rbezzina

Hi,

I'm planning for a holiday in September for 2 weeks and I was thinking of going to Denmark. Now I have some questions and I need some advice and ideas. To help you, we are a 30 year old couple, we like nature, museums, and nice cities, we are not really on a very tight budget but we are sort of medium. We prefer to use trains or buses to go around.

1. Is spending 2 weeks in Copenhagen too much (note we will do day trips to other places)
2. What 3 nice cities can I use as bases?
3. Any trains that can take me there directly, not too long?

The issue is that I will fly from Malta, and the only airports there are Copenhagen and Billund and in both locations I arrive late. I was thinking of landing in Hamburg and take a train to a base in Denmark and start from there.

Any idea?

nytraveler

If it were me I would split your time between Copenhagen and Stockholm. You could do 6 days in the former and 7 days in the latter - and with day trips have plenty to see. I think 14 days in Copenhagen is to much - you would need to travel all over Denmark - either via train or car - and I think would find the former trip more interesting.,

MilenaM

I have been to Denmark 3 times accompanying a group of high school students. We are based in Fredericia but travel quite a bit. Copenhagen has quite a few nice museums and castles that are worth seeing. Since everything tends to close early (sometimes 4 pm), you could do about 2 a day. That, and other sights like the Marble Church and the Round Tower should occupy at least 4-5 days (but could also take 3-4 if you leave the walking around town for later in the afternoons and evenings). You could walk easily to all major sights. Other cities that we visited, accessible by train, were Odense - Hans C. Andersen museum, Aarhus - charming university town with good shopping - my favorite. Outside of Copenhagen and a short train ride away, in Roskilde, you will find the Viking Ship Museum and the church were royals are buried.

I would fly into Copenhagen, the train ride from Hamburg is long, unless you decide that you want to visit the city itself.

I have not been to Sweden yet, but I agree that 2 weeks in Denmark without a car might be too long. Smaller towns take 1 day, villages 1/2 days.

rbezzina

So do you suggest 6 Days on Copenhagen and then take a train to Stockholm for 7 days? Are there things to do in Stockholm?

Odin

Two weeks in Denmark is too long esp if you stay in Copenhagen. Wouldn't be so bad if you rented a summer cottage by the sea or split the time on an island such as Bornholm. Dividing the time between Copenhagen and Stockholm is a good idea esp as Stockholm is such a beautiful city.

rbezzina

Splitting the time between Copenhagen and Stockholm is nice, but we prefer to say we went to Denmark and say that we say the majority of it. Is there a way that I can make 3 bases in Denmark that i can then make some day trips by train/bus from there?

Odin

You can have as many bases as you want, eg Copenhagen or slightly outside in a northern suburb, then you can see all of Sjaelland and take day trips inc Malmo in Sweden, then somewhere in Jutland or Odense and one of the islands eg Bornholm which is very popular with Danes.

BigRuss

You do realize that: (1) Scandinavia is notoriously expensive and (2) Stockholm is in Sweden, right? Considering that Malmo is just across a (really cool) bridge, you can easily tour large parts of southern Sweden from a Copenhagen base.

crefloors

Two weeks in Copenhagen is too long, JMHO. I went to Copenhagen and Stockholm a few years ago, right after Christmas and we were 9 days in Copenhagen and five days in Stockholm.

I liked Stockholm better but that's a personal thing. Stockholm, as mentioned, is very beautiful, it's on 14 islands so the setting is gorgous.

nytraveler

Stockholm is a larger city and has evern more to see and do than Copenhagen. We've been 3 times and there are still day trips we haven;thad time for.

Just check out any gude book on SCandinavia:

Basics:

Gamla Stan (old town)
Royal Palace
City Hall (where they present the Nobel prizes)
Vasa (a resurrected 16? century war ship) is fascinating
Drottingholm Palace
A host of museums, including Skansen - which has many buildings from old rural Sweden and exhibits/ activities of crafts/arts of the time

Never mind a bunch of day trips

The city itself is beautiful - situated on a huge lake and with hundreds of islands of all sizes

PalenQ

Arhus is a neat old city that can make a nice base for Jutland - Rebild American Museum is not too far away as are a handful of neato cities and the Bog Man site is just south of Arhus

Copenhagen day trips I've take an enjoyed include - Helsingor and Hamlet's Castle - the coastal scenic train to Gilleje and train back to Copenhagen from that old fishing village - Frederikshavn and its magnificent castle in a lake - Roskilde and Viking Museum, Louisiana - one of Europe's top outdoor statue parks in a verdant setting overlooking the Sound - and Bakken - the world's oldest amusement park in suburban Copenhagen and my favcrite day excursion the Round the Sound one by train over the brudge/tunnel to Malmo (a modern dud IMO) but a transit point to reach nearby Lund, Sweden, certainly one of the nicest old-world looking Scandinavia cities I've been too - a neat old famous university with a neat ole campus and then by train up to Helsingborg for a ferry to Helsingor for a train back to Copenhagen.

rbezzina

Denmark and stockholm look nice, but I'm still thinking about it as food is really expensive..

mrgrumpy

stockholm is frightenly expensive (this is from someone who lives in the south of england). We met my daughter there in august, she had just come from copenhagen, which was even more expensive. To give you an example in cheap bistros you will be lucky to find a main course under 20 euros, the cheapest wine i saw was 37 euros. Stop for a beer and a couple of coffees you can say goodbye to 20 euros. Even buying food in the main food market was eye watering. Two medium size quiche were 20 euros which we ate in square outside. Having said all this stockholm certainly is a beautiful city. The best value we found was the open top hop-on-hop-off bus which will give a very good feel of the city. We tend to do the whole of the tour (only if we get on top) and then carry on again to the stop we want to get off at.Then there is plenty of walking to see the real stockholm.

blebowski

I totally agree the Stockholm idea. 3-4 days will be enough to explore Copenhagen then you can take the train for Stockholm and Malmö. In Copenhages, transportation is not expensive but the meals are.

Do not forget to visit the special area called Christiania. It is a self-proclaimed autonomous neighborhood of Copenhagen and highly interesting. They have their own flag and refuse to use water or electricity or technology. Also, weed is legal in there. It was one of the most attractive things I have experienced in Denmark

nytraveler

You're replying to a 4 year old post.