Fuel price hike adds 500 kroner to North Jutland road trips

Rising fuel costs driven by the conflict in Iran have pushed up the price of filling a car, but most families in North Jutland will still take their planned self-drive holidays, according to a private economist.

At a service station in Himmerland Vest, drivers guessed the extra cost for a 3,500-kilometre round trip from Aalborg to Lake Garda at between 2,500 and 3,000 kroner. The actual increase is far lower: 402 kroner for petrol, or 559 kroner for diesel, calculations by Nykredit and Spar Nord show.

Morten Dyhr and Vibeke Dayantürk, both interviewed at the station, said they were surprised by the modest rise. Dyhr called it acceptable, while Dayantürk said she was taken aback by how expensive fuel had become.

Jeanette Kølbek, private economist at Nykredit and Spar Nord, said the extra 500 kroner is unlikely to change holiday plans for most families, as it represents a small share of the overall budget. Still, she called it an annoying extra cost with no benefit beyond the fuel itself.

To offset the increase, Kølbek suggests packing meals instead of buying food at service stations, cooking more during the trip, driving slower to improve fuel efficiency, and filling up away from motorways where prices are often lower.