Hertz - A curious Scandinavian situation...

I rented from Hertz last night at Copenhagen airport. I was asked if I planned to visit Sweden and said no, I would be staying in Denmark.

It was only this morning that I noticed they gave me a Swedish car (i.e. registered in Sweden, not just because it's a Volvo!). It strikes me as not quite right to be driving a car that isn't local.

Any thoughts on legal implications would be appreciated!

yes: don't break any laws :)

I'm sorry I cannot comment legal implications, but I just guess cars are too expensive in Denmark and that's why you got Swedish registered car.

In the episode of the TV Show "The Amazing Race" where the contestants were visiting Finland, they had Mercedes cars at their disposal, and the cars were registered in Germany, not Finland. If I remember right they were provided by Hertz or some other rental company.

Probably good advice - perhaps that's where I've going wrong... :)

Malmo, Sweden is only a couple of hours away over the Oresund bridge, with both trains and cars running over it. Wouldnt be surprising to mei f there are many travellers who fly into one airport and out of the other.
The Copenhagen-Malmo axis functions increasingly as one large metropolitan area with people often living in Sweden and working in Denmark.

Also this is Europe in 2009. There is no issue with a tourist being in one EU country with a car regisistered in another.
So to all intents and purposes this is basically like turning up at JFK and getting a car with jersey plates, probably from someone who came in via EWR. Its nothing.

Thanks - I'm aware of Malmo being so close, I sometimes turn right instead of left from CPH :)

I assume they gave the car to me - a foreigner - because I know Denmark has extremely strict laws about Danes driving foreign cars (I understand those laws are driven by the very high taxes on cars).

Just thought it slightly odd...

It would have been impossible for them to do this if the renter had permanent address in Denmark, since - as you state - Danes are prohibited from driving cars registered in any other country inside Denmark. These laws are very strictly enforced, and there have been situations were driving a few yards for testing purposes have resulted in extremely big fines. It's all about the 180 % taxation on all passenger cars in Denmark. Also there are only very few exceptions to the rule. For instance you are not even allowed - as a Dane - to drive from the border to the nearest registration agency with a foreign registration, making private import of foreign cars quite complicated as you need to switch license plates right at the border or get the car towed into Denmark.

I've just picked-up again at CPH...

Usual incompetence (staff sitting around chatting, paperwork not ready, high-mileage car - 50,000+ kms) that one expects now from Hertz. Interesting, however, that it's ANOTHER Swedish car from what seemed to be an all-Swedish selection in the car park. Interesting also that this is a one-way to Billund so it's not just "local" Copenhagen/Malmo rentals.

Were I cynical - which I'm not, of course - I might think that Hertz are stuffing their fleet in Denmark with Swedish cars because they don't attract the 180% tax... but of course, that would presumably be illegal, if not immoral...