Saving money in Copenhagen

Before boarding a ship for a Baltic cruise, my friend and I, along with my daughter and her husband, spent four days and three nights (Sept. 1-4, 2014) in Copenhagen, a city with a reputation for being one of Europe’s priciest. With careful planning, however, we were able to enjoy our time in this clean and modern yet historic city without breaking the bank.

Through Booking.com, we booked our hotel, Wakeup Copenhagen, Borgergade (Borgergade 9, Copenhagen, Denmark; phone +45 4480 0090, www.wakeup copenhagen.com), before it even opened in the spring of 2014. We were pleased with our small, modern rooms, which were quiet, had all the amenities, including air-conditioning, and made very clever use of space.

For a single room for three nights I paid DKK2,100 (near $352), which included all taxes. (My daughter and her husband paid DKK2,400 [$402] for a double room.) Breakfast was not included, but several cafés and bakeries were nearby. For coffee and a big Danish or yogurt, we each paid, on average, about $10.

The hotel was within easy walking distance of the Kongens Nytorv metro station, Nyhavn (New Harbor) and most of the sights in Copenhagen. Just be careful of bicycle traffic when you’re walking, especially at rush hour.

Another way we saved money was each buying a 72-hour Copenhagen Card online (www.copenhagencard.com). The card cost DKK559 ($94) and included all transportation options (trains, metro, buses and sightseeing boats) as well as entry to most museums. We each saved about $100 in fees with the card. The convenience of not carrying all those extra kroner was another bonus.

Dining in Copenhagen is expensive, so we picked one evening to splurge and then found other, less expensive restaurant options on Trip­Advisor.com and in Rick Steves’ “Copenhagen” guidebook.

We enjoyed a traditional Danish meal of meatballs with gravy, roasted potatoes, red cabbage and pickles, served family style, with a Carlsberg beer for DKK200 ($33) each at Københavner Caféen (Badstuestræde 10; phone +45 33 32 80 81, www.kobenhavnercafeen.dk/en).

Another night, we visited BrewPub København (Vestergade 29; phone +45 33 32 00 60, http://brewpub.dk/en), near the Tivoli amusement park. The pub features a variety of their own beers and an outdoor courtyard with several tables. We enjoyed beers with cheeseburgers and fish-and-chips for $30 each. All of the food was good. We paid at the bar so we didn’t have to wait for the check. (In Copenhagen, you have to ask for the check or you’ll be waiting for a long time!) 

Our splurge was a Thai restaurant, Khun Juk Oriental (Baron Boltens Gård, Store Kongensgade 9; phone +45 33 32 30 50, www.khunjuk.dk), near our hotel. The food was delicious, well prepared and very filling, and the service was impeccable and friendly. We had four courses and a Thai beer for DKK400 each.

For lunch, you can save money by going to one of the many smørrebrød restaurants, where they serve open-faced sandwiches, or grabbing a pølse (Danish hot dog) from a food truck for under $10. The pølsevogn (sausage wagon) has photos of the many filling and tasty varieties.

With our Copenhagen Card, we enjoyed Tivoli Gardens at night for the “Illumination,” a light-and-fountain show on the lake. 

If you appreciate Danish design, be sure to visit Designmuseum Danmark (Bredgade 68; phone +45 33 18 56 56, http://designmuseum.dk) to see furniture design through the ages. 

The two royal palaces, Amalienborg and Christiansborg, and Rosenborg Castle, where the royal jewels are kept in the treasury, give a glimpse into Danish history. You’ll gain an understanding of how many of Europe’s royal families are connected.

You can see Copenhagen from the water on a canal boat tour.

Have tea in the recently opened tower of Christiansborg Palace. 

You can try curing your jet lag by taking a climb to see the many views of this beautiful city. Our favorite climb, in the Christianshavn area, was to the top of Church of Our Saviour (Sankt Annæ Gade 29; www.vorfrelserskirke.dk) — 400 steps to the top of the steeple!

After that aerobic activity, we had drinks along the canal on a sunny day at an affordable floating bar, Christianshavns Bådudlejning og Café (Overgaden Neden Vandet 29; phone +45 32 96 53 53, www.baadudlejningen.dk).

Money matters — we had no trouble using our American credit cards in Copenhagen. For any purchase, we just said “Signature card” and our card was swiped through the machine. I used my Capital One Visa Signature Card for two transactions in Copenhagen; this card charges no foreign transaction fees.

To get the most kroner for our dollars, we used the Danske Bank ATM at the Kastrup Airport (CPH). After we left passport control and Customs, we turned left and walked down the corridor until we saw the ATM in the wall on the left. I used a TD Bank Visa debit card and incurred no fees at either end of my DKK1,500 transaction.

After departing Customs, we also exchanged our online vouchers for our Copenhagen Cards and city maps.

Most Danes speak English and are happy to offer assistance.

SHERRY STURGES

Williamstown, NJ