This Danish Offer Is Just Too Good to Pass Up

Denmark once again is making a very special effort to welcome young visitors. Travelers under age 26 can stay free at any of 49 locations throughout the country between June 24 and July 8.

There are a few guidelines, however. You must sign in between 6 and 10 p.m. You are requested to be quiet after 11 p.m., especially if you are returning late. No alcohol. No drugs. Inexpensive breakfasts will be available at most of the locations. You must be prepared to head out for the day by 10 a.m.

In Denmark you can get a list of the 49 addresses at local tourist offices and major rail stations. In Copenhagen there is a Danish Tourist Information office at 22A Hans Christian Andersen Blvd.

In the United States, lists are available from the Danish Tourist Board, 655 3rd Ave., 18th floor, New York 10017.

You can stay for one day or the entire two weeks at one location. Usually they are schools or community centers made available by the local governments who sponsor the program. Last year about 8,000 young travelers, most of them Danish, took advantage of the offer, although increasing numbers of foreign visitors are becoming aware of the program.

Denmark, Europe’s oldest kingdom and the smallest of the Scandinavian countries, consists of the Jutland peninsula and about 500 islands. Greenland and the Faroe Islands also are Danish, but are largely self-governing.

If you arrive via the capital, Copenhagen, several services can help you get settled.

Copenhagen’s special youth information center is called Use It and is at Radhusstraede 13. It can help you find budget accommodation; it has a message board, and you can store luggage free (but you must leave a deposit.) It’s open all year.

At the central rail station a special InterRail Center can be used by Eurail ticket holders, as well as the holders of several other types of European rail tickets. At the center you can store luggage, rent a shower, make telephone calls or simply wait for your train. It’s open daily from mid-June to mid-September, from 7 a.m. until midnight.

If you are traveling on some type of Eurail pass, you will be able to use it on the Danish State Railways (DSB), on some domestic ferries and for ferry travel to Sweden.

You also might want to get around by bicycle. Because the highest elevation in Denmark is only 561 feet, the country is ideal for cycling; and because Danes own about 400,000 bikes, special services and cycle tracks have been developed. Bikes can be rented from some rail stations and tourist offices as well as bike rental shops. The Danish Tourist Board produces a free map called “On A Bike In Denmark,” which lists bike paths, campsites and youth hostels.

If you are ready to leave Denmark and have not already arranged transportation, you can check for special rail fares at the Transalpino office in Copenhagen at 6 Skoubogade. Transalpino rail tickets are discounted tickets, on international routes, for travelers under age 26.