Cycling in Denmark
Denmark is not the biggest country, yet there are a lot of opportunities to plan a cycling vacation there. The range of long distance cycling routes to traverse the country is definitely okay. In Germany, we crossed the border from Flensburg and from there we cycled north first and then along the West Coast. Finally, we headed back East to continue our journey towards Sweden. Since our start one month ago, Denmark has been our favourite destination for a cycling vacation during this trip.
Roads to Movement in Denmark
Below you can find an overview of the places where we slept in our tent or at which Warmshowers hosts we could go. Zoom out on the map below to see all the places.
Number of days cycled: 12
Total distance traveled: 620,54 km
Long distance bike routes in Denmark
If you would like to plan a multi-day cycling trip in Denmark, you can certainly find inspiration through the links below. We followed several routes while we were cycling in Denmark.
European Divide Trail: At 7,600km, the longest bikepacking route across Europe, from Portugal to the North Cape. We cycled for just a few days on this mainly unpaved cycle route. From Flensburg to Jels we followed this European Divide Trail which runs parallel to the Haervejen Cycling route. Very occasionally the European Divide deviates from this route. The nature offers a lot of beauty, but as often with bikepacking routes it is not 100% ideal with heavily packed bikes. Too often we had to push, carry, drag our bikes... so in that respect we are not the biggest fans of the Divide. Especially when stairs appear on a bicycle route, our enthusiasm is quickly gone. The nature is beautiful, but we found the connecting parts of this European Divide section in Denmark a bit boring, going from farm to farm.
We really wanted to cycle the west coast route of Denmark, so in Jels we headed west to pick up another route in Esbjerg. From Copenhagen to Esbjerg runs cycle route 6, a little harder to find information on this. The stretch we cycled was not particularly spectacular.
North Sea Cycling Route or better known as the Eurovelo 12, a beautiful cycling route if you ask us. This 560km long route leads you past sand dunes and beautiful wooded areas. The highlight for us was Thy National Park.
Just after Slettestrand we left the west coast route to go back inland to reach the east coast. From Frederikshaven you then take the boat to Gothenburg.
You can find more info on long-distance cycling routes here.
Sleeping in Denmark
If you love camping then the shelter system is a great platform! We loved it so much that we even wrote an entire blog about it.
Hotel prices are not cheap in Denmark, yet we found some nice places via AirBnB. One night we stayed on a farm for € 12 per person and after a month of travelling it was time to take a break. In Klitmøller we found a great place in Noah's Ark, for € 46 per night (for the two of us together).
Once we ended up at a campsite because the boat from Thyborøn to Agger was broken, for a night at the campsite we paid € 28.
Wild camping is prohibited.
Budget in Denmark
In Denmark you pay with Danish Krone (DKK).
€1 = 7.44 Danish Krone (April '22)
Average budget we spent in Denmark:
Groceries in the supermarket: €13.55 per day (for the 2 of us together)
Price for a coffee: €3.50 to €5.00 (The West Coast was more expensive)
Price for a pastry: €1 to €1.50
Price for a soda: €3 to €4
Price at budget restaurant: €15 to €20 pp
Accommodation: €24 for a cheap AirBnB (the average price is a lot higher) // €46 for a hostel with shared bathroom // €100 for hotel stays // €28 for camping
Road conditions
We found the condition of the roads very good in Denmark. Copenhagen is said to be one of the best cities for cycling. We didn't cycle in Copenhagen and only in Jutland (the part of Denmark that borders Germany) and it was fine cycling there too. We mostly cycled on car-free bike routes, but when we cycled on the road there was often a bike lane. We also never found it really busy on the roads. What we did find is that the car drivers could occasionally drive very fast.
However, we would like to mention that the long distance routes (such as the west coast route) often go on unpaved roads. Some parts are full of sand of course, but there are also sections where you have to ride through several kilometers of gravel roads with very thick stones. A MTB tire like ours is not necessary on the indicated cycle routes, but we would recommend a tire with a little more profile in order to be able to fully enjoy these beautiful cycle routes in Denmark.
Everything is clearly marked on the cycling routes, and the signposting is excellent!
Food and drinks in Denmark
Denmark is more expensive in terms of shopping. Just before we crossed the border in Flensburg, we did some shopping at the Lidl to stock up on pasta, nuts, tomato sauce, wraps, rice. The stores on the west coast are also a lot more expensive than inland. Not many people live on the west coast and you'll see mostly vacation homes. Inland you will find more Aldi's and Lidls which are a lot cheaper than the Spars.
Climate in Denmark
Denmark has a temperate maritime climate with not the hottest summers and relatively mild winters (of course there can be snow). The ideal travel time would be from May to September. We cycled there in April and did not have a single day of rain. The nights were sometimes still cold (just below freezing). On the west coast we had some sunny days. The biggest spoiler is definitely the wind, which unfortunately was not in our favour but luckily the sun was often present. The wind can be mercilessly strong on the coastal routes!
Cycling holiday in Denmark: Our tips and tricks!
The Danes are proud of their country and you will often see the Danish flag hanging on poles.
Of course Danish is the official language, but the Danes learn English as a second language and they are quite fluently in it. Even the older generations can easily manage.
In need of a toilet? Look where the next church is and in any case there will be a toilet there. The toilets are super clean, and there is water available.
You can often find wifi in the supermarkets.
Soy and oat milk is fairly easy to find, but we didn't find vegan yogurt very often. If you do find it, you can quickly count on €3 to 3.5 for a jar.
Shopping is generally 30% more expensive than what we are used to in Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany. Lidl is definitely the cheapest way to do your shopping, closely followed by Aldi.
During the day you can often enter the libraries for free. There is free wifi, plenty of seating and sometimes you can buy a coffee for only 5 to 10 Danish Krones!
Small ports on the coast often have a covered seating area. Here there are toilets, sometimes showers and trash cans available. We even came across one where you could get free boiling water and make a liter of filtered coffee for 10 Danish crowns.
The Danes are helpful and if you speak to them they are certainly open to help you.
From Denmark you can easily take a boat to Norway, Sweden, Faroe Islands and Iceland.
