Transport when buying a home: work out time, cost and everyday logistics

An address can look close to work on the map and still mean a gruelling daily routine with two changes, waiting time and a long walk from the station. A cheaper home further away may require a second car. A home close to the train may make it possible to do without a car.

So look into the time, the cost and the practicalities:

1. How long does the whole journey take?

2. What does it cost each month?

3. How reliable is it?

4. Does it work for the whole household?

5. What happens if your job or daily life changes?

Test the route, and put transport into your home budget before you judge whether the address is cheap or expensive.

In brief

• Measure the whole journey from door to door, not just the time on the train or in the car.
• Plan the journey for the times you normally leave and come home.
• Also check evenings, weekends and the journey home.
• Include the car's total costs, not just fuel.
• Look at parking at both the home and the destination.
• Look into walking, cycling and combinations with public transport.
• The commuting deduction (befordringsfradrag) is not the same as getting your transport costs back.
• Use noise maps and traffic maps as a supplement to visiting the address.
• Do the sums for several people in the household.
• Test whether the address can work if you change jobs or work from home more or less.

Travel time is the time from door to door

A journey is often more than the time spent behind the wheel or on board.

With public transport, the whole journey can include:

• Walking to the stop or station
• Waiting time
• Travel time
• Changes
• Extra waiting time
• Walking from the last stop

By car, it can include:

• Getting to the car
• Driving
• Queues
• Parking
• Walking from the car park

By bike, it can include:

• Getting ready
• The ride itself
• Parking
• Changing clothes
• Showering

Write down the whole time. Otherwise it is easy to compare 27 minutes on the train with 35 minutes by car, even though the train requires a twelve-minute walk at each end and the car requires ten minutes of parking.

Test an ordinary day

You do not need to test every conceivable situation. Start with what will happen often.

That might be:

• Leaving for work
• Coming home from work
• Drop-off at school or childcare
• Shopping
• Evening activities
• The journey home after a late meeting

Plan the route for the relevant weekdays and at the relevant times. A connection on a Monday morning can be different on a Friday evening.

Then try the journey in person if transport is decisive for your decision. You will discover things the map does not show clearly:

• A difficult change
• An unpleasant route to the station
• No bike parking
• Queues at a particular exit
• A long way from the car park to the workplace

Also read the guide on researching the area before buying a home.

Public transport

Rejseplanen, the Danish national journey planner, can be used to search across trains, buses, metro, light rail and ferries. Among other things, you can adjust the modes of transport, the number of changes, walking and cycling.^[1]

Look into:

• Number of departures
• First and last departure
• Number of changes
• Waiting time when changing
• Walking distance
• Travel time at different times of day
• Connections when there are delays
• Evenings and weekends
• Taking a bike on board
• Accessibility

A direct connection is not always the fastest. A fast connection is not always the most reliable.

Two short changes can look efficient in the app but become a hassle if there are only a few minutes between trains. A slightly longer direct route can be easier to live with.

Look at frequency, not just the next departure

If services run every few minutes, a missed departure matters little. If the connection runs rarely, the same delay can change the whole journey.

Ask:

• What happens if I miss the connection?
• Is there an alternative route?
• Can I get home late?
• How does the service run during holiday periods?

Rejseplanen also shows current service changes and the next departures, but future timetables can change.^[2]

Car

A car can give flexibility, but it takes up more of the budget than fuel alone.

Include:

• Financing or depreciation
• Insurance
• Vehicle tax (ejerafgift)
• Fuel or electricity
• Servicing and repairs
• Tyres
• Parking
• Bridges and ferries
• A home charger, if needed

If the home requires an extra car, that decision must be factored into your home finances from the start.

Also look at:

• Rush-hour traffic
• Typical traffic
• Roadworks
• Winter conditions
• Alternative routes
• Access to the motorway
• Parking at work

The traffic map from the Danish Road Directorate (Vejdirektoratet) shows, among other things, live traffic, typical traffic and future roadworks.^[3]

The map does not show whether the journey suits your patience or your daily life. Test it at a relevant time.

Parking at the home

Parking must be checked, not assumed.

Check:

• Whether the space is private or public
• Whether a specific space comes with the home
• Permit and price
• Time limits
• Visitor parking
• Charging points
• Waiting lists
• Parking in the evening
• Room for a van or removals lorry

With an owner-occupied flat (ejerlejlighed), you should read the articles of association, meeting minutes and the owner-occupied flat information form (ejerlejlighedsskema). A space the seller uses is not necessarily an exclusive right that comes with the flat.

Visit the area when residents are typically at home. An empty street in the middle of the day can be full in the evening.

Cycling and walking

There is no universal distance that decides whether you can cycle or walk.

It depends on things such as:

• The route
• Hills
• Traffic
• Cycle paths
• Lighting
• Weather
• Changing clothes
• Children
• Luggage
• Your body and your daily life

Test the actual route. The shortest route can be less pleasant than a slightly longer route with a cycle path.

Also look into:

• Secure bike parking
• Space for a cargo bike
• Whether you can take a bike on the train or bus
• Repairs and storage
• Whether the route is cleared in winter

A bike can be a realistic alternative to the car on some days without having to be the solution every day.

Combine modes of transport

Many homes work best with a combination:

• Bike to the station
• Driving to a park-and-ride
• Walking and train
• E-bike to work
• Car one way and public transport the other

Work out the whole combination:

• Parking
• Ticket
• Bike space
• Changes
• Waiting time
• Risk of delays

Also check whether the facilities have capacity at the times you use them.

Transport costs in your home budget

Transport should be included as a fixed part of your everyday finances.

Set up at least these scenarios:

Also include changes that follow from the address. The price of the home may fall while the cost of a car, parking and fuel rises.

Use the guide on your purchase budget and the guide on disposable income (rådighedsbeløb) to see transport together with the rest of your finances.

Commuting deduction

The commuting deduction can matter if you travel between home and work.

The Danish Tax Agency (Skattestyrelsen) states for 2026 that no deduction is given for the first 24 kilometres of daily travel, and that the rates after that depend on the total daily distance. There are special rates for, among others, outlying municipalities, certain small islands and bridges.^[4]

Rates and rules change. So use the Danish Tax Agency's current calculator.

Remember the difference:

• The transport cost is the amount you pay
• The deduction is a deduction from your taxable income
• The actual tax saving is not the same as the amount of the deduction

So do not count the whole deduction as money coming back into your account.

Noise from transport

Being close to a road, railway or flight path can affect the home in ways other than travel time.

Look into:

• Road noise
• Railway noise
• Aircraft noise
• Buses at a stop
• Deliveries
• Parking and idling engines

MiljøGIS, the Danish environmental map service, shows model-based maps of road, railway, industrial and airport noise, among others.^[5]

A noise map is a supplement. It shows calculated levels and cannot tell you exactly how the sound is experienced in the bedroom or the garden.

Visit the address at relevant times, and listen both outside and inside.

Future changes

Transport conditions can change.

Check:

• New stations and routes
• Planned roads
• Track works
• Major building projects
• Changes to bus services
• Parking plans
• New cycle paths

Distinguish between:

• Approved projects
• Funded projects
• Proposals
• Political wishes

Do not buy the home on the strength of a new station that is still only an idea. But do not ignore an approved road project close to the address either.

Transport for the whole household

An address can work for one person and be hard going for the rest of the household.

Make an overview:

Also look at overlaps:

• Who drops off the children?
• Is the car needed by two people at the same time?
• Can activities be reached without a car?
• Who has the most vulnerable connection?
• What happens in case of illness or working from home?

Read the guide on schools and childcare if transport for children is an important part of the decision.

Working from home and changing jobs

Working from home can reduce your average travel, but it does not necessarily make a difficult journey unproblematic.

Ask:

• Is working from home agreed, or just possible right now?
• What happens if you get a new job?
• Can the address reach several employment areas?
• Are there alternative modes of transport?
• Can your finances cope with more transport later?

A flexible address often has several realistic routes, not just one very good connection to your current job.

Compare the addresses in the same way

Write down the actual route and the actual assumptions. A single figure for travel time often hides what makes the difference.

Complete checklist

• Have you measured the whole journey from door to door?
• Have you searched on the relevant weekdays and at the relevant times?
• Have you tested the journey in person?
• Have you looked into evenings and weekends?
• Have you checked the number of changes and waiting time?
• Is there an alternative route?
• Have you checked parking at both ends?
• Have you worked out the car's total costs?
• Have you looked into cycling and walking?
• Have you done the sums for the whole household?
• Has the commuting deduction been calculated under the current rules?
• Have you looked into traffic noise and upcoming projects?
• Is transport included in your purchase budget?

Common mistakes

You only use the map's fastest time

It may be based on a particular time of day and hide walking, parking and unreliable changes.

You only count fuel as a car cost

Insurance, depreciation, servicing, taxes and parking can take up at least as much.

You subtract the whole commuting deduction from the cost

The deduction is not the same as the actual tax saving.

You only test the journey in the middle of the day

Morning, afternoon and evening can give a different journey.

You choose for one person

The home must work for all the household's regular journeys.

You assume a future connection will come

Check whether the project is approved, funded or still a proposal.

In summary

Transport is about more than kilometres.

Measure the time from door to door. Work out the whole cost. Test the route when you will actually be using it. Look at the whole household, and check whether the address can still work if your daily life changes.

Then use transport as a concrete point in prioritising your requirements for a home.

BoligKlar gives you a second pair of eyes and an overview. Transport operators, the Danish Tax Agency and the relevant authorities set the current prices, deductions and projects.

Frequently asked questions