7 Penny-Pinching Tips for Copenhagen

Choosing Copenhagen

So…you’ve decided to venture north to Copenhagen to experience the legendary Nordic lifestyle. You hear that it’s replete with universal healthcare (true), efficient public transit (also true), tall, blond, Thor-like fellas (not a peep of them) and a chill mien (no lies told). You research major cities and wonder if depositing your first-born would raise enough funds for a week-long trip.

Copenhagen is very expensive and their tax rate is high yet they don’t mind because everyone benefits. I have a swell time asking social and political questions and their answers are very interesting.

I took my first solo trip to Copenhagen in mid-April and was able to squeeze in a day trip to Malmo and Lund in Sweden.

Copenhagen, or Kobenhaven as the locals call her, is an expensive city and this is coming from a NYC resident. It is eye-opening for me doing comparisons to NYC and other European cities I’ve been to and the differences are clear in cost and lifestyle.

Nevertheless, you see where all this money is being poured into: healthcare, jobs, youth, transportation and infrastructure.

Anyhoo, back to being frugal in Copenhagen.  You can apply these tips to any city if you have a set budget you don’t want to exceed.

While I’m as frugal as can be, I try not to deny myself any affordable pleasures hence my secondary debit card for emergencies in addition to cash.

1 Affordable Airline

I book a combo flight and hotel package via Orbitz and Icelandair is the cheapest flight option. Be warned, checking in luggage costs $95 so budget for that if you’re not taking a carry-on.

I check in only because TSA would’ve seized certain items and my case was really heavy with winter wear and a blanket. Plus, I have on heeled boots and I’m feeling mighty fly in my waist-length braids and outfit, so…Lol.

Be warned! Icelandair charge for on-board meals so plan ahead and buy food and snacks once you clear TSA. Water and basic beverages like tea and coffee are free but alcohol is charged.

I don’t know this but thankfully, I eat at home so I subsist on tea for 5 hours from JFK to Reykjavik. For the vegans, there is no nut milk so find some near the gates if you must have milk. I have some Icelandic cream and let me say, it’s delicious. It is really, really good and this is coming from a semi-lactose intolerant person.

Their blankets are large enough to cover your arms and very warm. I don’t need my shawl and I’m impressed as I always need extra cover for the high a/c on planes. For a budget airline, they’re ticking some vital boxes.

It’s little things like this that perk me on my rookie solo adventure and I feel comfortable already and less nervous.

We land Reykjavik and I’m ravenous so I buy a chicken wrap for ISK900, or $10+tax. This same wrap costs $5.99 at Pret-a-Manger.  Smh. Now that I know the meal situation, I’ll plan ahead for food on the return leg.

Return Leg: At Keflavik Airport in Reykjavik, I stock up on sandwiches for the 5 hour flight to NYC and purchase some Icelandic goodies for home.

My check-in bag is free – or so I think – because the desk agent didn’t charge me. I don’t realize he made an error until my boarding pass gets flagged. I am ready to pay but the check-in desk is shut so free it is. Oops! Phew!

2 Affordable Copenhagen Accommodation

If you have unlimited funds for this, lucky you. I’m not jealous *side-eye*. If not, you have to consider hotel alternatives in Copenhagen and this can be anything from Couchsurfing to hostels as hotels are very expensive.

The main sights are around city centre and its environs thus it is best to stay in the area for proximity and adventure. To show you how costly hotels are, when I book my package, hostels are automatically brought up. This is in comparison with other cities I book where only hotels are shown.

I choose Generator Hostels from the reviews and their location on the map. They’re right in the middle of city centre and a walking distance to Norreport train station, Kongens Nytorv metro and many attractions. I am so chuffed!

This is my first hostel stay as an adult and I’m apprehensive. I book a mixed dorm but you have the option of a female-only dorm for $20 more. Since my frugality knows no bounds, somewhat, I opt for a mixed dorm.

I only have good things to say about Generator Hostels and because of them, I might consider a hostel even when I can afford a hotel. I meet so many interesting people here: U.S. Army lads stationed in Italy on a Northern Europe vacation, a Ugandan fellow who lives in Aarhus (city on the Jutland Peninsula) and speaks fluent Danish and a fair number of the hostel workers from Spain and South America. Their Spanish makes me feel comfortable as it reminds me of NYC. Lol.

Most people have negative thoughts of hostels. They’re for poor people – whatever your definition and idea of poor is, they’re unsafe for a solo female traveller, they lack amenities and attract unsavoury humans. Wrong!

I read reviews and all experiences are positive from meeting and partying with global travellers to making good friends. “This should be fun”, I think. Regardless of accommodation type, I know that as a solo female traveller, I have to be careful.

I admit that my mum has a mild freak-out when she finds out that it is a mixed-dorm and not a hotel. She also has a mild panic about my solo travel. It is hilarious. Lol.

Read More: Solo Travel Musings of an Introvert

Beware: If you absolutely cannot stand sharing with strangers, don’t sacrifice comfort for cost. I hear too many bodily sounds in the dorm that I haven’t heard since boarding school as a teen. Lol.

3 Copenhagen Transportation

Now, this is important because it is so expensive! Copenhagen subways are divided into zones just like the London Tube where your fare increases if you pass through an expensive zone even if you’re not alighting there.

City Pass. A single fare from Kastrup Airport to Kongens Nytorv, my metro stop, costs DKK36, which is equivalent to $7 and the trip is 20 minutes, tops. “Ok, it’s from the airport so it’s understandable”, I tell myself, but when I check the price for a single ride from Kongens Nytorv to a random city stop, it’s the same price. No, ma’am!

There are 24-hr and 72-hr city passes for city zones and residents have a monthly metro pass or they bike. City passes are valid on metro and buses because brethren, transit is expensive here.

I get a 24-hr city pass after my Copenhagen Card expires and I believe it cost the equivalent of $17. Budget for a City Pass if you don’t bike or buy a Copenhagen Card.

 

Bicycles: Alternatively, you can rent a bike and burn some calories and affordable bikes are available from your hostel.

Copenhagen is a city of 2 million people and 55% of the population bike. You have to watch out for bikers because they are everywhere. I mean, everywhere! Don’t look out for cars because they are few in Copenhagen, look out for bikers. Lol.

 

Walk: Copenhagen is a HIGHLY walkable city with amazing architecture and you’ll take so many pictures, you’ll get carpal tunnel syndrome. Lol. I don’t have my Fitbit on me but in 5 days, I must’ve walked 100,000 steps minimum.

If you’re within city centre, you save on transit as attractions are usually within walking distance of each other.

Grab a city centre and an attraction map from your hostel or metro stations and you can have your own self-guided tour for free.

There is a free walking tour guide and you’ll find their maps in hostels or hotels. You do have to tip the guide, though, as the tour is free.

 

4 Copenhagen Card

This is a tourist card that covers entry into 86 attractions that normally charge an entry fee. It also permits free transit rides and a 10% minimum discount on selected restaurants. For this reason, it is very pricy depending on the duration of time. The 24-hr, 48-hr and 72-hr card cost upwards of DKK399 (~ $80).

As a traveller, you enjoy free transit and entry into major attractions with the Copenhagen Card. It is pricy but worth it if you’re interested in attractions and want to use mass transit. You’ll be given a Copenhagen card Guide booklet on all museums, attractions, restaurants and miscellaneous products and activities you can get discounts on.

If you desist, just get a city pass and map out attractions and restaurants within walking distance of your accommodation.

My 24-hr card cost DKK399 and the date and time from when it starts is written on the front. Trust me, I make sure to take full advantage of as many attractions as I can and ride their impressive metro and bus system till it expires.

This card also permits entry into attractions outside Copenhagen city centre. I want to visit Fredricksburg for the underground Cisterns but after spending 1.5 hours trying to locate the right bus stop and sign with the non- English speaking bus driver, I give up and visit Tivoli Gardens instead.

The attractions *I* am able to see within 24hrs with the Copenhagen Card are:

• Rosenborg Castle: A stone’s throw from my hostel on Gothersgade.
• The Amber Museum in city centre. It’s by Nyhavn.
• Ripley’s Believe it or Not near Central Station.
• Mysterious House Tour.
• Guinness World Records Tour.
• Hans Christian Andersen Fairy-Tale House with interactive pictures of his tales. Part of Ripley’s.
• Tivoli Gardens. Central Station.
• The Round Tower. In Kultorvet, off Gothersgade.

There are so many other attractions I want to see but within 24hours, they close and we sleep so it is a mad dash to see more the next day before 2 pm. Phew!

I highly recommend this card so budget for this depending on your duration. If you’re here for 3 days, get the 72-hr card to cover transit, attractions and discounted restaurant food.

5 Food

As much as I love food, I cannot indulge in restaurant dining because it is expensive. I want to visit the legendary NOMO restaurant but their waitlist is 3 months in advance. Ok then! Next go round.

I prepare for my trip by packing organic dried mixed fruit – like the kind below – and my non-BPA reusable water bottle and they serve me well all through.

Distilled water is available for free from the hostel and this, plus fruit snacking, takes me through the day. Depending on your constitution, this strategy is recommended to save on snacks which you’ll need with all that walking.

I have breakfast most mornings of tea, a Danish and/or scrambled eggs and the hostel gives 15% off food for residents, thank God, because tea costs $7 equivalent!

For dinner on two nights, I have Lebanese and Thai food and it is well worth it. Portions are large and I am sated till mid-morning of the next day. Lunch is dried fruit (I have a lot lol) and water or some tea.

There are some affordable food stores like Aldi, Netto Foods and 7-11. Yes, 7-11! I buy chicken sticks and pastries here which fill me up for the night and develop a food routine with this and my snacks to save money.

I enter a lovely cafe to eat one afternoon but when I look at the menu, the food isn’t worth the cost.

“Food” is tiny appetizers and hors d’oeuvres and when I ask for carbs, the waiter gives me an apologetic look. If I’m spending coin on food it has to be filling so off to my Thai spot for an early dinner which I eat in the hostel.

There are affordable spots beyond city centre, like Norrebro, touted as Copenhagen’s hipster spot with cultural diversity. I expect stereotypical Brooklyn hipsters but I see none. Our ideas of “hipster” are clearly different. Lol.

Norrebro is a cross between Park Slope and Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn with ethnic spots, pricy boutique shops, bargain stores, cafes and ice-cream parlours all in the same area. I really love this diverse neighbourhood and it is a great spot to walk about on a nice and sunny day.

 

6 Clothing & Miscellaneous Items

Seasonal Gear. If you’re visiting in winter or early spring, pack appropriate winter gear. I cannot stress this enough lest you waste money on extra clothes. If you think the North-East is cold, Copenhagen cold will humble you.

My visit is in early April and it is freezing! I pack more sweaters and shawls than needed plus my fave checkered blanket for bed.

This is why I check-in luggage. The hostel duvet is alright but I cover myself with my blankie and use the duvet on top for crispy warmth.

I meet a young lady while waiting for the Nyhavn canal tour and she has on a pea coat, short dress and bare legs. I stare at her in horror and ask if she’s warm because I am in 4 layers, a shawl and gloves. She admits that she is frozen and drags her boyfriend to a luxury store nearby for a toasty winter coat and tights. Tsk, tsk tsk!

Electronics. Pack a travel adaptor. The Danish outlet has a different socket to the Euro adaptor I use for England thus I have to buy a specific one for $15 equivalent. Better still, pack a portable battery pack that can juice up phones and electronics via USB ports. It is very useful to charge on-the-go as you explore Copenhagen.

I love my phone because my battery stays alive from JFK to Kastrup Airport, through IG updates, pictures and a call. It lasts 12 hours till I finally hunt down the right adaptor for my charger in the nick of time. Phew!

Footwear. For a hostel stay, bring plastic flip-flops for the shower and a towel. Flip-flops are useful to shower in to prevent athlete’s foot and other fungal infections from random strangers and to walk about the room and hostel in comfort. You’d be amazed by how many people forget towels at home and have to buy one.

In addition, pack sturdy, comfy walking shoes for the season. For winter and cold spring days, pack flat, warm and water-proof boots for precipitation and sneakers for sunny days. I alternate between both depending on the forecast.

Reusable Bags. I also recommend a strong, reusable cloth bag for toting food, souvenirs et al when exploring daily.

On day 2, my tote bag decides to break its zipper and I’m royally pissed. I just roll it away and unearth my jute bag I had packed. Imagine if I didn’t have it; I’d have spent precious money on a cheap bag for the rest of my trip. A word to the wise…

Toiletries. People forget toothbrushes and have to buy one at their location – I’ve done it twice – and I have a way around this.

• I have a travel toiletry bag with travel size items, wipes, hair pins and toothbrush in my bathroom.
• When travel looms, I check to see what’s missing and replace it immediately. It’s also a back-up for when I run out of items and feel lazy to get some immediately. Lol.
• Throw some ear plugs in here as a hostel dorm can get noisy with arriving and departing roommates.

Journal. Add a journal to your bag for jotting down places and events. You think you’ll remember everything but trust me, you will not. There are so many exciting activities to do in Copenhagen that the little events get lost along the way.

Even thumbing through my journal, I suddenly read of places that skipped my mind in the course of planning posts.

Do not forget your journal, folks…and a pen for writing in them and filling out immigration forms.

I absolutely love bound and distressed leather journals as they look medieval so my next journal will be something of that sort.

7 Travel Insurance

Lastly. do not forget to buy travel insurance before your trip. Make sure it covers the basics and then some.

I buy Travelex for $14 and it covers lost luggage, cancelled flights, medical, dental, hospital stay and a few other things.

It might seem like another added expense to your already frugal budget but $20 insurance compared with $1,000 for a sprained foot is peanuts.

Denmark has universal healthcare (that hateful term in America *rolls eyes*) for its residents and I doubt that it extends to tourists.

If you have a minor health inconvenience, healthcare *might* be affordable, but would you rather pay $100 for a hospital visit without hope of reimbursement or be confident that your insurance will cover you? Exactly!

It helps if you make a list of your medication for your trip for if/when you run out. Do not forget to have a doctor’s note as well because you may be questioned by TSA or customs agents on either leg regarding numerous pills in your hand luggage.

Well. I hope you enjoyed these tips for costly Copenhagen and if you have any more, put them in the comments for like-minded travellers to know. I really enjoyed my trip and I want to return in late spring or summer next year with more money. Lol.

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