Aarhus Travel Tips: Skip AAR, Fly Billund Instead
Getting there: the decision that actually matters
Aarhus Airport (AAR) sits about 40km northeast of the city with a thin route network, genuinely inconvenient for a short trip. Most visitors instead fly into Billund (BLL), roughly 1.5 hours by road and also Legoland’s gateway, or Copenhagen (CPH) and take a direct DSB InterCity train, roughly 3 to 3.5 hours with no change of trains. Compare fares on both before defaulting to whichever airport is more familiar; Billund is frequently the shorter and cheaper route in. Aarhus H, the central station, sits right in the city centre and is walkable to the old town, so however you arrive by train, you land within reach of everything.
Money: it’s krone, not euro
Denmark opted out of the eurozone in a 2000 referendum, so the currency is the Danish krone (DKK), not the euro, and most retailers won’t take euros at all. Denmark is genuinely expensive: a casual meal runs roughly 120-180 DKK, a coffee 35-45 DKK, a beer 50-70 DKK (verify current prices). It’s also near-cashless, cards and Apple Pay/Google Pay work almost everywhere, while MobilePay, the dominant local app, requires a Danish bank account and isn’t available to tourists. Tipping isn’t expected, and the 25% VAT is always already included in the price you see.
Getting around the city
The centre is compact and genuinely walkable. Aarhus is one of Denmark’s leading cycling cities, and Donkey Republic bike-share makes exploring by bike easy even for a short visit; remember cyclists have real right-of-way here, so look before crossing a bike lane, a habit covered in more depth in the etiquette tips guide . The Aarhus Letbane, Denmark’s first light rail, opened in 2017 and connects the centre to the wider region, integrated with Midttrafik buses under the same Rejsekort card and app system (verify current fares). Which zone you pick to stay in changes how much of this you need at all; see the where-to-stay guide for the walkable-versus-transit trade-off by neighbourhood.
Weather and when to go
May through September brings the best weather, the longest daylight (around 17.5 hours at the June solstice), and the bulk of the festival calendar, but also the highest prices. Winter (December-February) is cold and dark, down to around 7 hours of daylight, though Den Gamle By’s candlelit Christmas market makes it a genuine off-season draw rather than a dead season. Rain is possible in any month, so pack for it regardless of when you go.
Language and safety
English proficiency is exceptionally high in Denmark, expect to get by entirely in English in Aarhus, though a “tak” (thanks) is a nice touch. Denmark is one of the safer countries to visit, with the usual Western-Europe advisory boilerplate around crowded public spaces rather than any specific elevated risk (verify current advisory wording before you travel). The real practical hazard here is the weather and the bike lanes, not personal safety.
A city discount pass, if the maths works
Aarhus may have a tourist discount pass covering museum entry and transit; check current coverage and price directly at visitaarhus.com before buying, since terms and included attractions change, and do the maths against what you’d actually pay separately rather than assuming it saves money by default (verify).