Berlin – Copenhagen by bike

Berlin – Copenhagen by bike – A great cycle tour lies behind me. And when I now look back after almost a week, I can say: A valuable experience on two wheels that I wouldn’t want to miss! Until Rostock I drove accompanied, from there on, the whole Danish stage I drove alone. So to ride the Berlin-Copenhagen cycle path alone as a woman is not a problem. In this travel report I now answer questions which I asked myself more often before the tour and which I would have liked to have answered at a glance. Let’s go!

Overview

Is the bike tour strenuous?
How long does it take to get from Berlin to Copenhagen by bicycle?
How many kilometers per day?
Route Berlin Copenhagen Cycle Route
GPX Data
Signposting of the Berlin Copenhagen Cycle Route
The trip by ferry with bicycle
Ferry Stubbekobing to Bogo
Accommodation on the cycle path Berlin Copenhagen
Interesting sights on the route
How do I get back to Berlin on my bike?

Is the bike tour from Berlin to Copenhagen strenuous?

Me, as a typical city bike rider and week excursionist – my longest Radtour was so far from Berlin to Ruegen – have the good 400 km have survived safely. A little muscle ache in the thighs – nothing else! In parts of Denmark it’s a bit hilly at times, so you might get a little puffed. But you can take a break at any time.

How long does it take to get from Berlin to Copenhagen by bicycle?

I sat on my lovely bike for five days. But I also left Wittstock (Dosse) to avoid the traffic chaos in Berlin. If you start directly from Berlin, plan at least six days in total, but more like seven days.

How many kilometers did I drive per day?

On average about 80km – that is a pleasant daily workload to get up relaxed in the morning or to have some time to linger in the evening.

The route Berlin Copenhagen Cycle path:

• Total length approx. 650 km, my slightly shorter version contains 400 km
• very low traffic volume
• from Rostock to Denmark you take the ferry
• many routes lead directly along the Baltic Sea, but also through small towns and forests

My Route Berlin Copenhagen by bike

GPX Data

If you download this file to your mobile phone, you can open it in Google Maps and see it even if you don’t have an Internet connection. This allows you to always see if you have deviated from the route when the GPS on your phone is turned on. Here the data for download – but this is the complete official way and not my shortened 5 days version.

Signage of the Berlin Copenhagen Cycle Route

My route

Day 1: Wittstock (Dosse) – Mirow – Rechlin – Müritz National Park – Waren (Müritz) – Krakow am See
Day 2: Krakow am See  – Lohmen – Güstrow – Bützow – Rostock
Day 3: Rostock – Nykobing Falster – Stubbekobing
Day 4: Stubbekobing (Attention, a small ferry crosses here to Bogo, which is not so frequent in the low season) – Bogo – Kalvehave Sogn – Praesto – Faxe Ladeplands – Faxe
Day 5: Faxe – Koge – Copenhagen – yay :)!

I started on a beautiful September day with tired eyes in Berlin, but then I only cycled to the train station. With the S-Bahn to Hennigsdorf and from there with the regional train to Wittstock an der Dosse. There the official „Berlin-Copenhagen Cycle Route“ does not yet lead along, here is still some freestyle announced. The route is nevertheless nice and you drive on well paved paths. It goes through the small town and then soon to the countryside.

Bicycle Route Berlin Copenhagen Ferry

The ferry ride by bike. That was probably the biggest question mark before my trip. Ferries always have something abstract about them and many questions arise immediately. When does the ferry leave? Where do I park my bike? How do I get to the ferry, when and where? How much does it cost? Where can I get tickets? In the end, the ferry was no problem at all. It was fun! And you don’t have to worry so much about it.

Here the info to the ferry Rostock – Gedser compact:

• for the journey to the overseas port, where the ferry departs, plan some time with the bicycle, in order to ride relaxed. From the centre of Rostock it is about 10km

• • the ferry runs several times a day, so no problem if you should miss it against expectation
  • Costs: 1 person with a bicycle costs 19 € in high season (24.5.- 10.9.) and 19 € in low season (1.1.-23.5 and 11.9.-31.12) 8 €
  • the trip lasts 45 minutes
  • You can buy tickets online at Scandlines or directly at the port in the Scandlines office
  • Exchange money is also possible directly at the port (I still have 500 crowns left)
  • be at least half an hour before departure at the port to buy tickets and cycle over to the ferry – the distances are the same as at airports
  • at one of the small houses you can buy your ticket
  • Bicycles come to last on board, after the trucks, you will be told then

• in the lower deck there are extra places for bicycles. There you connect it and then go on deck. Don’t forget: you can’t go down again during the ride, so take everything up with you that you need in the next three quarters of an hour

• • when the ferry arrives, you leave the ship last, when the last truck has left. Free ride in Gedser!

Ferry Stubbekobing to Bogo

The small, historic ferry named „Ida“ takes you from Stubbekobing over to Bogo. It runs daily between 1 May – 30 September & 13 – 21 October. It does not travel outside these periods. Here you will always find the current timetable.

• How much does the crossing Stubbekobing – Bogo? An adult with a bicycle costs 50 DK, which is about 6,70€. There is a ticket machine at the harbour. On the ferry you can only pay in cash.
• How long does the crossing take? 12 minutes.

If you drive outside the Ida season, you have to avoid it and cross the bridge between Vordingborg and Orehoved. This is a longer tour, but you will pass the historic Storstrøms Bridge, which is due to be demolished in 2024. The Faroe Bridge is closer, but only open to traffic.

Accommodations Cycle Path Berlin Copenhagen

In September I didn’t have any problems to find an accommodation at the cycle track at short notice. In the high season it might look a bit different. However, I can state that there are in Germany far more accommodations on the cycle path. In Denmark the number is a bit more limited and the costs are much higher. While in Germany I got good accommodation for 30-50€ (single room), in Denmark I had to pay a bit more (about 80€, tendency higher). However, the accommodation in the Danish part was really worth the money. I have rarely slept so well. And just when you’re trampling on your bike all day, a nice bed and a hot shower is worth its weight in gold.

I usually booked my accommodation at lunch. Simply by mobile phone. A cheer for mobile data transfer in the EU at no extra charge! My data volume has been sufficient the 5 days well. But in cafés and accommodations you usually have W-Lan anyway. This makes it easy to find accommodation.

I can recommend the Bed & Bike App, there are good offers along the cycle path, but you can also simply book via the compatible booking portals – I have usually called the map and looked at how many kilometers I still manage in the second half of the day. After lunch the estimation is more realistic than in the morning :). Recommended, but not used yet, I have the App Warm showers. This is the couchsurfing for cyclists. With this app you can get in touch with locals who offer you an easy and free place to sleep. Ideally, you can also offer other cyclists accommodation at your place.

To be honest, I wasn’t ready for that yet. I wanted it to be casual and comfortable – the 430 kilometres were almost a small challenge on their own. And I came into contact with exciting people like that. Really „beautiful“ people – but I’ll tell you more about them in my more personal experience report – here you’ll only find the pure tips and tricks for the Berlin Copenhagen cycle path.

2 nights in Germany, 2 nights in Denmark

Here are my recommendations. I had wonderful accommodations, which I would like to recommend to you completely unpaid and freely. So if you happen to follow my route or sleep in one of the places, you will spend a wonderful night here:

1. Krakow am See: Guest house Meyer, Güstrower Str. 2, 18292 Krakow am See, approx. 30 €
2. Rostock – Jellyfish Hostel, Beginenberg 25, 18055 Rostock, ca. 40 €
3. Stubbekobing <3 – GAJ Backpackers, 7 Søndergade, Stubbekøbing, 4850, Denmark, ca. 80 € . I had booked a breakfast here as an exception, it was wonderful!
4. Faxe – Kaerskovgard Bed and Breakfast, Sondergarsvej 44, 4640, Denmark, ca. 80 €

Interesting sights on the route

It was important to me to drive free. That’s why you won’t find countless lists of churches, museums and special memorials here, of which there are certainly many worth seeing. But I didn’t visit them, that would have been too much for me. I started the bicycle journey to experience primarily nature, not culture. The latter came from completely alone to me. I just wanted to let the wind blow around my nose and get on and off whenever I wanted, to find my own speed and to stop and research when something really interested me.

And it happened the same way. I met interesting people, old ferrymen and B&B owners who served me a delicious homemade rose jam for breakfast. Those alone were highlights for me. And otherwise – nature, small towns, beautiful harbours, fragrant forests…and not to forget: the sea! Isn’t that enough? Well, then I have a tip that I would like to recommend to you – I came across this place by chance because I chose the cheaper accommodation about 10km off the cycle path.

Faxe Kalkbrud (lime stone quarry)

This is the still active lime quarry in Faxe. There is a fascinating lime lake whose colors make your eyes shine . The lake shines turquoise-green when the sun is shining. You can visit the „Faxe Kalkbrud“ almost anytime and it costs nothing to descend. There are some descents. It is best to use the one near the Geomuseum – if a descent is closed, don’t be deterred and go a little further, there you will find more. Then simply go down the path into the limestone quarry – and white rocks and hills surround you, the lake lights you up. A nice moment to pause and enjoy. Nevertheless you should pay attention, because vehicles like excavators cross your way.

Return trip – by long-distance bus and bicycle from Copenhagen back to Berlin

That was easier than I thought! You can go back by train or bus, for example. I took the long-distance bus from Copenhagen back to Berlin. For the transport of the bicycle you pay 9 € by default. Your bike will then be transported to the back of the bus carrier or into the luggage compartment. In the low season you can buy your ticket online at relatively short notice and at a low price. In the high season I would check a little earlier if you want to get away cheaper. I paid for my ticket back with the bus altogether läppische 30 euros and there the ferry trip (this time however from Rodbyhavn to Puttgarden) is included.

PS. The obligatory side trip to the little mermaid in Copenhagen must not be missing of course. But one should be said: the distance to the small celebrity stretches itself quite beautifully. Nobody has said that it is easy :). A great feeling to arrive with her. But immediately I missed the wide fields and meadows. And look longingly like the mermaid herself into the distance….

Do you intend to do the little bike tour? Experiences on the tour that you would like to share? I am looking forward to your comments!