Where can a truck park and rest in Denmark, and is it free?

Drivers can use the 91 state rest areas along Danish motorways, and since 2026-01-01 the old 25 hour parking limit no longer applies. Daily rest in the cab is allowed, but the regular weekly rest of at least 45 hours must be taken outside the vehicle under EU rules.

Which rest areas can a truck use in Denmark?

According to Vejdirektoratet , the Danish Road Directorate, there are 91 rest areas along the motorway network and another 137 along the rest of the state road network. Not every site has lorry bays, so use the directorate's traffic map: select the lorry icon, tick rest areas and zoom in to see which ones offer lorry parking and what service is on site. Checking this before a run from Sweden or Poland avoids a detour.

Re-marking does not create room. In a 2022 trial at one rest area, Vejdirektoratet replaced solid bay lines with dashed ones and found no meaningful change in how lorries parked, concluding that drivers already use the space optimally. You can find truck parking along your route before the evening, and the free truck parking guide for Europe explains what to expect at unmanaged sites elsewhere.

Is truck parking at Danish rest areas free?

Neither the Vejdirektoratet rest area page nor the Færdselsstyrelsen parking page lists a standard charge for lorries at state rest areas. The only money tied to them was the penalty fee for staying longer than 25 hours, a limit introduced in 2018 and ended on 2026-01-01. Færdselsstyrelsen states that parking control at state rest areas passed to the police on that date, that a parking fee it issued can no longer be paid, and that the fee can be disregarded.

The police now apply the general parking rules at motorway rest areas. Ordinary parking rules therefore still apply on site, but a stay of more than 25 hours is no longer an offence in itself.

Can a driver take the weekly rest in the cab in Denmark?

Not the regular one. Vejdirektoratet notes that the EU driving and rest time rules forbid taking the regular weekly rest of at least 45 hours in the vehicle. The European Commission explains that Article 8(8) of Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 requires regular weekly rests, and any weekly rest of more than 45 hours taken as compensation, to be spent in suitable accommodation with adequate sleeping and sanitary facilities. For employed drivers the employer covers the cost.

Daily rests and reduced weekly rests may be taken in a stationary vehicle with suitable sleeping facilities, so a Danish rest area works for the 11 hour night but not for the 45 hour weekend. The Commission adds that a fine applies when a driver is found resting in the vehicle at a roadside control. A dispatcher should book a room or a certified site for the weekly rest, and the EU secure truck parking regulation explained shows what a certified site must offer.

Frequently asked questions

Can a truck park overnight at a Danish motorway rest area?

Yes, for a daily rest taken in a stationary vehicle with sleeping facilities. The 25 hour limit that applied from 2018 ended on 2026-01-01, so a normal overnight stay no longer runs into a Danish time limit.

Who checks parking at Danish rest areas now?

The police. Færdselsstyrelsen states that parking control at state rest areas passed to the police on 2026-01-01.

Do I still have to pay a parking fee issued by Færdselsstyrelsen?

No. Færdselsstyrelsen says that a parking fee it issued can no longer be paid and that the fee can be disregarded.

How do I see which Danish rest areas have lorry parking?

Open the Vejdirektoratet traffic map, select the lorry icon in the top tab and tick rest areas. Zoom in and choose a site to see the service offered there.

Keep Danish and other country parking and rest rules at hand on every trip with the Logifie Driver Assistant app .