Berlin to Copenhagen and greater Scandinavia

I can't speak to Stockholm or Oslo, but Copenhagen...meh. I was underwhelmed. It felt like an upscale American suburb. Tivoli Gardens--I don't know what I expected, but I liked it far less than Hersheypark, to name only one amusement park. None of the sights--including the Little Mermaid statue--were all that special. Hopefully other posters who loved Copenhagen can tell you why my reaction is wrong and you can make a more informed judgement. My recommendation would be to see if you can get a cheap flight to Edinburgh, St Petersburg, or Talinn, but other will have suggestions perhaps better than mine.

I haven't been to Sweden or Norway, but as a 2nd generation Dane and besotted Denmark lover, I must leap to Copenhagen's defense! :D That is to say, I absolutely love Copenhagen. No, it is not a Wild and Crazy Hoopla of Frenzied Entertainment kind of town (although it does have a great bar scene at night). Tivoli is, for me, an enchanted fairytale garden filled with delightful surprises around every corner. But again, it isn't anything like a Six Flags or Hersheyville or Dollywood, and you shouldn't expect it to be. It's Danish! And it's old! It's quaint rides, antique attractions, live music, excellent food, and super people-watching. Yes, you can definitely skip the Little Mermaid, but if you choose to visit, there's plenty to do: go to Nyhavn and hang out at a cafe - I just adore Nyhavn. Visit the Rosenborg Castle! The Danish Museum of Art & Design is great, if you're into design. I'm crazy about boats, and love the Naval Museum. Our Savior's Church (Vor Frelsers Kirke) is gorgeous! Strolling along the Stroget is a great way to spend a day, punctuated with eating, window shopping, and people watching. Take a jaunt outside the city and see Fredensborg and Elsinore, if you're a history buff. There's lots more, but I will stop rambling. Can you tell that I love Copenhagen? I haven't specifically taken the Berlin Night Train, but I have traveled overnight by train many times, and love it. HOWEVER: I can sleep pretty much anywhere, any time. I have it on good authority from a disgruntled travelling companion that if you are a light sleeper or have any issues at all with insomnia, the night train is less than fabulous. Hope that helps a little. Oh, and P.S. - Edinburgh is also fantastic, if you've gone off Scandinavia... :D

We found Copenhagen pleasant, but the least interesting of the Scandinavian cities. If you are open to flying to get to another location, frankly, you could go just about anywhere. It really makes little difference if the flight is one hour or three hours and three hours could put you in Madrid or Athens or Moscow. It might be fun to wait until the last moment and simply see what discount flights you can find - sort of like a tourist version of Russian Roulette. But if you want to travel by train - particularly night train - your choices are more limited (though still interesting). We enjoyed our time in Scandinavia (loved Stockholm) but after glancing at a map, if it were me, I would check into train connections to Krakow or Budapest. But that's me... Certainly stick to one city. Then you'll remember it.

I visited Copenhagen, STockholm, and Helsinki as cruise ports last summer. I enjoyed my day in Copenhagen, though I wish I hadn't used up about 3 hours at Tivoli, definitely missable. We had 2 days in Stockholm and there was so much to do, we only got to about half of what we wanted. Of them all, Stockholm is the only one I would want to spend much more time in. Have you been to Dresden or Prague?

I personally would choose Stockholm over Copenhagen but either would be worthwhile for a few days. But pick one and add a day trip or two. Flights to either are probably cheap and plentiful. The night train really only works for Copenhagen as it's another 4-5 hours to Stockholm from Malmo. I've done the night train and its better then most, quieter because most of the time is on a ferry and there are no stops and other sounds.

We loved Copenhagen and would have liked more time there, we only had two days would have loved more time. Roskild has a fabulous Viking Museum and is just a half hout train ride from Copenhagen. Do a boat tour of the harbor, stroll along Nyhaven, take a guided tour.

Thank you for all the comments thus far. I will look into either spending the majority of my time in Copenhagen or Stockholm with a day trip outside the city. In regards to the Night Express, so it does spend part of the time on a ferry on the sea? I saw a comment elsewhere suggesting this, but I was not certain. Does the ferry add anything of interest to the trip, e.g. see the Swedish cost while pulling into Malmo in the morning?

Hello Sherri. I think flying from Berlin to Copenhagen is a good choice. Copenhagen is old and it looks European, more so than Stockholm and Oslo. Tourists like being at Stockholm because the central part of Stockholm is small, and a person can easily and quickly go to the museums and other attractions. But I do not think Stockholm has more charm than Copenhagen.
If you can be at Copenhagen for three whole days, I do not recommend trying to go to one more country during that time. And, I think flying from Berlin to Copenhagen costs less money than flying from Berlin to Stockholm. Going from the Copenhagen airport to the city Copenhagen is quick and easy, in a train. And if your overnight accomodation is at Christianshavn, transportation to it can take less time by riding in a train from the Copenhagen airport in a train that does not go to the city, that train goes to a METRO station that is located to the east of Christianshavn.

Sherri - there is no scenic interest in the overnight train. It leaves Berlin late and arrives near Malmo early the next morning. All you will see is railyards.