What the ride is like

- Travel Tips
As it is with most train systems in Europe, the Swedish train system is great and can be used to get to almost any city, even the small ones. Some of the Swedish train systems don't take bicycles, in particular the national rail operator SJ does not allow bicycles unless they are dismantled and packed into travel bags. Here's a site with a list of systems that do and don't take bicycles Cykelfrämjandet. The SJ app can be used to book tickets on any Swedish train system and to look up a schedule.

Flying to or from Europe we have now had three consecutive delays of our bicycle boxes. Be sure to file a claim for any lost or delayed luggage before leaving the airport. A luggage service desk should be available at baggage claim. Usually the luggage will arrive on the next flight but it might take quite some time for the airline to deliver. Keep checking the status of the lost or delayed bags, you might be able to pick them up at the airport and avoid a long delay waiting for the bags to be delivered to a hotel.

- Ride Quality
About 80 percent of the routes we used where paved and the gravel portions were easily navigated with road bikes using moderately wide tires. We use Continental Gator Hardshell 32 x 700c tires. All of the routes are extensively signed and easy to follow. In Sweden, the national routes are well planned and follow a mostly vehicle free route. However, unlike Denmark, there are few to none vehicle free routes other than those marked as national cycle routes. Once you leave the route, it's just roads and traffic.

In contrast, in Denmark there is always a way with a bicycle. Many roads have a separate bicycle path that is vehicle free, similar to the system in the Netherlands. In Copenhagen, more that half of persons traveling for work do so with a bicycle.

  A separate cycle path on the Kattegat in Sweden. Most Swedish roads do not have a separate path.

- Elevation Change
Both Sweden and Denmark are relatively flat especially southern Sweden, northern Sweden is hilly and mountainous.  In Denmark the wind is formidable and could be considered Denmark's mountains.  The wind almost always blows around the Limfjord and seems to come from all directions.  No wonder Denmark gets much of it's power from wind. 

- Best Season
Spring and fall. Summers in Europe are increasingly hot and only a small number of Sweden and Denmark hotels have air conditioning. June through August are the can be wet, we frequently had thunderstorms in early June although the rain didn't last long.

  Here's a travel tip: we frequently rented these beach cabins and apartments instead of a hotel room. They are very spacious and fully equipped with a kitchen and are about the same price as a hotel room. I suppose since we travel a little off season these types of accommodations are available. Don't expect to get one of these in August.

Around the Limfjord.

The Limfjord, covered in a Esterbauer Bikeline guide that is out of print, also called The Limfjord Route - National Cycle Route 12, is a long established route in northern Denmark around an inland sea. Limfjorden is full of both islands and peninsulas, each one is unique and has its own experiences.  This is a fairly remote area with light road traffic and good bicycle routes.  The bicycle pathways are well marked and follow major routes or you can just use local agricultural roads which have little traffic. 

Winds are a formidable obstacles around the Limfjord and could be considered Denmark's "mountains." This is one of the areas in Europe where people do a lot of camping. You will find campgrounds near most villages, wild camping is also possible.

  This is a photo of Skagen. Prior to the Limfjord we rode from Frederikshavn to Skagen and then to Hirtshals. This is a route well worth doing, the cities are wonderful places to visit because of the busy ports and many historical sites along the way. The route is pretty much vehicle free.

  Route signs for the Limfjord can be found in various places but its best to use Naviki (developed in Denmark) to plan your route.

  Heading out for an evening swim, which seems to be the national sport in summer.