I_am_a_Dane

@marmom18 & @milolii,

I would recommend public transportation for travelling between the city and the airport. It's cheaper and often it's just as fast/faster than a taxi. You can take the train or the metro, whichever is faster depends on where you're travelling from.

Taxis are my go-to "private" transfer service. Taxis are regulated and metered - and private transfer services tend to be horrendously expensive. There's a surplus of taxis in Copenhagen. Waiting times are inevitable when hundreds or thousands of people are disembarking the same ship at the same time, but it's generally not difficult to get a taxi.

The city centre is very walkable, and the rest of the city is connected by an efficient and extensive network of public transportation, so I would not recommend HOHO-buses in Copenhagen. I would recommend a canal/harbour tour - it's a great way to see the city - but if you've already been on a walking tour, you may not want to spend another hour sightseeing? Copenhagen has many interesting museums and sights, so it really depends on your interests. There's no dedicated Viking museum in Copenhagen. There's a Viking ship museum in nearby Roskilde, but when you only have a day in Copenhagen I would dedicate the limited time to Copenhagen itself.

15 minutes ago, FredZiffle said:

 

Saturday, October 19th.  Around 10 AM.

Okay! I can see that there are no S-trains on the line between Østerport and Svanemøllen that weekend due to work on the overhead lines (source: https://www.dsb.dk/trafikinformation/andringer-i-trafik-og-drift/andringer-i-trafik-og-drift/910---osterport-hellerup/). The fastest and easiest option for you is then to take the regional train to Hellerup and then take S-train line A to Hillerød from there - like the journey planner is suggesting.

2 hours ago, FredZiffle said:

I'm planning our route from Kobenhagn H to Hillerod to visit Frederiksborg Castle.  It looks to me like I can take the A train on a direct route, but the Journey Planner has me taking what I assume is a regional train (RE 1337) from the Central Station and transferring to the A train at a later stop in Copenhagen.  Am I missing something?

What date are you searching on? It sounds like there are some changes on the S-trains that day... and yes, "Re" is short for regional train. 

I think it sounds like taxis is the way to go for you for the airport-hotel-cruise port trips.

If you intend to rent a car and drive to Sweden you should be aware of the high bridge toll on the Øresund Bridge - and if you're taking the Helsingør-Helsingborg ferry you can save some money by booking your ticket online. As Danish viking said, if you want explore cities or larger towns in Skåne (Malmö, Lund, Helsingborg, Ystad, etc.) it's easy to get there by public transport, and a lot cheaper than renting a car and driving it to Sweden... But if you want to visit rural Skåne then it's probably a good idea to rent a car (just be sure to ditch the car in Copenhagen, you're better off without a car here).

@Danish viking: Yes, that's how I understand it too. AFAIK the metro supplement will only affect Rejsekort and commuter pass passengers. Paper tickets, City Passes and the Copenhagen Card seems to be unaffected by the upcoming metro supplement.

@VCVR4HOME2: Halloween is not that big here. It's starting to catch on for kids though, not as much for grown-ups. We have plenty of dollar stores. Most of them are called Flying Tiger. If your hunt in Flying Tiger is unsuccessful you could try visiting a party store, like Fest og Farver.

8 hours ago, Danish viking said:

That was almost also what i said. 

 

Minor difference is that its always 1:15 and I thought they just rounded up to the nearest quarter. 

So the difference in minutes are minimal. 

 

But I'm using Rejsekortet so I am not used to buy single tickets so that is my excuse 🙂

Agreed, and as you said, no journeys in Copenhagen should take more than 30-40 minutes anyway. A couple of years ago there was some special circumstances that meant that this trick saved me a bit of money compared to Rejsekort, so that's why I know 🙂

4 hours ago, Sea,Sun&Sail said:

I guess you speak about regular buses, not HOHO.

Correct.

@portiemom @Danish viking

2 zone tickets are valid for 1 hour and 15 minutes. For each additional zone an additional 15 minutes of validity is added (up to 8 zones - there are different rules for tickets for 9 zones and up).

They don't round it up anymore (that was a thing back from the 10 trip stamp cards, which aren't in use anymore). If you buy a 2 zone ticket at 10:04 it will say that the ticket is valid from 10:04 to 11:19. This means that you need to board your last mode of transportation before 11:19, but you are allowed to stay on the bus/train until you have get get off even if it's later than the time the ticket expires (on the metro: maximum 30 minutes on top of the expiration time, and no further than to the terminus).

Source (in Danish): https://dinoffentligetransport.dk/find-og-koeb-billet/enkeltbilletter/enkeltbillet/enkeltbilletter-til-korte-rejser/

1 hour ago, mnsweeps said:

How do you get from Hotel Bethel to the port? I assume the port is called Freeport of Copenhagen ...we would be on Norwegian cruise.

Your cruise will presumably depart from Oceankaj, but you can check it here: http://www.cmport.com/ships-in-port/cruise-ships/season-current

You essentially have two options when you're going to Oceankaj:

Public transportation: There are changes coming to the public transport network in the coming months/year so it depends on when you are going on your cruise. You can see your options on www.journeyplanner.dk

Taxi: A regular taxi will cost around 200 DKK, maybe a little bit more, depending on time, day and traffic.

1 hour ago, Raisinette said:

I have a question about the 'Irma' store...there was a post much earlier (or maybe in our roll call!) that Irma will have a decent selection of wine.  I went to their website and saw a link to Membership - do you have to be a member in order to shop at Irma?

 

Thank you

No, you don't have to be a member to shop at Irma.

4 hours ago, letscruiseagain&again said:

Is it safe to say he'll be gone by the 6th? My flight from the US gets in the morning of the 6th and I really don't want to have to deal with whatever a Trump visit would bring during my vacation. 

The visit is scheduled for September 2nd and 3rd. These kinds of things don't drag out. I'm sure that Trump, Frederiksen (Danish PM), Johannesen (Faroese PM) and Kielsen (Greenlandic Premier) have important matters to deal with in their own governments, so they don't have a ton of time for this thing to last all the way until the 6th of September.

Now Trump is saying that his visit to Denmark is a "maybe" so it may not happen after all.

Public opinion may be very anti-Trump depending on what's happening with the whole "buying Greenland" thing. Obviously it's seen as very disrespectful to the Greenlandic people, and within the Kingdom of Denmark the proposal is widely seen as something that belongs in colonial times, not in a modern democracy. However, Trump also just said that this matter is not "on the burner" so one would hope we won't hear any more about the proposal.

Hi,

Take a look at this map for reference for what I'm saying in this post (the map can be found on cph.dk -> Practical: https://cph-prod-cdn.azureedge.net/49c39b/globalassets/8.-om-cph/6.-investor/selskabsmeddelelser/2011/august/cph_shopping-online16.03_final_land.pdf

You will collect your bags at the same baggage reclaim facility and then exit into terminal 3 (at the point marked with 'customs' on the map).

If you make a sharp right turn after customs and go down the hallway towards check in of odd-size luggage you can find some benches at a relatively calm area, close to where you'll both exit the bagage reclaim hall/customs. It's not an exciting hallway, but there's daylight and limited foot traffic.

There are also information screens nearby so you can keep up to date on the status of all arrivals (i.e. when it's landed and when luggage is being delivered).

46 minutes ago, pmjnh said:

 

Thank you so much for this information. Very helpful!

We are thinking about Hotel Bethel. Is the easiest way to get to the airport from the hotel via taxi or are there private car services for hire in the city? 

Happy to help!

Private transfer companies tend to be very expensive in Denmark, so I wouldn’t recommend that.

A taxi will cost around 250-350 DKK, give or take depending on traffic, route and day/time.

Taking the metro is a good alternative: Hotel Bethel is really close to Kongens Nytorv metro station. From there you can take the metro directly to the airport in 15 minutes. The adult fare is 36 DKK.

2 hours ago, pmjnh said:

Hello, We are currently looking to book a hotel in Copenhagen 2 nights post cruise. We will be there when the Jazz Festival is occurring in July. It would be nice to attend a bit of this event but want also to stay where it is not too noisy from the festival. We are currently looking at the Nyhaven district. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

I wouldn't worry about staying in the Nyhavn area during the Jazz Festival. I haven't found the festival to be that noisy and they usually shut down before it gets too late, so that they won't disturb the neighbours - so they definitely won't be playing when you're trying to sleep. It's a nice area and you're very close to pretty much everything! 

But then again Nyhavn is a very central location, so there will always be some noises from the cityscape outside - but this is only a problem if you're really sensitive to noise (and it doesn't sound like that's the case with you).

1 hour ago, mhb1757 said:

Any comments on the Absalon hotel also appreciated or hotel suggestions for Copenhagen. 

Absalon Hotel is quite central and due to its close proximity to Copenhagen Central Station (and with the upcoming opening on the metro circle line in late September 2019) it will be really easy and convenient to get around the city if you stay at Absalon Hotel. It's located near the border between the city centre "Indre By" and the hipster neighbourhood Vesterbro. Not bad, if you ask me. You should be aware that it's in the middle of the RLD of Copenhagen, which is kind of "tame" by inernational standards. The area is still perfectly safe, but if RLD related actives makes you uncomfortable you could look into alternative locations.
Public transport schedules for next year haven't been released yet, but you could take a bus+S-train/metro from (near) Langelinie to Copenhagen Central Station for 24 DKK per adult. Taking a taxi from Langelinie to Absalon Hotel will cost around 150-200 DKK depending on traffic, time of day and day of the week.
I don't know as much as a single Scandinavian who lives in a house or apartment with aircondition. Aircondition is not needed here as it's just doesn't get that hot. We've seen a few exceptions to this in the last couple of years, and especially last summer was really hot, but these situations are still exceptions. When you are visiting in May, it's highly unlikely that we'll have a heatwave, but in these times you never know. I've been told that many of the hotels in Copenhagen claiming to have "aircondition" doesn't actually have aircondition, but just a central ventilation system.

15 minutes ago, PR1NCESSD1ANE said:

Thanks for your response.  If you don’t tip for a free walking tour, how else would the guides be compensated?

I disagree with Danish Viking on this one. You do tip on the "free" walking tour - otherwise the guides would loose money on working the tours.

I've read somewhere that people usually recommend tipping the guide around 75 DKK per person, maybe 100 DKK if you enjoyed the tour (or the equivalent in other currencies). I think that sounds fair considering the cost of living in Copenhagen.

@LoraJ I'll add that having a car in Copenhagen is a hassle. The city is not designed for cars: There's a lot of one-way streets and pedestrians only zones in the city centre, and parking is limited and expensive in most of the city.

I second everything Danish viking suggested. You can find info about the luggage storage facility at Copenhagen Central Station here: https://en.hovedbanen.dk/dsb-on-central-station/baggage-and-lost-property/.

There's also the luggage transfer service www.airluggage.dk. I haven't used them myself, but from what I've read and heard about them, they are getting positive reviews.

1 hour ago, Wyoming2010 said:

 

This is great to know.  Is there a website I can find these connecting ferries and trains so I can plan ahead. 

In addition to what Danish Viking said:

For trains to Germany (jointly operated by the Danish DSB and German DB), book with www.bahn.com

For trains to Southern Sweden and Gothenburg: Find timetables and ticket prices on www.journeyplanner.dk (choose "Find connections: To/From Skåne") or www.skanetrafiken.se - buy your ticket at the station

SJ (Swedish train operator, express trains to Stockholm and Gothenburg): www.sj.se

On 5/15/2019 at 12:54 AM, jemz1949 said:

Would you please provide proper, expected tipping protocal in Copenhagen?  taxi drivers? bellmen?  waiters? Thank you.

I personally think that tipping the waiter at a restaurant (maybe just by letting them keep the change) is a nice thing to do if you received good service. Waiters are paid a living wage, but their wages are usually not that high. That being said, there's nothing wrong with not tipping at all.

1 hour ago, Wyoming2010 said:

Question:  can you take a train or ferry to other countries from Copenhagen?  Since we are not splitting the departure and returning ports anymore, we will be staying in Copenhagen pre and post cruise and we'd like to see if we can get to other areas while in Copenhagen. 

Yes, you can.

There's an overnight ferry to Oslo, operated by DFDS. There are direct trains from Copenhagen to Stockholm, Gothenburg, Hamburg (this does temporarily require a change, and possibly a replacement bus ride due to construction work) and many towns in southern Sweden. From Copenhagen, you can also take the train to most corners of Denmark - so there are many options!

16 hours ago, DisneyMemaw said:

Thank you so much for this very informative thread!  We'll be in Copenhagen July 11-13 before our cruise.  We don't arrive until the evening of July 11 so we're really only going to be touring on July 12 (and will do one more day when we disembark).  I know that the Jazz Festival will be going on during our visit.  We are planning on reservations for dinner but I was wondering if you thought that we'd also need them for lunch that day with the large Festival crowds.  

1

I think you are overestimating the size of the festival crowd. It's not necessary to make reservations for lunch, unless you travelling as a are a large group or maybe if you want to eat at a specific (and small and popular) restaurant.

1 hour ago, warcon said:

hi!! this thread is amazing!!!!   quick question  we are flying into CPH  and are staying at the Andersen Hotel 1 night before our cruise. is it easy to take the train from the airport to central station ( i think that is the one near the Andersen )??? with luggage??   Thank_you!!!  

Hi,

Yes, Andersen Hotel is located near Copenhagen Central Station (“København H”).

Taking the train, with luggage, is easy. Most (though not all) trains from Copenhagen Airport have low floor wagons with step-free access.

When you arrive at Copenhagen Central Station, use the Reventlowsgade exit. It’s the most direct route from the station to your hotel.

1 hour ago, chubbypiggy said:

We will be arriving on April 29 on Regal Princess.  We are thinking of leaving the ship at 8:30 a.m.  Is it easy to get a minivan for 4 persons for 4 big luggage to the airport?  Is it better to do taxi or Uber?

 

Thank you.

Your ship will be the only cruise ship at Oceankaj on that day, so you won't have any problems getting a taxi. Uber is not operating in Denmark.

2 hours ago, Saman said:

We hope to arrive at our hotel about 14.00 so we have the afternoon to do sightseeing , due to a flight change we lost a whole day in Copenhagen , we are staying near main station i see we can get a metro from there to Osterport and walk from there to the Kastellet and the Mermaid , we would then like to go to Nyhavn how would be the best way to get there ? i wonder about walking to The Kings Garden  and then down Gothersgade?

 

I have just read about the harbour bus , i am thinking this could be an option for us , is it included in the basic transport 24 hour ticket that we will be getting?

 

I am wondering about the Tivoli Gardens , its very near our hotel am i right calculating its about 14 euros for the basic entrance ticket ? then rides extra .

 

Thanks again for your help.

Just a small correction. It's not the metro you can take from Copenhagen Central Station to Østerport, but the S-trains (there's a train every other minute during the daytime). When the metro opens sometime later in 2019, that will be an option too.

It's a 20-30 minute walk from The Little Mermaid to Nyhavn along the harbour. You can take a tiny detour via Amaliehaven, Amalienborg and The Marble Church/Frederiks Church.

The Kings Garden is also an option, as you mentioned. This is a popular place for locals to hang out when the weather is good.

Harbour buses are an integrated part of the public transport system, so public transport tickets and passes are also valid on the harbour buses.

The admission to Tivoli Gardens is DKK 130, around EUR 17. Think 1 EUR is approx. 7.5 DKK.

Hi,

I have no experience with disembarking in Copenhagen, so I won't say anything about that. But I have a lot of experience with getting around in Copenhagen:

If you are lucky, it will take just over 15 minutes to drive. If you are (very) unlucky, it will take 30 minutes. Then add some time to pay and the time you need at the station. It's a good idea to buy something to eat and drink, as you can't buy this onboard the train (except for cold beverage vending machine - card only).

If, for some imaginary reason, taking a taxi all the way to Copenhagen Central Station is not an option - you could take a taxi to Nordhavn or Østerport station and take an S-train to Copenhagen Central Station from there.

On 2/4/2019 at 4:31 PM, gnome12 said:

I arrive in Copenhagen on Friday July 12, and will be there for the last weekend of the Jazz Festival (July 5 - 14 2019). Does anyone know when the schedule comes out? Currently, www.jazz.dk is all about the winter jazz festival. I'm not interested in the big name acts, but maybe a small venue or outdoor concert.

 

Also, I will be staying at Hotel Bethel. Is there likely to be additional noise because of the festival?

2

The website has been updated and now has a section for the summer festival and a schedule: http://jazz.dk/en/copenhagen-jazz-festival-2019/concerts/

21 hours ago, gnome12 said:

I see that the M3 (circle line) is supposed to open in July 2019. Does anyone have an exact date yet? I will be in Copenhagen from July 13 to July 17. 

The City Ring metro are facing further delays, so it may not be ready to open in July. This is new information, that was in the news a few days ago, so whether or not the opening will be in July is still uncertain.

When you are at Nordre Toldbod, the closest station will be Marmorkirken (if the new metro line is open). If it's not open, there's no station near Nordre Toldbod, but the bus stop Esplanaden will be close. 

You can see the current public transport map of the city centre (including Nordre Toldbod) here: https://dinoffentligetransport.dk/media/2131/bustogmetrocity.pdf (larger map: https://dinoffentligetransport.dk/media/2128/bustogmetro_stkbh.pdf)

If the new metro line is open when you are in Copenhagen, it will look something like this: https://dinoffentligetransport.dk/media/3463/nyt-bynet-2019-indre-by-og-christianshavn.pdf (larger map: https://dinoffentligetransport.dk/media/3472/nyt-bynet-2019-koebenhavn-og-frederiksberg.pdf)

7 minutes ago, sdho said:

Thanks ejf1600.  I saw that and wondering if spending 1400DKK or taking 3 Taxis to the port.  Of course I'm not sure how much the taxi is from Crowne to Oceankaj but I'm guessing around 400DKK?

A taxi will cost around DKK 300 - 400 depending on traffic, time of day and day of the week. Large taxis will cost around 50% more.