Driving in Scandinavia

Scandinavia is a historical and geographical region centred on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It includes Denmark, Norway and Sweden. Amazingly, driving distances in Scandinavia are shorter than many travellers think.

• Driving in Scandinavia is right hand side.
• All passengers inside a car must wear a seat belt.
• Motorcyclists must wear helmets and dipped headlights are required 24 hours a day on all vehicle types.
• Rental cars are available to drivers over the age of 20.
• Drunk driving is not tolerated, and acceptable levels are very low. High fines await violators.

Motorways can be used free of charge in Denmark and Sweden.
A fee applies when crossing the Great Belt Bridge between Sealand and Funen in Denmark,

and when crossing the Öresund Bridge between Malmö in Sweden and Copenhagen, Denmark.
The cost varies depending on the type of vehicle. The two bridges create a link not only between the regions but also makes travelling between Scandinavia and Europe a lot easier. Most importantly, the scene is so breathtaking; I wish I’m on the road there now.

In Norway, road tolls are very important for maintaining the quality of the roads and tunnels. There are 45 road tolls in total (2007) of which half have electronic fee collection – AutoPASS. This allows you to drive through road tolls in the AutoPASS lane without stopping. The subscription and tag needed are also available to foreign vehicles.

Speed limit must be adhered to strictly.

Denmark’s speed limits:

• 50 km/h in towns,
• 80 km/h on open roads, and
• usually 110 km/h on the highway (some parts allow 130 km/h with posted signs).

Sweden’s speed limits:

• 50 km/h in city areas
• 90 km/h in open country roads
• 110 km/h on highways

Norway:

• 90 km/h in highways
• 80 km/h on open country roads
• 50 km/h in towns

When travelling consider planning your trip with the route maps of Cheaperthanhotels which provide route planners between cities and hotel stopovers. Try these pages for examples Sweden Hotels ; Stockholm Hotels ; Norway Hotels ; Oslo Hotels

Some roads in Norway are closed during winter season but the main mountain crossings are intended to stay open throughout the cold season. It is always best to check this before going on any longer trips or crossing the mountains as the road closures vary depending on the weather conditions. For further information, please contact the Road User Information Centre. When in Norway simply call 175 (+47 815 48 991 from abroad). The service is open 24 hours.

Lastly, for any emergency assistance in

Denmark:
If you get into an accident or require other emergency services,
Emergency telephones are available on motorways.
Call 112, the national breakdown network called Falck, which can be called out 24 hours a day.

Sweden:
In emergencies, you can reach the Police, local fire department, and ambulance by calling "112" nationwide.

Norway:
Emergency services can be reached under different phone numbers: 110 for the fire department, 112 for the police, and 113 for ambulances.