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Copenhagen to Kalmar (Sweden)

Hi everyone,

My wife, 5 yr old and I are planning a one-week trip in October. We are thinking of flying to Copenhagen, visit there for 2 days then rent a car and drive through Malmo to Kalmar. We need 2 days in Kalmar to visit family; for the rest of the trip we are trying to figure out an itinerary. We were thinking of renting a car in Copenhagen. That way we have the opportunity to enjoy the countryside. We were also thinking of going to Hamburg for a day or so but I'm afraid it might be too aggressive. For the 2 days in Copenhagen, we were thinking of renting bikes and bike around the city.

Will someone inform me if this is doable, perhaps share an itinerary idea, places to see?
While in Copenhagen, what area would you recommend for lodgings? Or should we stay in Malmo and visit Copenhagen from there? We are thinking of renting a room through airbnb.

Thank you

Posted by
533 posts

Count nights, not days. For 2 full days in Copenhagen you need 3 nights, and likewise for Kalmar, and that's most of your week gone already.

I don't recommend staying in Malmo to see Copenhagen, unless you can get a really good deal on a Malmo hotel. The cost to cross the bridge between the two cities is significant, whether you do it by train or by car.

As for where to stay and what to see in Copenhagen, what interests you? Museums, palaces, art, food, interesting neighborhoods? The city is pretty compact and flat, so it's easy to get around by bike no matter where you stay, but knowing what you want to see may make some areas more appealing than others.

Posted by
971 posts

With one week i would stick to just Copenhagen and Kalmar and do day trips from there. Hamburg is unrealistic as a day trip, it's 5 hours by train from Copenhagen and frankly there is a lot to see in between.
Unless there is something specific in an out of the way location you want to see, you don't really need a car. There are trains between Copenhagen an Kalmar and the usual day trips from Copenhagen, Roskilde, Helsingør and Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød are all reachable by train. In fact a car would be a hindrance in the city. Use www.rejseplanen.dk to plan all public transport in Denmark.
A car could be usefull if you want to explore the countryside on your way to Kalmar, but it is not a necessity. Personally I would choose the destinations I would like to see and then settle on the best mode of transport to get to those destinations, not the other way around.