Kay Xander Mellish explains why driving in Denmark is nothing like the American Southwest. Cars cost 85-150% more due to taxes, fuel runs $7 a gallon, and cyclists own the road. He recommends visitors skip rental cars and take taxis instead.
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Hello and welcome to the How to Live in Denmark podcast. I'm Kay Xander Mellish. I like to drive. I like to be on the open road, like in the American Southwest. Arizona, Utah, Nevada. Put your pedal to the metal. No one in front of you, no one in the rearview mirror. Just you and the open road. You will not get that experience much in Denmark, a small country with a lot of people packed into a small area. There's not a lot of open land here, not much living off the grid, which doesn't mean drivers don't long for it. You'll see those open roads in Arizona and Nevada in a lot of Danish TV advertisements. It's frequently said about Denmark that it's not a car country. You hear a lot of well-meaning internationals say that in Denmark you don't need a car, that you can bicycle everywhere you want to go. Now, that is true in the big cities. I, I don't own a car myself here, but most of my Copenhagen neighbors do, and cars are pretty much a necessity in the countryside. There are now 2 There are 2.5 million cars in use in Denmark, roughly one for every other resident over age 18. Which doesn't mean it's easy to drive in Denmark. The traffic is terrible. The fuel costs stratospheric. The parking spaces are doll-sized. Bicyclists own the road and often ignore traffic rules. And cars are expensive. You'll be taxed 85% to 150% on the purchase price of a new vehicle. And if the car uses gasoline, that'll cost you about $7 a gallon. So if you're just visiting Denmark, don't feel you need to rent a car when you land at the airport. Even if the home or business you're visiting is in the suburbs, there's a good chance you'll save money by taking a cab. And most Danish taxis are Mercedes-Benz or Teslas. There's no Uber or Lyft in Denmark. If you do choose to drive, be very careful about right turns. Several Danish bicyclists are killed every year because a car or truck took a right turn and the bicyclist continued going straight. Maybe they were drunk or grooving out to music on their earbuds or, or simply not paying attention. But there's no legal right turn on red in Denmark, and even on green, the bicyclist has the right of way. And so do pedestrians. Pedestrians are big in Denmark. Almost every Danish city has at least one central shopping street that is pedestrian only, although annoyingly cars do tend to inch down these streets under the guise of making deliveries. That said, most Danes are good drivers, although they have a weird fondness for U-turns at unexpected moments. A driver's license in Denmark requires a lot of expensive courses, and you have to be at least 18 years old. And most drivers are pretty modest and careful. The only ones you really have to watch out for are the luxury vehicles, usually leased, driven at high speeds late at night. These are the Danish drag racers. But many of their cars have Swedish license plates. And that's the How to Live in Denmark podcast for this week. You can buy our books, How to Work in Denmark, How to Live in Denmark, and Working with Americans: Tips for Danes, on Amazon and Saxo and Google Play and Apple Books. Follow all our content at howtoliveindenmark.com or follow us on Twitter or Instagram at @howtoliveindk. The 2 is a number. See you next time. Bye.
