Hey, hey, hey!  

I am back in Madrid!!  Very happy to be back and currently blogging from one of my favorite cafes in Lavapies, making good on my post that said I would get out more 😉

Anyway, things have been good!  Sleeping last night was a little bit rough, but I got a few things done this morning including unpacking and getting to the supermarket (the most important things on the top of that basket….) and now I’m here!

Cheap wine and delicious boxed milk…I missed you both.

Just look at these prices!!

The weather is unusually cool here, but I’m read for cozy sweaters and jeans!  With that being said, I’m off to Valencia TOMORROW for a little beach weekend 😉  Why not hit the ground running….  Haha

So, with all that being said, I’m actually here to tell you about my little two hour trip to Copenhagen.

It was actually not planned at all.

A few months ago, I bought a low-cost flight from JFK International to Madrid, but it had a 6 hour layover in Copenhagen, unfortunately (or so I thought!).  I planned to spend it in Starbucks (which I did quickly visit to help wash down my almond butter and blueberry jam sandwich)

I turned the cup for the photo because they spelled my name “Timara”….ohhhhh so close.

Anyway, like I said, I was going to stay in Starbucks since my layover was only for 6 hours.  That’s short enough to be comfortable (have a coffee, use the internet, go through security again), but too short to do anything fun- like leave the airport- or so I thought!!!

I overheard a girl talking on the plane (eavesdropping is my art) and she said that most city centers are very far from the airport, but that in Copenhagen, it was possible since the train and metro take you there in just 15 minutes.  She was talking to two guys that had 9 hour layover, but I thought, “would this be possible with just a 5 hour layover?”.

I quickly did some googling and found that-Yes, it is!  (Although it only takes 15 minutes from the airport to the center of Copenhagen, keep in mind that you should leave about 30 minutes on each end for getting tickets, finding the track, waiting), 15 minutes in the beginning to get a map and talk to the tourist office, and a good 2 hours to actually see anything.  All in all, if you don’t have at least 4 hours, I probably wouldn’t attempt it because you need time to get through security back at the airport).

Actually, none of this would have been possible, or AS possible, or I probably wouldn’t have considered it if Norwegian Airlines didn’t make me check my carry-on bag.  Long story short, I didn’t know that their 10 kilo (22 lb) limit on carry on bags included your PERSONAL ITEM AND EVERYTHING YOU’VE EVER OWNED INCLUDING YOUR SOUL AND DIGNITY.  “Put your water bottle on the scale”.  “Put your lunch bag (that will be eaten before the flight) on the scale”.  “Put $135 dollars on the scale”.  They didn’t actually say the last one, but that’s how much my little mistake cost me.  I had everything planned- my carry on bag would be 10 kilos or less and I would carry my food, camera, and computer in my “personal item”. I have NEVER had my personal item weighed, even with low-cost airlines like RyanAir or WizzAir.  Imagine my horror when the lady (idk her job title….day ruiner?) told me to put everything on the scale and then told me it would be $65.00 to check the bag….x 2.  Since I had two flights.  There was nothing she was willing to do for me and I tried re-arranging, tried putting my computer and camera in my jacket and even considered throwing all of my toiletries out.  I was so angry (mostly at myself), but very taken aback my how rude they were.  It was bad in the moment, but it made my little trip into Copenhagen possible (even though I would have been able to leave the bag in a locker, but probably wouldn’t have even tried). So, thanks, Norwegian Air, for nothing.  I’m still bitter haha.**

Anyway, if you want to go into Copenhagen for a quick trip, here’s how to do it!

• Step one: Store your bags.  This can either be done in the airport, or if you can manage, you can wait and store them at the train station (which is what I did).  I don’t know the price for storing it at the airport, though.
• Step two:  Take the train from terminal 2/3.  Purchase a ticket from the machines or buy it from the ticket window.  You want to buy a ticket from the airport (Kastrup Station) to the Central Station (Kobenhavn H). Tickets cost 36 Kr (which is about 3.8 Euros or 4.20 USD).  I paid with my debit card, since I did not want to convert money. Take the train and arrive in just 15 minutes.  *NOTE:  You can also get to the city center by metro (takes about the same time) or bus.  I took the train because it was the first thing I saw.

• Step three:  Store your bags at the train station if you have not done so.  It’s in the basement, down the steps in one corner of the station.  There are self-service lockers that allow you to store the bags for abbbouuuut $9.00 for 24 hours.  There was no hourly option.  It has to be paid by credit/ debit card.
• Step four:  Go to the tourist information office, get yourself a map, and ask for a quick walking tour.  For my tour, I made my way out of the building and over to Stroget, which is the longest pedestrian street in Copenhagen.  If you walk briskly, not stopping to shop, you will reach the end and get to the famous canal in right around 40 minutes.  
• Step five:  Take your photos, maybe have a coffee or a hot dog (there is a fancier name to this).
• Step six:  Head back to the train.  You can walk along the water or go back via Stroget, which is what I did.  I was afraid of getting lost, so I didn’t mess with what I knew.
• Step seven:  Head back to the airport!  I had to ask a couple people at the train station to clarify which train to get on, but it wasn’t hard at all.

That’s it!!  A quick trip into Copenhagen is so very, very doable and so very, very, very worth it.  I would like to go back for a weekend and see and do and experience more, but this was a wonderful little trip….and now I can knock another place off my bucket list!  Hey, this can even count towards my 25 goals in my 25th year!

What I saw along the way:They have 7-11 in the train station in Copenhagen!!  It was much fancier than any 7-11 of seen in the U.S.

Bikes.  Everywhere.  Like a sea of bikes.  I would like to go back and ride all over Copenhagen.  My mom would like this too.

Tivoli Gardens.  The woman in the tourist office told me these were beautiful gardens, but would take about 2 hours to see…a.k.a all of my time!

Glass buildings outside of the train.

And no matter where you are in this world, you can always find those golden arches.

These are photos from Stroget, the longest Pedestrian Street.  Think shops, bars, restaurants.  The buildings were beautiful and so colorful!

I like graffiti… dad, does this say “I’m a nitwit?”

Along the water at the end of the canal.  You can get back to the train station via the water path.

And more photos of that beautiful canal:

And somewhere along the way (or at the airport…duty free), you can buy yourself or a loved one a cute tin of traditional butter cookies.

Goal:  Eat homemade, fresh butter cookies in Copenhagen.

Thanks for reading!

**I am aware that it was my own fault that I didn’t read the guidelines.  It does say it on their website, but I’m pretty sure that when I booked the ticket, it said it would be 10 kilos for the carry-on and did not specify that it includes all items.  That lady at the counter was only doing her job, but having a personality and being friendly is obviously not in her job description.