Denmark warned of traffic and airport congestion as school holidays begin
Delays are possible for road and airport users alike in Denmark this weekend.
The coming weekend will see large numbers using Denmark's travel infrastructure to jet off on holiday, head to camping sites or summer houses or spend time in natural areas.
Most of the country sees the school summer holidays begin on Friday, and that means heavy traffic is expected on roads and at Copenhagen Airport.
Copenhagen Airport, as well as the Danish Road Directorate and the operator of the Great Belt Bridge all say they expect some congestion this weekend.
READ ALSO: Budget airline passengers in Europe face travel headaches as more strikes called
On its website, the Danish Road Directorate highlights the coming weekend as one of the busiest this summer, according to projections.
Friday and Sunday are likely to see “heavy traffic and risk of minor queuing”, while motorists on Saturday can expect “high risk of queuing and extended journey times,” according to the agency.
The last day of the school term marks the beginning of annual vacations therefore increased travel activity, Great Belt Bridge operator Sund & Bælt states in travel information published on its website.
The bridge, which connects Zealand with Jutland and is therefore the primary link between east and west Denmark, will be particularly busy on Saturday.
The highest number of cars are expected to cross the toll heading west (towards Funen and Jutland) between 10am and 2pm on Saturdays during the holiday period, while the eastbound direction will see heaviest traffic between 12pm and 5pm on both Saturdays and Sundays.
“It is… important to be well prepared before you leave. Check that your payment card is updated so you are sure that (automatic payment platforms such as number plate recognition) work when you reach the toll,” Sund & Bælt writes.
The Great Belt Bridge will be closed completely to cars from 1pm to 6pm on July 2nd, with adjacent motorway sections closing at 12:30 pm. This is due to the Tour de France, which takes place in Denmark next weekend and crosses the Great Belt Bridge on that day.
People leaving Denmark through Copenhagen Airport should come prepared for extended waiting times, according to Copenhagen Airport head of media communications Lise Agerly Kürstein.
“It’s a long time since we’ve all been travelling. Some of us may have forgotten (procedures) and we need to get used to the routine again,” Kürstein told broadcaster DR.
The airport said via its website on Friday that there will be “times with extra congestion in the airport’s terminals, especially on major travel days at the start of the summer”.
Passengers travelling within Europe on peak days are advised to arrive two hours before their flight.
If you are going to outside of Europe, to the Unites States or Asia, you should come three hours before your flight leaves, especially if travelling on a peak day, the airport states.
Peak days are “typically the weekends during the summer holidays”, it said.
Staff shortages at security checks, caused by a lengthy rehiring process following the Covid-19 crisis, were blamed for crowds and long queues at Copenhagen Airport during the late spring public holidays, but these issues are now largely resolved according to the airport.
“Waiting times at security control have been a challenge during a period in which we have hired new staff to cope with the quickly increasing number of passengers. We have hired over 300 new colleagues for our security control and are now ready to send passengers safely and securely on their summer holidays,” commercial director Peter Krogsgaard said in a statement on the Copenhagen Airport website.
READ ALSO: Strikes and queues: How airline passengers in Europe face summer travel chaos
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The coming weekend will see large numbers using Denmark's travel infrastructure to jet off on holiday, head to camping sites or summer houses or spend time in natural areas.
Most of the country sees the school summer holidays begin on Friday, and that means heavy traffic is expected on roads and at Copenhagen Airport.
Copenhagen Airport, as well as the Danish Road Directorate and the operator of the Great Belt Bridge all say they expect some congestion this weekend.
READ ALSO: Budget airline passengers in Europe face travel headaches as more strikes called
On its website, the Danish Road Directorate highlights the coming weekend as one of the busiest this summer, according to projections.
Friday and Sunday are likely to see “heavy traffic and risk of minor queuing”, while motorists on Saturday can expect “high risk of queuing and extended journey times,” according to the agency.
The last day of the school term marks the beginning of annual vacations therefore increased travel activity, Great Belt Bridge operator Sund & Bælt states in travel information published on its website.
The bridge, which connects Zealand with Jutland and is therefore the primary link between east and west Denmark, will be particularly busy on Saturday.
The highest number of cars are expected to cross the toll heading west (towards Funen and Jutland) between 10am and 2pm on Saturdays during the holiday period, while the eastbound direction will see heaviest traffic between 12pm and 5pm on both Saturdays and Sundays.
“It is… important to be well prepared before you leave. Check that your payment card is updated so you are sure that (automatic payment platforms such as number plate recognition) work when you reach the toll,” Sund & Bælt writes.
The Great Belt Bridge will be closed completely to cars from 1pm to 6pm on July 2nd, with adjacent motorway sections closing at 12:30 pm. This is due to the Tour de France, which takes place in Denmark next weekend and crosses the Great Belt Bridge on that day.
People leaving Denmark through Copenhagen Airport should come prepared for extended waiting times, according to Copenhagen Airport head of media communications Lise Agerly Kürstein.
“It’s a long time since we’ve all been travelling. Some of us may have forgotten (procedures) and we need to get used to the routine again,” Kürstein told broadcaster DR.
The airport said via its website on Friday that there will be “times with extra congestion in the airport’s terminals, especially on major travel days at the start of the summer”.
Passengers travelling within Europe on peak days are advised to arrive two hours before their flight.
If you are going to outside of Europe, to the Unites States or Asia, you should come three hours before your flight leaves, especially if travelling on a peak day, the airport states.
Peak days are “typically the weekends during the summer holidays”, it said.
Staff shortages at security checks, caused by a lengthy rehiring process following the Covid-19 crisis, were blamed for crowds and long queues at Copenhagen Airport during the late spring public holidays, but these issues are now largely resolved according to the airport.
“Waiting times at security control have been a challenge during a period in which we have hired new staff to cope with the quickly increasing number of passengers. We have hired over 300 new colleagues for our security control and are now ready to send passengers safely and securely on their summer holidays,” commercial director Peter Krogsgaard said in a statement on the Copenhagen Airport website.
READ ALSO: Strikes and queues: How airline passengers in Europe face summer travel chaos
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