Århus: Getting there & around

Århus airport (87 75 70 00; www.aar.dk), also known as Tirstrup airport, is 45km (28mi) northeast of the city. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has numerous daily flights to/from Copenhagen; there are also regular direct connections to Stockholm, Gothenburg and Oslo. Budget airline Ryanair has regular connections to/from London (Stansted) and Barcelona (Girona).

Mols-Linien (www.mols-linien.dk) operates frequent car ferries between Århus and North Zealand. The fast service to Odden takes 65min; a more leisurely service to Kalundborg takes 2.75hr.

All long-distance buses stop at Århus bus station (rutebilstation) on Fredensgade, 500m (0.3mi) northeast of the train station. From Århus you can reach most Jutland towns of note on the X-bus network (www.xbus.dk). Express bus line 888, operated by Abildskou (www.linie888.dk), runs up to six times daily between Århus and Copenhagen's Valby station (3hr). Students and seniors travel at reduced rates from Monday to Thursday.

The main highways to Århus are the E45 from the north and south, and Rte 15 from the west. The E45 doesn't make it into the city itself - take exits 46 to 50.

Inside the train station (hovedbanegård) you'll find the ticket office, with its orderly ticket-queuing system: red for internal journeys, green for international. For local journeys, unless you've mastered the art of the quicker ticket machines (instructions available in English), be prepared for lengthy waits.

Friday trains are always busy, and it's strongly advised to reserve a seat for long journeys. Trains to Copenhagen (3.5hr), via Odense (1.75hr), leave Århus roughly half-hourly from early morning till late at night, with an 'overnight' train leaving Århus in the wee hours and arriving into the capital first thing in the morning. There's an hourly train service north to Frederikshavn (2.75hr) and south to Fredericia (1hr). There are also regular trains to Grenaa (1.25hr), and hourly trains to Silkeborg (50min.)

A car is convenient for getting to sights such as Moesgård on the city outskirts, although the city centre is best explored on foot. There's paid undercover parking in municipal car parks, including one near Musikhuset Århus and at Bruun's Galleri shopping centre. Such car parks usually charge by the hour. There are also numerous billetautomat (parking meters) along city streets.

You'll usually need to pay for street parking during business hours - outside those hours parking is generally free of charge. Press a button on the billetautomat for English instructions. All the major players (Europcar, Budget, Hertz and Avis) have car-hire desks at Århus airport. In town, cars can be rented from Europcar and Avis.

Taxis are readily available at the train station and at a rank by the cathedral; you can also flag one on the street or order one by phone (89 48 48 48). All taxis have a meter.

To see the city on two wheels, look out for free Århusbycykel (www.aarhusbycykel.dk) city bikes, available from various spots around the city from May to October: these can be tricky to find - download a map from the website before you travel, or ask at the tourist office. There are a few bikes close to the Bread & Coffee bakery opposite the train station. You need to put a coin into the slot to obtain the bike (the coin is refunded when you return it). If you're visiting from November to April, or you want a better-quality bike for a lengthy period, Bikes 4 Rent (www.bikes4rent.dk) can help out with a good range of bikes and accessories, and can also arrange guided cycling tours in the Århus surrounds. You need to walk through the courtyard to find the office.

Århus has an extensive, efficient local bus network. Most in-town buses stop in front of the train station or around the corner from it on Park Allé. Unlike the rest of Denmark, you get on the back of the bus and buy your ticket (allowing up to two hours' travel) from the machine - then exit at the front of the bus. You can also buy a good-value klippekort ticket, valid for 10 rides. Information on tickets, routes and schedules is available at the tourist office, from the bus station on Fredensgade, or by dialling 86 12 86 22.

A bus service connects Århus with the airport at Tirstrup (50min). Buses depart from the front of the train station (close to the post office) and the schedule is geared to meet all incoming and outgoing flights - enquire at the tourist office or your hotel for times. A taxi between the airport and the city centre will set you back quite a bit. Århus is also connected by shuttle bus with the larger airport at Billund, about 80km (50mi) southwest and a 1.5hr bus ride away.