Cycling with children

Both infants and young children can be transported safely on a bicycle. For the youngest, a bicycle trailer is a good solution, especially if you want to travel with two children and luggage. If your child is too old to ride patiently in a child’s seat, but still too young to cycle alone in traffic, a half-bike is the answer. This resembles the rear-end of a child’s bicycle, and is fixed to the rear of an adult bicycle.

Family Tandems

A tandem is a good idea if two cyclists of differing ability want to cycle together – because on a tandem there’s no chance of losing sight of each other! If you want to cover long distances with slightly older children, a tandem can be an ideal solution.

Riding their own bicycles

Children who are used to cycling on their own can readily be taken on a cycling holiday as soon as they can ride the bicycle safely. With plenty of stops along the way and the right bicycle, a route covering 30km will not be beyond the ability of an 8-year-old cyclist.

Bike rentals and transportation

You can rent a bike anywhere in Denmark on a daily or weekly basis. The local tourist office will direct you to the nearest bicycle rental agency. If you would like to bike in different areas of Denmark, but do not want to go from one area to the next, there is always the train. Regional trains carry bicycles without a reservation - so you can rest your feet while the landscape rolls by. Both the cyclist and the bike must have a ticket.

Read more about experiencing Denmark on two wheels

The chance to chill out and go with the flow is the main aim of any active relaxation holiday. There’s no more intense way to explore the natural world than from the water. The areas you navigate through are often reservations, the silence is total and you will be able to watch the abundant wildlife at close range.

Rules and Regulations when canoing in Denmark

Canoeing is regulated in Denmark because of environmental concerns. Organised canoeing takes place on 11 of Denmark's 40 navigable waterways/rivers. The most popular are Gudenåen and Susåen, which together account for 70% of the total.

Canoeing has become a very popular holiday activity and it has therefore been necessary to regulate it in various ways and places where flora and fauna are vulnerable to erosion and disturbance. In compliance with the Protection of Nature Act, the Ministry of Environment and Energy has prepared legislation that limits navigation on Gudenåen, Susåen and Karup Å.

Waterways legislation allows county councils to limit the amount of navigation by non-motorised craft on other stretches of water. Most Danish rivers/waterways are equipped with some form of navigational restriction, either a full ban on navigation in some areas, restricted periods of navigation (typically from dawn to dusk and from 15 June until 30 September or 15 November) or a limited number of boats for hire. Most restrictions are enforced through rules that limit and set the terms for the commercial rental of canoes. If you wish to hire a canoe, you can always find information on the rules that apply.

When canoeing Visitors should be aware that simply putting your canoe in the water is not permitted. On some waterways or stretches of waterway, you need a visitor's permit that can usually be obtained from the county council. Apply for the permit in good time as only a limited number of permits are issued for each waterway. Another problem when bringing your own canoe is finding a place to launch it without trespassing on private property. We recommend that you ask at the local tourist information centre if you wish to put your own canoe or boat on the water.

Rules on the water. The rules that apply vary from waterway to waterway, but the following rules
apply in most places:

o Use only waterways that are at least 1.5m wide and at least 0.50m deep
o Travel with the current
o Do not navigate up narrow tributaries
o Never navigate before 8am or after 6pm.
o Never venture into reed beds
o Do not run the prow into riverbanks
o Assume that you are generally not permitted to go ashore.

There are two ways in which to enjoy Danish farmlife. One is to have a guest room in a farmhouse, take the meals with the host and be a part of the family. These are farm holidays, and you have a choice of accommodation with breakfast or half board. An alternative is a self-catering arrangement whereby you rent either a separate cottage or flat on the farm. These are self catering country holiday.

Farm Holidays, with Breakfast or half Board

A farm holiday arrangement can include breakfast or halfboard (breakfast and supper). Packed lunch or lunch can be ordered at some of the farms at reasonable prices. If you have any special requests such as a farm with animals, playmates for the children, facilities for angling, etc., further details can be obtained on each individual farm.

The organisation Landsforeningen for Landboturisme has issued the suggested following prices per person per day in the peak season of year 2005 (21st June - 16th August):

With breakfast: from DKK 200 in a double room
With halfboard: from DKK 280 in a double room
Children between 0 and 12 years of age: 50% reduction on adult price.

See www.bondegaardsferie.dk

You don’t need to bring your own horse with you for a riding holiday in Denmark. In fact, you don’t even need to know how to ride! The riding centres and schools throughout Denmark offer 7-day holidays on full or half board, with or without instruction. Instead of actually saddling up you can even hitch the horse to a wagon and roll along on a real “Prairie wagon” holiday. This requires no prior skills whatsoever and the kids will love it!

There are riding schools and centres almost everywhere in Denmark and many offer special riding holidays with half or full board. Prices vary of course, but for one person the price is from DKK 2000 and up.

Horse Hire

There are riding schools almost everywhere in Denmark where one can hire horses. Hire per hour vary between DKK 70-200 depending on size of horse and whether tuition is included or not. Hire per day costs approx. DKK 200-600.

Live in a Prairie Wagon

You can also let a horse drag a covered wagon at a steady pace. Holiday in a prairie wagon is an ideal holiday for families with children, and riding experience is not required. Prairie wagon holidays are offered among other places in Himmerland, on Samsø and on the Southern part of Funen where it is possible to take a round-trip between 5 campsites.

Horse and carriage trip

You can also bring the children along on a trip with horsedrawn carriage and driver. A classic trip is in Dyrehaven to the north of Copenhagen, where the beautiful carriages get quite close to the red deers of the forest.

You can of course play your favourite sports during your holiday in Denmark. Everywhere you go you’ll find large sports centres where you can get some training in and often also find accommodation. Because in Denmark, no matter what activity you are into – beach volley, clay pigeon shooting, weight-training, indoor mountaineering, parachuting or deep-sea diving – it’s all there waiting for you. Look up your favourite sport, or find inspiration for something new!

A stay at a folk high school is an experience for the whole family and for all ages. Here you gain new inspiration, knowledge and skills and make new friends – and the family is together most of the time.
 

There is enough to choose from

Every year, the majority of Denmark’s folk high schools offer different family courses of one to two weeks’ duration and with many different subjects – e.g. within the fields of art, media, music, theatre and dance, sports, ball games and sailing – the possibilities are almost unlimited.

Some courses are directed at families with infants, but most often, the lower age limit is around three to five years old.

For further information
Folkehøjskolernes forening (The Danish Folk High School Association)
Tel. (+45) 33 36 40 40
Homepage: www.folkehojskoler.dk  

The concept 'Island Camps' is based on feellings of community and togethernes and in order to further these objectives, accommodation takes place in large, collective sleeping tents, common tents and kitchen tents with kitchen utensils, bottled gas, tables and benches. Washing and toilet facilities are common, just as cooking and shopping are carried out on a collective basis. One must bring a sleeping bag and -mat. Most 'Island Camps' run seminars on various topics, whereas others serve purely recreatinal purposes.
 
'Island Camps' are for everybody, and children, adolescents, adults, singles and families participate. Dogs are not allowed.
Most 'Island Camps' take place on small islands in the Danish waters, with beaches close at hand in close contact with the local population.
It is cheap to spend the holiday on a 'Island Camp'. 2 adults and 2 children pay approx. DKK 3.000 in all.
Children and adolescents pay according to age, and the rebate is considerable.

Information and booking:

Ølejrbevægelsen
Søborg Postkontor
Postbox 37
2860 Søborg
tel. 70 22 55 81
E-mail: info@oelejr.dk
Internet: www.oelejr.dk