Northern Euro Trip Guide & Itinerary

Copenhagen, Denmark

General

• http://www.visitcopenhagen.com

• Most residents speak English

• Currency: DKK, Danish Krone or Kroner (plural)

  • Check Google for the current exchange rate

• Mixed gender bathrooms are normal

• J-walking is looked down upon, at least at intersections

• Talking loudly in public, especially on public transit is looked down upon

• Watch where you walk, there are a lot of bike lanes that are easy to step into by mistake

Berlin, Germany

General

• Most residents speak German, 56% speak English

• Currency: Euro €

  • Check Google for the current exchange rate

• Recycle or else you could get fined

• Talking loudly in public, especially on public transit is looked down upon

• Many nightlife establishments in Berlin allow smoking indoors. If you plan to go to bars or clubs, be prepared to smell strongly of smoke the next day. Locating a laundromat as well as Febreze (there is a German version of this at the grocery store) is recommended.

• Locate bars and clubs before arriving. Nightlife establishments are closed usually from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm, and many don’t even open until 11:00 pm.

• German phrases:

  • Danka - thanks

  • Skoal - cheers

  • Prosit - drinking to one’s health

Malmo, Sweden

General

• The Official Guide to Sweden

• Most residents speak English

• Currency: SEK, Swedish Krona

  • Check Google for the current exchange rate

Keflavik/Reykjavik, Iceland

General

• Visit Iceland | Official travel info for Iceland

• Most residents speak English

• Currency: ISK, Icelandic Krona

  • Check Google for the current exchange rate

• Weather in Iceland can be extremely volatile, especially wind so take care

General Prep

• Bring cash

• Alert credit cards and banks of travel

• Practice DuoLingo phrases (not required)

• Tipping not expected but rounding to 10% for exceptional service is nice to do

• Take photos of documents

• Print out to back up (passport, ID, Covid card), leave copy at home and take one with

Pro tip: If you want to make friends with people traveling from Australia, staying at a hostel and socializing in common areas increases your odds significantly. I recommend hostels in Europe, not the US.

Copenhagen, Denmark

• Copenhagen Downtown Hostel

• Generator Hostel

• Steel House Hostel

Berlin, Germany

• Airbnbs available

• St Christopher’s Inn Berlin Alexanderplatz

  • Our Alexanderplatz Hostel, Berlin | St Christopher’s Inns

• Generator Hostel

Malmo, Sweden

Airbnbs available

• Day trip via train

  • You can take the Metro from downtown Copenhagen to the CPH airport, then board the train to Malmo from there

  • Takes less than an hour

Keflavik/Reykjavik, Iceland

• Airbnbs available

• Hotel Aurora at airport (ideal for layovers)

  • 5 minute walk outside of airport

  • Breakfast is provided

Copenhagen, Denmark

• Copenhagen is very walkable

• Uses officially marked taxis

• Denmark doesn't have Uber or Lyft

• Buses are available, cheap and clean

• Bikes are very popular and common, along with renting bikes

• 4 metro lines 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Easy way to go all over town

• How to get around Copenhagen

Berlin, Germany

• Clever Shuttle

• Lyft is available in Berlin

• Berlin is very walkable but big so there is a lot of ground to cover

• U-Bahn trains available

  • Train from Berlin airport (BER) to Alexanderplatz in Berlin is about an hour long

  • Only some stations have lockers

• A bus taxi: rideshare eco-taxi where you share the ride with other peeps, almost like a bus

Travel between Copenhagen and Berlin

• Fastest route:

  • There is a plane you can take for 1 hour

• Scenic route:

  • There is a train you can take for 6-7 hours

  • You can sleep on the train or see the German countryside

Malmo, Sweden

• Malmo is walkable

• Can walk to most landmarks

• Bikes are very common

• Most hotels offer bike rentals

• Bike rental apps: Donkey Bike or Malmö by Bike

Travel between Copenhagen and Malmo

• You can take the Metro from downtown Copenhagen to the airport, then board the train to Malmo from there

Keflavik/Reykjavik, Iceland

• There’s no Lyft or Uber

• Electric scooters are available

• City Center area is walkable

• Bus transportation in Reykjavik is easy, cheap, and gets you to the best spots in the city

  • Straeto, Reykjavik’s public transport company: bus routes, times, and fares

  • Regular bus ticket: 480 kr (3.30 USD) during the day and 960 kr (6.55 USD) at night

  • Buses travel up and down Hverfisgata street, but it's best to wander Laugavegur, the main shopping street, on foot

Travel Between KEF airport and Reykjavik

• Airport transport bus service:

  • Shuttle bus is fairly priced and travels to and from Keflavik Airport frequently

  • Ride time: 45 to 60 minutes

• Taxi:

  • Starting price is around $110 USD

Reykjavik

• Bus transportation in Reykjavik:

  • Regular bus ticket: 480 kr (3.30 USD) during the day and 960 kr (6.55 USD) at night

• Airport transport bus service:

  • Tickets can be purchased on Icelandair flight (during flight)

  • Shuttle bus is fairly priced and travels to and from Keflavik Airport frequently

  • Ride time: 45 to 60 minutes

• Taxi:

  • Starting price is around $110 USD

Flying Icelandair

If your layover is in Iceland and you are flying Icelandair

• Icelandair allows a free stopover for up to 7 days due to Iceland promoting tourism

  • Check out Reykjavik if you can

    • There is an option to buy bus tickets from the airport to Reykjavik on an Icelandair flight

  • Keflavik is a nice option too

  • Blue Lagoon is near the airport

    • Hot springs with geothermal seawater surrounded by volcanoes

    • Will not be open at times due to volcanic activity

Copenhagen, Denmark

• Stays

• Transportation

• Food

• Other (souvenirs, etc.)

Berlin, Germany

• Stays

• Transportation

• Food

• Other (souvenirs, etc.)

Malmo, Sweden

• Stays

• Transportation

• Food

• Other (souvenirs, etc.)

Keflavik/Reykjavik, Iceland

• Stays

• Transportation

• Food

• Other (souvenirs, etc.)

Flights and Transportation

• Taxi: CPH airport to City Center of Copenhagen is $20-$40

• Bus: Copenhagen bus tickets average around $7 per ride

• Train: Copenhagen to Malmo is $12/person

• Train: Berlin to Copenhagen around $97/person to $110/person

  • The price can change depending how far you book in advance, we recommend checking as we ended up flying instead and the flight was only an hour vs 6-8 hours.

• Train: Berlin airport (BER) to Alexanderplatz in Berlin is

• EasyJet Flight: Copenhagen to Berlin - about $100 round trip

• EasyJet Flight: Copenhagen to Berlin with 2 bags - about $215 round trip

  • Small cabin bag: 1 x under seat cabin bag (max. 45 x 36 x 20 cm)

  • Large cabin bag: 1 x large cabin bag (max. 56 x 45 x 25 cm

Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen MICHELIN Restaurants - The MICHELIN Guide Denmark

Foods to try:

• Pastries, Danishes

• Hot dogs

• Smørbrød (open faced sandwich)

• Fish

• Pork

• Danish beer

Berlin, Germany

Foods to try:

• Turkish and Greek food

• Currywurst

• Doner kebab

• Jelly donut

• Beer with flavor added

• Eisbein - pork knuckle

• Bouletten -

• Kassler - thick boiled ham

• With cheese noodles

• Ka- Potato pancake with applesauce on top

• Turkish simit (pastry) with Turkish tea

• Turkish bakery breakfast

• Dong Xuan Center - Viatnamese food store

Malmo, Sweden

Foods to try:

• Kanelbulle

• Filmjölk

• Toast Skagen

• Foraged berries

• Husmanskost

• Prinsesstårta

• Lingonberries

Keflavik/Reykjavik, Iceland

Foods to try:

• Kjotsupa

• Lamb (Stew)

• Hot Dog (Lamb)

• Seafood (Lobster Soup)

• Skyr (Cake)

• Fermented Shark

• Ice Cream

Coffee Shops & Breakfast Spots

Museums, Castles & Memorials

Theaters & Theme Parks

Bars, Beer Gardens & Breweries

Grocery & Retail Shops

Food Halls & Markets

Notable Neighborhoods

Notable Eats

Art Districts & Murals

Music Venues

Tours & Other Activities

Hot Springs & Bath Houses

Download Itinerary

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Need to know

• Copenhagen will be the base to visit the other countries

• You will need a flight to and from Copenhagen over the course of 12 days

• Be prepared to travel with your bags, one bag recommended

  • It is possible to travel with one bag in winter

  • This has been tested by men and women

• If you cannot travel with all your bags, be prepared to leave them in a locker or a stay of some sort while you are in Berlin and Malmo

  • Bringing extra bags have additional costs due to baggage fees with airlines as well as locker or additional stay fees

Summary

• Copenhagen for a few days

• Berlin for the weekend for exploring and clubbing

• Back to Copenhagen

• Copenhagen to Malmo for a day trip

• Back to Copenhagen

• Copenhagen to Keflavik for layover in Iceland

• Iceland layover on the way back to US

Copenhagen, Denmark

Day 1 (Monday)

Group leaves home airport

Day 2 (Tuesday)

Group arrives in Copenhagen (hopefully morning or midday)

• Chill in Copenhagen

  • Explore or chill out

  • Try new delicious food

Day 3 (Wednesday)

Chill in Copenhagen

• Explore or do activity

• Try new delicious food

Day 4 (Thursday)

Chill in Copenhagen

• Explore or do activity

• Try new delicious food

Day 5 (Friday)

Leave for Berlin in the morning via flight (ideally Friday for weekend clubbing)

Berlin, Germany

Day 5 (Friday)

Leave for Berlin in the morning via flight

• Arrive in Berlin

• Explore during the day, try new foods or do activity

• Club night in Berlin

  • Nightlife does not start until 11:00 pm, rarely 10:00 pm

Day 6 (Saturday)

• Day in Berlin

  • Explore more, do activity, and/or try new foods

• Club night in Berlin

  • Saturday nights are much busier than Friday nights

Day 7 (Sunday)

Leave Berlin to Copenhagen via 7 hour train and sleep OR fly out

• We opted to fly out and recommend this as we were exhausted

• We flew in the afternoon so we had the morning to further explore

Copenhagen Leg 2

Day 7 (Sunday)

Leave Berlin to Copenhagen via 7 hour train and sleep

• Be back in Copenhagen by (insert time)

Day 8 (Monday)

Wake up in Copenhagen, go to Malmo for the day

• You can take the Metro from the City Center in Copenhagen to the airport, then board the train to Malmo from there

Malmo, Sweden

Day 8 (Monday)

Go to Malmo for the day, then come back to Copenhagen

• Explore and try new delicious food

• You can take the train from Malmo to the Copenhagen airport, then the Metro to the City Center in Copenhagen

Copenhagen Leg 3

Day 8 (Monday)

Come back to Copenhagen from Malmo

• Explore, do activity or chill out

• Try new delicious food

Day 9 (Tuesday)

Chill in Copenhagen

• Explore or do activity

• Try new delicious food

Day 10 (Wednesday)

Chill in Copenhagen

• Explore or do activity

• Try new delicious food

Day 11 (Thursday)

Depart in the evening to Iceland

Keflavik & Reykjavik, Iceland

Day 11 (Thursday)

Arrive in Iceland

• If you are flying Icelandair

  • Icelandair allows a free stopover for up to 7 days due to Iceland promoting tourism

  • There is an option to buy bus tickets from the airport to Reykjavik on an Icelandair flight

• Exploring is limited during December as there is 5 hours of daylight maximum

  • Sunrise is between 10:00-11:00 am

  • Sunset is between 3:00-4:00 pm

• If your layover is around 24 hours

  • Check out Reykjavik if there is enough time during the layover

  • Keflavik is closer to the airport and a nice backup option but a taxi is required to go there

    • Explore, try new food or do an activity (transportation required)

      • Blue Lagoon is near the airport

Day 12 (Friday)

Fly to home airport in evening