Car & Van Hire - Aalborg

Aalborg is an ancient city that was once populated by Vikings. You'll still find traces of their presence at the Lindholm Hoje Museum, which illustrates how they cooked, worshipped, and, of course, prepared for battle. The Hoje Burial Site has almost 300 graves and 150 stone ships. If you head northward, you'll even see the wreckage of an ancient Viking village.

Aalborg is the fourth-biggest city in Denmark, so it's crammed with attractions. The city recently rebuilt the waterfront promenade, so its days as a scruffy dock are over. Today, it boasts restaurants, playgrounds, basketball courts, and a park. Waterbabies will love the outdoor pool, but if you're looking for a more luxurious experience, why not take a boat tour from the harbour? Adrenaline junkies adore the local speed boat tours, but there are plenty of sedate alternatives.

Aalborg has a proud artistic history, and Kunsten is the best place to experience it. The building is an exhibit in its own right. It was designed by a Finnish architect named Alvar Aalto. The gallery is largely made up of Danish paintings, but the sculptures in the green space are also well worth exploring.

Aalborg's creatures are housed in the Aalborg Zoo. You'll see elephants, tigers, and polar bears, as well as a host of land and ocean-dwelling birds. As the first environmentally-certified zoo on the planet, its staff are conservation experts and stewards. The property offers educational experiences for adults and children alike.

The ocean is an important part of Aalborg life, and its Maritime Experience Centre will show you why. Children can even experience seafaring for themselves in the on-site sailing simulator. You can finally find out what life is like beneath the sea by hopping into the centre's biggest attraction: The 53.9-meter-long submarine.

The Sydney Opera House was designed by an Aalborg local named Jorn Utzon, and he's left his mark right here in the city. The Utzon Centre displays his ground-breaking work in collaboration with his son. It tells the story of their lives through picture galleries and explains the thinking behind the architecture of the centre. Be sure to stop off at Restaurant Jorn before you leave. It's a culinary treasure. Danish cuisine is famous for its seafood and pastries, and this is an excellent way to launch a food tour. The restaurant will introduce you to both Danish and Scandinavian food.

Car and van hire in Aalborg will give you access to the territories to the north and south of the channel. They're connected by the E45 and 180, which trail in from Nibe and Stovring. The 507 and 02 will carry you from the city centre towards the east. The city's roads are sparse and easy to navigate. The land is flat and covered by well-developed infrastructure. Potholes and other road hazards are scarce. This is a surprisingly easy city to drive in. You won't even have to worry about motorway tolls.

Aalborg is a low-emission zone, but current regulations shouldn't affect your passenger vehicle. Buses and vans must be registered to enter the city, so it's best to rent a smaller sedan, as fines will be enthusiastically applied. The city relies on automatic number plate recognition. If you need to enter Aalborg in a diesel-powered van, you can register an exemption by paying a full or partial tax.

The minimum age for hiring a car is 21, but you can legally drive in the region at 18 years. If you have a valid UK driving license, you needn't apply for an international permit. Simply carry your license with you along with your motor insurance certificate and V5 registration papers. You're required to use a national identification sticker on your vehicle.

Drivers in Denmark drive on the right and overtake on the left. Headlights are required throughout the year, even in daylight. Seatbelts are also a legal necessity in the front and passenger seats. Police officers perform random drink/drive tests, with a bottom limit of 0.05%. Most city speed limits are 80km/h, but motorway limits fall between 110km/h and 130 km/h.

Keep your phones charged while you're on the road, as the highways don't have emergency phones. Dial 112 if you need urgent assistance.
The city is covered in commercial parking lots, most of which are situated along the banks of the channel in the east. There's also a host of public parking spaces.

Aalborg's parking regulations are strict, and its signage can be confusing. Many zones prohibit stopping and parking. Some zones allow parking for a maximum of 30 minutes. Those areas are designated by a "parking prohibited sign" with a specified timeframe underneath. It's best to familiarise yourself with the signage before you pick up your rental car. It could keep you from attracting a fine.