The winter holidays start for many Danes on Friday, meaning a large number of people could be hitting the highways and byways for their getaway.

“Although we do not expect major delays, there will be extra traffic on the roads as the day goes on,” Nicholas Petersson, the duty officer at the Danish road directorate, Vejdirektoratet, told TV2.

“If you plan on heading south and want to miss the worst of the traffic, the best idea would be to leave early or wait until Friday evening.”

Slow going to Germany
The greatest risk of heavy traffic is on Køgebugtmotorvejen, Sydmotorvejen towards Rødby and Gedser, and on the E45 Sønderjyske Motorvej towards the border.

The traffic will be especially heavy between 11:00 and 17:00 on the major motorways headed towards Germany.

“There will be extra traffic and people and delays here and there, but we do not expect any major problems,” said Petersson.

Weather a wild card
Snow and slippery roads could add to traffic issues on Friday.

“Slippery roads mean that motorists should drive extra carefully, keep a safe distance and stay informed about the traffic situation,” said Petersson.

Information on winter traffic is available (in Danish) at vintertrafik.dk.