Should I go to Copenhagen?

That's one of those unanswerable questions, Joy. If it was a question of which of two alternatives to do in a set amount of time, that's one thing. But asking if a place is "worth it" if you have the time and money is something only you can say. You'll get many differing opinions, and they are all right because they are all from that individual's perspective. I guess my answer would be, "Why not?", since you have the time.

I have to agree with Nancy. I would suggest getting a guidebook (you can borrow one free from the library) and reading up on Copenhagen sights to see if they appeal to you.

I personally liked Copenhagen a lot. The architecture is quite grand -- there are a lot of beautiful palaces and buldings. There is a natural history museum that I thought was fabulous. I though I would love Tivoli, the park, but it was so crowded (I was there in July), I could hardly stand it. The main shopping street -- I forget how it is spelled but is pronounded Stroyet -- left me cold, but I am not much of a shopper. The Nyhaven (sp?) area (habor) is quite picturesque. Of course we had to see the Little Mermaid, but it's kind of disappointing.

We took a day trip to Roskilde where they have a great museum with fantastic old Viking ships and a nice cathedral. I would recommend that.

Copenhagen is a great walking city -- it's very spread out and flat. If you like to walk and love architecture and history, I would go for it.

It depends. The train ride from Amsterdam to Copenhagen is about 12 hours. I like Copenhagen, but I'm not sure that I would pair it up with a trip to Amsterdam. I'd be more inclined to spend the additional time in France or Germany (somewhere along your current route).

However, if you are game, it is an interesting city and summer is a great time to visit Scandinavia.

Thanks Nancy and Carroll! I realize how subjective asking if a place is "worth it." I guess I just want opinions of people who have been there and who are more seasoned travelers than me! I have done some reading and watched the RS DVD which has a segment on Copenhagen, which is what got me interested in it. I need to do some more research!

In 2003, we flew SAS to London. For $100 extra, they offered to let us stop in Copenhagen and spend some time. We added an extra few days to our vacation and took them up on it. We really enjoyed the 3 full days we had there and would have loved to get out into the countrside. We had great weather-which you hopefully will have in July. It was our first time to go anywhere in Scandinavia which might have figured into our decision. We enjoyed the walking tour (out of the RS book) Tivoli gardens and just soaking up the atmosphere. We also took a bus out to Dragor- a fishing village not too far from Copenhagen. We stayed in Amagar where we rented an apartment that included bikes-the transportation system in second to none, but we enjoyed biking everywhere as well. Good times, good times.

We found Copenhagen to be great. We followed most of the suggestions in the RS book - loved Dragor, National Museum, Roskilde, Fredrickborg, Danish Resistance Museum, and Frilandmuseet. We loved walking through the city and the hot dog stands!

I forgot about the Danish Resistance Museum. I loved that too.

Its worth the time - especially on a long summer day when you can spend the evening at Tivoli. I loved experiencing my Danish roots. But it is ungodly expensive. Enjoy smorbred...

You may get bored of 3 days in Bruges, unless you are a Middle Ages enthusiast. You've got several huge cities in your itinerary, all of which will be very busy while you are there. I suggest a little downtime in the countryside, or a smaller city, to slow your pace, and enjoy yourself.

Amsterdam will probably be a zoo, hot and full (as will Paris). Make sure you book a place to stay. I would spend more time in France: go to Brittany, pick a wine region to explore, go to the Alps for hiking, visit Alsace. Go to Provence and visit the hill towns.

I lived in Denmark, and Copenhagen is great in the summer. But it's a long way from Amsterdam, and there is so much to see along the way.

Think of what you really like to do (see cathedrals? eat cheese? look at a particular artist's work + home? watch soccer matches?, garden? club? etc.) and plan around a theme that appeals to you.

Your trip will be more meaningful, and you'll see how differently people live in Europe from the USA if you explore your favorite things over there.