| Despite being an island country, Denmark is a swift and easy place
in which to travel. All types of public transport - trains, buses and
ferries - are punctual and efficient, and the timetables are well
integrated
Trains, buses and ferries
Trains are easily the best way to get about. Danske Statsbaner (DSB; tel
70.13.14.15, www.dsb.dk ) - Danish State Railways - run an exhaustive
and reliable network. Train types range from the large inter-city
expresses ( ICs ) to smaller local trains ( regionaltog ). Tickets
should be bought in advance from the station, and fares are calculated
on a zonal system: Copenhagen to Århus - probably the longest single
trip you'll make - costs 275kr including a 15kr seat reservation, and
your train ticket will get you around on the local buses in the
departure and arrival town of your journey. Buying a return offers no
savings over two singles. InterRail and Eurail passes are valid on all
DSB trains, as is the ScanRail pass , which costs £129/US$204 (£97/$153
for under-26s) for five days of travel within two months; £172/$310
(£129/$233) for ten days within two months; and £199/$360 (£150/$270)
for 21 consecutive days. This gives you unlimited travel in the four
main Scandinavian countries, plus large discounts on many ferry
crossings and bus journeys; tickets can be bought in Scandinavia, but
this is more expensive and limits you to just three days' travel in the
country you buy it in, so it's best to get one before you go. The newly
opened Øresund Link means train travel between Denmark and Sweden is now
possible.
DSB's Køreplan (free) details all train, bus and ferry services,
including the S-train system in Copenhagen and all private services;
smaller timetables detailing specific routes are available free at
tourist offices and station booking counters.
There are a few out-of-the-way regions trains fail to penetrate, and
these can easily be crossed by buses , which often run in conjunction
with the trains, some operated privately, some by DSB - on which
railcards are valid. Much of Funen and the northeast of Jutland is
barely touched by trains, and you can save several hours by taking the
bus. Abildskous Rutebiler (tel 70.21.08.88, www.abildskou.dk ) run from
Århus to Copenhagen (200kr) and connections to the airport (20kr), and
Thinggaard Rutebiler (tel 70.10.00.30) provide a service from Ålborg to
Copenhagen (220kr), Nykøbing to Copenhagen (255kr) and Frederikshavn to
Esbjerg (230kr). The quickest and most convenient way to travel by bus
around Jutland is to take one of the X-busser. You can get information
about routes and destinations by calling their office (tel 98.90.09.00,
www.xbus.dk ) - ask for a timetable ( køreplan ), which the staff will
be happy to send you free of charge.
Ferries link all the Danish islands, and where applicable train and bus
fares include the cost of crossings (although you can also pay at the
terminal and walk on); the smaller ferry crossings normally cost 30-60kr
for foot passengers.
Driving and hitching
Given the excellence of the Danish public transport system, the size of
the country and the comparatively high price of petrol, driving isn't
really economical unless you're travelling in a group. Danes drive on
the right, and there's a speed limit in towns of 50kph, 80kph in open
country and 110kph on motorways - speed traps lead to hefty fines. Like
the other Scandinavian countries, dipped headlights have to be used
during daylight hours. There are random breath tests, and the penalties
for drunk driving are severe. When parking unmetered in a town, a
parking-time disc must be displayed; you'll be able to get one from a
tourist office, police station or bank. The national motoring
organization, Forenede Danske Motorejere, operates a breakdown service
Mon-Fri 9am-5pm, Sat 10am-1pm (tel 45.88.00.25) for AA members; if you
find yourself stranded outside those hours or you are not an AA member
Dansk Autohjælp (tel 70.10.80.90) and Falck (tel 44.92.22.22) can be
summoned from call boxes by the road - although a standard call-out fee
will be charged. Car rental in Denmark starts at around 3000kr a week
for a small hatchback with unlimited mileage (you'll need your driving
licence). Hitching is illegal on motorways but fairly easy elsewhere.
Cycling
Cycling is the best way to appreciate Denmark's mostly flat landscape.
Most country roads have sparse vehicle traffic and all large towns have
cycle tracks. Bikes can be rented at nearly all youth hostels, bike
shops and tourist offices and some train stations from 40kr per day,
200-225kr per week, although there's often a 200-500kr deposit. IC and
certain regional trains (marked on timetables) won't accept bikes; on
those that do, you'll have to pay according to the zonal system used to
calculate passenger tickets - 50kr to take your bike from Copenhagen to
Århus with 15kr on top if you want to reserve a space in advance.
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