Copenhagen

Hello Lori. I think the best places in Copenhagen are : the National Museum of Denmark, and a boat ride (for sightseeing) - start at the boat dock that is on the narrow canal in back of Christianborg palace - you could walk to that boat dock from the National Museum of Denmark. If you ride on the boat, you will see the Little Mermaid statue. No need to walk to the Little Mermaid statue (a long walk). The next day, go to Rosenborg castle (royal palace) and its royal treasury. After walking through that, relax in the park (green grass) located in back of Rosenborg.Tivoli gardens does not appeal to me. I think having overnight accomodation near the Copenhagen airport is not important. The train ride from the Copenhagen airport to the train station in Copenhagen does not take much time. When I was at Copenhagen, I quickly went out of the airport, and in a train to Copenhagen.

Hi Lori, I agree with Ron. I was completely underwhelmed by the Tivoli Gardens and wish I had done anything else instead, as I only had one day there. For instance, I missed the Danish Resistance Museum, that looked very interesting. I took a boat tour - couple of hours on the canals and the harbor - and thoroughly enjoyed it. That might be a good start, because you will see many of the sights and can then decide which to visit. I climbed the dome of a church (sorry, don't have the name but you can't miss it) and there were great views of Copenhagen - but of course, only go up if visibility is pretty good. It's also easy to sit on a tram and see the city that way - hopping off when something strikes you. Copenhagen is a lovely city and it is a joy just to walk around. The little mermaid is indeed that, LITTLE. See it on your way to the ship, as Ron says.

IMHO, you can skip the little mermaid. She's a bit of a distance from city center, and she's all there is to see in the vicinity. I would NOT skip Tivoli. The thing is - it isn't an American theme park. It isn't HUGE and BOMB-tastic and a THRILL-ride. It's charming, and adorable, and quaint, and walkable, and filled with low-key charmingness, excellent food, great beer, and super people-watching. I think it's fabulous. It is particularly enchanting at night, all lit up. I would also not skip spending some time in Nyhavn. It's super pretty and quaint and charming, and I am particulary fond of just hanging out by the water with a cold Carlsberg (picked up from a supermarket along the way) and people-watching. There are also oodles of chic - and pricey - cafes around. Rosenborg Castle is delightful, too. If you are in "into" castles, you will love the fairytale good looks of this one. Cool exhinits, too - the place is jammed with royal memorabilia. And if you go to Rosenborg, check out the Round Tower! It isn't far, and it's pretty amazing. Great views! But you do have to walk a LOT of steps. Oh - and the Jewish Museum is WELL worth a visit. And... I'll stop. You only have 2 1/2 days! :-)

You don't mention what your interests are, but this is what I recommend. Here's another vote for the boat ride and the National Museum. You might want to get lunch in the museum. The prices are reasonable in a very expensive town, and the food was very tasty. Most of everything else will be closed at night, so you could go to Tivoli then. The Museum of the Danish Resistance is VERY interesting. It presents an aspect of WWII history not well-known in this country - - how a tiny country stood up to the Nazi juggernaut and saved virtually their entire Jewish population.
I agree with the others who said that there is no need to stay out at the airport. If you stay near the center, you'll be closer to the things you want to see. BTW, get a bus route map from TI, so that you can plan an efficient itinerary. Some of the sights are a bit far from others.

Have dinner at one of the restaurants along Nyhavn. The food here probably isn't the absolute best in the city, but you're paying for the view and the people watching. Also, I was surprised how early the evening crowd peaked. It was packed with people at around 17,30, and this thinned down by more than half by 19,00. Or this may have been due to the chilly April weather.

if you are interested in Vikings, spend 1/2 day at Roskilde, they have a fantastic out door museum that show how the viking ships were made, and they have several on display. Roskilde is a 30 minute train ride outside of Copenhagen.

Oh yes - Roskilde!!!!!!! How could I have left out a shout-out for Roskilde? The cathedral is wonderful - very creepy decor, and almost all the Danish Kings and Queens are buried there - history galore. And the ship museum is da' BOMB.