There’s a lot to be said for last-minute travel plans. Cheap flights to Copenhagen anyone? But be warned, a long weekend in Copenhagen is a lot of fun but it will not be anywhere near as cheap as those last minute flights!
I booked flights for the scandalous sum of about £20 return – so you can probably see why I couldn’t resist! But it wasn’t until after I’d booked the flights and told Stu we were going for Valentine’s break that I realised just how pricey things are. Luckily, I’m a resourceful woman and I found a private room in a hostel for a reasonable price just a short walk from the busy city centre.
And so we were off to Copenhagen!
The flight from Stansted Airport was just under 2 hours and the journey from the airport was probably one of the easiest I’ve ever done with options to travel into the city by both train and metro. We stayed at the Steel House Copenhagen, a luxury hostel in the Vesterbro area. The building was big and industrial looking but we were definitely pleasantly surprised when we got inside.
Our room was a private double room with its own bathroom. Look, that becomes all-important when you get a bit older. Stu and I are just too old to be sharing a bathroom with a bunch of strangers! 😉 The room was pretty small, virtually all bed, but clean, bright and comfortable. It was also quiet, something else that’s a necessity these days! Our room overlooked the large courtyard out the back.
From landing at Copenhagen airport to checking in and finding the local Hard Rock Cafe for a burger and beer took barely any time at all, which was perfect as we had a late afternoon flight. We stuck to grabbing a bite to eat and having a drink that first night, knowing we’d be off out and exploring the following day.
As it turned out, we ran into some work friends our first day in Copenhagen! They were just coming to the end of their stay so we met up with them for breakfast and took the lovely walk up to Nyhavn – the famous picturesque harbour with the unpronounceable name (still haven’t figured out how to say that properly!) which quickly became our favourite spot in the city.
We also took the long walk up to Langelinje Pier to see the Little Mermaid statue, perched on her rock, while we were there. That was when we discovered the Copenhagen Light Festival was in full flow and we found the most beautiful light and sound installation on our walk back towards the city centre.
Other highlights were the walk up the Rundetaarn (or Round Tower) for some wonderful views over the city and finding Copenhagen’s oldest street at just the right time of day as the evening sun lit it up and made for some glorious photographs. We also got to visit the stunning Botanisk Have, the botanical gardens, where I was able to take some of my favourite photographs from this whole trip.
I thoroughly enjoyed a good plate of Smorrebrod (the Danish open sandwich) one day and we also took the train to Sweden over the Oresund Bridge for the day, where we got to eat good Swedish meatballs in Malmo. This was also where we stumbled upon a Pokemon Go World Tournament as we sat waiting for a coffee shop to open!
So, despite our earlier reservations about the price of things in Copenhagen, we actually had a really delightful stay and I would happily visit again!
Have you ever visited Copenhagen? What were your favourite things to see and do?