Before I start, let me preface this by saying that we (Tessa & myself) are doing this trip on a super tight budget, so we have been researching our butts off to find the best deals. There are probably a million ways to plan a trip, and this is simply what we've decided to do. Also, we have planned our itinerary based on the idea that we want to make this trip into one giant adventure. Sure we'll do some of the typical tourist stuff, but we will also be traveling off the beaten path to try and get a more complete sense of the countries we are visiting. We had originally planned to do a Western Europe tour (Copenhagen, Berlin, Prague, Vienna, Munich, Belgium, Netherlands) but for some reason Scandinavia kept calling our names. Maybe it is the fact that we would probably NEVER get a chance to go back to Scandinavia (it's a lot more realistic to visit other European countries like France and Germany again in the future) or maybe we are just trying to avoid the summer tourist scene as much as possible, but either way, Scandinavia sounds like an amazing place. Sunlight till midnight, YES PLEASE!
So without further adieu, let's talk about Copenhagen...the first stop on this Epic Adventure.
Flying into Copenhagen was the cheapest option for me from the US, so it was a logical first stop. Finding a decently priced flight to anywhere in Europe was a lot of work, but thankfully KLM/Delta has some great deals. Also, interesting fact, it was SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper for me to fly into one city (Copenhagen) and fly out of another (Amsterdam) at the end of the trip. I was so surprised when I started doing searches with this criteria. AND it actually worked out to be cheaper for me to fly out of Richmond than from other major airports in the area. So, I won't have to leave my car for a few weeks and face a massive parking bill when I return. Double score. Finally, I used sites like kayak.com and expedia.com to make my general searches easier, but I ended up booking directly through the Delta site. The price was just as cheap (or expensive, depending on how you look at it). Oh and don't even bother calling customer service to book a flight. The best the lady could do was practically DOUBLE what I found online. Sooooo not worth the 30 minute annoying conversation I had with her.
Anyshnitzel...Copenhagen. I arrive about 6 hours before Tessa, so I will be jetlagged and wandering around by myself. But I'll be in freaking Denmark so I'll get over it. The hostel said I can check in a few hours early, but it is still 3 hours after I arrive on the plane. Based on my past European travel experiences (also done on an insanely tight budget...and yet still epic), it will probably take me a while to get from the airport to the train station to the city, so hopefully I won't have too much time to kill before I check into the hostel and Tessa arrives.
2007 - Arriving in Chartres, France...notice my authentic backpackers pack in the background (I told you I was hardcore). And notice the decently nice room...NOT a hostel...more like a Motel 6. Yeah, their standards are slightly higher than ours.
In Copenhagen we will be staying in the Copenhagen Downtown Hostel. We will have our own room but will be sharing a bathroom with other people on the hall. That may sound weird to some people, but I promise you it is NO big deal at all. Most people are in hostels because they are traveling around to see new places, not because they expect a relaxing, luxurious vacation. Those people stay in hotels. Hostels are actually nice places (if you do a bit of research and find the good ones), although EVERY hostel will get good and bad reviews alike. In my 2007 trip, I didn't stay in a place I didn't like, even though I had read a few negative reviews about each of them. Seriously, you just have to go in with the right expectations and you'll be fine. Remember - a hostel is a place to sleep after a long day of exploring!!
Here is an image of what our room should look like. Small but clean, cozy, and perfect for sleeping.
This room is about $50 a person per night...so on the more expensive end of the hostel spectrum. We decided to go for a double room (versus staying in a dorm with other random people) since it is the first leg of our trip. I want to be able to take a quick power nap in the room before Tessa arrives and I don't really have that luxury in a dorm. Resting up will be super important to get over any jetlag so we can go full speed ahead for the rest of our stay in Copenhagen!
Other exciting plans for Copenhagen include a VIKING FESTIVAL, a trip to the Carlsberg Brewery, and a night visit to Tivoli (an amusement park/place of awesome and culture). We've got several nights in the city so we'll have plenty of time to squeeze in other events of awesomeness.
We'll eat some traditional Danish food
Go on a canal tour or just walk around the wharf
And see the REAL Little Mermaid.
In somewhat related news, I'm thinking about investing in a FlipCam so I can take some short videos while on our trip. I think it will be nice to recap everything here with some video action added in :)
Next up, Bergen, Norway - stop #2!
No comments:
Post a Comment