If you’re planning a trip to Copenhagen, the Danish capital, you should be careful to avoid the common traps for unwary tourists. Copenhagen is a wonderful and unique city, and it’s not worth ruining your vacation for not knowing what to keep out of. Here are some things you should avoid while in this city:
Avoid the amusement park Tivoli like the plague in major holidays
Tivoli is Denmark’s largest tourist attraction, with more than 4 million visitors a year. Who hasn’t heard of the amusement park here or Tivoli Gardens!? You can have a lot of fun here but the prices are high for everything, from food and drink to rides. If you decide to visit Tivoli anyway, try to avoid seeing it on major holidays like Christmas or Halloween, as the line will be really long and it’s not worth the wait. Better try it during summer!
The main shopping street 'Strøget' is extremely overrated
'Strøget' is Copenhagen’s main shopping street. Although it might seem tempting, the best thing is to avoid it. Not just because it’s crowded and it doesn’t offer anything new, but you may run into other unpleasant phenomena like hustlers, beggars and thieves. The parallell street of 'Stædet' is much more unique and pleasant!
Do not wander around the bike lane with no bike
Do not step onto the biker's lane! Danish people are known to bike a lot, and this goes for Copenhagen too. They rid
e fast at all streets and at all times of day and night. Be careful not to make the mistake many unwary people do – stepping out into the bike lane without looking. It can lead to major traffic jams, piles of bikes and people in the street. If you do this mistake and you’re lucky, you’ll only get a few sour words from the bikers.
The expensively priced canal tours
Canal tours are a great way of seeing the city. A major thing you need to know is there are two companies that offer this kind of tours. If you’re not careful, you run the danger of paying double. Always choose 'Netto' boats, they’re cheap and you won’t be annoyed by speaker announcements from the tourist guide.
Do not drink your beer at the inner City Tourist Bars
Do not get lured by posters from Copenhagen’s Central Station, advertising great bars. These bars are just for tourists, as locals know that prices here are greatly inflated. It’s not just this but music is bad too and also the company, as people that usually hang out there are either teenagers or middle-aged. So avoid these highly advertised bars and ask a local instead for some advice. It will surely prove more satisfying.
Do not get me wrong. Copenhagen has plenty to offer the visitor, but the things I mentioned above should be avoided at all cost if you prefer to enjoy a relaxing and pleasant budget holiday in the Danish capital. Try to walk a bit outside of the main tourist attractions and get under the skin of the Danish people by avoiding the main streets and fares.
Avoid the amusement park Tivoli like the plague in major holidays
Tivoli is Denmark’s largest tourist attraction, with more than 4 million visitors a year. Who hasn’t heard of the amusement park here or Tivoli Gardens!? You can have a lot of fun here but the prices are high for everything, from food and drink to rides. If you decide to visit Tivoli anyway, try to avoid seeing it on major holidays like Christmas or Halloween, as the line will be really long and it’s not worth the wait. Better try it during summer!
The main shopping street 'Strøget' is extremely overrated
'Strøget' is Copenhagen’s main shopping street. Although it might seem tempting, the best thing is to avoid it. Not just because it’s crowded and it doesn’t offer anything new, but you may run into other unpleasant phenomena like hustlers, beggars and thieves. The parallell street of 'Stædet' is much more unique and pleasant!
Do not wander around the bike lane with no bike
Do not step onto the biker's lane! Danish people are known to bike a lot, and this goes for Copenhagen too. They rid
The expensively priced canal tours
Canal tours are a great way of seeing the city. A major thing you need to know is there are two companies that offer this kind of tours. If you’re not careful, you run the danger of paying double. Always choose 'Netto' boats, they’re cheap and you won’t be annoyed by speaker announcements from the tourist guide.
Do not drink your beer at the inner City Tourist Bars
Do not get lured by posters from Copenhagen’s Central Station, advertising great bars. These bars are just for tourists, as locals know that prices here are greatly inflated. It’s not just this but music is bad too and also the company, as people that usually hang out there are either teenagers or middle-aged. So avoid these highly advertised bars and ask a local instead for some advice. It will surely prove more satisfying.
Do not get me wrong. Copenhagen has plenty to offer the visitor, but the things I mentioned above should be avoided at all cost if you prefer to enjoy a relaxing and pleasant budget holiday in the Danish capital. Try to walk a bit outside of the main tourist attractions and get under the skin of the Danish people by avoiding the main streets and fares.
Ken Sand
Dirt Cheap Copenhagen is a Copenhagen travel guide which shows you how to enjoy a holiday on a tight budget in the Danish capital. It even contains tips on where to meeet Copenhagen girls.
View all articles by Ken Sand