Driving in Denmark

Driving in Denmark

Author: Kay Xander Mellish February 6, 2021 Duration: 4:17

I like to drive. I like to be on the open road, like in the American Southwest - Arizona, Nevada, Utah. Put your pedal to the metal, no one in front of you, no one in the rear view mirror. Just you and the road.

You will not get that experience much in Denmark, a small country with a lot of people packed into a small area. There's not a lot of open land here, not much living off the grid. Which doesn't mean drivers don't long for it. You'll see those open roads in Arizona and Nevada in a lot of Danish TV advertisements.

It's frequently said about Denmark that it's not a car country. You hear a lot of well-meaning internationals say that in Denmark you don't need a car that you can bicycle everywhere you want to go. 

That is true in the big cities - I don't own a car myself. But most of my Copenhagen neighbors do. And cars are pretty much a necessity in the countryside. There are now 2.5 million cars in use in Denmark, roughly one for every other resident over age 18. 


For anyone curious about or currently navigating Danish life from the outside, How to Live in Denmark serves as an essential, on-the-ground guide. Hosted by Kay Xander Mellish, an American writer who has made Denmark her home for over ten years, this conversation cuts straight to the heart of the everyday realities in one of the world's most homogenous-and often puzzling-societies. Rather than lengthy lectures, you'll find concise, ten-minute episodes packed with practical advice and cultural translation. This isn't just about travel tips; it's a deep dive into the unspoken rules of Danish social etiquette, the nuances of the local workplace, and the sometimes surprising path to feeling at home in a country frequently labeled the world's happiest. Mellish draws from her own long-term experience to explain everything from navigating the infamous Jantelov to understanding the Danish approach to business meetings and casual Friday night hygge. As Denmark's longest-running English-language podcast, it has become a trusted resource for internationals, whether they are planning a move, newly arrived, or have been settled for years but still occasionally find themselves wondering, "Why do Danes do it that way?" Each episode feels like a chat with a well-informed friend who helps decode the complexities of a fascinating culture, making your time there richer and a lot less confusing.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 151

How to Live in Denmark
Podcast Episodes
Two-Wheeled Vikings and why I own three bikes: Danes and Cycling [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

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It's a common mistake to confuse the Danish and the Dutch - all those healthy blond people on bicycles! - but if you really want to understand Denmark, look at Germany instead. This is the fifth episode of the "How to Li…
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The price of white cotton socks in Denmark is about five times as high as in the USA. I explain how the price of socks has a lot to say about the Danish economic system. This is the third episode of the "How to Live in D…
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Duration: 3:42
Hear about the role of significant cultural role of pigs - and we mean real pigs, not just people with bad manners - in Danish public life. This is the second episode of the "How to Live in Denmark podcast", and original…
Summer in Denmark [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:30
Hear about summer in Denmark (or what there is of it) and why 'summer herring' sometimes wears a bikini, and sometimes nothing at all. This is the first episode of the "How to Live in Denmark podcast", and originally ran…