u/awko-tawko

EDIT: I know this is the internet but please don’t leave rude comments, I’m simply sharing my opinion. You can respectfully disagree but you don’t have to attack me or rudely respond. I’m being respectful with my thoughts here so you can too.

***Let me preface this by saying that I still enjoyed my trip to Copenhagen and I think the city probably has a lot more to offer but as a solo visitor for 5 days, this is my opinion!

I spent 5 days in Copenhagen recently and I really wanted to go after seeing so much about it on social media over the years, particularly on YouTube and Instagram. Obviously, I did my own research and don’t base my travel plans solely on social media so even after doing online reading, I saw a lot of people talking about its unique vibe and how they preferred it over a lot of other Western European cities. I’ll start with the pros first:

- I liked how clean and available public bathrooms were. I had been in Amsterdam a few days before and it was harder to find a bathroom at times, with many of them being paid in busy areas

- The bakery culture is really cool and there was pretty much always public seating nearby to eat, this can be a big struggle in bigger cities like Tokyo and NYC

- The overall chill and relaxed vibe of people there. Nobody was in a rush really like they tend to be in more work driven cultures, I saw lots of people just out enjoying the sun during a day of nice weather despite it being a work day.

- My favourite parts were the Glyptotek museum (visited during the free day), Osterbro neighbourhood, and walking near the water

Cons:

- The prices are truly exorbitant for most people travelling who aren’t super high earners. Food market eats range from $20-$40 CAD, pasties cost $8-10 and I didn’t even step into a restaurant cause they’re even pricier. I got a keychain at the Lego store without doing the conversion by accident and it ended up being DOUBLE the price I could’ve paid for it back home, despite Denmark being where Lego was invented! I knew about the prices after researching but it was another level once I got there

- The supermarkets leave a lot to be desired if you want to buy your own food, not as many fresh options and the to go options are a little lacking compared to other European grocers

- I think the city overall is probably a nice place to live but as a visitor, there isn’t much to do after the third day, especially if you don’t want to pay an arm and a leg. There is way less to do in terms of exploring, art, culture, and parks compared to Paris, NYC, and London

- As someone who is into fashion, I had high expectations visiting Copenhagen from what I heard and seeing the way people dress there. Unfortunately, I found that a lot of the brands carried things with low quality/synthetic fabrics yet were marked up because they fit the style and Copenhagen aesthetic. Don’t get me wrong, this is a problem globally in the fast fashion cycle but I was disappointed for a city that prides itself in sustainability and design. The thrifting was nicer but also more expensive than your average thrift store in North America and the sizing is smaller too (generally clothes run smaller in Europe as with Asia to cater to the general population which makes sense)

Those are my main thoughts. I think the city is worth visiting if you live in Europe already and it’s not that far for you but otherwise, may not be worth it and even then, 3 days would be your sweet spot. I think Copenhagen has done a fantastic job PR wise and on social media so it gets a lot of visitors and again, as I mentioned, I still enjoyed my trip, but I was also let down quite a lot too. Given that most people outside of Europe have limited vacation time, I’d look into other cities before basing your decision on the good PR you see online!