Hey there, fellow travelers! Today, we visit Copenhagen, Denmark! Copenhagen is one of the coolest design cities in Europe. As you know, here at Wolters World, we like to prepare travelers with the good, and the bad, of visiting a new travel destination. So these are the five things you’ll love, and the five things you’ll hate when you visit Copenhagen.
Hate #1: Copenhagen is Expensive
This isn’t exclusive to Copenhagen, as pretty much all of the Scandinavian destinations are expensive, but it’s definitely the #1 downside of a Copenhagen vacation. You can expect to pay around $8 for a pint of beer, so going out in Copenhagen gets expensive quickly. What the locals do is go buy a few cans of beer at 7-11 and drink outside rather than buying pricy beer at a pub. When you go out to eat in Copenhagen, expect to spend around $20 to $25 for a meal, and that’s not including drinks! Museums and attractions can be expensive as well, although some museums are free, so try to balance out your itinerary with free things to do in Copenhagen.
Read: How to Cut Costs While Traveling
Hate #2: Service in Copenhagen
The service in Copenhagen (and all of Denmark) is not great. It’s not that the people are rude, but they just aren’t super attentive like you may be used to. Tipping isn’t customary in Copenhagen, and you will see why. Since they aren’t relying on tips for their income, they aren’t going out of their way to provide stellar service.
Hate #3: Winter in Copenhagen
Most tourists visit in the lovely summer months, but if you happen to find yourself in Copenhagen in the winter, you might hate the weather. Winters in Copenhagen are cold and damp, with not much daylight coming through the clouds. Temperatures tend to hover around freezing, so it’s not super cold, but it’s not the best weather to experience. Nevertheless, Danes love to be outdoors. If you’ve ever heard the saying “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing” that comes from Scandinavia!
Read: The Best & Worst of European Winter Travel
Hate #4: Copenhagen Bike Paths
There are supposedly more bicycles than residents in Copenhagen. Seemingly everyone is commuting on their bikes and as a tourist, the bike paths can be deadly. Traffic rules are strictly followed, so there’s no crossing when you have a red light. Pay extra attention when crossing a bike path or exiting a bus. When waiting at an intersection, the safest thing to do is to follow the lead of the locals.
Hate #5: Little Mermaid Hype
The top thing to see in Copenhagen is the Little Mermaid statue and when you go to see it, it’s kind of a let-down. The statue is kind of small and usually surrounded by people, so it feels like one of those overrated things in Europe that you have to see but isn’t all that exciting once you see it. After all, it’s on nearly every postcard and you’ve seen countless photos of it, so the real thing just doesn’t live up to the hype.
Love #1: Outdoor Life in Copenhagen
Even in the winter, Copenhagen residents love to be outdoors. You’ll see beer gardens with people enjoying a pint year-round. They are bicycling year-round and making the best of winter, but in the summer, the outdoors is fantastic. You can take public transportation to the beaches near Copenhagen or go hiking or kayaking. Or just hang out in a beer garden!
Love #2: Getting Around Copenhagen
Copenhagen is extremely easy to navigate, making it easy for tourists to get around. It’s a relatively small city, so you can access almost everything by walking around. When you do want to go farther than the city center, the buses and the metro are easy to use. Nearly all of the main sites of Copenhagen are in walking distance of each other and it’s pretty flat, so you don’t have to climb up any steep cobblestone hills. As a bonus, nearly everyone speaks perfect English, which also makes this a very easy city to travel in.
Love #3: Food in Copenhagen
There is a lot of great food in Copenhagen, but not all of it is Danish. Yes, the hot dogs are great and you’ll probably eat a few of those during your trip, but there are other great things to eat in Copenhagen. They love their open-faced sandwiches, herring and pork, and Danish pastries are amazing; nothing like the Danish you have back home! While Danish food isn’t my favorite, Copenhagen has a great international restaurant scene with some really good food. Don’t pay a lot for mediocre food, pay a bit more for really good food and splurge on a few of the top restaurants in Copenhagen.
Love #4: Things to Do in Copenhagen
There are so many cool things to do in Copenhagen; from museums, parks, gardens and outdoor activities. Tivoli Gardens is one of the oldest amusement parks in the world, and the architecture in Copenhagen is amazing. There are tons of palaces and scenic views, like the one at Nyhavn.
Love #5: Safety in Copenhagen
If you’ve traveled around Europe or watched our videos about pickpockets and travel scams, you’ll understand why safety in Copenhagen is such a highlight. We have walked around late at night, early in the morning, in quiet neighborhoods or crowded tourist spots, and I’ve never felt unsafe or uneasy. You might even see baby strollers lined up outside a cafe, with babies in them! Yes, people just leave their babies to sleep in the fresh air while they nip in for a coffee. That’s how safe Copenhagen is.
Copenhagen is a great city once you get over the prices and it’s really easy for new travelers to navigate because it’s so safe and everyone speaks English. The “hates” are really just a few things to keep a head’s up on rather than a reason not to visit Copenhagen. Want to know more about traveling to Denmark? Check out these other blog posts: