Getting Around Aalborg

Getting Around Aalborg

Aalborg is Denmark's fourth-largest city and the main hub of North Jutland, and for a visitor it is a pleasantly compact place to explore. The city centre is easy to cover on foot, and for anything further afield you have a solid public bus system, a bike-share scheme, taxis, and a railway station linking you to the rest of the country. Note that Aalborg is spelled with a double-a rather than the Danish letter å — locals feel strongly about this, so it is worth using the traditional spelling.

On Foot

Walking is the simplest way to get around the centre of Aalborg. The core of the city, with its historic streets, half-timbered merchant mansions, Budolfi Cathedral and the waterfront, is compact enough that most visitors will find their feet sufficient for a day of sightseeing. If you are staying centrally, you can reasonably plan to walk to most of the main attractions, restaurants and shops.

Rail

Aalborg Railway Station sits on John F. Kennedys Plads and has connected the city to Randers and the south since 1869. It is the main train station and your starting point for rail travel in and out of the city. Aalborg lies on the line serving Copenhagen, Roskilde, Odense and Aarhus, so you can reach the major cities of Denmark by train. There is also a smaller platform at Aalborg Vestby, where some trains make an interim stop — useful if your destination is on that side of town.

Buses and Public Transport

The city has a good public bus system, run by the Nordjyllands Trafikselskab company. Tickets can be bought online, and you can also pay in cash on board. Buses are the workhorse of local transport for reaching parts of the city beyond comfortable walking distance.

Aalborg Busterminal, on John F. Kennedy Plads right by the station, is a large regional hub for long-distance, regional and local buses. From here, express buses (XBus) run several times per day towards Aarhus (via Hadsund), Løgstør, Holstebro, Viborg (via Silkeborg) and Esbjerg. Regional buses — locally known as rutebil — connect to nearly every city of some size in north-eastern Jutland. There is also a bus station on Fredensgade, close to the train station.

Two practical caveats: buses do not run often at night, and local buses serving the airport are fairly infrequent on weekends and evenings, with service stopping at around 23:00.

Taxis and Ride-Hailing

Taxis are available, but they are expensive, so it is worth treating them as a fallback rather than your default way of getting around. They are most useful for late nights when buses have stopped, for trips with heavy luggage, or for reaching the airport when bus timings do not suit.

Cycling

For many visitors, the bicycle is the best way to get around Aalborg. You can rent one close to the tourist information office or at several other locations using the city-bike system. There is also a city bike scheme where you may borrow a bicycle after giving a deposit. If you are staying for a longer period, buying a bike may work out better than renting. If you are interested in a second-hand purchase, the police hold auctions once per month, and you can ask about them at the police station.

Getting from the Airport into the City

Aalborg Airport (AAL, Aalborg Lufthavn) is located at Ny Lufthavnsvej 100, just a short distance northwest of the city centre. It is the third-largest airport in Denmark. Norwegian and SAS operate flights from Copenhagen Airport to Aalborg, Norwegian also offers international direct flights from European cities, and Ryanair has flights from the UK.

From the airport you have three main options for reaching the city:

• Train: There are direct trains to the city centre and onwards to Aarhus, Odense and Copenhagen about once per hour. This is generally the most convenient option.
• Bus: Local buses stop at the airport, but they are fairly infrequent on weekends and evenings, and service stops at around 23:00. Check timings before relying on this, especially for late arrivals.
• Taxi: Taxis are available at the airport, but they are expensive.

Arriving by Other Means

If you are coming to Aalborg from further afield, the bus and rail options above are your main choices. Long-distance express buses and trains both converge on the area around John F. Kennedys Plads, so arrivals by either mode put you in the same central spot. Ferries from Norway and Sweden arrive in North Jutland at Hirtshals or Frederikshavn, from where you can take a bus or train on to Aalborg. Drivers should be aware that a low emission zone is in effect in Aalborg: diesel-powered vehicles must have a particulate filter or meet at least the Euro 5 standard to be used legally in the zone, and foreign-registered vehicles must register with documentation of the filter or Euro standard. Failing to do so carries an administrative fee.