Touring in Denmark

[steveindenmark]

Having lived in Denmark for 22 years there are so many comments I can make about cycling here.

If you want to ask any questions, please do and I will give you my opinion.

Yesterday we were out on the island of Fyn and came across something totally random and typically Danish.

We came across a toilet block in the middle of nowhere. This happens quite often and it still suprised me.

But the toilet block is free to enter, has an automatic door opener that works. It has toilet paper and paper towels. It is spotlessly clean. There is even a sign outside that says when it was last cleaned. But it is out in the sticks.
I have even slept in these before.

I will come back on occsions and add to the list

 

[FrankCrank]

I shall look out for one of those Middelfart bogs if I'm ever over that way

 

[Baldy]

Used to invade Denmark back in the early 80's. We were meant to parachute in but most times it was dropped by 4 ton truck. Then we got to play silly escape and evasion games with the Jager battalion. Always looked like a nice place but I haven't been back since.

What's the situation around camping?

 

[steveindenmark]

I shall look out for one of those Middelfart bogs if I'm ever over that way

It is actually very close to Middlefart. 😁

 

[steveindenmark]

Used to invade Denmark back in the early 80's. We were meant to parachute in but most times it was dropped by 4 ton truck. Then we got to play silly escape and evasion games with the Jager battalion. Always looked like a nice place but I haven't been back since.

What's the situation around camping?

You are not supposed to wild camp in Denmark. But like everywhere, use common sense and you get away with it. There is a FB site called Brug min baghave (Use my back garden). Its a bit like Couchsurfers except you use your tent in their back garden. Most Danes speak English. We also have an excellent wild shelter organisation.

https://backpackerlife.dk/shelter-d...iJErRmbg9eE1D4gt2gmRpvr5NkP5JHEhoChy4QAvD_BwE

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

I’ve visited Denmark twice, once cycle touring around Jutland in the early 2000’s, the other a three night stay in Copenhagen a few years ago, enjoyed both very much. The thing that I remember most about the Youth Hostels we visited in our cycle tour was the awful smoking, everywhere, all the time. Even at breakfast in the hostels. Listening to a recent interview with Simon Reeve he also commented on this, he’s a big fan of the Danish way of life in most respects but not this ! His Scandanavia series recently aired on BBC was most interesting.

 

[AndreaVin]

I did 5 weeks in Denmark this year. I'd recommend the shelters - brilliant! There's a Shelter app you can download which shows them all. And pretty much all free. We used them frequently and loved them all bar one when a stag party had group-booked several on a site with multiple shelters. So beware using them on a Saturday night!

 

[simonthread]

The same thing happened to a friend of mine from outside Denmark. He went on a short bike trip after a business conference, somewhere around Odense, I think.

He planned the route, picked one of those fancy cycling shelters for the night, arrived, set up his sleeping spot and even managed to fall asleep... and then around midnight a group of teenagers showed up in cars, boombox under the arm, claiming they had reserved that exact shelter for the night through some app.

It got a bit tense and in the end it turned into a sleepless night - the group finally left around 5 am.

This kind of discrimination against touring cyclists feels very out of place in a country with such a strong cycling reputation :/

By the way, here's my trip along Denmark's stunning east coast - Copenhagen, Stevns Klint, Mons Klint...

Denmark - Copenhagen and the Baltic Sea

Komoot: Denmark - Copenhagen to Gedser

S.