Quick Trip to Sweden/Denmark
 

Hi,
My husband and I are planning a quick (7-9 days) trip to Sweden and/or Denmark (from Canada) in Feb 2017. We are considering using AirBnB or Vacation Rentals by Owner (VRBO). We like to have access to public transit, local eateries, and pubs. Our goal is to try to experience the country/countries like locals. So, we are open to smaller towns/cities rather than, or in addition to the capitals, depending on time. We like outdoor winter activities, relaxing at the spa and meeting people at the local pub. We'd love to log a geocache or 2 as well :)

Any suggestions, comments or tips would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks,
Stacey

IMO, Stockholm easily merits 5 days, which would be enough time for a day trip through the archipelago (if that's a reasonable thing to do in Feb -- and I can't speak to that). With the time you have, you could round the experience out with Uppsala and other nearby destinations.

For Copenhagen, plan on 3 or 4 days, which would include a day trip to Roskilde and other destinations.

A good guidebook or two should prove invaluable to you.

A fairly recent but by now well-established source for short-term rentals is www.housetrip.com - recently bought out by by a major travel company but still operating under its own name. I'm sitting in one of their listed properties right now, satisfactorily so (this one in Portugal), probably the tenth in the last three years or so.

When in Copenhagen, take the train to Louisiana for the art exhibition and sculpture park.

Airbnb has a lot of options. Overall Copenhagen is very easy to traverse by foot or by public transport. The city blocks are very reasonable so don't be dissuaded by a bus stop four blocks away. I'd suggest comparing a map of rental options with places you'd like to see in town. We found that the highlights of Copenhagen can be done in a full day. We stayed near Indre By and found lots of great dining options and bars. I agree though with allowing a second day for Roskilde and / or Helsingor which can realistically both be done in a day if you don't mind being a little rushed, and would make a nice stopping place for the night. The ferry departs from Helsingor to Sweden with frequency, so it's a nice place to stop. Malmo just across from Copenhagen is adorable and might be a less expensive alternative also. While we didn't make it to Stockholm due to advice here, a friend recently told me that she hit the highlights of that city in a day and a half. (Lest I be torn apart here with this recommendation, I know that one cannot truly get to know any city within one day. But unless one spends the entire time indoors I believe it's possible to get the flavour of any city in a typical day.)

<<While we didn't make it to Stockholm due to advice here>>

It would not have been my advice. It is not necessary to spend 5 days in Stockholm nor 3-4 days in Copenhagen to get an overview and appreciation of the city, they are popular weekend city break destinations and can be enjoyed in 2 or 3 nights or less if that's all you've got time for. It is a pity if people are not visiting Stockholm because they think they need 5 days.

To get a feel of Copenhagen as a local, albeit a well off one, stay in one of the northern suburbs e.g. Klampenborg, Charlottenlund, Hellerup, Gentofte, most places north on road 152 coastal road is gorgeous. The beaches are white sand and blue sea and you have a view towards Sweden, there are lots of beautiful houses. A walk around Hornbæk town boutique shops & it's beach front and Gilleleje & it's fish smoke houses is a nice thing to do, if a little cold/windy in Feb. Kongens Lyngby is also a very nice suburb in easy reach of the city centre, it has it's own shopping centre/street where you will not find any tourists.

I would recommend renting a car in Denmark esp if you stay in the suburbs. Weekend parking in Copenhagen is FOC from about Friday night to Sunday but check the meters to be sure.

One of the things that locals do, is take the ferry from Helsingoer to Helsingborg just to have lunch onboard. You buy lunch tickets from the ferry booth at Helsingoer (it's the 1st floor at the railway station) and you need the ferryboat called Aurora. The ferry takes 15mins, but you stay in the restaurant as the ferry goes back & forth between Denmark and Sweden and get off when you finish. Obviously this is only for foot passengers, sometimes we park the car for a couple of hours and have lunch onboard. It is a Scandinavian buffet and gives you a good chance of trying typical dishes plus a nice thing to do esp if it is cold and raining. Some locals will just have a night out on the ferry in the bar.

A trip thru the archipelago in Stockholm is great thing to do, no matter what time of year. Suburbs that you might consider to stay in are Täby,Sollentuna.

Thank-you to everyone for all the replies so far. @Odin, thank-you for the reassurance that a shorter trip is doable. I really appreciate the suggestions about the areas to stay in,things we might see, and the tip about the ferry. I think I have a better idea of how to start planning our trip now.

Cheers,
Stacey

@ Odin: "It is a pity if people are not visiting Stockholm because they think they need 5 days."

Indeed, that would be a pity!

As someone who plans her very precious travel time to maximize my chance of seeing and doing what I want in the time I have, I think the time that some of us find "ideal" for a visit is relevant. What anyone does with that information is his/her choice. For example, anyone who believes that you can get a flavor of a city in a "typical" day is, of course, free to plan trips accordingly.

On the other hand, failing to tell people how their available time matches up with destinations could simply mean that people never end up spending the time in a destination that they might find best for their purposes. For example, my travel wish list is WAY too long for me to consider revisiting any but the very most special of destinations, even if I discovered, on the ground, that I would like to see more.