Copenhagen

Copenhagen Country: Denmark Links: Group Wikipedia Wikitravel Ambassadors: Thorbjørn Simon Nora

In Copenhagen there are over 1000 Registered CouchSurfers, it's the capital of Denmark.

This page is intended as a Couchsurfing Travel Guide written by Local Copenhagen people for Visitors.

Couch Searching

There are now over 1000 people listed as being in Copenhagen - covering all areas of the capital. Be open to where you want to stay - not many people live in the centre! Most locations outside the center are only 30-40 minute train og bus ride into the City Centre or by Metro and most areas are covered overnight by the extensive Night Bus Network.

Please remember, Couchsurfing is not intended to be a free Hostel Service! Find someone you think you will connect with and enjoy spending time with so that everyone benefits!

Check the How to write a CouchRequest page for ideas.

If you are unlucky and cant find a host - check the links at the end of this article for Hostels and Cheap Hotels - if you have stayed in a good one and would recommend it - add it to the list - if you would like to warn others against one - again add it in! In emergencies (last minute fall throughs and no hostel availability) try posting to a group. Although be warned that most Copenhagen Hosts do not tend to respond to generic post type requests.

Getting To Copenhagen

All major carriers and low cost airlines fly into Copenhagen to Copenhagen Airport, a few fly into Malmö Sturup Airport, some may even land in Roskilde Airport

Check out Momondo.com to find the cheapest time to come.

Of course you dont have to fly into Copenhagen! Eurolines operate Bus services from most of Europe, Interrail is also an option.

Getting To and From the Airport

The easiest way of from the airport is the newly opened Metro, it takes 15 minutes to Nørreport station, You pass through 3 zones from the Airport to Central Copenhagen, a single ticket costs 30 DKK (4 €) or get a ten-trip discount card (see below).

Hitchhiking

It should be possible to hitch a ride down Europe from Grønttorvet just where Holbækmotorvejen begins. Grønttorvet (the Vegetable Square) is where most fruit and vegetables are being sold to Supermarkets in Denmark so there are a lot of Trucks going in and out of there to all of Europe.

Getting Around Once you are Here

Driving a car in Copenhagen is pretty much pointless, dangerous and polluting and parking in the city is very expensive.

The public transport is good to excellent and covers all parts of Copenhagen: See Rejseplanen to plan your trip.

Zoning system and Travelcards

Copenhagen is divided into Zones. Zone 1 is central Copenhagen, Zone 2 is the outer parts of the city, Zone 3 is most of Amager, zone 4 is outer Amager including the Airport. All higher zones are in the suburbs. Tickets cost 10 DKK per zone with a minimum purchase of two zones. A much cheaper option is getting a Discount Card with 10 trips on it. They come in several different versions, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 or all zones.

Read more on the Movia Tourist page about Zones and Discount Cards

All tickets are good for all forms of public transportation, metro, train, bus, ferrybus, and two zones is good for one hour.

Metro

Copenhagen Metro Map

Opening hours The Metro runs all day from around 5 in the morning to about 1 at night, it also run every 15 minutes Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Google has the metro plotted into their maps.

Bus

Copenhagen buses are yellow, and there are 4 types, normal busses are all yellow, the "A" buses are very frequent and have a red front, "S" buses are fast because they stop at fewer stops, they have a blue front. N buses are night buses and cost double the daytime fare. You enter all buses in the front and exit in the middle or behind, remember to go all the way to the back of the bus to allow others in. You can only buy the expensive tickets in the bus, and they only take coins and smaller notes, no credit card and no Euros.

S-trains

S-trains take you out to the greater Copenhagen area and all the suburbs, you cannot buy a ticket in the train and if you get caught as a foreigner, you get dragged to the police station where they will ask you for ID and give you a ticket (which presumably they can't do anything about if you don't pay)

Taxis

Like everything in Copenhagen, taxis are expensive.

Richshaws

Rickshaws or Bike taxis are great for sightseeing they are the same price as taxis

Bikes!

Copenhagen is one of the most bike friendly cities in the world with bike paths on most streets and even some dedicated bike paths, and from August it is possible to drive your bike by the lakes giving you a beautiful view and a fast way to get all the way from Østerbro through Nørrebro and Frederiksberg to Vesterbro

Warning watch out for those right turning trucks, assume that you're invisible to them and stay back until they passed even though you have the right to go first. You also have a right to be squished under a 20 ton truck but that doesn't mean you want to.

Bike rental There are several bike rental places scattered around Copenhagen.

1. Cykelbørsen have bikes from 60 DKK per day and 270 DKK per week and 645 per month. Deposit from 200 DKK
2. Baisikeli have bikes from 90 DKK per day and 229 per Week and 470 DKK per month
3. Copenhagen Bikes and Østerport Cykler have, apart from normal bikes, also Tandems (100DKK/day or 450DKK/week) and Christiania bikes (200DKK/day or 900DKK/week) Christiania bikes are great for transporting children and can carry up to 4 smaller kids plus driver or two small adults plus driver)

Walk!

Most of the main sight are located fairly close together and can easily be visited on foot - and you get to see more of the city. If you are only going a couple of tube stops - walk (or get a bus). By the time you have got to the platform, waited for the train, gone the distance and come back up - you could have been there!

Neighbourhoods

• Inner city - Everything is in here, all the Museums, Shops, Restaurants, Tivoli
  • Christianshavn - Christiania
• Østerbro - Fælledparken a big park busy in the summer
• Nørrebro
• Vesterbro/Kongens Enghave - Carlsberg Breweries
• Valby
• Vanløse
• Brønshøj-Husum
• Bispebjerg
• Amager
• Frederiksberg - The Zoo

Looking for a room/apartment

Be advised that it is very difficult to find a room in Copenhagen and you will most likely have to look for something outside the city

Some places to look for apartments

• ledige-lejligheder.dk
• DBA Danish only use Gramtrans to translate

CS Guides and Organised Guided Tours

If you want to guide people, add a link to your profile and add some things you want to show to people Check the Couch Search for people willing to show you around the city. Some CS may add their profiles here for you to get in touch with them for a tour. If you cant secure a CS there are a number of options for organised tours - one that I know if is free and my surfers have recommended it.

Meetings

Meetings are held every 8th day to give everyone a chance to attend, check out Meeting page for details

If you are arranging a meet - add it to the meeting pages - this makes it a lot easier to keep in touch with everybody and makes your event easy to find for all.

Nightlife

Vega is one of Copenhagens most popular concert venues, and you'll find Ideal Bar in the same building.

Pumpehuset is another popular concert venue.

Culture Box is a good place to go for electronic music.

The Rock is a hard rock/heavy metal concert venue and night club.

Stengade 30 is a popular place that caters to many different genres. RubA'Dub Sunday every Sunday is one of the places where you can usually find a party on a Sunday.

Eating and Drinking

City Centre

La Vecchia Signora on Grønnegade serves Pizza from the traditional Italian stone oven heated by real fire, as well as other Italian classics. A bit pricey (Pizzas 115 to 130 DKK, other main courses 200 to 230 DKK)

O's American Breakfast & Dinner on Gothersgade, close to Kongens Nytorv. Good if you're into heavy American-style brunch and for many locals the place to go the morning after a night of heavy drinking. Usually crowded. Less well known and less crowded is their restaurant on Øster Farimagsgade where you can also sit outside if the weather is good.

Avoid

• Most places in Nyhavn - too pricey and most often not good food served by underpaid waiters

Christianshavn

Café Kejzer on Strandgade has won the Copenhagen "Sandwich of the Year" award two times, and of course both winning sandwiches are on their menu. The menu also includes other light to moderate meals, and a good brunch in the weekend. Strangely, the place is usually not crowded even though you get good food at reasonable (for Copenhagen) prices.

The bakery on the square is one of Copenhagens best, and they have tables by the window where you can sit and eat your breakfast or lunch - or go outside and sit by the canal.

Eating and Drinking on a Budget

There are several places where you can eat a buffet, try a search on AOK the price will probably go up to around 120 DKK per person as most restaurants who offer buffets require you to order something to drink too.

Picnic on Fælledvej, next to Skt Hans Torv, offers decent food at reasonable prices. Main courses from 65-85 DKK, or try the Mezes (salads, mix any one to five), even cheaper. Reasonable prices on soft drinks and beer too.

Blue House on Torvegade, right next to Christianshavn Metro Station, makes affordable sandwiches, and they have a couple of vegetarian choices on the menu. Eat in or take out and sit by the canal.

Also on Torvegade you'll find Spicy Kitchen Café - decent Indian food at reasonable prices.

There is a folk/peoples kitchen every week at the following places and times, A full plate full of food usually costs 20 kroner and there are usually many nice people to meet.

Tuesdays - 7pm Kfax - This is on Korsgade, near the lakes. Really freindly people and you can also help out there by turning up a couple of hours early

Thursdays at Den ´Økologiske Produktions Skole at 8pm on ravnsborggade Every last Friday of the month there is a feminist folk kitchen at The folk house on Stengade

On sunday there is brunch at the folk house at 11am Usually at the folk/people kitchens all food is vegetarian or vegan if you have any spare food to bring too add to the meal it is usually appreciated (eg lots of pastys your shop was going to throw out!)

For a really nice organic vegetable meal however, you should go to Christiania and try out Grønsagen (the Vegetable) or Morgenstedet (The morning place)

Nørrebrogade is the street most packed with cheap Sharwarma places you can get a falaffel or Sharwarma for 20-50 DKK.

Day Trips

It is possible to get all around Denmark in a day, it is also advisable to visit Sweden since it's very near.

Helsingør and Helsingborg is some nice cities to visit, Helsingør with Kronborg castle, the setting of Shakespeares Hamlet, and a very cheap ferry to Helsingborg.

Malmö in southern Sweden is about 30 minutes from Copenhagen by train. Train leaves every 20 minutes.

Roskilde with the Viking ship museum and cathedral is also about half an hour from Copenhagen by train, with several trains every hour.

Useful Links

Hostels and Cheap Hotels

1. Sleep-in-green (opens around June) an organic hostel with three dorms with 8, 20 and 38 beds, 85-120 DKK per night.
2. Sleep in Heaven 120-130 DKK per night
3. Danhostel 130-165 DKK per night

Working

Jobs in Copenhagen - English speaking employment opportunities in Copenhagen and the rest of Denmark.