy driving into a big city, and for another, I’ve been there several times already. I’d actually recommend flying here separately and not worrying about a hotel with parking, but of course, if you don’t get many chances to travel, it’s worth stopping off here, even if only for two days. I only stopped off in Frederiksberg, which is essentially part of Copenhagen, even though it’s a separate little town. I got a bit lost with the sat-nav, so I ended up driving through parts of Copenhagen, which wasn’t much fun.
The fishing village of Dragør is about half an hour south of Copenhagen. It’s another lovely little town worth stopping off at; there’s a fortress and a natural swimming spot. And from there you can see the Öresund Bridge leading to Sweden.
Not far from Stevens Klint, I stayed at the family-run Akaciegaarden Bed & Breakfast in a very peaceful little village.
Day 17: Stevens Klint + Vallø slot + Næstved
In the morning, I set off for Vallø Slot and then on to the Stevens Klint cliffs, heading straight for the viewpoint by Højerup Church. There’s a nice view there, but it’s just a quick look and then off you go. After that, I headed to Næstved (mainly to sort out accommodation). On the way, there’s also the Skovtårnet observation tower, but I gave it a miss.
My last place to stay in Denmark: the Hotel Kirstine in the town of Næstved, right in the centre, so just a short walk from cafés and restaurants.
Day 18: Møns Klint + Marielyst + the ferry home
I saved Møns Klint for last among the Danish must-sees. Unlike Stevens Klint, this cliff is more of a day-out destination; I spent half a day walking along the top of the cliff through the woods and down the stony beach.
My final stop was the seaside resort of Marielyst. Overall, it’s rather reminiscent of a classic seaside resort – a promenade lined with restaurants and souvenir shops leading right down to the beach.
And then on to Gedser and home by ferry.
Recommendations for a shorter road trip itinerary
In any case, Jutland has won my heart. In my opinion, it has the most beautiful and diverse natural landscape – the wild sea, dunes, beaches you can drive along, fjords and national parks. In fact, it wasn’t until we set off for Funen that, for the first time, the new day didn’t surpass the previous one in terms of experiences – and that had already been quite a ‘wow’ experience. There are smaller towns here, with a more rural atmosphere; it’s peaceful, just a bit more spread out, so the journeys take longer. It’s also noticeably cheaper here, at least as far as accommodation is concerned, and apart from Aarhus, I didn’t need to pay for parking anywhere.
For me, Jutland is the part of Denmark I’m planning to explore in even greater detail. What I mean is, if you’re into the sort of things I am, and you don’t have three weeks to spend in Denmark, I’d recommend travelling around Jutland alone. You’ll have plenty to keep you entertained for a week or two.
But if you prefer cities, culture and beaches with calmer seas, then you’ll probably like Sjælland (Zealand) better. Especially if you’ve only got a week, it’s a good choice, as it’s the quickest to get to, and I think a week is just about right for the whole region. Alternatively, you could add Bornholm to your itinerary.
Fyn is lovely, with its castles and stylish charm, but so far I haven’t really found much to do there to spend more than a couple of days, so it’s more a case of you being able to add it to either Jutland or Zealand (although you might not want to go there either, because of the toll for crossing the bridge).
What not to forget on a road trip in Denmark
I’ll skip the usual stuff and focus on the things I was really glad to have:
- picnic blanket – I’ve used it a few times; although there are tables or benches in many lovely spots, my original idea that I’d mainly use it for lunches on the beach turned out to be wrong; on most beaches (and on absolutely every one in Jutland) the wind was so strong that I wouldn’t have been able to spread it out; deckchairs or even a beach tent are more suitable (though not really in Jutland either, as it would have blown away), if you want to spend time on the beach,
- binoculars – they came in handy for spotting the seals on the beach opposite; I could see with the naked eye that there were hundreds of them, but I couldn’t make out their snouts. It would have come in handy for spotting the deer in Jægersborg Dyrehave too, but I’d left it in the car at the time. Luckily, they were kind enough to come and show themselves a bit closer.
