Copenhagen Budget Tips

Tourist Office

We always recommend stopping by a tourist office in any city as soon as possible.

Wonderful Copenhagen, located on Vesterbrogade acrss from Tivoli Gardens, is a beautifully designed information center. The staff is helpful and the computers set up in front of tall windows for tourist use are a real treat. Check out the Wonderful Copenhagen website.

We especially like the center's room dividers, which are plastered with helpful tips. That said, we suggest you use exercise caution if you search for a hotel there. The listings contain material straight out of the hotel brochures, and some of the featured accommodations didn't make the EuroCheapo cut. But other tips offered on the dividers are very useful; for example, the information center campaign showing where local Danes like to hang out in Copenhagen is entertaining as well as informative.

From May through mid-September, The Wonderful Copenhagen office across from Tivoli is open from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with extended hours (until 8 p.m. and on Sundays from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.) in July and August. From Septembter 24 through April, the office is open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Saturday.

Museum Prices and Passes

Museums and royal sights generally charge between DKK20 (€3) and DKK80 (€10) for adult admission. Prices for children cluster around DKK10 for the more expensive sites and free for all others.

Admission to popular museums in Copenhagen, priced for adults and children.

Statens Museum for Kunst (Denmark's National Gallery): free

National Museum: free

Rosenborg Slot castle: DKK75/€10 (adults)/DKK45/€6 (reduced)/free (children 17 and under)

Tivoli: DKK95/€12.75 (adults)/DKK45/€6 (children 11 and under)/free (children 2 and under)

Royal Stables: DKK20/€2.75 (adults)/DKK10/€1.50 (reduced)

Louisiana Museum for Moderne Kunst: DKK95 (adults)/DKK85 (reduced)/free (children 18 and under)

One money-saving tool is the Copenhagen Card, which provides a public transportation pass and offers free admission to 60 attractions and museums to boot. A one-day adult Copenhagen Card costs DKK225 (€300), while a one-day child Copenhagen Card costs DKK115 (€15). The Copenhagen Card also comes in a three-day configuration, which costs DKK450 (€60) for adults and DKK225 (€30) for children.

Free Sights

Wednesday is the day to see sights for free in Copenhagen. On Wednesdays, many museums and galleries do not cost a single kroner. These museums include the Geological Museum and the Thorvaldsens Museum. Sundays are free at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek.

"Borrowing" a bike from one the city's free public bikes racks allows urban exploration by bike, a free and super fun activity. A mere DKK 20 deposit is all you need in order to pedal away. Don't believe us? Click here for proof (and more information).

Strøget, a long pedestrian-only street north of Slotsholmen, is the place to see street performers. The island of Slotsholmen itself is a fantastic area to walk around. The canal, the boats, and the main square of Christiansborg Slot are incredibly picturesque. When the EuroCheapo team was last there, we couldn't stop taking snapshots.

Another site to see is Christiania (site in Danish with some information in English), which was established in the early 1970s after peace activists took over some military barracks. Christiania's ambitious hippies established their own government, educational system, and a "common economy." The Danish government, which has been moving toward the right for some years now, has a plan to uproot the local government and reconstruct Christiania. Check out the commune of Christiania now, while it still exists.

Other free museums in Copenhagen include the Museum of Danish Resistance, the Georg Jensen Museum, Davids Samling, the Open Air Museum in Lyngby, and the Museum of Music History.

Senior Discounts

Senior discounts exist in Copenhagen. To obtain some discounts, membership in a particular senior association may be required. Members of the AARP receive discounts on hotels, airfares and car rentals. They can be reached in the United States at 1-888-687-2277 or accessed online at the AARP Web site.

People over 65 are sold half-price tickets to seats at the Royal Theater and reduced admission to many museums and ferries to Sweden.

Students Discounts

The International Student Identity Card, ISIC, the most widely accepted form of student ID, provides discounts on sights, accommodations, food and transportation. Some places offer admission discounts of 20%-50% to ISIC members. All cardholders have access to a 24-hour emergency helpline. In the United States call 1-800-223-7986 or click onto the ISIC site. Applicants must be degree seekers of a secondary or post-secondary school and must be at least 12 years of age. The card costs US$22 and is valid until the end of the year issued.

For non-students 25 years or younger, the International Youth Travel Card, IYTC, also offers many of the same benefits as the ISIC. The card costs US$22 and is valid for one year from the date issue.

Travelers with student cards, such as ISIC and IYTC qualify for big discounts from travel agencies. Most flights from budget agencies are on major airlines, but in peak season some may sell seats on less reliable chartered flights.

Related blog posts:

• Copenhagen cheap souvenir: Dane to design
• Copenhagen: Free bike rental
• Copenhagen Tip: Five free things to do!