Planning a trip to Copenhagen in August 2014 for about 6 days then working my way to Germany and Prague by train. Would love to hear your favorite things or highlights, please. Also, there is a cheap direct flight from LAX -CPH with Norwegian airlines that seems too good to be true. Is this like ryanair where they gouge you on everything else? Thanks in advance for your input.

Info on the airline: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_Long_Haul

It's new, so check out its home page for policies.

Check out the seating plans on seatguru.com. The airline is flying 787s, so that's good. Seat room is equivalent to what you'll find on US legacy carriers but it has personal audio/video, unlike too many United/American/Delta flights.

We spent 4 days there in April 2011 and really enjoyed our time there.

Some of the things we did:
walked The Stroget
visited Nyhavn
toured the Carlsburg Brewery
climbed The Round Tower
took a canal boat tour
went to National Museum
visited Christiansborg Palace


http://www.visitdenmark.com/en-us/de...hagen-48-hours

http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copen...30-attractions

We didn't do this, but looks fun:
http://www.copenhagenfreewalkingtours.dk/

We wanted to go to the Resistance Museum, but it was closed on the only day we could go.

We did the hop-on/hop-off bus, and we wandered around a good deal.

Tivoli of course

Baaken - the world's oldest amusement park - lot of fun with singers, shows and rides

The Carlsberg Brewery Tour and Art Gallery by the Elephant Gate

And Christiana - the free city of Christiana can be loads of fun (especially if you want to buy cannabis over the counter on its Pusher Street - quite tolerated by authorities - Christiana is a 1970s era commune that took over a large old military base in the heart of Copenhagen - still around - eclectic houses and restaurants, shops - some very acclaimed restaurants.

Christiana is said to the be 2nd most visited site in Copenhagen after Tivoli.

https://www.google.com/search?q=Chri...bih=1074&dpr=1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown_Christiania

Great day trips - like Round the Sound by train - go over the fantastic rail bridge-tunnel over the Ore Sound - wonderful views for miles around from the top - Malmo - take train to Lund, wonderful university town in Sweden - take train to Helsingborg, Sweden, train ferry over to Denmark - Helsingor and Hamlet's Castle and train back to Copenhagen.

Or to Freeriksborg Castle - lovingly set on an island in a lake

or to Roskild for the Viking Museum

or to Louisiana - modern art museum with fantastic statue park overlooking the sea

And of course the Little Mermaid (unless someone has stolen it again!)

Ah lots to do.

as for trains there is an overnight train to Germany - for lots of great info on European trains I always highlight these IMO superb sites - www.budgeteuropetravel.com; www.ricksteves.com; www.seat61.com - for schedules I always go to the Wunderbar German Railways site - www.bahn.de/en - you can get discounted tickets involving German trains.

NY Carlsberg Glyptotek, a traditional Danish meal at Grøften in the Tivoli Gardens.
Rosenborg Castle, Amalienborg.

A meal at Restaurant Radio.

Copenhagen is a walking and bicycling city. Most things already mentioned...relaxing at canalside Nyhavn, strolling down Stroget to Tivoli Garden, canal boat ride, etc. Also Carlsburg, Little Mermaid, maybe a trip up to Kronberg Castle and to little seashore town Gilleleje from whence Danish Jews escaped to Sweden. Christiania is interesting in a way but is it still exsiting? Gov't has threatened to tear it down for other use.
Bill in Boston

we enjoyed a very nice daytrip...took train from Norreport to Hillerod (Fredericksborg Castle...visited the castle, hopped another train , changing to go to Humulbaek (Louisiana Museum), and got back to Copenhagen around 5. A day well spent.

Changing of the guard at Amalienborg Palace is fun especially for the gigantic head gear worn by the troops...you wouldn't even know a face was hidden in all that. We also enjoyed lunch at the famous Ida Davidsen's....deluxe <i>smorrebord</i>...pricey but delicious offerings. Careful, they add up fast.

We also enjoyed staying at Ibsen's Hotel, a pleasant walk from there to Norreport and onward to the Stroget. Place is managed by women...large rooms, excellent Italian restaurant on the premises. If the Resistance Museum is open, stop in.(near the mermaid). Had no trouble filling in four full days. Great walking city, but do,as suggested, take the boat trip through Christiania and you will also see the striking Black Diamond Library building (see pics).

Here, following, are some familiarization pics for you.
stu

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuarttower/Denmark#

<maybe a trip up to Kronberg Castle and to little seashore town Gilleleje from whence Danish Jews escaped to Sweden>

the interurban train from Gilleleje to Helsingor (Elsinore is cool - going a along a neat coast and thru forests, etc - terminal is right by the Hamlet's Castle (Slot Kronborg) - take a train from Copenhagen to Gilleleje - have some fresh-grilled fish at the port - hop the little train to Helsingor.

Trains run all over the Copenhagen region - so-called S-togs I believe form a dense suburban railway network that can be used to get to any place of interest. For more on Danish trains and these s-togs check these sources: http://www.budgeteuropetravel.com/; www.ricksteves.com and www.seat61.com.

Look for travel passes good for a day or buy strip tickets (if they still exist) - often cheaper than just buyer when boarding the trains

I love Gilleleje as it is so picturesque with thatched roof cottages and a very pretty place to go in the summer. It is famous locally for smoked fish, they smoke it right at the harbour and you can eat smoked herrings on rye bread with a Tuborg. You can also buy smoked mackerel and fiske frikadeller with remoulade sauce. It is cheap eats in an expensive country.

Nakkehoved Lighthouse is near Gilleleje and once you find it, you can walk along the cliffs and see Sweden across the water.

Hornbaek which is a pretty seaside resort is also nearby. There is quite alot to see along this coastline (Munkerup for instance).

Copenhagen has a number of castles/palaces (Rosenborg, Christinasborg) and several fascinating museums as well as the item listed above. You may want to take day trips - one to the Viking boat museum and cathedral in Roskilde as well as to the various castles north of the city.

Plenty to keep you occupied for at least a week.

This is wonderful, thank you all for your great suggestions, especially day tripping - was not originally going to do that but now considering.

tower- Your pictures are lovely, enjoyed them thoroughly, thanks!

The above suggestions are spot on. I lived in Copenhagen, during the summers, for 20 years and I have been to all of the above recommended places except for Baaken and the Louisiana Museum which I just never got around to doing. I was always hanging out with Danish friends around town and doing other things or spending time with them at their summer houses as they all had summer houses all over Sjælland. That alone took up most of the summer. LOL!

Happy Travels!

Wow, Guinea - those must've been 20 years of amazing summers!

This forum is so great with these kinds of input. I'm especially excited to see the castles, palaces, Gilleleje, and the museums -plus the food and the pastries! As Odin said, it's simply picturesque.

I'm curious, does anyone have any fiction or non - fiction books they've particularly loved on Copenhagen? And while we're at it, Germany and Prague too?

Sorry, I meant...

Wow, Guenmai

Books on Germany, Prague? Depends on interests of course, but I've read Dresden, The Berlin Wall both by F. Taylor, Fatherland and others prior to E. Germany visit. Also some about German-Nazi history...In the Garden of Beasts, Weimar Germany, The End, and more.

And a number of books related to Central Europe trip including Czech writers like Havel...most recently Klima's My Crazy Century (was here in Cambridge recently).

Bill - thank you for all your advice on things to do as well as book suggestions. I'm looking them up!