Seeking Denmark Bike Tour Routes

July 31, 2009 7:29 AM

I'll be in Copenhagen for 10 days towards the end of August. I'd like to spend 3 or 4 days on a bicycle riding around outside the countryside. I'm not sure how to plan (do I need to plan?) the logistics for such an adventure.

I'm looking to ride around 200 - 250 km, leaving from and arriving back in Copenhagen. Any advice on routes? I understand there are some great bike routes crossing the country, but I'm having trouble finding a map online. Would it be easy to find lodging in the smaller towns on short notice?

Any advice from someone who's done something similar would be appreciated!

Thanks!

posted by steinwald to travel & transportation (6 comments total)

You could try browsing through a few of these journals for plenty of routes and information. The site has a forum too where you might get some good answers.
posted by fire&wings at 7:48 AM on July 31

I was on a bike trip in and out of Copenhagen about a year ago, but friends arranged it and it was through an agency, so the itinerary was theirs. Certain didn't seem essential to have that level of support, as it's a very user-friendly country. In Copenhagen they speak English much better than USAmericans do, and there is plenty of English in the countryside as well. We stayed at inns in small towns, and if you have maps and some lodging info I'd think you could work it out as you go.
Our trip started by going north to Helsingor (AKA Elsinore) and then along the coast. Have fun!
(Oh, I think there are some national cycling route maps on this page.)
posted by Mngo at 8:49 AM on July 31

There are several national bike routes.

http://www.trafikken.dk/wimpdoc.asp?page=document&objno=78593

All are reasonably well-marked, but you'll want a paper copy of the map and a compass. They routes take you on smaller roads or on a bike/moped path alongside larger highways. So, safe and comfortable.

The island Copenhagen is on (Sjælland) is large enough for your tour. The only way to get to the middle island (Fyn) is on the train which is excessively annoying and expensive. (They only allow something insane like 4 bikes per train!) I enjoyed the Northern part of the island - a bit more interesting landscapes and some forest here and there. All I remember about the south is endless sugar beet fields.

I wouldn't worry about planning ahead. Most towns have a tourist office which outlines places to stay. I took camping gear, and they sold a guide book of "natural" camping places. These were a challenge to find, since it was usually just a farmer who didn't mind people camping in their garden, but it was inexpensive and a great way to meet the locals.

Have a great trip!
posted by kamelhoecker at 9:05 AM on July 31

Thanks kamelhoecker - I'd been on the trafikken.dk website, but only found the danish version of that publication! It looks like Route 9 would be a pretty good option.
posted by steinwald at 10:01 AM on July 31

i'm an american living in cph and have done some traveling around denmark. north out of copenhagen along the coast would be a good bet. definitely stick to the coasts/forests; the countryside is pretty blah (imagine an impossibly flat version of south dakota). and: bring decent rain gear. "normally it doesn't rain this much" the locals keep telling me.
posted by hereticfig at 1:33 PM on July 31

Also, you don't need to stick to the route religiously. So, you could easily convert #9 into more of a loop. Many roads are excellent for cycling (with a completely separate bike/pedestrian/moped road) but simply aren't part of the official route. I agree with hereticfig that the countryside in the south is flat and dull, but the middle and north have rolling hills, and you can be rewarded with some great views. The big disadvantage to traveling along the coast is that it can be annoyingly windy, and there are often more hills as you frequently descend down to sea-level and then face a steep climb when the road inevitably turns inland.

The northern part of the island is the wealthy part of the island, so there are more castles and impressive architecture. There's also a ferry to Sweden at Helsingør, but that's a whole other adventure.
posted by kamelhoecker at 3:00 PM on July 31