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I have a thing for colorful houses. There’s no better place to see beautiful rainbow colored blocks than in the capital of Denmark: Copenhagen. As many of you, my readers, know – I LOVE a long layover! A long layover can lower the price of your flight. It also allows you to rest in between flights. More importantly, it allows you to explore a new destination. I often get asked, what if you don’t have enough time to see everything? Typically, a layover is not enough to see everything no matter where you go. But you get definitely get a good feel of the city and know right away if you want to return. I usually plan my layovers very well and get as much in to my day as possible.
Here’s a breakdown of how you can spend 7 hours in this colorful Nordic town
Take the Metro
Copenhagen has one of the easiest metro systems I have ever used. Avoid wasting money and taking the taxi. The metro leaves from terminal 3 about every 5 minutes. Don’t worry about getting on the wrong train because it only goes in one direction ! Leaving from the airport on the bottom right corner on the map, you’ll want to go to the Kongens Nytorv station on the yellow line (no transfers). The price is around $5 USD.
Walk Around Nyhavn
The strip of the most fantastic colorful houses is located in Nyhavn. Nyhavn is a waterfront district of bright colored bars, restaurants, and cafes along the canal. I felt like a kid in a candy store ! The vibes on this electric strip were fantastic.
Take a Boat Tour
The best way to really see as much as possible is to get on the Hop On Hop Off series of either bus or boat. I first discovered the efficiency of these tours on my 8 hour layover in Amsterdam. In around two hours you can see some if not all of the major sights in the city that you’re in. You enjoy a complimentary guided tour and the best part about it is that you can get off wherever you want, and get back on later ! (All for a great price of around $20). Since I had little time in Copenhagen, this was my best bet on seeing as much as I can.
Explore the Backstreets of Copenhagen
I hopped off the pre-last stop of the boat tour to walk around and explore the streets surrounding Nyhavn (which became my focal point of return).
Have Lunch in a Colorful Cafe
I came back to the colorful strip for some much needed lunch. I was very eager to try some local food so I ordered Danish meatballs.
Eat Fresh Churros Under Melting Ice Cream
I just became hungry all over again. Not much more to say here.
I am so happy that I got to see so many beautiful parts of Copenhagen in just seven hours. Overall I spent just $50 – which is such a bargain for a day of exploring.
Hey Elona!
I love your trip stories and they inspire me! what do you do with your luggage during layovers- do you take them with you or does in remain in baggage claim? I’m asking because I’d like to use your advice about layovers for my own trip!
Hey ! Since I usually travel for short periods of time, I only have a carry on suitcase with me. Usually when I know that I have a long layover coming up, I give that suitcase into check-in and stuff as much as I can into it so that whatever bag I have with me is light to carry during a long layover. If it costs extra money to check it in, every airport has a storage location where for a decent price, you can leave your stuff for the day. Usually the storage places are easy to access and are close to the exit of the airport (just need to do a little extra research prior to your travels). On most international flights you should be able to check in any bag you want free of charge, in which case you don’t have to worry about it as it will remain with the airline. Just make sure that whatever you take with you outside during your layover is super light and only has important things. hope this helps =) let me know if you have more questions !
This helped alot, thanks so much for taking the time to respond!
Absolutely =) Good Luck !