Copenhagen card question - 1 vs 2 days

[KittyloverCA]

i know this is a very subjective question, but wanted to see what others’ experiences are.

 

We arrive in Copenhagen at night (day 1) and will have days 2 and 3 in Copenhagen and will board the ship day 4

 

We are coming from CA so very big time difference and travel time, and we are coming with kids, who though not little kids, can tend toward the grumpy.

 

I was thinking we’d get a 2 day Copenhagen card, and I wanted to purchase ahead of time, but now I’m wondering if that’s too ambitious to make it worthwhile given how tired we may be

 

We’re any of you able to make good use of just a 1 day card and maybe spend the first day just walk8ng around, or would it be better to get the 2 days? It’s been so long since I’ve dealt with jetlag, I can’t decide

[Richjoxyz]

Very good question. We just returned from our Baltic cruise that departed from Amsterdam. We flew in 3 days early and bought the I Amsterdam card. I underestimated the jet lag issue. I could not get to sleep until 6 am for two nights! (6 AM is 9 PM for us Californians.) I had made reservations at museums for 11 am. Let me tell you, when I was laying there at 6 AM still waiting to go to sleep, I did not look forward to getting up three hours later to get ready for my museum trip.

 

We did manage to make use of our card, and barely made a little profit by using it, but next time I am going to take it easy and let my body sleep.

 

It took me 4 to 6 days to get back on a normal sleep schedule. My wife can sleep any time, any place, no problem for her. I thought I was going to go crazy from no sleep for a couple days.

[Richjoxyz]

Our flight was a red eye and I don't sleep much on the plane, so first night, almost no sleep. Second night, could not get to sleep until 6 am (had to get up at 9!) Third night, got to sleep about 4 AM, maybe 5AM!. Next night, about 2 AM to 3 AM, after that I was getting back to normal, about midnight or one. Remember, it stays light until 10:30 or 11. Midnight feels like 9 or 10 PM. The sun came up at 3:30 or 4. Make sure to bring a sleep mask, or close line clips to pin the curtains closed to keep the room dark.

Edited July 5, 2018 by Richjoxyz

[GradUT]

There is plenty to do in Copenhagen so that you don’t need a Copenhagen Card for 2 days. Our first day was spent just walking around the city, including the EXCELLENT 3-hour walking tour offered by Copenhagen Free Tours. I would plan to sightsee on your own on Day 2 and buy the Copenhagen Card on Day 3 once you get there (if you think you will do enough to warrant the cost).

[KittyloverCA]

Very good question. We just returned from our Baltic cruise that departed from Amsterdam. We flew in 3 days early and bought the I Amsterdam card. I underestimated the jet lag issue. I could not get to sleep until 6 am for two nights! (6 AM is 9 PM for us Californians.) I had made reservations at museums for 11 am. Let me tell you, when I was laying there at 6 AM still waiting to go to sleep, I did not look forward to getting up three hours later to get ready for my museum trip.

 

We did manage to make use of our card, and barely made a little profit by using it, but next time I am going to take it easy and let my body sleep.

 

It took me 4 to 6 days to get back on a normal sleep schedule. My wife can sleep any time, any place, no problem for her. I thought I was going to go crazy from no sleep for a couple days.

 

I hear you! I will absolutely be taking ambien that night and giving the kids Dramamine or benedryl plus melatonin. The fact that we leave at 7pm (arrive around 9pm local next day) and that I hardly can ever sleep more than a couple of winks on the plane gives me hope that we’ll sleep well the 1st night

[KittyloverCA]

There is plenty to do in Copenhagen so that you don’t need a Copenhagen Card for 2 days. Our first day was spent just walking around the city, including the EXCELLENT 3-hour walking tour offered by Copenhagen Free Tours. I would plan to sightsee on your own on Day 2 and buy the Copenhagen Card on Day 3 once you get there (if you think you will do enough to warrant the cost).

 

Thanks, do you have to reserve the walking tour ahead?

[kentuckycruiser]

We are spending one quick 24 hours in Paris on the way to Copenhagen and I really hope that being on EST will help with jet lag. I shudder at my kids and how they are going to handle the lag. Fingers crossed. We aren't getting a Copenhagen card and that is something we usually do.

[KittyloverCA]

We are spending one quick 24 hours in Paris on the way to Copenhagen and I really hope that being on EST will help with jet lag. I shudder at my kids and how they are going to handle the lag. Fingers crossed. We aren't getting a Copenhagen card and that is something we usually do.

 

It depends what time you arrive in Paris! A long time ago I flew to the UK from DC and even though it was a relatively short flight (only like 6 hrs), it got in about 6am and trying to stay up all day was the pits!

[kentuckycruiser]

It depends what time you arrive in Paris! A long time ago I flew to the UK from DC and even though it was a relatively short flight (only like 6 hrs), it got in about 6am and trying to stay up all day was the pits!

 

 

Yes I think it will be pretty bad. The flight is 8 hours direct from Cincinnati but since the flight leaves at 6 pm. no one will be going to sleep anytime soon. I think the flight arrives around 8 am. Paris time - we are having a car from the hotel pick us up and we aren't going to do any checked luggage. I'm trying to minimize stress and melt downs! We are doing a Cedric's car tour at 1 p.m. for 2.5 hours and then I figured we would grab a bite for dinner and then crash. I got Eiffel tickets but I'm going to try and unload those once we get to Paris, there is no way we will want to deal with that at 5:30 pm.!

[KittyloverCA]

Yes I think it will be pretty bad. The flight is 8 hours direct from Cincinnati but since the flight leaves at 6 pm. no one will be going to sleep anytime soon. I think the flight arrives around 8 am. Paris time - we are having a car from the hotel pick us up and we aren't going to do any checked luggage. I'm trying to minimize stress and melt downs! We are doing a Cedric's car tour at 1 p.m. for 2.5 hours and then I figured we would grab a bite for dinner and then crash. I got Eiffel tickets but I'm going to try and unload those once we get to Paris, there is no way we will want to deal with that at 5:30 pm.!

 

I gotta say I don’t envy you!! Ugh. Roll into that hotel as soon as you can for a nap!

[afto]

One other thought: remember that the Copenhagen Card is a 24-hour or 48-hour card, not a 1 or 2 day card. If you keep that in mind, you could validate it halfway through your day 2 (say 2 pm) so that you could visit one or two attractions in the afternoon and then use it for a cruise in the afternoon or early evening (Netto boats operate until 7pm or 8pm in the summer). It would then still be valid on day 3 until 2pm (if that was the time that you validated it on day 2). As long as you are ADMITTED to your last attraction of the day by 2pm, your pass will be valid. I would suggest saving the attraction that you will spend the longest time at for your last admission (Rosenborg Castle, for example). Takes a bit of advance planning, but you can maximize use of the card this way. You will enjoy Copenhagen and its friendly people.

[KittyloverCA]

One other thought: remember that the Copenhagen Card is a 24-hour or 48-hour card, not a 1 or 2 day card. If you keep that in mind, you could validate it halfway through your day 2 (say 2 pm) so that you could visit one or two attractions in the afternoon and then use it for a cruise in the afternoon or early evening (Netto boats operate until 7pm or 8pm in the summer). It would then still be valid on day 3 until 2pm (if that was the time that you validated it on day 2). As long as you are ADMITTED to your last attraction of the day by 2pm, your pass will be valid. I would suggest saving the attraction that you will spend the longest time at for your last admission (Rosenborg Castle, for example). Takes a bit of advance planning, but you can maximize use of the card this way. You will enjoy Copenhagen and its friendly people.

 

Oh great tip! If we got the 48 hr and validated at noon or 2pm we could still use it for transport to the ship, if we don’t wimp out and get a taxi!

[trosebery]

Oh great tip! If we got the 48 hr and validated at noon or 2pm we could still use it for transport to the ship, if we don’t wimp out and get a taxi!

 

Or you can use it for transportation from the airport to the hotel without using up a day either (which is what we did).

 

The public transport attached to the card is why we sprang for the 48-hour card: with kids, it was often easier to hop a bus for part of the way than make them walk everywhere.

 

Our kids fell asleep at the hotel no problem but woke up early in the morning (we were the first ones down at the breakfast buffet), so you'll want to have some plans for what you can do early in the morning if your kids wake up early. One morning we were on the first-of-the-day canal boat rides. Another day we walked around by the Gefion fountain, the Kastellet fortress, and the Little Mermaid statue before anybody else was there (around 8 am). The Little Mermaid is sometimes described as overrated, but she's very cool when you're the only ones there with her.

 

BTW, if you've not used the Dramamine/Benadryl with your kids on planes before, I wouldn't recommend experimenting. First time I ever tried dosing my kids with Benadryl on a plane (on a friend's recommendation), it left them edgy and wired instead of sleepy, and they were completely trashed by the time we landed!

[KittyloverCA]

Or you can use it for transportation from the airport to the hotel without using up a day either (which is what we did).

 

The public transport attached to the card is why we sprang for the 48-hour card: with kids, it was often easier to hop a bus for part of the way than make them walk everywhere.

 

Our kids fell asleep at the hotel no problem but woke up early in the morning (we were the first ones down at the breakfast buffet), so you'll want to have some plans for what you can do early in the morning if your kids wake up early. One morning we were on the first-of-the-day canal boat rides. Another day we walked around by the Gefion fountain, the Kastellet fortress, and the Little Mermaid statue before anybody else was there (around 8 am). The Little Mermaid is sometimes described as overrated, but she's very cool when you're the only ones there with her.

 

BTW, if you've not used the Dramamine/Benadryl with your kids on planes before, I wouldn't recommend experimenting. First time I ever tried dosing my kids with Benadryl on a plane (on a friend's recommendation), it left them edgy and wired instead of sleepy, and they were completely trashed by the time we landed!

 

Yes I’ve definitely given it to them before....

 

We’ll definitely take a taxi to the hotel, since it will be after like 18 hrs of traveling, we’ll just want to roll into bed!

Edited July 6, 2018 by KittyloverCA
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