Planning a trip to Bornholm
Getting There
By Ferry -- The most popular means of reaching the island from Copenhagen is the 7-hour ferryboat ride. Maintained by the Bornholmstraffiken (tel. 56-95-18-66; www.bornholmstrafikken.dk), these ferries depart year-round from the pier at Kvæsthusbroen, once per evening, at 11:30pm, with scheduled arrival the following morning at 6:30am. Late-June to mid-August there's an additional departure at 8:30am every day except Wednesday. Passage costs DKK23 ($3.90/£2.30) per person each way. These ferries are most often used to transport a car from Copenhagen, which costs DKK168 ($29/£17) each way.
Bornholm Ferries, Havnen, at Rønne (tel. 56-95-18-66), operates 2 1/2-hour ferries from Ystad on the southern coast of Sweden, with up to four departures daily. These ferries have tax-free shops onboard. A car with a maximum of five passengers costs DKK180 ($31/£18) each way. You can also travel from Sassnitz-Mukran (Rügen) in north Germany for a 3 1/2-hour crossing to Bornholm, arriving at Rønne. Tax-free shopping is also found onboard during this crossing. From Germany, one-way passage for a car with a maximum of five passengers is DKK905 to DKK1,375 ($154-$234/£91-£138). Each of these ferries has a restaurant or bistro featuring a buffet with Danish and Bornholm specialties.
By Plane -- Cimber Air (tel. 70-10-12-18; www.cimber.dk) has about nine flights a day from Copenhagen to Bornholm's airport, 5.5km (3 1/2 miles) south of Rønne. Depending on restrictions, round-trip fares range from DKK687 to DKK1,880 ($117-$320/£69-£188).
Visitor Information
The tourist office, The Bornholm Welcome Center, Kystvej 3, Rønne (tel. 56-95-95-00; www.bornholm.info), is open June to August daily 9am to 7:30pm; April, May, September, and October Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm, Saturday 9am to noon; November to March Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm.
Getting Around
By Car -- The best place on the island for car rentals is Europcar, Nodre Kystvej 1, in Rønne (tel. 877/940-6900 in the U.S., or 56-95-43-00; www.europcar.com). Its least expensive rentals begin at DKK2,640 ($449/£264) per week, including unlimited mileage and insurance coverage, as well as the government tax. In addition, Avis is located at Snellemark 19, in Rønne (tel. 800/230-4898 in the U.S., or 48-71-29-65).
By Bicycle -- During sunny weather, biking around the island is almost as popular as driving. If you want to do as the Danes do, rent a bike; the prices are pretty much the same throughout the island -- about DKK60 ($10/£6) a day. A suggested bike-rental company in Rønne is Bornholms Cykleudleijning, Nordre Kystvej 5 (tel. 56-95-13-59; www.bornholms-cykeludlejning.dk). It's open daily 8am to 4pm and 8:30 to 9pm.
