COPENHAGEN
Copenhagen (pop. 1,800,000) combines the swan ponds, gingerbread houses, and Lille Havfrue (Little Mermaid) of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales with the cosmopolitan style, world-class museums, and round-the-clock nightlife of Europe’s largest cities, all the while maintaining a friendly, distinctly Danish charm. Denmark’s capital embodies the youthful, laid-back, and progressive attitude that pervades this country of islands.
TRANSPORTATION
Flights: Kastrup Airport (CPH; 32 47 47 47; www.cph.dk). Trains connect the airport to Kobenhavn H (13min. every lOmin. 25kr). RyanAir flies cheaply into nearby Sturup Airport in Malmo, Sweden (MMX; +46 40 613 1000) from London and Frankfurt. Fly-buses depart for Kobenhavn H 30min. after RyanAir arrivals (45min. lOOkr).
Trains: Trains stop at Kobenhavn H (Hovedbanegarden or Central Station; domestic travel s70 13 14 15; international reservations 70 13 14 16; info 33 14 17 01). For travel within the country, www.dsb.dk is indispensable. Fares depend on seat availability; for the cheapest tickets, book at least 14 days in advance, travel with a partner, or use your Wildcard (under-26 only). Approximate fares to: Berlin (9hr. daily, 800kr); Hamburg (4Vhr. 5 per day, 519kr); Oslo (9hr. 3 per day, 800kr); Stockholm (5’2hr.
4-5 per day, 1 lOOkr). Seat reservations (23-51kr) are mandatory.
Ferries: Scandinavian Seaways (33 42 33 42; www.dfds.dk) departs daily for Oslo (16hr.; 480-735kr, under-26 315-570kr). Polferries (33 11 46 45; www.polfer-ries.dk) set out from Ndr. Toldbod, 12A (off Esplanaden) for Swinoujscie, Poland (10hr.; Su-M and W 8am, Th-F 7:30pm; 340kr, with ISIC 285kr).
Public Transportation: Buses (info 36 13 14 15; www.hur.dk) run daily 7am-9:30pm. Trains (info 33 14 17 01) run 6:30am-llpm. Buses and S-trains (subways and suburban trains; M-Sa 5am-12:30am, Su 6am-12:30am) operate on a zone system. To travel any distance, you must buy a minimum of a 2-zone ticket (15kr, additional zones 7.50kr). For extended stays or travel in Zealand, the best deal is the rabatkort (rebate card; 95kr), available from kiosks and bus drivers, which offers 10 2-zone tickets at a discount; just “clip” the ticket as you embark. For longer travel, you can clip the ticket more than once or purchase a rabatkort with more zones. Tickets and clips allow lhr. of transfers. The 24hr. pass (90kr), available at any train station, grants unlimited bus and train transport in Northern Zealand, as do both Copenhagen Cards (see below). Night buses, marked with an “N,” run 12:30-5:30am on limited routes and charge double fare; they also accept the 24hr. pass. Copenhagen’s newly renovated Metro system is efficient and convenient.
Taxis: s35 35 35 35 or 38 77 77 77. Base fare 23kr; add 10-13kr per km. Kobenhavn H to Kastrup Airport costs around 200kr.
Bike Rental: City Bike (www.citybike.dk) lends bikes from 120 racks all over the city for a 20kr deposit. Anyone can return your bike and claim your deposit; lock up your bike or return it to the rack when not in use. Kebenhavns Cykler, Reventlowsg. 11 ( 33 33 86 13; www.rentabike.dk), in Kobenhavn H. 75kr per day, 340kr per week; 500kr deposit. Open July-Aug. M-F 8am-5:30pm, Sa 9am-lpm, Su lOam-lpm.
Hitchhiking and Ridesharing: Hitchhiking is not common in Denmark. Let’s Go does not recommend hitchhiking. For info on ridesharing, check out www.nice.person.dk or www.useit.dk. Always exercise caution when traveling with strangers.
ORIENTATION AND PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Copenhagen lies on the east coast of the island of Zealand (Sjaelland), across the 0resund Sound from Malmo, Sweden. The 28km Oresund bridge and tunnel, which opened July 1, 2000, established the first “fixed link” between the two countries. Copenhagen’s main train station, Kobenhavn H, lies near the city’s heart. North of the station, Vesterbrogade passes Tivoli and Radhuspladsen, the central square, then cuts through the city center as Stroget (STROY-yet), the world’s longest pedestrian thoroughfare. As it heads east, Stroget goes through a series of names: Frederiks-berggade, Nygade, Vimmelskaftet, Amagertorv, and Ostergade.
