Traveling: Unlocking Copenhagen and Malmo

The Scandinavian area was on my list for quite a while, therefore you can imagine my joy when I saw a great deal for the plane tickets in March. Since the direct flight was to Malmo, 42km away from Copenhagen, I got to catch 2 rabbits in one hit, Sweden and Denmark in a short city-break.

The flight was at a bargain price of 35 euros for 2 round trips with WizzAir. The prices for the hotels can be very high in the northern part of Europe, so I choose the Airbnb option with private rooms. One of the main benefits of this was the fact that I got to see how the local people live, how their apartment looks and bonus, save a lot of money. For one night in Malmo and 2 in Copenhagen, I paid around 130 euros for 2 people, furthermore in Malmo, our host offered us breakfast and coffee. So what more to ask for?

The public transport is very well organized so there is no need to rent a car, unfortunately, most of the time we had to ask for guidance since not everything is intuitive. Also, if you plan on visiting Malmo, make sure to buy the bus tickets prior to getting on the bus, there is no option of buying from the driver. If you are also traveling from Malmo to Copenhagen and back, buy the return train ticket from Malmo since it will be cheaper. Traveling from one place to another is done by train, they come by Malmo Central every 15-30 minutes and the ride takes around 1h.

Both countries have their own currency and it can be hard to differentiate them, but you can use your credit/debit card everywhere, furthermore many places accept only payment by card, so make sure to bring one.

The favorite way of transport is by bicycles, so if you are also a fan, you can rent one. Just make sure the weather is on your side. In March, for me, it was pretty cold and the wind makes the real feel even worst, appropriate clothing is a must.

Both Malmo and Copenhagen have a great architecture with old buildings and canals, so wandering on the streets of the city is a feast for the eyes. Both places have a lot of great places for coffee and food, from the mini-burgers I had on the Malmo Central to the amazing fish I had on the Nyhavn, everything was tasty and fresh. A recommendation that I got from my BFF in Amsterdam, was the cheesecake from Bertel’s Cheesecake Salon from Denmark side, probably the best cheesecake I ever had. If you are also a gourmand, there is no better place for you!

Speaking of places to check in Copenhagen, the ones that I had on my list were:

• The Little Mermaid statue
• Nyhavn – this is the place where you will shot the wallpaper pictures
• Rosenborg Castle and the park around it
• The Round Tower – great view of the city from above
• Christanbor palace
• Christiana park – keep an open mind about this one, since it will be a place with no rules

For Malmo, I cannot say that I had a list of items to check, I wandered around the streets and went to the port for a few minutes( the wind was too strong).

Both countries are rated among the first when it comes to the standard of living and just looking at the people that live there you can understand why. The overall atmosphere is a relaxed one and the citizens are clearly enjoying the moment. I cannot say that I will ever be able to get past the cold weather, but I do recommend visiting Scandinavia at least once in a lifetime.