Copenhagen, Stockholm, and Amsterdam Travel Itinerary
11 days in Europe, my favorite spots and activities, VAT refund in the EU, and hotel reviews
COPENHAGEN
Monday, September 1 - travel to Copenhagen: JFK - CPH (red eye flight with SAS - Scandinavian Airlines, about 7 hours)
Tuesday, September 2 - Day 1 in CPH: hotel check-in, Hart Bakery, local walks (Vestebro & U of Copenhagen area), dinner at Cleo in Nørrebro
TRANSPORTATION IN CPH
From CPH airport to city center or your hotel: Best option is to use the Metro M2 (yellow)/M3 (red) train. Look for the red letter M sign for the entrance after baggage claim. When you’re in the city, take the elevator down (-2) if you don’t want to walk up or down 2 flights of stairs every time. To pay: download the DOT tickets app (Din Offentlige Transport, which translates to ‘Your Public Transport’) or purchase at the airport's station.
There are also S-trains, so you can pay on the DSB app (Danish State Railways) or at ticket booths, also located after the baggage claim and at the train stations. It is a network of commuter rail lines within the city and surrounding areas, so depending on your hotel, it might be faster to take this train instead of the Metro. To go to Louisiana Museum, you’d need to take this train (see day 3), and tickets are more expensive since it’s further out from the city.
Buses: We did take the buses twice!
Ride-sharing: Uber and/or taxis - my friend took the taxi from the airport to our hotel.
Biking: Biking in CPH is a must, so safe and fun! Donkey Republic (orange bikes) is the bike service that we use. Make sure to return the bikes at designated stations and lock them before ending the rental.
Walking: It’s truly the best way to see everything if you’re in a new city, so wear comfortable sneakers!
HOTEL WE STAYED AT: Saga Hotel - I do and don’t recommend it.
PROS: It’s centrally located, and our room has great views. It’s 20-minute walking distance to the Meatpacking District (Kødbyen), known for good nightlife, and indeed, it’s buzzing on the weekends.
CONS: Our room is on the 4th floor, but we actually have to walk up 5 sets of stairs. There’s no elevator, no AC in our unit, with one fan and a sink. The bathrooms and showers are outside and shared by the floor. They have rooms with AC and an in-unit shower, but they cost extra. Another thing you should know is the bed setup at most old hotels in Europe — a full or queen bed is made up of two single mattress, meaning each fits only one person. This hotel has strict rules of who’s coming in and out, and they charge for lockers to hold luggage, water, and umbrellas.
We typically don’t use Airbnb due to privacy concerns.
Our check-in time at Saga Hotel wasn’t until 2 pm, so we rented some lockers at the hotel and headed out for the day. We walked to Hart in the Meatpacking District, browsed the shops in Frederiksberg, and wandered the streets near Tivoli and University of Copenhagen. I’d recommend RAINS, Reform CPH, Studio Arhoj, Villa Copenhagen, and Rug Bakery.
Immediately, I was mesmerized with the sight of people in their bikes. Everyone looks so stylish, confident with perfect posture even with babies in their front bike seats. There’s something incredibly cool about how biking is seamlessly woven into the lifestyle here. It is is not just for sport or leisure but as the main mode of transport.
