On this page we attempt to make available the experience of individual bicycle tourists who travel to Denmark
You can share your experiences here.
Table of Contents
Rail General -- Belgium, Denmark, Germany
What follows are details about our experiences traveling with bikes on trains in Belgium, Denmark and Germany during the summer of 1994. First, some general information:
In all 3 countries, when you buy your ticket at the station, you should mention that you are traveling with a bike for several reasons:
1. you must pay a fee for the bike
2. they will give you a tag showing destination that you must attach to the bike
3. they need to know you only want to take trains that carry bikes (ask them to give you an itinerary showing train connections if you have to change enroute).
You will have to load and unload the bike yourself, although some conductors can't resist helping a little. I find that hauling the bike up and down the stairs in the train stations much more trouble! Remember to take food and water with you on long trips. Arrive at the track early and watch the train as it comes in to see whether the bike compartment is at the front or the end of the train. Sometimes there's only 1 or 2 minutes to load so don't dilly-dally, but don't panic, either, as conductors will be watching out for you. If you don't see a bike compartment when you think there should be one, ask a conductor - if the train is not very full he might let you park it in a regular car.
Rick Hagen, June 03, 2015Copenhagen, Denmark (Kastrup)
I prefer to ride the 6 miles/10km to the city center. You’ll find bike paths all the way to the city center. Wheel your bike out in front of the airport building. Ride the road to the right.
You’ll soon see a dual-way bike path on the other side. Cross the road, and ride eastwards. (same direction). After a few hundred meters you cross the highway, and you should cross back to the right hand side of the road.
This route takes you up the east coast of the small island (Amager) which the airport is situated on. Usually there’s very little traffic on this road. After some miles you arrive at a T-intersection, where you should (obviously) turn left. Another mile, and you turn right - and from here you can see the spires of the churches and buildings in downtown Copenhagen.
Ernst Poulsen , June 03, 2015Copenhagen and Southern Sweden
Skane in southern Sweden and the West coast of Sweden from Malmo to Gothenburg boast dozens of fantastic bicycle trails and are relatively flat (although this often results in it being very windy). It is easy to take bicycles on regional Oresund trains (Öresundståg) in southern Sweden. These trains currently connect Copenhagen Central Station and Copenhagen Airport in Denmark with Malmo, Lund, Gothenburg, Kalmar, Vaxjo, Halmstad, Karlskrona and many other cities in southern Sweden. It is necessary to purchase a ticket for your bicycle (it is the same as a children's ticket). Each train comes in sets of three cars (sometimes two or three sets of three cars are connected). Bicycles are allowed in the middle car in these sets in a large open car at ground level designated for bicycles and baby carriages. Since last year, it is now required to buy a ticket BEFORE boarding Oresund trains, but you can buy tickets at special vending machines anytime before departure and the price never changes. You will need a four-digit pin code to use credit or debit cards, but you can also pay in cash at many machines. Tickets are valid for several hours after purchase and can be used on the next train if you miss the first one. For timetables and more information see http://www.oresundstag.se/en/Start/ The former national railway company SJ which still operates high speed trains between southern Sweden and Stockholm no longer allows bicycles on any of its trains (unless they are packed in bags or cases, in which case they are counted as luggage).
John H, May 04, 20144 airports. Gatwick, Hamburg, Esbjerg & Stanstead
Gatwick to Hamburg. Good service at both airports.Gatwick has a dedicated handling area for oversized luggage which the check in person directed me to. Bike had been dismantled and put in sturdy cardboard box. Plenty of places at hamburg airport to put everything back together but you need to be careful about disposing of the box. I asked at a building site and they took it.
Esbjerg airport was very friendly. I got a box from a local bike shop. The box did not require anything more than removal of the pedals and turning round the handlebars to make the package flat. The bike stood on its wheels which just showed at the bottomof the box. I disconnected the brake cables which meant I could wheel the boxed up bike. The box was flimsy but the check in person talked to the baggage handlers about it. At Stanstead I got it back in one piece and was able to reassemble it in the baggage reclaim hall and then wheel it with my bags through customs.
Denmark (Roskilde to Kolding)
July 2006 on a weekday during the daytime. Travelling with an upright bike and recumbent trike, the lady at the station told us the trike would have to be disassembled down to more bicycle-like dimensions but it was really at the discretion of the guard. After about 45 minutes spent doing this, the train came along and the guard was fine with the trike, we probably didn't even need to disassemble it. We had to pay extra to take the bikes, I don't recall how much. It was hard getting onto the platform at Roskilde as there didn't appear to be lifts or anything, so we had to use the steps - quite hard with fully loaded bikes.
Helen, August 24, 2006Taking Bike to Europe
Found on: rec.bicycles.misc
I did it 2 weeks ago. I flew West Palm -> Baltimore (South West), 1 day stopover Baltimore -> Iceland (Icelandair) 3 day stopover Iceland-> Denmark (IcelandAir) 1 day stopover Denmark -> Paris (Air France).
I had my bike in a soft case and I used hot water pipe insulation (Home Depot $1.29) around the frame to add protection without adding weight. I stuffed the case with clothes as well. Therefore it was my only piece of checked luggage.
Southwest charged me $40 dollars.
Because it was my only checked luggage, IcelandAir didn't charge extra for it. Ditto for AirFrance (although because I didn't warn them in advance that I was travelling with a bike, they had to check first to see if there was enough space in the plane for it on the flight with me).
Because I made stopovers, I left the bike at BWI for 24 hours in the care of Southwest. They held it for me free of charge, but because of security reasons, I couldn't even touch the case once it came into the baggage claim area.
I had to take the bike with me into Rekyavik on the airport shuttle since there was no place to store it at the Keflavik airport. The guy there suggested I just leave it out at the luggage area for 3 days. He said not to worry about it, I was in Iceland. I almost went for it, but maybe with one of my other bikes...
I checked the bike at the Copenhagen airport for 40DKK ($5) without problems.
All in all no problems. I've always found it easier, cheaper and more hassle free taking a bike on planes in Europe than in the States.
HTH
Copenhagen, Denmark (Kastrup)
Copenhagen airport is not easy to find by bicycle as the road signs to the airport all point to the E20 motorway. So this is what you need to do. From Copenhagen city centre get yourself on the Hans Christian Anderson Boulevard pointing south west.
Ride over the bridge onto Amegar Boulevard.
At the first fork in the road bear right. From there follow the airport signs (which also point you to the E20). If you can't see an airport sign follow signs to Kastrup.
Pass through the area of Sundby-vester until you get to a large roundabout where the E20 airport signs urge you to go straight on but turn left instead along Saltvarksvej.
After about 1 km turn right into Kastrupvej and cycle to the end of the road (which stops abrubtly) where you will find a cycle path going off to the left.
After about 50 metres on the cycle path there is a small signpost for the airport (Lufthavn) which you follow over the E20 and the airport is in front of you.
Turn right and follow the road to the International Departures terminal.
Copenhagen, Denmark (Kastrup)
Just go outside the terminal and look past the parking ramp and you will see the bike path and take a right. The path will take you along the beach of the island of Amager and into Copenhagen (my stomping grounds for 19 years).
Have a nice time, did the trip last year.
Regards, Hans
Hans C. Christiansen
Racine, WI USA
You can always tell a DANE but you can't tell him much.
Ferries in Denmark
I have been Ride Director for 3 Bicycle Adventure Club rides, and one solo ride in Denmark. I found the ferries there are very receptive in accommodating bikes - even heavily loaded, larger ones. On the smaller ferries, you just wait at the dock for arrival and dockmaster will instruct how and when to proceed. Usually you pay a small fee after boarding. However, there are some places (Langeland/Lolland) where you pay at a toll station in advance.
With the new suspension bridge between Sjaelland and Odense, the ferries have been discontinued. You have two choices; either board the train at the terminals and go through a tunnel under the shipping channel, OR ride a bus. At each terminal they post a schedule (about 1/2 hour intervals) for a special bus which has a trailer that accommodates bikes. On the latter you pay the same price, but get to see the views. However, it is a little slower than the train.
Ferries are fun to ride in Denmark.
BikeFriday since 9/11
In May 2002 I was Ride Director for a Bicycle Adventure Club ride in Holland. We had 71 participants (2 non-bikers) on three barges of Bike & Barge, Holland. Of those, there were 14 BFs, one a Tendem. I had suggested that each person with a BF case indicate to Security at various airports around the country that IT was a piece of excercise equipment. On arriving in Amsterdam, no reports were received of trouble . I cannot speak for return trips. But there must have been dozens of airlines and airports represented on this trip.
Frankly, I have literally been all-over the world with my BF on 24 trips, and the only complaint I have is that someone once stole the extra-safety belt around the Carlton case, and another time something punctured the case - no real damage. Otherwise, TROUBLE FREE
Danish Trains
I tried to book my bike on a train which ran from Copenhagen to Odense giving 24 hours notice but was told at the station that as the trains carry only 2 bikes and as it was the holiday season (early July) it would not be possible as all of the spaces had been booked well in advance.
Richard Thorpe, March 11, 2003Copenhagen, Denmark (Kastrup)
As of year 2000, there's a subway train right in front of the terminal. This lets you take bikes right to the main train station in Copenhagen which is situated right in the city center. (Across from Tivoli).
You may also take the same train (opposite direction) to Malmo in Sweden.
Tickets are bought in the terminal-building, right before you take the stairs/lift down to the platform.
I prefer to ride the 6 miles/10km to the city center. You'll find bike paths all the way to the city center. Wheel your bike out in front of the airport building. Ride the road to the right. You'll soon see a dual-way bike path on the other side. Cross the road, and ride eastwards. After a few hundred meters you cross the highway, and you should cross back to the right hand side of the road.
This route takes you up the east coast of the small island (Amager) which the airport is situated on. Usually there's very little traffic on this road. After some miles you arrive at a T-intersection, where you should (obviously) turn left. Another mile, and you turn right at a large traffic light - and from here you can see the spires of the churches and buildings in downtown Copenhagen.
Taxis
Dear George,
Just a quick idea for your website.
What about a new catagory called taxi on your Travel with Bicycles site.
I sometimes find, that when I can't solve a transportation problem with a bus or train - I may be able to transfer from a train station to an airport by using a taxi. But - every country has different rules and customs.
In Denmark - for example - you can count on every taxi to have room for two bikes. They all bring a special bike-hook which allows them to simply let the bikes hang from the rear of every taxi. The extra charge is 10-15 Dkr (2 Euro), and I never had anything happen to my bike.
If you specifically tell them in advance, that you'll bring a bike and luggage, they may send a taxi which has an extra large trunk. (Taxis are usully Mercedes - and thus fairly large. Some have an extended are in the back, which is excellent if you bring a lot of luggage.).
This info could be helpful to someone visiting Denmark. Personally I'd like to know if I can count on the same thing in say - London - or Hong Kong.
Keep up the darn good work.
Ernst
Other Touring Links
Danish Rail
The online travel directory from the DSB has changed its URL to: http://www.dsb.dk/din_rejse/
The English version is presently gone, but I've asked for a new 🙂 Just remember to mark of the "Cykelmedtagning" box, this will make sure you're only shown trains which carry bikes.
I noticed that some other people had written, that trains are small (only two wagons) in Denmark. This is not correct, but many of the trains that carry bikes are the local/regional trains which are often shorter than the longer ones.
Ernst Poulsen
[email protected]
For an excellent web site on Denmark cycle touring do not miss: http://inet.uni2.dk/~ernst/touring/denbike.htm
DCF/ECF Webmaster
Bike Rental -- Denmark
You can easily buy a NEW (semi-)decent road bike for 3600Dkr. Just leave'm at my house when you're done with them ;^)
That kind of money must be based on short-term rentals with tune-ups between each, multiplied up. My suggestion would be to lean on the shop for a better deal for the much longer period.
As for buying used bikes, I don't really know. I've seen very few used road bikes for sale anywhere and many of the used bikes that I have seen were of rather dubious quality.
Peter Dalgaard, June 05, 1996Copenhagen, Denmark (Kastrup)
Copenhagen (Kastrup) - easy ride into/out of, storage available. Suggest you add availability of storage facilities.
Jeffrey Walters, April 08, 1994