Flying into Copenhagen (1st trip to Europe)
Dec 10th, 2016, 05:33 AM
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Flying into Copenhagen (1st trip to Europe)
In August, I will be making my first trip to Europe and will be travelling by myself. Below is what my itinerary is at the moment, but I'm not completely sure yet and could change it completely. The only thing that I do know for sure is that I will be flying in/out of Copenhagen.
Day 1-2 Copenhagen
Day 3-5 Berlin
Day 6-8 Warsaw
Day 9-10 Krakow
Day 11-13 Prague
Day 14 Copenhagen
I'm really flexible on my plans and enjoy most things that Europe has to offer like history, museums, nightlife, outdoors, etc. Is there anything that you would change? Where would you go from Copenhagen? I'm just trying to get more ideas/opinions before I settle on a plan.
Day 1-2 Copenhagen
Day 3-5 Berlin
Day 6-8 Warsaw
Day 9-10 Krakow
Day 11-13 Prague
Day 14 Copenhagen
I'm really flexible on my plans and enjoy most things that Europe has to offer like history, museums, nightlife, outdoors, etc. Is there anything that you would change? Where would you go from Copenhagen? I'm just trying to get more ideas/opinions before I settle on a plan.
Dec 10th, 2016, 06:07 AM
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I will be travelling between these cities by train and then back to Copenhagen for my flight home. I plan on spending a couple of days in Copenhagen, but it was mainly chosen because it was the cheapest tickets that I could find.
Dec 10th, 2016, 06:50 AM
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To save ground travel time check Air Berlin, SAS and other airlines for cheap 1-hour flights to/from CPH into/out of Berlin TXL or other continental destinations. Krakow is a long ground trip as well. Maybe fly in there as well.
"I'm really flexible on my plans..."
If cheap flights indicate budget constraints I'd leave Copenhagen promptly.
Note that Prague and Krakow, in addition to other foreign destinations, are included inn a German Rail pass nowadays.
https://www.bahn.com/i/view/USA/en/p...ss-flexi.shtml
You might stick with those two and Berlin on the continent for your major cities, which would take up most of your time, then toss in a couple of days in smaller places for variety and for the outdoor stuff you have in mind.
"I'm really flexible on my plans..."
If cheap flights indicate budget constraints I'd leave Copenhagen promptly.
Note that Prague and Krakow, in addition to other foreign destinations, are included inn a German Rail pass nowadays.
https://www.bahn.com/i/view/USA/en/p...ss-flexi.shtml
You might stick with those two and Berlin on the continent for your major cities, which would take up most of your time, then toss in a couple of days in smaller places for variety and for the outdoor stuff you have in mind.
Dec 10th, 2016, 07:14 AM
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Of your 14 days, you plan on travelling five. Moving from city will cost you at least a half-day each time. To genuinely "enjoy most things Europe has to offer", slow down and get to know a few destinations well, rather than through the window of a train/bus. If your ticket is not yet in hand, look at a multi-destination itinerary that flies home from another city, saving you time and perhaps money. Given that Copenhagen seems to be on the list because of the air fare, it could be a false bargain to go twice if you have no other reason (not to knock that charming city; I'm just talking economics.)
Dec 10th, 2016, 07:26 AM
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Just because RT tickets to Copenhagen were the cheapest doesn't mean it's the best idea. After all, it's going to cost you time and money to get BACK to Copenhagen, and you don't seem interested in spending any time there. I would buy open-jaw tickets and not bother with the hassle and expense of getting yourself back to Copenhagen.
Dec 10th, 2016, 08:06 AM
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Why bother getting back to CPH on the last day?
Look at multi-city airfare (this is NOT two one-way fares. In the options section of flight search, the options are Roundtrip, Oneway, Multi-city). This is a simple math to compare overall cost of roundtrip vs. multi-city. If your flight back from CPH is early in the morning where you have to stay overnight only to catch the flight, you could just as well cut your trip one day short without losing anything but without having to return back to CPH or pay for one night stay.
Fly into CPH and return from Prag. Copenhagen to Berlin is just too far away. It is easily done by a plane. SAS and other budget airlines fly this route directly.
In August, Copenhagen is inundated with cruise boat tour groups. If you are sensitive to hot weather, lower to middle of the way accommodations don't come with AC in many of the cities you mentioned. Locals don't think it is needed, but that does not mean you don't need it. Sometimes I end up having to sleep in a 80F+ sunside room with no wind even in May when there was a heatwave.
Look at multi-city airfare (this is NOT two one-way fares. In the options section of flight search, the options are Roundtrip, Oneway, Multi-city). This is a simple math to compare overall cost of roundtrip vs. multi-city. If your flight back from CPH is early in the morning where you have to stay overnight only to catch the flight, you could just as well cut your trip one day short without losing anything but without having to return back to CPH or pay for one night stay.
Fly into CPH and return from Prag. Copenhagen to Berlin is just too far away. It is easily done by a plane. SAS and other budget airlines fly this route directly.
In August, Copenhagen is inundated with cruise boat tour groups. If you are sensitive to hot weather, lower to middle of the way accommodations don't come with AC in many of the cities you mentioned. Locals don't think it is needed, but that does not mean you don't need it. Sometimes I end up having to sleep in a 80F+ sunside room with no wind even in May when there was a heatwave.
Dec 10th, 2016, 08:39 AM
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"The only thing that I do know for sure is that I will be flying in/out of Copenhagen... I will be travelling between these cities by train and then back to Copenhagen for my flight home."
Your flight plans sound clear to me. Why all the flight advice? I'm guessing you bought a Norwegian flight dirt cheap.
Your flight plans sound clear to me. Why all the flight advice? I'm guessing you bought a Norwegian flight dirt cheap.
Dec 10th, 2016, 09:19 AM
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I take it that you are committed to the to-and-from Copenhagen thing. So let’s see how you can live with it.
For that last day before your flight home, Prag-Copenhagen by train is rough - at least 16 hours, robbing you of a night’s sleep with several switches of trains at night.
I would turn the trip around: Fly from Copenhagen to Prague.
Take the train or bus from Prague to Krakow (see http://czech-transport.com/index.php?id=478 and http://czech-transport.com/index.php?train=1449&lang=en). The night train has sleepers but it stops so often that you’re not likely to get a good night’s sleep, might as well take the bus.
While in Krakow, take the local train (dirt cheap, takes maybe 20 minutes to Wieliczka) to the salt mines (www.wieliczka-saltmine.com/) - no need to take an expensive “tour” that they’ll try to sell you in Krakow.
For the ticket agent who probably will not speak a word of English, write down what you want - Jeden bilet Krakow-Wieliczka / Wieliczka-Krakow means one ticket ...).
As you get off the train you walk a couple hundred yards, line up at the ticket office, state which language group you wish to join, line up under that flag, and in you go (groups only, each with a guide). Awesome!
While you wait, eat the sausage the guy is grilling next to the ticket office, equally awesome!
I took the train from Krakow to Warsaw recently, it was very pleasant, with complimentary water and coffee, a fast and classy ride. (In Krakow, the station with the blue neon sign “Glowny” is decommissioned, the brand-new station is adjacent, connected to the Galleria shopping center.)
In Warsaw don’t miss the park with the fabulous former royal buildings, see www.warsawguide.com/lazienki-park/, and visit the Chopin museum (Chopin is a national hero in Poland) - http://chopin.museum/en/information/visitors/id/222
Trains from Warsaw to Berlin will take half a day of your time, and even though a flight takes less, the time involved with airports and such will be about the same, so look at pricing: The train, like the 13:59 departure I’m looking at that arrives in Berlin at 19:43, can cost as little as 39 Euros, not counting any passes or such discounts.
Finally, Berlin-Kopenhagen takes 7.5 hours, so another day is spent on moving around. Maybe you can have a few more hours in Berlin if you take a late flight, but with luggage storage while you roam, and check-in requirements etc., that last day is still pretty much gone.
Always good to look at www.seat61.com for more good pointers.
Enjoy.
For that last day before your flight home, Prag-Copenhagen by train is rough - at least 16 hours, robbing you of a night’s sleep with several switches of trains at night.
I would turn the trip around: Fly from Copenhagen to Prague.
Take the train or bus from Prague to Krakow (see http://czech-transport.com/index.php?id=478 and http://czech-transport.com/index.php?train=1449&lang=en). The night train has sleepers but it stops so often that you’re not likely to get a good night’s sleep, might as well take the bus.
While in Krakow, take the local train (dirt cheap, takes maybe 20 minutes to Wieliczka) to the salt mines (www.wieliczka-saltmine.com/) - no need to take an expensive “tour” that they’ll try to sell you in Krakow.
For the ticket agent who probably will not speak a word of English, write down what you want - Jeden bilet Krakow-Wieliczka / Wieliczka-Krakow means one ticket ...).
As you get off the train you walk a couple hundred yards, line up at the ticket office, state which language group you wish to join, line up under that flag, and in you go (groups only, each with a guide). Awesome!
While you wait, eat the sausage the guy is grilling next to the ticket office, equally awesome!
I took the train from Krakow to Warsaw recently, it was very pleasant, with complimentary water and coffee, a fast and classy ride. (In Krakow, the station with the blue neon sign “Glowny” is decommissioned, the brand-new station is adjacent, connected to the Galleria shopping center.)
In Warsaw don’t miss the park with the fabulous former royal buildings, see www.warsawguide.com/lazienki-park/, and visit the Chopin museum (Chopin is a national hero in Poland) - http://chopin.museum/en/information/visitors/id/222
Trains from Warsaw to Berlin will take half a day of your time, and even though a flight takes less, the time involved with airports and such will be about the same, so look at pricing: The train, like the 13:59 departure I’m looking at that arrives in Berlin at 19:43, can cost as little as 39 Euros, not counting any passes or such discounts.
Finally, Berlin-Kopenhagen takes 7.5 hours, so another day is spent on moving around. Maybe you can have a few more hours in Berlin if you take a late flight, but with luggage storage while you roam, and check-in requirements etc., that last day is still pretty much gone.
Always good to look at www.seat61.com for more good pointers.
Enjoy.
Dec 10th, 2016, 09:56 AM
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<i> Flying into Copenhagen (1st trip to Europe)
Posted by: cmgoods252 on Dec 10, 16 at 9:33am</i>
I agree with all of the above. I would snip Poland and slip in Dresden. For an illustrated introduction to trains in Europe see http://www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap17/rail.htm.
Otherwise ask you boss for an extra week off.
Posted by: cmgoods252 on Dec 10, 16 at 9:33am</i>
I agree with all of the above. I would snip Poland and slip in Dresden. For an illustrated introduction to trains in Europe see http://www.enjoy-europe.com/hte/chap17/rail.htm.
Otherwise ask you boss for an extra week off.
Dec 10th, 2016, 02:30 PM
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In hindsight, I probably should have spent the extra money and bought a ticket home from somewhere else. The original plan was to maybe make a circle and end up close to Copenhagen, but I'm not sure if that's going to work out. Maybe it's possible that I could do an overnight train to Copenhagen on the last day.
Also, I would be willing to spend more time in some cities and cut out others completely. Do you think splitting the time between 3 cities is a much better idea?
Also, I would be willing to spend more time in some cities and cut out others completely. Do you think splitting the time between 3 cities is a much better idea?
Dec 10th, 2016, 03:15 PM
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"The original plan was to maybe make a circle and end up close to Copenhagen, but I'm not sure if that's going to work out. Maybe it's possible that I could do an overnight train to Copenhagen on the last day."
What time do you fly out of Copenhagen? Overnight is unwise as you'll end up taking 4-5 trains from Berlin with a layover of 2-3 hours in the wee hours of the morning - you can check the schedules yourself for your dates to confirm this.
If you are determined to use the train to return to Copenhagen, you should probably sleep in Copenhagen the night prior. From Hamburg there's typically a direct train to Copenhagen at 17:28 arriving 22:19. You could leave Berlin early that morning (around 8:30) on a direct train for Hamburg and arrive there in less than 2 hours. Stow bags in a locker and see the town for about 7 hours. To find this schedule, enter...
From: Berlin
To: Copenhagen
Stopover: Hamburg, with 6:30 hours as your stopover requirement
What time do you fly out of Copenhagen? Overnight is unwise as you'll end up taking 4-5 trains from Berlin with a layover of 2-3 hours in the wee hours of the morning - you can check the schedules yourself for your dates to confirm this.
If you are determined to use the train to return to Copenhagen, you should probably sleep in Copenhagen the night prior. From Hamburg there's typically a direct train to Copenhagen at 17:28 arriving 22:19. You could leave Berlin early that morning (around 8:30) on a direct train for Hamburg and arrive there in less than 2 hours. Stow bags in a locker and see the town for about 7 hours. To find this schedule, enter...
From: Berlin
To: Copenhagen
Stopover: Hamburg, with 6:30 hours as your stopover requirement
