Travel Tips Denmark for planning and on the go

Costs

Daily budget Basic €55/occasional treat €85. Drink Carlsberg (pint) €5. FoodPølser (Danish hot dog) €3.50. Hostel/budget hotel €25/€65. Travel Copenhagen–Århus Train: €55/Bus: €42

Emergencies

Danish police are generally courteous and most speak English. For all emergencies dial 112. For prescriptions, doctors’ consultations and dental work – but not hospital visits – you have to pay on the spot.

Information

Most places have a tourist office that can help with accommodation. They’re open daily in the most popular spots, but have reduced hours from October to March. All airports and many train stations also offer a hotel booking service.

Communications

Post offices are open Monday to Friday from 9.30/10am to 5/6pm and Saturday from 9.30/10am to noon/2pm, with reduced hours in smaller communities. You can buy stamps from most newsagents. If you’re in Denmark long-term, consider buying a Danish SIM for your mobile – prepaid cards from operators such as Telmore and CBB are available from petrol stations and post offices from 99kr. Internet access is free at libraries and some tourist offices; omnipresent coffee chain Baresso offers free wi-fi, as do many cafés and restaurants. Many towns and cities also have free wi-fi zones.

Money and banks

Currency is the krone (plural kroner), made up of 100 øre. It comes in notes of 50kr, 100kr, 200kr, 500kr and 1000kr, and coins of 50øre, 1kr, 2kr, 5kr, 10kr and 20kr. Banking hours are Monday to Friday from 9.30/10am to 4pm, Thursday until 5.30/6pm. Banks are plentiful and are the easiest place to exchange cash, although they usually charge around 50kr per transaction: the rate charged by a bank for withdrawing from an ATM is just as competitive. Most airports and ferry terminals have late-opening exchange facilities, and ATMs are widespread.

At the time of writing, €1 = 7.5kr, US$1 = 6.6kr and £1 = 9.4kr.

Opening hours and holidays

Standard shop hours are Monday to Thursday from 9/10am to 5.30/6pm, Friday from 9/10am to 7/8pm, Saturday from 9am to 1/2pm (though in larger cities, several will stay open until 5pm on Saturday). Many larger shops and department stores are also open on Sundays for limited hours. All shops and banks are closed, and public transport and many museums run to Sunday schedules on public holidays: January 1; Maundy Thursday to Easter Monday; Prayer Day (4th Fri after Easter); Ascension (fortieth day after Easter); Whit Sunday and Monday; Constitution Day (June 5); December 24 (pm only); December 25 and 26. On International Workers’ Day, May 1, many offices and shops close at noon.

Student and youth discounts

Your ISIC card will get you thirty to fifty percent off most museum and gallery admission prices, although free entry is often available on Wednesdays and Sundays. If you’re staying long-term a DSB Wildcard (185kr), which offers fifty percent off train fares for a year, can be worthwhile.