If you’re a Londoner, then you’re used to forking out upward of a fiver on a glass of wine. It’s not like, your favourite thing to do in the world, but you won’t freak out if a bartender asks you to hand over £6 for a warm glass of vinegary pinot. So for Londoners, heading to Copenhagen for a weekend away shouldn’t be *too *much of a shock.
If you live anywhere normal though (ie not stupidly overpriced for every little thing), then you’re going to need to be prepared for heading to the Danish capital because, while it’s probably one of the best cities Europe has to offer, it can easily rob you blind if you’re not careful...
Cheap flights to Copenhagen
I mean getting there isn’t a problem. Ryanair is king of sales and, when it’s not high summer, Copenhagen flights are normally included. I went in October and paid the princely sum of £40 for return flights. It was more expensive to get to Stansted Airport than it was to get to Denmark.
Sign up for the Ryanair newsletter and, yes while they do send a lot (a lot) of emails, you’ll be the first to know when they wang a bunch of flights on sale.
Once there, the train to København H, the main station is 14 minutes and costs £3.60. Easy, mate.
Where to stay in Copenhagen
Hostels are great, and the best in terms of prices – rooms at the centrally located Copenhagen Downtown Hostel start from £13.50 a night and includes free dinner (result). Otherwise, head to your old favourite AirBnb but beware – they can be tough to get. Look to Fredericksberg (this room is only £19 a night), Nørrebro (check out this whole flat, with a balcony for just £29) and østerbro (here’s another whole flat for £29).
The Copenhagen Card
By and large the bestest deal if you’re keen to visit museums and travel about because, while their travel is still realtively cheap, most of their museums are pay in, and several are outside the city and a train ride away. The Copenhagen Card is £55.80 for three days but that means you’ve got unlimited visits to a whole bunch of museums and entry to Tivoli Gardens, which it’s practically the law that you have to visit. Even if you don’t go on any of the outrageously priced, bonkersly ramshackle looking rides while you’re there.
So, which museums to head to? The Louisana Museum, for sure. Located a 40-minute train journey up the coast, this bonkers mish-mash of buildings and sculptures is fun to wander around even if you don’t give two hoots about modern art. Also, it’s right near The Bridge to Malmo that’s in everyone’s favourite Danish/Swedish detective series The Bridge. So, that’s fun.
Also cracking? The Design Museum which’ll hopefully give you some insight into how to take your house from boring mouldy student digs to Scandinvian Pinterest dream. Also check out Den Blå Planet; also a little way out of the city but well worth the trip. This brand new aquarium looks like a spaceship and is excellent on a cold afternoon (of which there will be a lot). Check out the otters if you’re feeling hungover; they are adora-bubble.
The card also means you can hop on the Netto boat for a trip around the city'’ canals which is the quickest and easiest (especially if it’s cold) way to see central Copenhagen and that blasted mermaid statue which everyone bangs on about.
Actually, it’s pretty small, underwhelming and surrounded by people. A much more interesting statue is this creepy underwater one next to the Højbro Bridge.
Where to eat and drink
If it’s cheap you’re after then your choices are limited (otherwise you’re looking at top end high street prices), but that doesn’t mean you can’t find good food.
Head to Cafe Dalle Valle near the main shopping district – a place that’s popular with university students. Most days they do a half price thing on all their food from 4pm, but there’s also a buffet for lunch that’s just £7.90.
Just round the corner from there is Bo-bi’s bar which is covered by a haze of cigarette smoke and full of local eccentrics but, charges less than £3 for a glass of wine or beer so it’s swings and roundabouts, mate. Check out too
(http://www.cafesnork.dk/) which has got a good selection of fine postcards to pinch for free.
Copenhagen does good food markets too and, unlike London’s, they’re not over-full and used by people as a place to get battered on a Sunday afternoon. The bestest one is Copenhagen Street Food
on PapirØen which is jam-packed with food from all around the world. Be careful though, stick to a beer and a Smørrebrød (Danish open sandwich) or you’ll find yourself racking up a huge bill.
If you’re after pizza, Neighbourhood in København V is excellent. Pizzas start at £13.50 and are big enough to share. While you’re there have a wander around the meatpacking area (Kødbyen) which can get dead rowdy on a weekend and is a lot of fun. Head to bars
for the best prices and best people.
Shopping
Scandi shops like & Other Stories, H&M, Monki, Acne, Cheap Monday and the rest are marginally cheaper but not by all that much, unfortunately. Check out Weekday (some of which is available ATM on ASOS), Selected (likewise) and Moss Copenhagen while you’re there. Again, they’re not cheap, but they are SO NICE.
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This article originally appeared on The Debrief.