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Useful information

Here you can find different information about being a tourist in Denmark.

Local Tourist Offices

If you want further information on local destinations in Denmark, please contact the nearest Tourist Information on your planned destination. Click here to find a local office.

From Copenhagen Airport to city centre

Travel time from the airport to Copenhagen city centre is about 12 minutes by train, or the fast, new metro line or 15-20 minutes by car/taxi. The price for a train-ride from Copenhagen airport to the Central Station is DKK 34,50 and a taxi costs between DKK 180-220.

What is the weather like in Denmark?

Denmark has a mild climate with no extremes of heat or cold. April and May are mild. June, July and August are usually warm (average high 21C or 70F). The autumn months are generally pleasant, though cooler. The winter months tend to be cool or even cold, and light snow can occur.

For weather forecasts, please visit Danish Meteorological Institute or tel. +45 3838 3663 for forecasts and observations for Danish land and sea travel in English.

What is the currency in Denmark?

The monetary unit is the Danish Krone (DKK), which is divided into 100 øre. Bank notes are found in denominations of DKK 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000. Coins are found in DKK 20, 10, 5, 2, 1 and 50-øre values.

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Bank hours

Banks are open from 10.00 to 16.00 on weekdays, and to 17.30 on Thursdays. Bank offices at major airports and railway stations may open longer. Other opening hours may apply in suburban areas and provincial towns. Cash dispensers accepting international credit cards are to be found outside banks and in shopping precincts.

Post offices

Post offices are normally open from 09.00 or 10.00 to 17.00 or 17.30 on weekdays, and until 12.00 or 13.00 on Saturdays.

Shopping

Normal shopping hours are from 09.30 or 10.00 to 17.30 or 18.00 (on Fridays until 19.00 or 19.30), but a few shops, supermarkets and larger shopping centres are open one or two hours longer. Small shops close at 14.00 on Saturdays, except for the first Saturday of the month when they open until 15.00. Most large shops, supermarkets and shopping malls are increasingly open until 17.00 every Saturday.

Florists, bakers and confectioners keep additional opening hours, including Sundays. Filling stations, which often carry a limited range of groceries, are open until 22.00 or later.

Copenhagen, Aarhus and other larger towns have many specialty stores and boutiques as well as department stores. Interesting craft shops can often be found in smaller streets where rentals are lower.

Denmark is famous for handmade silver, art glassware and porcelain, candles, amber, mink and other furs.

Tax-free shopping

Tax-free shopping is only available to non-EU citizens. Denmark’s value added tax (VAT) is 25%, but can be reclaimed by non-EU visitors if at least DKK 300 is spent in a single shop.

There are two ways to reclaim VAT. You can either get the customs authorities to stamp your receipt when you leave the country and send the receipt back to the shop where you purchased the goods. The problem, however, is that shops are not obliged to pay the refund. The other way is to use a Global Refund Denmark voucher. Fill in the voucher in the store, have it stamped by the customs authorities when leaving the country and present it to a Global Refund office e.g. at the airport, where the money will be refunded. The vouchers may also be returned to Global Refund who will transfer the funds to you.

Restaurants

All large towns offer a good choice of food, with Danish, international and an increasingly wide choice of ethnically diverse restaurants. You will be able to find excellent Italian and French cooking, and in general Danish restaurants are respected for fine service and a very high standard of attention to detail in both food and decor.

Many restaurants serve a special, reasonably priced lunch menu. Open sandwiches (smørrebrød) is a Danish specialty and very tasty and substantial. Typically, they are washed down with beer and snaps (aquavit). For a quick snack, try a hot dog from a roadside stall. Last but not least, sample the world-famous Danish pastries and other examples of the baker’s art.

Hotel

The main towns all offer a wide range of accommodation, ranging from luxury hotel suites to humble youth hostels. Advance booking is advisable, particularly during the summer when your visit may coincide with a major congress, cultural event or other important happening. As a last resort, there is an accommodation service at the central railway station.

Tipping

Although a service charge is often included in hotel, restaurant and taxi bills, it is customary to pay a little for good service. Tipping is otherwise not usual unless a special service has been provided.

Manners and conventions

At a personal and even business level the Danes have an informal approach to life, although conventions do exist. Appointments are easily made with considerable flexibility and little formality, and this extends to the public sector and administration as well. Once a time has been agreed, however, it is expected to be held, and in the event of unexpected developments likely to cause a delay of more than 10-15 minutes a visitor should call to inform of the delay and possibly set a new time.

This punctuality also applies to dinner invitations, although guests tend to show up slightly after the stated time. A small gift for the hostess (usually flowers) is appreciated. Several toasts and small speeches of thanks may happen during the meal: raise your glass, make eye contact with those around the table, and repeat the word “skål” (cheers). Dress is often casual, but a suit is not out of place at a private dinner party and is customary at business meetings.

Source: www.visitdenmark.com