My D is studying abroad in Copenhagen and we’ve decided to visit her. I know many of you are seasoned travelers so I thought I’d put it out there for any advice you have (on anything!).
Details (that may or may not be relevant)
We are travelling in November where averages (according to weather.com) are lows in the mid 30’s and high’s in low 50’s. (That’s cold for me…having lived in So Cal for most of my life — but not unbearable).
We will be staying only 6 nights.
Approx. 3 hour layover in London (both ways)
The purpose of our visit is to see our D—it’s not really about sightseeing. But that said, if anyone has been to Copenhagen, we probably could use a few suggestions on local things to do or restaurants to eat at. We may also take a day trip to Sweden since it’s so close (just to say “we’ve been there.”). (Hopefully, by then my D will also have some great suggestions)
I don’t have any specific questions— sort of open ended as to what advice pops into your head… The one question I do have is what should I pack (and what should I leave behind). I’m inspired by how many of you only use a carry on so I’m hoping to do the same. (One carry on for me and one for H).
I always tell people to make a couple of copies (or scan them to your computer) of your passport and your credit cards. Get a credit card that doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee. Go on tripadvisor to the forum for Copenhagen and read other people’s questions and ask your own. People who live there will try to help you. Have fun and remember that different doesn’t mean bad (this is what I told our teenagers when we went to Europe for the first time).
If you will be in Copenhagen on or after Nov. 14 Tivoli Gardens will be open for Christmas. I’m not sure if all the rides will be open, but this is a “not to be missed” sight.
Make sure you have a heavy coat. I’ve always taken an overcoat to Europe in winter. You may have to buy one since you live in California.
Certainly you should ask your daughter if there are any items she needs. The food in Denmark is so expensive that if I were visiting for a week I’d pack some food in my suitcase. That’s just me, though.
I am one who travels with an 18 inch carry-on for up to 2 weeks. For me, the key is color coding the wardrobe. I have black pants and skirts that pair with every top I pack. A real cliche, but scarves do dress up an outfit and take little room. I generally manage with 2 pairs of shoes - the heaviest walking shoes are worn and a dressier shoe in the carry-on. For 6 nights, I would pack one skirt, 2 pairs of pants and 3 tops - knit and pullover sweater for that time of year. I pack a silk camisole for under the shirts and find that works the same as layering with more bulky sweaters or jackets. On the plane, I have my coat, usually an all-weather coat with removable lining, gloves and the most comfortable travel pants I own. Sleep/loungewear includes light ballet type slippers (I can’t wear flip flops which would also work for hotel) and lightweight nightgown that doesn’t require a robe to be “decent”. I swim and fit a suit in depending on the hotel. On a longer stay, I do rinse out underwear and have also done that with a knit top.
Several times, I’ve had my carry-on suitcase weighed, so I do monitor how much I put in. It’s really the books and documents that I’m sometimes carrying that add the weight, not clothes! I also have several Travelon and Pacsafe purses that easily fit Iphone, mini Ipad, wallet, guidebook, cosmetics/toiletries in the airline required quart bag, etc. It helps me to think of the purse as part of the overall packing scheme.
On a recent trip, I had to check a bag because of some heavy documents that needed to be delivered on arrival. I used the opportunity to pack more clothes than I normaly would - and didn’t need a lot of what I packed! Once you get organized, it is really a sense of freedom to travel lightly!
@onward - I love tripadvisor and always use it to find hotels, restaurants and attractions…Never discovered the forums before! I will be checking that out. Thanks! Only wish I knew about it before my D went… Oh gee–now I’ll have another forum besides CC to be addicted to for the next few weeks a least!
@EarlVanDorn - yes, I wish I were going sooner so I could take some supplies for my D. She discovered that cold medicine is “not a thing” in Denmark (and now we see online the advice is to stock up before going!—that would have been nice to know before). If she does need a lot of items, I may be checking in a bag after all! And, yes! We’ll be there in that time frame, so Tivoli Gardens will make it on our “to do” list (and my D already has a pass).
@Momofadult - I was unfamiliar with the purses you mentioned, but just looked them up…I think I have another purchase to make! Thanks for the packing advice…At least I have some time to think strategically.
My daughter is currently living in Copenhagen while working on her Masters at DTU. We visited a week in March. We rented an apartment through Airbnb and had our daughter stay with us. She was on spring break. Restaurants are very expensive, so we ate in most of the time. We had lunch at a restaurant near Nyhavn for lunch , Told & Snaps, which was fantastic. We also had lunch at one of the restaurants in Tripoli, Restaurant Groften, which was great also.
Definitely do the Free Walking Tour of Copenhagen. It meets in front of the Town Hall (near Tripoli), and you pay what you think it’s worth at the conclusion of the tour. Try to do this tour your first day to get the overview of the city. Because it rained almost every day we were there, we didn’t get to do it until our last day.
Visit Nyhavn, Paleis Christiansborg (tower which gives magnificent view of the city), Natonal Museum of Denmark, and the Rosenberg Castle. There are two other places I can’t remember, but I’ll text my daughter and get back to you.
Be prepared for damp, windy, rainy weather. I packed based on the projected temperatures, and I froze. In March, I should have taken a long very warm winter coat, hat gloves, and rain boots. Also wear lots of layers.
@FlyMeToTheMoon - Thanks for the ideas! Hopefully, we’ll be able to take advantage of some of them. I’m hoping it isn’t raining the whole time we are there! (Or too cold!).
I’m also concerned about jet lag and how that will effect my eagerness to do anything.
Remembered one of the places. We visited the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde which is a 30 minute train ride from Copenhagen. It was the highlight of our trip and definitely worth the ride out of the city. Our daughter took us there, and your daughter will probably know how to get there also, but if you are interested and need more specific directions, PM me and I’ll get the specifics from my daughter.
Go to Torvehallerne which is a fabulous food market in the vicinity of the Nørreport metro station. We purchased seafood and fresh vegetables for our meals here. They also have a great variety of cheeses, wonderful pastries, candy, wine, and ready made entrees. There are also cafes where you can order to eat there. While in Denmark, you must have a smørrebrød, an open faced sandwich, which is a Danish tradition. They offer them at Torvehallerne as well as at both of the restaurants I recommended in post #4.
My son studied abroad in Copenhagen last spring. We went to visit in April and it was COLD. Not really the temperature, but there was an icy wind blowing a lot of the time. So bring a warm coat, hat, gloves, and a scarf. I just had a spring jacket and it wasn’t enough. As they say in Denmark “there is no bad weather, only bad clothing”.
In addition to the places mentioned already, we enjoyed a canal boat tour. Check into the Copenhagen Card to see if it will be worthwhile purchasing for your stay. It includes all public transportation which was nice. Also, we took a trip to Frederiksborg Castle which was well worth it. From there we went to Helsingor to visit Kronborg castle (the castle where Hamlet is set). It is a quick ferry ride from there to Sweden, which was fun.
One restaurant we ate at was Host (picked by my son). It is pricey, but quite an experience. We did the tasting menu and they brought out 8 (I think) little courses of very different kinds of foods. I think there are only two dinner seatings, so a reservation is absolutely necessary.
If your daughter is in the DIS program, she should have a great experience. I was quite impressed with the program and all of the travel and field trips the students were able to experience. My son really loved it there - so much so that he got himself an internship over the summer so he could stay!
We flew nonstop from Newark to Copenhagen, arriving at 7:30 AM (1:30 AM our body clock time). My husband was able to nap on the plane, but I wasn’t. Amazingly, I felt okay at the airport and for the first few hours at our apartment. Then I napped for about three hours. Both my husband and I had no trouble getting to sleep that evening at a normal bedtime.
Coming home was another story. I awakened at 3:30 AM for over a week!
Although the days are very short in the winter, they are very long in the summer. Our daughter felt like she had a second day ahead of her when she finished classes on a June day, and sometimes forgot to eat dinner because it never became completely dark at night. She moved to Albuquerque in July and August to do an internship, and felt she was roughing it when it became dark by 9:00 PM. LOL
Coming from LAX we’ll have about 15 hours of travel with a 9 hour time difference…So we leave and land “24 hours” later. Well, at least by the time we get to the hotel it will be dark and we’ll be ready for bed! LOL!
I second the Airbnb apartment rather than a hotel. It’s less expensive, generally nicer and gives you the opportunity to relax with your D. We have done this twice (when we visited with D) and invited her fiance to stay with us as well. It was much more convivial than a hotel and gave us a chance really enjoy each others company. I know that there are some great options in Copenhagen(**very “hygge”) since we almost booked one for this summer when D was going to be working there for a few weeks. Instead we are spending the month of November in Paris, where D is performing, and we have booked a two bedroom Airbnb the entire time. I can hardly wait.
**hygge—a Danish word that you will hear all the time. A combination of warm and cosy. I love Denmark! Have a lovely time!
We love Copenhagen! I agree with ideas from all the previous posters.
Driving in Denmark is super easy, though it does get a bit tricky in the city. The toll to drive across the Malmo bridge is about 30 dollars. They also have frequent train service between the two cities.
If you enjoy modern art, the Louisiana just north of town is worth a visit.
I would strongly suggest you pack a thin, but warm under layer top that you can tuck in. Smartwool has some that are an ultralight/micro wool that is not at all bulky. It is not the temp that gets to you, but rather the dampness from the cold sea air. A scarf is also a definite must. If you are not a hat wearer, google 180’s for your ears. They really do work and the travel ones are easy enough to slip into your purse. I think you can survive the week with a pair of black jeans and a pair of ponte knit pants.
Copenhagen is on my list for next year. I have 50,000 avios British Airways frequent flyer to use and that translate to 5-10 trips to Europe from London for almost free. I need to find more cities to visit.
@Kajon, Thanks for the info. Currently we are actually booked at Hotel Christian IV. But the references to Airbnb have me second guessing that. I’ve never used the service before, but have been spending my morning looking into that possibility. I like the idea of having our daughter stay with us…all the hotels were really expensive for that 3rd person, so I had resigned myself to a hotel within a short walking distance from her place.
@musicamusica and @FlyMeToTheMoon - any specific recommendations in regards to using Airbnb or a specific apartment you enjoyed?
I had planned a trip to Copenhagen this summer, but it had not come to fruition. I have plenty of wonderful suggestions for Berlin, Prague or Paris though. Just go with options that have LOTS good reviews. We do that and have not had a bad experience yet. Get your D involved, she can go check the places out and she will certainly know which areas are best. She can even “check in” for you, have the keys and everything ready when you arrive.
BTW–I went into my “saved” browsing and this is the sort of place that we would jump all over:
Oh great. Now you have me started. I want to go back to Denmark. I was an exchange student there (when dinosaurs roamed the earth) Check out this sweet little place for only $115 a night!! OMG it has a tiger statue AND a piano!!! https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/4337099?guests=3&s=9a_6ND2f
I sent you a PM with a link to the apartment we rented. Our daughter wanted us to stay near the metro line since she was coming in from Lyngby. The location ended up being perfect for its proximity to food markets, metro, attractions, and shopping areas.
We encountered the same issue you are with the 3rd person in a hotel room. Because restaurants are very expensive in Copenhagen ($100 a person), we knew we had to do a lot of our own cooking. Having a kitchen made our trip so much more convenient. Full disclosure, I hate to cook, and hubby loves to choose exquisite restaurants when we travel, so staying in was a different experience for us. But it ended up being lots of fun, because the food at the market was exceptional.
There is a thread on CC that discusses best practices when renting through Airbnb. Probably searching for Airbnb will bring it up.