Biking holiday in Copenhagen
Jun 7th, 2015, 07:34 AM
#1
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Biking holiday in Copenhagen
Hi
We are planning a family holiday in Europe and have landed on a biking holiday in Denmark
We are 2 adults with an 8 year old and a 18 month old. I was told the best way to get around Copenhagen and Odense is by family bike ( the kind with the box in the front where your kids sit).
How easy is it to bike on these family bikes?
How fast does the bike traffic move in Copenhagen? We are not the fastest of bicyclists.
Would you recommend my 8 year old get her own bike instead of riding in the box?
How easy is it to get to all the attractions in Copenhagen?
After Copenhagen, we wanted to go to Odense and then to the islands and countryside - can you recommend some good options? We don't want to rent a car or use bus as the baby gets car sick.
Finally - I am assuming diapers etc are easy to find in Denmark - is that correct? Would they sell them in the pharmacy or supermarket?
Thanks!
We are planning a family holiday in Europe and have landed on a biking holiday in Denmark
We are 2 adults with an 8 year old and a 18 month old. I was told the best way to get around Copenhagen and Odense is by family bike ( the kind with the box in the front where your kids sit).
How easy is it to bike on these family bikes?
How fast does the bike traffic move in Copenhagen? We are not the fastest of bicyclists.
Would you recommend my 8 year old get her own bike instead of riding in the box?
How easy is it to get to all the attractions in Copenhagen?
After Copenhagen, we wanted to go to Odense and then to the islands and countryside - can you recommend some good options? We don't want to rent a car or use bus as the baby gets car sick.
Finally - I am assuming diapers etc are easy to find in Denmark - is that correct? Would they sell them in the pharmacy or supermarket?
Thanks!
Jun 7th, 2015, 07:45 AM
#2
Hi, just off for a bike holiday in July so I can advise just a little from my own research. I've cycled in a lot of countries and have had good advice from rentabikecopenhagen.dk on this occasion, I'd drop Sara or Glenn an email to check stuff.
My thoughts
1) no idea, I have no children and I have not tried it, my concern would be the weight on my wrists when things go wrong. I like the look of a) the little baskets on wheels you get for moving babies, b) the little seats you get on backs of bikes and c) tag along half bikes. See first photo down on this page http://www.mybikeguide.co.uk/Cycling_Tips.php
2) Speeds vary, but do learn the signals http://cycleguide.dk/category/rules-and-regulations/ no one likes a slow bike that suddenly stops.
3) Tag along for one and towed basket for other
4) It's flat, there are thousands of kms of bike lanes. So easy.
5) Getting around, take the train. Hire bikes locally
6) Diapers, hopefully one of our few Danish/Germans who visit will know. Outside my knowledge, but kids poop (verb transitive
)
My thoughts
1) no idea, I have no children and I have not tried it, my concern would be the weight on my wrists when things go wrong. I like the look of a) the little baskets on wheels you get for moving babies, b) the little seats you get on backs of bikes and c) tag along half bikes. See first photo down on this page http://www.mybikeguide.co.uk/Cycling_Tips.php
2) Speeds vary, but do learn the signals http://cycleguide.dk/category/rules-and-regulations/ no one likes a slow bike that suddenly stops.
3) Tag along for one and towed basket for other
4) It's flat, there are thousands of kms of bike lanes. So easy.
5) Getting around, take the train. Hire bikes locally
6) Diapers, hopefully one of our few Danish/Germans who visit will know. Outside my knowledge, but kids poop (verb transitive
)
Jun 7th, 2015, 07:54 AM
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Copenhagen and Denmark has a bike path sysytem that rivals or exceeds even that of Holland's IME and from what I've read and the country is pretty flat - though like Holland winds can be a problem at times - but judging on biking in Copenhagen which I did for just a day to experience it the bike paths are less like Indy 500 races than in Holland - maybe the density of population is much less or whatever but yes it seems safe enough - know nudding about family bikes other than to see lots of them on the bike paths.
Jun 7th, 2015, 07:58 AM
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<i>How easy is it to bike on these family bikes?</i>
Easy enough. The three wheels keeps them pretty stable. They are super heavy though and a bit unwieldy.
<i>How fast does the bike traffic move in Copenhagen?</i>
Pretty fast during rush hour, but outside of that, it isn't bad. People can just go around you.
<i>Would you recommend my 8 year old get her own bike instead of riding in the box? </i>
They should both be able to fit in the box.
<i>After Copenhagen, we wanted to go to Odense and then to the islands and countryside - can you recommend some good options?</i>
Well, you can get to Odense by train. Not sure whether that will be better than a car or bus. To get to the islands, though, I'd think you'll have to spend some time on a bus.
<i>Finally - I am assuming diapers etc are easy to find in Denmark - is that correct? Would they sell them in the pharmacy or supermarket? </i>
Easy enough. If you are picky about brand, you might have some issues. I don't think they sell them at the real pharmacy, but Matas, which is like a drug store that doesn't sell drugs should have them. Not sure about grocery stores, which tend to be very small, but I'd think some of the larger ones would have them. Fotex, which has bigger stores (still pretty small) will definitely have them.
Easy enough. The three wheels keeps them pretty stable. They are super heavy though and a bit unwieldy.
<i>How fast does the bike traffic move in Copenhagen?</i>
Pretty fast during rush hour, but outside of that, it isn't bad. People can just go around you.
<i>Would you recommend my 8 year old get her own bike instead of riding in the box? </i>
They should both be able to fit in the box.
<i>After Copenhagen, we wanted to go to Odense and then to the islands and countryside - can you recommend some good options?</i>
Well, you can get to Odense by train. Not sure whether that will be better than a car or bus. To get to the islands, though, I'd think you'll have to spend some time on a bus.
<i>Finally - I am assuming diapers etc are easy to find in Denmark - is that correct? Would they sell them in the pharmacy or supermarket? </i>
Easy enough. If you are picky about brand, you might have some issues. I don't think they sell them at the real pharmacy, but Matas, which is like a drug store that doesn't sell drugs should have them. Not sure about grocery stores, which tend to be very small, but I'd think some of the larger ones would have them. Fotex, which has bigger stores (still pretty small) will definitely have them.
Jun 7th, 2015, 08:10 AM
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Many use the family bikes in Copenhagen, I've not tried them myself but it is a very popular way of getting around. The bike traffic can be any speed, some do go very fast, others are slower but since Copenhagen has bike lanes it should not be a problem, they have their own traffic lights etc, the fast bike riders overtake you. In the rush hour the bike lanes can be crowded in central Copenhagen.
Diapers are easy to find, they sell baby things in the supermarket. Danes have babies too.
Although Denmark is flat, it is not as flat as the Netherlands for instance, so it can be tough in some areas to cycle.
Some attractions might be quite a distance to cycle from central CPH, for instance Bakken. It sounds like a great idea as you will get a different perspective of Denmark than you would when travelling by car or train.
Diapers are easy to find, they sell baby things in the supermarket. Danes have babies too.
Although Denmark is flat, it is not as flat as the Netherlands for instance, so it can be tough in some areas to cycle.
Some attractions might be quite a distance to cycle from central CPH, for instance Bakken. It sounds like a great idea as you will get a different perspective of Denmark than you would when travelling by car or train.
Jun 7th, 2015, 08:27 AM
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I visited Copenhagen, Odense, and Aero last year.
Copenhagen is flat. As a pedestrian in Copenhagen, I felt safer sharing the road with bicyclist. They seem to go slower and less of them than in Amsterdam where I felt I was in constant danger of being run over by fast riding bicyclists. Of course I was a dumb tourist blocking their way.
Unlike U.S. where the cyclists are students and children, the bike traffic in Copenhagen was mostly business people commuting to work. Yes, they use those boxes in front of the bike for small children.
I was in Aero in late May. An idyllic island. I knew some cars got off the ferry boat, but after that, the island felt almost car free perhaps because it was before the season and only a few restaurants were open.
Odense does have slight hill due to the river. Most attractions are away from the river. The Funen Village open air museum, south of Odense, could be reached by bike. There are buses to get these as well as a river cruise that gets "almost" there. There is a bike path along the river connecting Odense to the Funen Village museum, but it was not paved, just compacted dirt with crushed rock. No problem with a mountain bike, but would be harder with a bike with a box in front. The paved road where the bus runs is a busy road.
Copenhagen is flat. As a pedestrian in Copenhagen, I felt safer sharing the road with bicyclist. They seem to go slower and less of them than in Amsterdam where I felt I was in constant danger of being run over by fast riding bicyclists. Of course I was a dumb tourist blocking their way
.Unlike U.S. where the cyclists are students and children, the bike traffic in Copenhagen was mostly business people commuting to work. Yes, they use those boxes in front of the bike for small children.
I was in Aero in late May. An idyllic island. I knew some cars got off the ferry boat, but after that, the island felt almost car free perhaps because it was before the season and only a few restaurants were open.
Odense does have slight hill due to the river. Most attractions are away from the river. The Funen Village open air museum, south of Odense, could be reached by bike. There are buses to get these as well as a river cruise that gets "almost" there. There is a bike path along the river connecting Odense to the Funen Village museum, but it was not paved, just compacted dirt with crushed rock. No problem with a mountain bike, but would be harder with a bike with a box in front. The paved road where the bus runs is a busy road.
Jun 7th, 2015, 05:53 PM
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Thanks everyone! This is very helpful. Biloburglar - the links are fantastic.
Would anyone know good places to go with kids outside of Copenhagen? What kind of itinerary do you recommend for 12 days with 2 kids aged 8 and 18 months? We were thinking of staying in Denmark the whole time.
Would anyone know good places to go with kids outside of Copenhagen? What kind of itinerary do you recommend for 12 days with 2 kids aged 8 and 18 months? We were thinking of staying in Denmark the whole time.
Jun 8th, 2015, 01:01 AM
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You have the whole of Sjælland to explore, Helsingør for instance, visit the castle. A bike ride along the coast northwards from Copenhagen will be beautiful, the beaches have white sand and blue sea. Stop at Bakken and the Deer Park. Hornbaek has a nice beach and is popular with families, the town itself is picturesque with gorgeous beach houses. Gilleleje has a fishing harbour where you can get something to eat.
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