Planning a trip to fairytale Denmark, the fabled land of gabled houses and narrow cobbled streets, of candles, hot chocolate and warm spiced Danish pastries? Where better than Odense, birthplace of the expert storyteller himself, Hans Christian Andersen?

Although its largest landmass is on the peninsula of Jutland, around a third of Denmark is made up of more than 400 islands and Odense is on the third largest, the island of Funen (Fyn in Danish, pronounced Foon). The city is up on the north of the island nestled at the base of the Odense Fjord.

Getting to Odense could not be easier. The city is well connected by train to the rest of Denmark and within a 2hr drive of the Danish capital Copenhagen. If you are flying into Denmark, the nearest airports with Avis rental locations to Odense are at Billund Airport (1hr25min via the E20 highway) or Aarhus Airport which is 2hr45min – a trip of 185km via the E45.

If you are planning to hire a car to explore Odense and the island of Funen, our expert and friendly Avis team in Odense City is on hand to offer advice and provide the perfect rental car for your trip.

With Avis Car Rental, you can explore Odense and the island of Funen while the neighbouring islands and the Jutland Peninsula are all within easy reach by road and car ferry too.

Odense is a city with its own individual character thanks in part to its Viking history and to its extensive links with Hans Christian Andersen author of children’s favourites like The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina and the Ugly Duckling.

The city has long billed itself as the world’s fairytale capital on the strength of this and in 2021, a remarkable $64million museum HC Andersen Hus was opened to retell the stories and history of the writer.

After being transported to another world at the museum, take time to stroll around Odense’s old town. As you wander its cobbled streets, passing medieval half-timbered squares and cheerful, brightly painted houses, you’ll still feel part of the fairytale landscape that inspired the stories. As well as the museum, you can visit the birthplace of the author, a tiny cottage which stands out in a deep egg-yolk yellow.

On your tour of the town, stop off at the city’s gothic Cathedral of St Canute and pass by the Italianate city hall built in the 1880s.

Away from the history of Odense, railway fans will love the Danish Railway Museum, the largest in Scandinavia. For wheels of another kind, Odense is also known as Denmark’s cycling city so why not hop on a hire bike and ride around Odense’s 560km cycling trail.   

Avis’s rental location in Odense is situated to the west of the city in a light industrial area with good road access. The trip of 1.6km should take 5-10min depending on the time of day. As you leave the rental car park, turn right onto Grønløkkevej and then use the left two lanes to merge left onto Vesterbro. After 900m, turn right onto Ansgargade and then left onto the attractive riverside area at Filosofgangen where you will find several of the city’s central car parks.

Odense is centrally located in Denmark and within easy reach of some of the country’s most popular destinations including the capital Copenhagen and cities further afield like Aarhus and Sonderborg. Legoland at Billund is around 1hr20min drive west from Odense.

One of the best day trips by car from Odense is a scenic 56km drive across open countryside to the harbour town of Svendborg on the southern tip of Funen Island.

The drive along Route 301 and Ørbækvej takes you deep into the heart of rural Funen. Svendborg’s harbour and yacht-filled marina are worth exploring and in summer head to one of its many stunning beaches in the area.

To extend your trip you can step back in time and cross over onto the beautiful island of Tåsinge for a slice of old Denmark. On your way back to Odense, take the direct road up Route 9 and stop off at Kværndrup for a tour of the moated 16th century Egeskov Castle, a major landmark and popular visitor attraction on the island.

While the lovely city of Odense is easy to explore on foot, by bike or on public transport, it is worth hiring a car to travel for short trips around the city and onto Funen Island. Renting a car in Odense gives you the freedom to plan a road trip across other regions of Denmark, to drive the open roads and explore this fascinating country at your own pace.

The top tip for driving around Odense and wider Denmark especially if you are travelling long distance from city to city, is to plan your journey ahead of time and be aware that some bridges are toll routes.

Although the road network is excellent, try and avoid travelling into and out of the major cities during peak rush hour when journeys may take longer.

It’s worth checking the driving rules in Denmark before you travel and pick up your hire car. In Denmark, as in the rest of Europe, you will be driving on the right-hand side of the road when you set off from the rental location. The speed limit on Danish motorways is between 110km/h (68mph) and 130km/h (80 mph).

See more on the Denmark road rules you need to know before you travel.

If you are looking for free parking in Odense, the top tip is to park on the outskirts of the city and use the park and ride facilities. In the centre there are a number of paid-for underground car parks all with electric charging points.