FAQ

 

FAQ about hitch-hiking in Denmark

Written by Eivin Hansen (eivin(a)mobilixnet.dk)

Date: 14 10 1999

Information about:
·       Hitch-hiking in Denmark in general
·       How to get out of Copenhagen
·       Important fierrylines to Denmark

HITCH-HIKING IN DENMARK:
Denmark is quite good for hitch-hiking. Usually there are no other hitch-hikers, but since hitch-hiking was once very common it's not very difficult to stop a car. I always use the highways if possible, witch are for sure the quickest. The most traffic in Denmark is between Aarhus and Copenhagen.

WHERE TO HITCH

Highways:

In Denmark it's illegal to hitch-hike on the highways, so the best places for hitch-hiking is on the highway-entrances. There's usually plenty of space for the cars to pull in, why cars stop there quite often. Gasstations are also OK, but not all of them are good. I always use a destinationboard, it's especially useful before the highway splits - but it's possible to go without a board. The average lift on the highways is 80 km.

Main roads:

These are slower, but if there's no highway going your way they can be good. Busstops are good for high-hiking, but watch out not to stop the bus. I usually hitch-hike at the end of the towns as cars go slower in the towns. Average lift is 30 km, but sometimes you're lucky.

GETTING OUT OF COPENHAGEN:

Going south

It's a bit of a mess to get out of Copenhagen. I wait in average 30-45 minutes to get out of Copenhagen, and usually take short lifts to get out. If you go south from Copenhagen you should accept both lift in
direction of "Roedby" (south), and lifts in direction of "Odense" (west). Before the split, there's a gas-station called "Karlslunde", which is quite good for hitch-hiking. To get out of Copenhagen use one of the following three entrances to the highway.

BY FOOT: "Amager": Copenhagen is divided on two islands: "Sjaelland" on the west and "Amager" on the east. Walk to the bridge "Sjaellandsbroen" (the bridge south of the bridge "Langebro"). You can get there by following the signs for the highway E-20 from the townhallsquare or the mainstation. Cross the brigde and pass the entrance where the cars from Sjaelland go to the highway - it's impossible for hitch-hiking. Go straight passing a sign saying: Walking not allowed. Walk some hundred meters, and hitch-hike on a second entrance for the cars comming from the "Amager". The entrance starts by the lightregulation, but 20 meters down the entrance there's a bridge where it's quite good for  hitch-hiking. This place is something like 5 km from the center.

BY TRAIN: "Avedore": Take an S-train (Line A direction Hundige or A+ direction Koge) to the station: "Friheden". From the center it's 3 zones (they control tickets VERY often). You have to walk about 1 kilometer from the station. Exit the station in the direction the train goes. Walk down the stairs and turn left on "Hvidovrevej". Turn right at the lightregulation after some 50m on a big road called "Koge havnevej". Turn left in next lightregulation on the road "Avedore havnevej" and you'll meet the highway after some hundred meters.

"FOLEHAVEN": Many people hitch-hike from "Folehaven" the start of the highway "21" in the area called "Hvidovre". If you do so, stand just after the first lightregulation on the grass (not after the last lightregulation). I have bad experiences with this place, but there must be a reason why most people hitch-hike from there. 

GETTING OUT OF AARHUS:

Take a bus to "Viby torv" and take from there bus line 12, and get of by the highway (in both cases you can ask the busdriver to tell you when. If you'd rather walk pick the road "Frederik Allé" (witch you can see from the townhall-square) and walk out of the city, following the signs for E45. It's about 4 km from the center. This spot is very good for hitch-hiking, so don't take short lifts there, if you are going south as the only hitch-hiker there.

Going north must be worse from there (I never tried it), but it can't be too dificult.

CROSSING THE "STOREBAELT BRIDGE":

If you come from Copenhagen don't take any lift further than "Slagelse" if they don't cross the bridge. If you come from the other side, don't go further than "Odense", without crossing the bridge

THE "VEJLE"-"KOLDING"-"FREDERECIA" TRIANGLE:

This complicated split can sometimes cause trouble when you hitch-hike, but here are some tips to avoid them. First of all you can save a great deal of waiting if you write a destinationsign.

If your lift goes in the wrong direction in the triangle you have to get off BEFORE the triangle, or you'll end up hitch-hiking on the highway. Here are some good places to get off before the splits.

I you come from "Odense" (east), get of at "lillebaelt" gas station just before the split.

If you come from Aarhus (north) get off at the exit: "Vejle S"

If you come from Germany get off at Kolding V.

GETTING TO GERMANY:

FROM COPENHAGEN, hitch-hike in direction of Roedby. The highway goes all the way to the fierry. You usually get a lift to Germany (The fierry has a standard ticketprice for one car with 1-5 persons). If you're unlucky and only get to "Roedby" I suppose it should be possible to get a lift somehow to the fierry from there (I never tried it).

FROM JUDLAND (the part of Denmark connected to Germany), there's highway all the way to Germany, but croosing the border to Germany is still difficult. You cannot hitch-hike on the border, as it's highway there. A good place for hitch-hiking to Germany is "Padborg"-transportcenter. There you can either ask the truckers, or stnad where they go to the highway. Whatever you do don't take lifts to Flensburg, it's VERY difficult to on from there. Usually you'll get a lift to Hamburg sometime, and remember that in Germany entrances are often very bad for hitch-hiking - there the gas-stations are good.

Going to Sweeden

Either you take a boat from Copenhagen to Malmo, or you hitch-hike from Copenhagen to Helsingor and take a boat there. To hitch hike to Helsingor use the following entrance to the highay:

GOING NORTH: "Tuborgvej": Take an S-train to Emdrup station. Turn left when you get up on the road "Tuborgvej" and walk straight down this road about 1,5 km to the highway.

IMPORTANT FIERRYLINES TO DENMARK

Helsingor-Helsingborg (Denmark-Sweden): Goes each half hour. The price for cars does not depend on the number of persons inside. Rodby-Puttgarten (Denmark-Germany): Goes each half hour also at night. The price for cars doesn't depend on the number of persons in the car.