10-05-2025
How to visit Denmark's cool seafront capital for just £399
After its long, cold winter, Copenhagen comes alive each summer. Cafés spill out onto the waterfront, city centre beaches are thronged with picnicking families and the Tivoli Gardens amusement park marks the season with blooming flowers, free jazz concerts and weekly firework displays. You can expect long bright days with temperatures in the mid-20s, perfect for exploring the city by bike or hiking picturesque nearby trails.
Seven nights' room-only at CABINN City Hotel, including flights from London Stansted with Ryanair, costs £399 with Thomas Cook, departing on July 10. An under-seat cabin bag is included, but you can add a 20kg suitcase for an extra £63 return. It's an easy 15-minute train ride from the airport to Copenhagen Central Station, less than ten minutes' walk from the hotel (£3;
The sleek, modern hotel is on the edge of the city's trendy Meatpacking District, the converted industrial area now crammed with craft breweries, cocktail bars, art galleries and some of the city's best restaurants. The hotel has a minimal, industrial design with rooms decorated in steel grey with slogan artwork and pops of fuchsia pink. A buffet breakfast is available for an extra £14 a day, while reception sells a small selection of salads, sandwiches and snacks round-the-clock. The Fisketorvet shopping centre is just next door and has two supermarkets and a huge range of restaurants in its food hall.
Most tourist attractions are within walking distance, including the 19th-century fairy-lit Tivoli Gardens with its open-air theatres, rollercoasters and flower-filled lawns (£21; Explore the rest of the city on a canal boat tour (£19; to hear Copenhagen's history as you spot harbour swimming pools, café-lined cobbled streets and a 400-year-old brewhouse that once provided every soldier in the king's army with a gallon of beer each day.
Afterwards, stroll past the Crayola-bright townhouses of Nyhavn and browse the boutiques of pedestrianised Stroget, grabbing a traditional Danish hot dog for lunch from the DOP stand (from £5) next to the medieval Church of the Holy Ghost. Pop into the National Museum of Denmark (£16; then visit Christiansborg Palace (£24; once the Danish royal family's residence and now home to the Danish parliament.
• Best things to do in Copenhagen
Make the most of the flat citywide cycle lanes by hiring a bike from the hotel for £17 a day and tracing the harbour path towards Copenhagen's iconic (but surprisingly small) bronze statue of Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid. Afterwards, cycle half an hour south, crossing the footbridge at Oresundsstien to Amager Beach Park for sandy beaches and kayaking (£23 per hour; A 17-mile hiking and biking trail leads from the island to the fishing village of Dragor, or follow the four-mile circular Vestamager trail. Spend evenings at northern Europe's largest street-food market, Reffen, a 20-minute cycle ride from the hotel. The market is open until 10.30pm every day during summer and has concerts, art exhibitions, alfresco bars and excellent food stands (free;
• Return Stansted-Copenhagen flights, departing on July 10• Seven nights' room-only at CABINN City Hotel (
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If you're inspired by the idea of Copenhagen, but have more to spend, try one of these:
Once used as a residence for guests of the royal family and later home to the Danish Communist Party, the 17th-century Phoenix Hotel has retained its regal charm with rich chocolate brown decor, floor-length velvet drapes, antique-style furniture and a grand marble-floored lobby. There's also a fitness centre, bike rental, running maps provided and an outdoor terrace for pre-dinner drinks. The English-inspired restaurant serves lunch and dinner and has leather furniture and floor-to-ceiling bookshelves. Amalienborg Palace and Nyhavn waterfront are less than five minutes' walk; Stroget is about Seven nights' room-only from £790pp, including flights (
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NH Collection Copenhagen was designed by the modernist architect Palle Suenson in the 1950s as the headquarters of a shipyard. Now a listed building five minutes' walk from Nyhavn, it still references its past with clean lines, minimalist decor and statement artwork inspired by its history from local artists. Rooms have pared-back wooden floors, cream leather headboards, floor-to-ceiling windows and deep mustard tub chairs that pop against a warm neutral palette, while most have harbour or city views. Bike rental, a 24-hour gym and a modern all-day restaurant are available. There's also a rooftop bar open during the summer with sunset views across the city. Details Seven nights' room-only from £1,476pp, including flights (
