Think of Copenhagen and the first thing that might come into your mind is: expensive? If not that, then perhaps wintry? Or you might be like us and feel that even though it’s so close (for those in the UK), it’s not somewhere you know very well. It’s tucked away, the sort of place you might not think of visiting. But when you do, you’re very pleased that you did.
We caught the train from the airport to the station, which costs DKK36 (approx £4.10) and is an easy, cheap and efficient way to reach the city. Make sure you buy your ticket before you board – there are machines in the baggage collection areas, plus a main ticket office in the arrivals hall. The journey only took fifteen minutes and the first thing that struck us when we emerged from Central Station was how imposing the city is, reminding us more of a Moscow or Berlin rather than the Riga or Amsterdam we were expecting. Stepping onto the January streets outside the station, everything seemed to be on a surprisingly large scale.
Where we stayed
Our beautiful hotel (The Savoy) was within walking distance of the station and it wasn’t long before we were out of the cold and into the welcoming foyer. As with everyone we met in the city, we received a friendly, warm welcome from the staff and made our way up to the top floor where our family room awaited us. It was a fantastic room, spacious (for a European city hotel) with a lovely view over the surrounding rooftops, the chiming of the church bells nearby reminding us it was time to head out and find some food. This was another advantage of the hotel; right in the heart of things with numerous bars, restaurants, shops and supermarkets right on the doorstep. We also took advantage of the tasty, filling and complimentary breakfast each morning which was a perfect start to the day, lots of coffee, fruit juice, pastries, bread, meat and cheese to choose from. Plus the added bonus that when we returned each evening there were complimentary pastries available in reception which were a welcome treat before bed.
Getting Around
As we say, Copenhagen is deceptively large with the distance between the main sights a little too far for us to manage on foot with the boys in tow. We’re sure that if you were travelling here without young children you could easily make your way around on foot but instead we took advantage of the excellent number 26 bus which stopped outside our hotel and took us to most of the places we wanted to get to. Tickets worked out quite expensive (DKK24 – about £2.75) if you only used them for a short hop but they were valid for an hour so would be better value if you were making either a long trip, or managed to hop back on-board within the time limit and in effect hitched a free ride. Our boys enjoyed sitting at the back and there was always space at the front for our buggy (very useful in the city to help the youngest ones cover the distances in warmth and comfort).
In general (and despite our preconceptions), we were quite lucky with the weather, as January in Denmark has a well-deserved reputation for being very cold. But we’d been warned in advance and were very well wrapped up and always made sure we dived into a shop, museum or bus whenever it got too cold.
How to keep the kids entertained
Copenhagen has so much going for it that we couldn’t hope to cover all of the sights in a few days but the following were some of our child-friendly highlights:
Wandering the streets around Nyhavn
If you’ve seen one photo of Copenhagen before, it’s probably of this colourful, picturesque street. It’s a great way to spend an hour or so, checking out the boats, grabbing a quick hot-chocolate and taking the obligatory selfie on the bridge.
Visit the Lego shop
We didn’t know Lego came from Denmark until we arrived! How lax of us, but we soon made up for it by escaping the cold and spending almost an hour marvelling at these tiny pieces of plastic turned into amazing sculptures. The super-friendly staff were always on hand to help keep the little ones entertained in the various free play areas.
National Gallery of Denmark
Visit the brilliant children’s workshops if you’re there on a weekend and let your little ones get their creative juices flowing with paints, crafts and crayons. The museum is well worth a visit on any day of the week with the building itself a spectacular sight. Leave your buggy outside and borrow one of the museum’s to give you and the little ones a smooth ride around the gallery. There are also free cloakrooms and spaces to eat your own food. Great place to visit, highly recommended.
Take the number 26 bus out to the little Mermaid statue
Head to the edge of the city and see the iconic statue, fight the crowds to get the perfect picture and grab a delicious cup of coffee or hot chocolate when you’re done.
Spend some time at the fantastic National Museum of Denmark
One of the few museums we’ve ever visited which has a dedicated Children’s section where the kids are encouraged to touch, climb and interact with the exhibits – a definite relief for parents not to have to constantly tell them not to touch things – the kids will love it.
Play in the park near Rosenborg Castle
If the weather is kind, head to the Rosenborg Castle in the heart of the city. Play in the children’s playground, walk around the grounds and take in the views of the fairytale castle.
Looking for more ideas? Check out 25 Unique Things To Do In Copenhagen
How to keep costs down
Our other preconception proved to be wrong as we didn’t find Copenhagen as expensive as we’d been warned, mainly because we stocked up on the fantastic hotel breakfast, caught the bus most places, didn’t drink alcohol (much), and had a supermarket nearby which we used to stock up on the essentials most days. The public transport is efficient but not incredibly cheap if you only buy single trip tickets each time you travel. However, there is a travel pass (Copenhagen Card) which covers all travel in the city over a 72 hour period – recommended if you intend to use public transport a lot during your stay. As with most other cities, there is also a city card available which includes access to most major sights, museums, galleries and monuments, plus all public transport. It’s quite a large initial outlay but would be good value if you planned to fit a lot into your trip. We did the sums and decided not to get one but your mileage may vary.
We stayed at the Savoy Hotel on Vesterbrogade in the heart of the city. The room rates include an excellent breakfast.
We flew with EasyJet from London Gatwick airport, the 90 minute flight was very straightforward (it takes almost as long though to walk from the arrival gate in Copenhagem to baggage collection though – be warned!)
The Copenhagen Card costs EUR85 for 72 hours (child EUR43 although two children under 10 are included with the adult pass).
Disclaimer: We’re very grateful for the Savoy Hotel, National Gallery of Denmark and National Museum of Denmark for hosting our visit. However, as always, all words and opinions are my own. This post also contains affiliate links. Should you click on a link to purchase, it is at no extra cost to you, but I get a small commission that goes towards the running of this blog.
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TravelingWithOurKids (@twok_blog)
Looks an amazing place to visit. Been looking for somewhere to go away for a long weekend and this looks perfect 🙂
Travelynn Family
Thoroughly recommend it. And easyJet do super cheap flights if travelling low season.
Annabel Kirk
The museums sound really civilised and child-friendly. I’m really looking forward to taking trips like this with my kids in the future.
Allison
Copenhagen is on our list of places we want to take the kids. Everything I’ve heard about it makes it seem so family friendly. #citytripping
Travelynn Family
It really is the most family friendly city we’ve been to in Europe. So much for the kids to do.
tinboxtraveller
Great tips for keeping the costs down. I think my kids would love the activities you selected!
Travelynn Family
I love how the museums and art galleries lay on so much for the kids. Such a family friendly city. Thanks for reading 🙂
Wanderlusting Liz
I’m sure Copenhagen is a great city to visit. Unfortunately I haven’t been able to visit yet. Looks like you and your little ones had a great time there!!! 🙂 #CityTripping
Travelynn Family
Hope you get there sometime soon ?
largerfamily
The National Museum of Denmark looks like so much fun! It’s great that they allow the kids to touch and interact there #Citytripping
Travelynn Family
The museum was a huge highlight. The boys spent hours playing there!
Hilary
Copenhagen is definitely on my list, it looks like such an amazing place to visit as a family! I love your “perfect” picture at the Little Mermaid statue! It’s absolutely perfect! #citytripping
Travelynn Family
Aw, thank you Hilary. It sure was chilly, but we still found do much to do.
Leona
I love Copenhagen but not taken my little one. Cant wait to take her will use your list.
Travelynn Family
Hope you make it back there with her. Just wrap up warm if visiting in winter ?
WanderMum
We loved Copenhagen when we visited! We took a boat journey around it and loved seeing the different perspective! Thanks for linking #citytripping
Travelynn Family
A boat journey would be a lovely way to explore the city!
Ruth
I love to stay in hotels that are right in the middle of the action. Sometimes, I like to rest a bit in the late afternoon and then go out for dinner and a stroll. I am glad you didn’t find Copenhagen that expensive. I am assuming there are many options since it is a big city. #citytripping
Travelynn Family
There were certainly ways to keep costs down. Mainly by shopping in Lidl for our food. I think accommodation would be the biggest outlay. Thanks for reading.
Elizabeth
We loved Copenhagen! So kid friendly. We were there in a bit warmer weather so I’m passing this on to a friend who is headed there in December, knowing some indoor options will be good too. Thanks for sharing. #CityTripping
Travelynn Family
Oh we would love to go back in the summer! Thanks for passing on to your friend ?
Nicky @GoLiveYoung
We’ve never been. Would love to visit the home of lego…might make for an expensive trip! Good to hear that it wasn’t as expensive as you were expecting #citytripping
Travelynn Family
Lego can get a tad pricey can’t it?! My boys are just getting into it now and we always take a box with us when we go out for dinner.
Wilbur's Travels
Copenhagen has really grown on me over the years. A perfect winter location. Looks like you had great fun. Wilbur #citytripping
Travelynn Family
Wrapped up in lots of layers, it was a fab winter location. Would be interested to go back in summer though.
Birgit | Groove Is In The Heart
I love Copenhagen but have only been there in summer. I rented a bicycle to get around but that would have obviously been way too cold for you in winter. I love the Lego shop! Can just imagine that it was a hit with your kids too 🙂 #citytripping
Travelynn Family
They LOVED the Lego shop! They could have stayed there for hours! Bikes sound super fun – but yes, a bit nippy in winter. I’d love to see the city in the summer though. I imagine it’s a totally different vibe. 🙂