7 Hours in Copenhagen
Have you ever asked yourself if you had enough time to just pop into the city during your layover? As an eternal wanderlust and someone who loves to check a new country off my list, I certainly have! So when we booked flights to Italy with a long layover in Copenhagen, I just knew that I wanted to head into the city during our 7 hours there.
Before your flight, the number one question to ask yourself, how long does it take to get from the airport into the city. Once I knew that it took less than 15 minutes to get from the airport to Copenhagen’s city center, I knew that my plan was a go. Plus, it only cost a little over $6/person. Not bad for airport metro prices.
Between travel time and checking in for our next flight, our 7 hour layover actually meant that we only had about 4 hours in the city. I knew that we needed a plan. No wandering from restaurant to restaurant, contemplating if it was good enough for our one and only Copenhagen dining experience. I remembered this Copenhagen post from Hither and Thither. (A blog that I’ve loved for 10 years!) I trust Ashley’s recommendations since I’ve used them all over the world (Italy, San Francisco, St. Lucia, New York, and more). We picked out a restaurant to eat lunch and a neighborhood to wander.
And that’s just what we did! We headed to Strøget, a pedestrian-only shopping street, that stretches almost a mile long and ends in the popular, Nyhavn waterfront. The area is touristy but in a very Danish way, still cool. (Why are Danes so cool?) We ate at Cafe Norden, a restaurant just off of a busy square, yet it was so delicious and we loved the space. Inside is perfectly designed, soft and modern at the same time. But we chose to soak up the sun while we could at one of their sidewalk tables. My mind was set on having smørrebrød and it easily lived up to my expectation. We enjoyed a beer, and some milks, and the kids took turns playing near the fountain during lunch. Even with worn out kids, it was still pretty idyllic.
After lunch, we had time for a stroll back to the metro stop and a detour for a crepe. A delicious, Nutella crepe from a bicycle crepe stand. So Copenhagen, of course! I had wanted to take T to the LEGO store, but in the end, we were worn out and happy to take it slow on our way back to the airport.
Photos by my sister, Julie Rose
Here are a few other things that you could do with your layover, especially if you have more time or older (faster walking) kids!
See the colorful waterfront of Nyhavn - iconic, 17th century houses, yes please! I do wish we would have taken a stroll (with our luggage, cringe!) to see this area.
Tivoli Gardens - Ok, totally different itinerary? You eat the crappy airline food, survive off of snacks during your layover, pick up a coffee at Joe and the Juice, and then only head to Tivoli Gardens for your 7 hours! Race around from ride to ride, speed walk to each area of the park. I mean, it was an inspiration for Disneyland. It would be worth it!
Dragør - Don’t want to head into the city? A visit to Dragør is another great option. Even closer to the airport, this small, fishing town would be perfect for a quick stop to eat and enjoy the sea air.
In hindsight, I would have dropped off our luggage at Luggage Hero. My sister used and loved them. It would have freed us up to see more sights.
In the end, I think the real joy of this layover was that we kept our expectations low and just enjoyed being outdoors after a 12 hour flight with a 3 and 6 year old. Some non-airport food in our bellies and some sunshine on our faces. We were refreshed and ready to head back to travel onto Italy! 5 star recommendation for this side trip.
Have you ever traveled into the city on a layover? Where?! Share in the comments below.
