The Best Way to Rent a Bike in Copenhagen

Biking is the best way to explore Copenhagen! It’s cost-effective, fast, convenient, and a cool way to explore a cool city. Everyone in Copenhagen bikes—there are bike racks everywhere you go, and sometimes, it looks like an army of parked bikes. It’s one of the defining features of the Danish/Copenhagen lifestyle. Naturally, the next question is, how do you rent a bike in Copenhagen if you’re a tourist? Luckily, there are multiple ways you can rent a bike, but I found the easiest and most cost-effective option (that I personally used).

Why Bike in Copenhagen?

Copenhagen is the biking capital of the world. More people bike in this city than people drive! It’s estimated that 40,000 people cross the Dronning Louises Bro bridge in Copenhagen every day. The reason why the number is so high is because there are dedicated bike lanes and bike stopping lights, making biking here smooth and safe. Unlike other places in the world, biking is protected well in Copenhagen, and, as a result, most people bike to commute to work, see friends, run errands, and explore.

Copenhagen also has great public transit, but it can get crowded especially during popular commuting hours. With biking, you get your own space and fresh air! And, you get to see more of the city since you’re outside, and take routes you never would have by bike! Copenhagen is a small city and is well connected by bike paths, and sometimes, biking is faster than taking the bus or metro.

Is Biking Easy in Copenhagen?

In general, it’s very easy to bike in Copenhagen. Lanes are wide and the ground is smooth, there are dedicated bike lanes along the road, and everyone follows the biking rules. Meaning, there are no unpredictable bikers that might hit you or be somewhere they’re not supposed to be.

The bike lanes are very easy to navigate and connect all throughout the city. You can get anywhere and everywhere with a bike, as well! You can bike through parks, neighborhood roads, on side streets, etc. It’s truly the best way to get around here.

Biking Rules in Copenhagen

Before you bike, make sure you read and learn the biking rules for Copenhagen. Make sure that you are a safe rider to yourself and to the people around you. There are biking laws that you should know about, as well. You can read my guide on how to bike in Copenhagen here! It’s easy, simple, and fast to learn. Here are the most important bits:

• You must signal where you are turning and if you are stopping.
• You CANNOT make a direct left turn at a four-way intersection, that is the law.
• You must have a bike light in the front and back of your bike when it gets dark.
• Slower bikers always stay right, and you always pass on the left.
• Helmets are not require for adults.

If you’re a good biker, then all you have to do is learn the biking rules and you’re good to go! I recommend practicing a little bit in less crowded areas or times so you get comfortable.

However, if you’re not a strong biker or are not comfortable with biking, I don’t recommend biking if you do not have the time to practice. People bike quite fast and smoothly as they go to work, go home, etc. There’s a general understanding that if you are biking, you know the rules and are a safe and predictable biker.

The best way to practice is biking in less crowded areas, like a local neighborhood or a park. Get used to biking (and in a straight line), then work your way up to the signals. Then, try and practice on a semi-main road until you’re confident.

How to Rent a Bike in Copenhagen

As a biking capital, Copenhagen has multiple options for bike rentals for every type of rider. There are different types of bikes as well as bike rental services as well. For example, if you are studying abroad there are long-term 3+ month rentals you can do. But for tourists and one-time visitors, that kind of service is not needed.

For most one-time visitors, you can either rent a bike from a bike shop or use an online bike-sharing service. Personally, the bike sharing service is the best option for tourists. It’s cheap, and most importantly, convenient. Here are the pros and cons of renting using a bike shop vs. an online service:

Service	Pros	Cons
Bike Shop Rental	– Stick to one bike for the whole duration. – No need to download an app. – All bike accessories in one place. – Helpful employee to teach and guide.	– Return only at select locations. – Figure out locking and unlocking bikes. – More expensive. – You have to go to the bike shop to rent.
Bike Sharing Rental	– Easy and convenient to use. – Bikes are available everywhere. – Grab and return at any drop off location. – Drop off locations are all over the city. – Great value for time.	– Some bikes are in better condition than others. – Can get expensive if you take multiple rides in a day. – Dependent on phone data and battery to use bikes.

My Recommended Bike Service in Copenhagen: DonkeyRepublic

This is not an ad, haha. DonkeyRepublic is one of the bike-sharing services in Copenhagen, but you can find them all over Europe. In my opinion, they’re the best for bike rentals in Copenhagen.

How Does it Work?

The way it works is you download the Donkey Republic app, create an account, link your payment method, and you can begin renting bicycles. There are Donkey Republic bikes all over the city—there are at least 100 or more! You can spot them by their unique orange color on the bike frames. There’s always one within a 2-5 minute walk.

You can choose to rent by the minutes, day, or by months. The price gets cheaper the longer you rent a bike. For example, 15 minutes of biking is 18.5 DKK, but every 30 minutes it’s 26 DKK, and at the hour it’s 39 DKK. So, the longer you ride, the more value you get. Renting a bike for the day is 119 DKK, and for the month membership it starts from 200 DKK/month.

I was in Copenhagen for 4 weeks, so I opted for the month membership which cost me 200 DKK. For the month, I got 2 hours of unlimited bike time everyday. If you go over the 2 hour limit, you pay a small flat rental fee for the rest of the day. This was such a steal! I rode a bike everyday after I got my membership and it paid itself off after 6 days.

How to Rent a Bike in Copenhagen with Donkey Republic

First, you open the app and look for available bikes which will be shown in number format on the screen. Walk and find the bike you want, then click the number and rent the bike.

Note: There are also two types of bikes: city bike and an electric bike. Electric bikes are more expensive to rent, but saves you energy and time.

Once you’ve selected a bike, unlock the bike with the app. You can put your phone on the phone stand to navigate around. There are also baskets to put purses, bags, items, etc. to transport.

Once you’ve reached your destination, you can either lock your bike or end your rental. The distinction is that locking your bike means you are still renting it. If you end the rental, you pay immediately after.

You can lock your bike anywhere (please put it in a bike rack or designated bike parking area) if you are not ending your rental. If you want to end your bike rental, look on the app to see where drop off locations are. There are drop off locations everywhere, but you might have to walk a little bit if you’re not close to one. Once you’ve found a drop off location, park your bike, use the app to end rental and lock it. Then, you’re done!

Popular Bike Routes in Copenhagen

Copenhagen is full of scenic bike routes! Many involve bridges that connect parts of the city, as well as riverside trails and parks including:

• Bridges: Circle Bridge, Lille Langebro, Knippelsbro, Inderhavnsbroen, Dronning Louises Bro, and more.
• Through the neighborhoods: Osterbro, Norrebro, Vesterbro, Frederiksberg, Tivoli, Christianhavn, Indre By
• Nordhavnen and Holmen are neighborhoods that are also its own little island that’s great for biking around on a sunny day.

You can also bike from Copenhagen to attractions outside of the city center for a biking tour to the beach, aquarium, regional park, and more.

Experience the Danish Lifestyle

Biking is a must-do when you’re in Copenhagen! Everyone bikes to get places and it’s an essential part of the culture and lifestyle in Copenhagen. It’s a cheap and convenient way to get around and also see the city from a different perspective. You can go to a bike shop, or use a bike sharing app! Rent a bike for a couple hours or take a short ride and you’ll instantly see why biking is such popular transportation. Maybe you’ll get so good you’ll start transporting large items on your bike (the best I’ve seen is a dude biking a large rug)! Happy travels (and biking)!