Introduction
Copenhagen had been on our wish list for a long time. We compared the train and the bus, but in the end we decided to take our own car and drive all the way from Bern to Copenhagen, crossing Germany and the impressive Great Belt Bridge on the way. We stayed three nights at a capsule hotel on the island of Amager and spent two full days exploring the Danish capital with a 48-hour City Pass.
Arrival Day:
We left Bern on Saturday at around 14:00 and headed north into Germany. Our first stop was Raststätte Bergstrasse on the A5, where we filled up the tank. Since we had decided not to book a hotel along the way, we drove on until late in the evening and slept a few hours in the car at the Allertal Ost rest area on the A7. A small bonus: that night the clocks went back, so we gained an extra hour of sleep.
On Sunday morning we continued past Hamburg towards the Danish border, with a coffee and another fuel stop on the way. In Denmark we took generous breaks at Årslev and Rønninge on the island of Funen, because an early check-in at the hotel would have cost extra. Then came one of the highlights of the drive: the Great Belt Bridge (Storebæltsbroen), which links Funen with Zealand over a distance of around 18 km. We had bought our ticket online beforehand, so the crossing was quick and easy.
Once in Copenhagen, we had lunch at Ø12 Coffee & Eatery on H. C. Andersens Boulevard. In the afternoon we checked in at the Hotel Capsule Inn, where we had booked an upper double capsule for three nights. Our car stayed at the APCOA parking garage on Holmbladsgade, just a few minutes from the hotel. Parking in Copenhagen is expensive, but the garage has a daily maximum rate, which made it the best option for us. In the evening we stayed close to the hotel, had dinner nearby and ended the day with a freshly squeezed orange juice from one of the Juicyboost machines.
First Day in Copenhagen:
We started Monday with a simple breakfast from SuperBrugsen in the Amager Centret and then bought two 48-hour City Passes at the metro station. They covered all our trips by metro, bus and harbour bus until Wednesday morning. Our first stop was Nyhavn, the famous old harbour with its colourful houses. For lunch we sat down at Skipperkroen and enjoyed moules frites, fish and chips and a glass of rosé.
In the afternoon we went to Tivoli Gardens, which was decorated for Halloween with pumpkins, lanterns and spooky figures everywhere. We didn’t buy a ride pass, but we had lots of fun at the shooting gallery and throwing darts at balloons. For dinner we grabbed a burger at Gasoline right inside the park and stayed until Tivoli was beautifully lit up in the evening.
Second Day in Copenhagen:
On Tuesday we began with a cappuccino at Espresso House before visiting the National Museum of Denmark (Nationalmuseet). The museum takes you through Danish history from the Stone Age and the Vikings to the present day. One of the most fascinating exhibits is the skeleton of the Vig aurochs, which still bears the marks of the arrows of Stone Age hunters. For lunch we went to Momo Wok.
At 15:15 we boarded the Stromma Classic Canal Tour at Ved Stranden. The boat trip took us through the canals past Nyhavn, the Opera House, the Little Mermaid and Christiansborg Palace, a great way to see the city from the water. In the evening we had dinner at Shawarma No1 Grill-House and warmed up with two hot chocolates before heading back to our capsule.
Departure Day:
On our last morning we treated ourselves to a proper breakfast at Boheme on Holmbladsgade, right next to the parking garage. After picking up some snacks for the road at Føtex and filling up at an OK petrol station, we left Copenhagen at around 10:00 and drove back over the Great Belt Bridge. We refuelled near Hamburg, stopped for a meal at McDonald’s in Bad Fallingbostel and filled up one last time near Frankfurt. After a final short break in Pratteln, we arrived back home in the early hours of Thursday, after almost 16 hours on the road without sleep. Tiring, but absolutely worth it.
Expenses: CHF
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Petrol 262
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Great Belt Bridge, 2 crossings 51
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Hotel Capsule Inn, 3 nights 77
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Parking garage, 3 days 103
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City Pass 48 h, 2 persons 40
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Tivoli, National Museum, canal tour and games 143
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Meals and coffee 340
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Snacks and drinks 53
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Total 1'069
Conclusion
Copenhagen turned out to be a wonderful destination for a few days away. With the capsule hotel, the 48-hour City Pass and breakfast from the supermarket, we travelled simply but comfortably. In five days we experienced Halloween at Tivoli, Danish history at the National Museum and the canals of Copenhagen seen from the water, plus a road trip of about 2’750 km there and back through Germany and Denmark. The long drive is demanding, especially in one go on the way home, but if you love road trips, Copenhagen by car is definitely worth it.
