We just got back from a Scandinavian trip that we booked using Rick's books and videos and I wanted to give a brief review of what we did, what we saw, what was easy and what was not. We spent three and a half days in Copenhagen, before we took the boat to Norway.
Flying in on a Sunday evening from Iceland, we arrived at the airport and immediately picked up our Copenhagen Passes at the Airport. The person behind the counter was very helpful and told us exactly where we needed to catch our train to the Central Station. This was our first time using public transportation and it was very simple to get to the Central Station.
I had booked an apartment through Air B&B, West of the station and we mistakenly took the bus in the wrong direction at first. We quickly realized our mistake and got off and got back on across the street.
Our apartment was wonderful and I strongly suggest people trying Air B&B. We used it in Iceland, Denmark and Norway and it was a mostly positive experience. On our trip, we visited, Tivoli, Nyhavn, Visit Carlsberg, Amalienborg,The Glyptotek Museum, City Hall, and Frederiksborg Castle. Taking the train an bus using the Copenhagen Pass was a breeze and I also highly recommend it. It also gets you into all of the attractions. The only thing I didn't care for was that you still had to wait in line at each attraction to get a ticket. Only an inconvenience, but I also understand that they have to keep track of attendance for billing etc.
Since we stayed in an apartment, we were able to cook breakfast for ourselves and found the Irma Supermarkets very handy and they had a decent selection. We definitely didn't see anything comparable to a Super Walmart anywhere on our trip, which just goes to show you that we are spoiled in the US. We saved some money this way but after coming from Iceland and then heading to Norway afterward, Copenhagen seemed relatively inexpensive. We ate and drank well here and felt like we got what we paid for.
I really loved Tivoli. The first night, it was raining, and we had the park to ourselves mostly. We sat at the bar at the brewpub and watched the few other people that were there, ride the rides and it was really lovely. We went back on a sunny day, and it was very busy but nothing like Disney World, which I am very used to. I imagine it's what Knotts Berry Farm is to local California residents. I would have an annual pass if I lived there.
Visit Carlsberg was awesome for the history, the beer and the food. It was a great afternoon and the weather was perfect.
I need to do Nyhavn another time during shoulder season because it was packed and it wasn't enjoyable. It was pretty but that is where 99% of the crowds in Denmark were at. Also, take a bus if you can, if you're not staying close to Nyhavn. It's a long walk from the Central Station.
On our last day, we took a ship around 4PM from Copenhagen to Oslo, overnight. Then we did the Norway in a Nutshell to Bergen, flew back to Oslo and then flew home. It was a beginner's mistake. If I were to do it again, I would have flown to Bergen first, taken the Norway in a Nutshell trip to Oslo and then took the overnight boat to Copenhagen. We would have had more time in at least two of the cities if we did it that way.
If you would like to see photos from our trip, I put a picture blog up at: http://www.nonpareil.info/destination-copenhagen
If anyone has any questions, please just ask!