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Danish road rules

Drivers must be at least 18 years and always be carrying their full, valid license and insurance documents with them in the car. Rental documents, international driving permits, passports - or ID cards - for tourists will suffice. The Danes drive on the right and seatbelts are mandatory for all passengers.

Tourists bringing their own cars into Denmark need to be aware of certain requirements. Drivers must carry a red warning triangle in case the car breaks down, have the letters of their country of residence on the rear of the car, or the new-type Euro plates, and right-hand drive cars need to have headlamp deflectors fitted.

Danish traffic police are very strict and on-the-spot fines for most motoring offences are common. This especially applies to speeding motorists, where radar traps are frequently used to catch people out and hefty fines implemented. Drink drivers are also harshly dealt with ' the maximum permissible blood/alcohol level is 0.5mg/ml.

Danish road network

Newcomers to Denmark will be surprised at the high quality of the roads here. Although there are only three main motorways, they cover the essential parts of the country and many secondary roads are as good as motorways. Motorways carry the European numbering system, denoted by the letter 'E', with E47 serving Copenhagen, the E20 running west from Copenhagen past Odense and onto the mainland and the E45 running north to south through the mainland.

All roads are free to drive on in Denmark, including the motorways, with the exception of the two major bridges, the Oresund and Storebaelt Bridges.

Parking

Parking can be tough in Copenhagen, where vehicles are only allowed to park for an hour in designated spots on the streets and only after the purchase of a disc ' bought from petrol stations, post offices or tourist offices. Other cities are slightly more forgiving although go over time, forget to pay or park illegally and look out!

Danish speed limits

Urban areas: 50kph/31mph
Rural roads: 80kph/50mph
Motorway: 110kph/68mph

Radar traps are common in Denmark and speed limits are strictly enforced with offenders usually facing hefty fines.

Danish fuel costs

Prices in krone (KR) per litre:

Unleaded 95: 10.35 kr/l
Unleaded 98: 10.64 kr/l
Diesel: 8.65 kr/l

Unleaded petrol (all grades), diesel and LPG are all available in Denmark. Lead replacement fuel is a substitute for leaded fuel, which is no longer sold in Denmark. Most stations accept credit cards but automatic pumps generally only accept domestic debit cards.

Danish road safety
The national breakdown service in Denmark, known as Falck, is 112 and they can be called from any of the emergency motorway telephones 24 hours should you break down - all other essential services are also available on this number including police, fire and ambulance. For non-emergency car problems, Forenede Danske Motorejere (FDM) is the Danish motoring organisation who can provide assistance.

Even with perfect roads, accidents do happen and tourists should remain extra vigilant, particularly when near large cities during rush hour and in inclement weather.