World's happiest city in 2025 revealed with theme park that inspired Disney and new UK flights
THE Danish city of Copenhagen has been voted the happiest in the world - and it's now even easier to get to from the UK.
The capital of Denmark topped the list of the happiest cities for 2025 revealed by Happy City Index.
5
Out of every city in the world, Copenhagen tops the ranks in the 'gold' category.
The Happy City Index awarded the Danish capital with 1039 points.
It evaluates the city through well-being combining existing data on factors like employment, education, and health with survey data on residents' feelings.
Sadly, none in the UK made the list with others including Singapore, Zurich and Paris.
Copenhagen isn't just a great place for people to live, it's also fun to visit - one reason being that it's home to the second-oldest amusement park in the world.
Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen is said to have inspired Walt Disney and his theme parks.
The Danish theme park first opened in 1843, and it claims to be the second-oldest operating amusement park in the world.
Nearly 100 years after it opened, the amusement park welcomed Walt Disney who visited the park.
In 1951, Walt Disney visited the Danish theme park - which was four years before the first Disney park opened in California.
After being open for nearly two centuries, Tivoli Gardens is now home to 30 rides and other attractions.
Inside the tiny European theme park that inspired Disneyland – and flights are just £14
5
5
One of the theme park's main attractions is the giant Ferris Wheel and the Golden Tower, which stands at 63m tall.
The Golden Tower is one of the highest rides at the theme park.
Any Brits planning a break to Copenhagen will be happy to hear that tourists get free entry to 24 attractions in the city with its CopenPay scheme.
Visitors will be able to redeem freebies like lunches, cups of coffee, glasses of wine and kayak rentals if you pick up litter, cycling through the city and using public transport.
Holidaymakers will be able to gain free entry to several popular tourist attractions, including the National Museum, The National Gallery of Denmark, the Karen Blixen Museum, the Museum of Copenhagen, and the Cisternerne.
It's easy for Brits to get there too, especially with new routes out of Newcastle International Airport.
The twice-weekly service from Newcastle International Airport to Copenhagen started operating in May 2025.
Flights operate every Monday and Friday from £41.40.
Sun Travel also .
And the .
5
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Ryanair to issue £500 fines to disruptive passengers who are kicked off flights
Disruptive Ryanair passengers whose behaviour results in them being removed from the plane will be fined £500, the airline has announced. Europe's biggest airline said this would be the 'minimum' punishment and that it would continue to pursue ejected passengers for civil damages. The budget carrier said it hoped its new policy would act as a deterrent to eliminate 'unacceptable behaviour'. Passengers who are rude, aggressive or drunk can be disruptive and in the most extreme cases can pose a risk to the safety of the aircraft and lead to a plane being diverted. A spokesperson for Ryanair said: 'It is unacceptable that passengers are made to suffer unnecessary disruption because of one unruly passenger's behaviour.' The airline, which carried just over 200 million passengers in 2024-25, said such incidents were 'isolated events which happen across all airlines' caused by a 'tiny number of unruly passengers'. Disruptive passengers already risk large fines and the threat of possible criminal charges or even a prison sentence. The aviation watchdog, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), says disruptive passengers could be made to pay the cost of diverting a plane, which could easily exceed £10,000. Anyone charged with being drunk on an aircraft could face a maximum fine of £5,000 and up to two years in prison. Those who are charged with the more serious offence of endangering an aircraft could face up to five years in prison. Michael O'Leary, Ryanair's chief executive, has previously called for a two-drink limit for passengers at airports, which he said would help tackle a rise in disorderly behaviour on flights. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion In January, Ryanair launched a legal claim in Ireland against a passenger it alleges disrupted a flight to the Canary Islands in 2024. The airline said it was seeking €15,000 (£12,500) in damages to cover expenses incurred when the plane travelling from Dublin to Lanzarote was diverted to Portugal. It said the damages would cover the cost of overnight accommodation and other expenses it had to pay for people onboard the flight after the aircraft was diverted to Porto. The airline said the behaviour of the passenger, who was not named, meant 160 passengers had to 'face unnecessary disruption as well as losing a full day of their holiday'.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
£500 Ryanair fine to hit passengers with ‘air rage' – and deducted straight from their credit cards
Passengers who are offloaded from Ryanair aircraft for causing trouble face a £500 fine, the airline has said. Europe's biggest budget carrier has taken an increasingly active role in tackling air rage, pursuing those who cause diversions for compensation for the costs incurred. Now, anyone whose behaviour is such that they are offloaded will also face a penalty. This could apply to a passenger who is removed from an aircraft before departure. A Ryanair spokesperson said: 'It is unacceptable that passengers are made suffer unnecessary disruption because of one unruly passenger's behaviour. 'To help ensure that our passengers and crew travel in a comfortable and stress-free environment, without unnecessary disruption caused by a tiny number of unruly passengers, we have introduced a £500 fine, which will be issued to any passengers offloaded from aircraft as a result of their misconduct.' On Wednesday Ryanair amended its terms and conditions to include the warning: 'We reserve the right to fine you €500 where your behaviour results in you being offloaded.' The Independent has asked whether the figure will be £500 or €500 – currently worth £425. The penalty will be 'taken directly from the card used to make the booking' or deducted by the airline from any Ryanair vouchers or 'wallet credit' the passenger might have. On top of the proposed fine, the carrier says: 'We reserve all legal rights to recover costs, damages, or liabilities resulting from your actions.' Earlier this year Ryanair filed legal proceedings in the Polish courts claiming over €3,000 (£2,500) in damages against a passenger who disrupted a flight from Berlin to Marrakesh. The plane diverted to Seville. In addition, Ryanair handed the disruptive passenger a five-year travel ban. The UK Civil Aviation Authority says: 'Passengers who are rude or aggressive can be highly disruptive and distressing for cabin crew and fellow travellers. This type of behaviour is completely unacceptable and can pose a risk to aircraft safety. 'Disruptive passengers can lead to planes being diverted and, where this happens, the disruptive passengers themselves risk having to pay the cost of the diversion. They can also face criminal charges with severe penalties or even prison sentences.' In August 2024, Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary demanded a two-drink limit on passengers at airports, saying air rage had reached an all-time high.
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Ryanair threatens ‘unruly' holidaymakers with £500 fines
Ryanair has threatened 'unruly' holidaymakers who disrupt flights with £500 fines amid rising concerns about drunken behaviour. The budget airline on Thursday said the 'major conduct clampdown' was aimed at a small minority of passengers who cause trouble at the expense of everyone else on board. It said anyone thrown off a flight would now be hit with a £500 fine as a minimum, with the carrier then pursuing them for damages. A Ryanair spokesman added: 'It is unacceptable that passengers are made to suffer unnecessary disruption because of one unruly passenger's behaviour. 'While these are isolated events which happen across all airlines, disruptive behaviour in such a confined shared space is unacceptable, and we hope that our proactive approach will act as a deterrent to eliminate this unacceptable behaviour onboard our aircraft.' The airline has been campaigning for tougher curbs on the sale of alcoholic drinks at airports in the past year, with Michael O'Leary, the chief executive, warning of a rise in disorder. Last year, a Ryanair flight was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Tenerife after several passengers became unruly, with one reportedly urinating in the aisle. In April, police also dragged a woman off a plane that had to be diverted to Bologna, Italy, following 'disruptive' behaviour, including a reported fight between passengers. Ryanair has accused European governments of failing to act 'when disruptive passengers threaten aircraft safety and force them to divert'. Mr O'Leary has called for passengers to be limited to two alcoholic drinks each at airports. On Thursday, a spokesman for the airline said: 'To help ensure that our passengers and crew travel in a comfortable and stress-free environment, without unnecessary disruption caused by a tiny number of unruly passengers, we have introduced a £500 fine, which will be issued to any passengers offloaded from aircraft as a result of their misconduct.'
