Car Travel in Copenhagen

Car Travel

The E20 highway, via bridges, connects Fredericia (on Jutland) with Middelfart (on Funen), a distance of 16 km (10 mi), and goes on to Copenhagen, another 180 km (120 mi) east. Farther north, from Århus (in Jutland) you can get direct auto-catamaran service to Kalundborg (on Zealand). From there, Route 23 leads to Roskilde, about 72 km (45 mi) east. Take Route 21 east and follow the signs to Copenhagen, another 40 km (25 mi). Make reservations for the ferry in advance through the Danish State Railways. Since the inauguration of the Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen is now linked to Malmö, Sweden. The trip takes about 30 minutes, and the steep bridge toll stands at DKr 220 per car at this writing, though prices are likely to decrease to encourage more use. All trips across the Øresund Bridge are paid in Sweden. If you are driving to Sweden, you pay the toll after you have crossed the bridge. If you are headed for Denmark, you pay the toll before you cross the bridge.

You can pay cash in the manned lanes. You may use the following currencies: DKr (Danish kroner), SEK (Swedish kroner), EUR (euro), NKr (Norwegian kroner), USD (US dollars), GBP (pounds sterling), and CHF (Swiss francs). Note that change is always in Danish kroner, no matter which currency you use to pay.

If you are planning on seeing the sites of central Copenhagen, a car is not convenient. Parking spaces are at a premium and, when available, are expensive. A maze of one-way streets, relatively aggressive drivers, and bicycle lanes make it even more complicated. If you are going to drive, choose a small car that's easy to parallel park, bring a lot of small change to feed the meters, and be very aware of the cyclists on your right-hand side: they always have the right-of-way. For emergencies, contact Falck.

Contacts

Auto Rescue/Falck (70/10-20-30. www.falck.dk). Danish State Railways (DSB, Hovedbanegården (main train station), Vesterbro. 70/13-14-15).