Denmark… a few things pop up in my head like the land of mouth watering smorrebrod, the vikings, impeccable green landscapes, colourful houses lining the waterfront, old castles, old amusement parks and some new ones, tidal seas with wide sandy beaches. We got to experience all of these in our 7-days road trip from Copenhagen to Billund.

Originally, our road trip was supposed to be in April 2022, but two days prior to the departure, we got to experience Covid-19 for the very first time. Needless to say, we were not able to obtain a refund for the flight, but luckily hotel reservations were entirely refundable. That’s how we ended up rescheduling the whole trip for the beginning of June 2022, since we had already planned a 2-week holiday to South Korea. Finally, cost wise, the total price for a 10-days road trip in Denmark in April was cheaper than the one that we actually went on, which lasted for 7 days only. Obviously, there are benefits to going in June, since the weather was pretty good, apart from some rainy days, which were colder.  We did not change the hotels and I am glad we didn’t, even though the prices were almost double in June, compared to April.

We had a direct flight, for about 2h, from Cluj-Napoca to Billund, which arrived very late in the evening (22pm, thanks wizzair for all these flight changes). We rented a car from xxx, which was a total of xxx, including a toddler seat for Eric and full insurance. Our first stop, just for the night, was in Middelfart, at a surprisingly nice hotel, Severin. The hotel had a lovely view from the breakfast area.

Breakfast was dreamy, the room was clean and well organised, they had tea/coffee/hot chocolate vending machines, that were actually free of charge and available 24h in the hotel lobby and hallways. Free parking was also available. The room, including breakfast, was 121 euros (rather cheap for Denmark).

The next morning, we continued further towards Copenhagen, where we booked a 2-night stay at Scandic Front. Although the hotel is not a cheap option for Copenhagen, we loved its very central location, close to most of the sights in Copenhagen. Not to mention there’s a nice playground within 150m of the hotel. The hotel has a fabulous breakfast, but no parking. We parked on Amalienglade street, very close to the hotel. It is worthwhile to consider visiting Copenhagen during weekends or national holidays, when public outdoor parking is free. See more info on parking and fares. We were there during Whit Sunday and Monday, when parking was free, but Copenhagen was a little crowded, especially since it was the “Queen’s Run” organised on Monday.

We had a lot on our sightseeing list and must see sights for two days in Copenhagen, but somehow managed to visit some of those and see the others. You can find our detailed sightseeing map here.

No trip to Denmark should bypass its stunning castles. Filled with history, overlooking lush greenery, with manicured gardens and well-attended lakes, Denmark has its share of castles to live you mesmerized and in awe. Our castle tour started early morning and we first headed to Kronborg castle or Hamlet’s Castle. The castle is roughly 45 minutes away from Copenhagen, which makes it an excellent day trip. It is listed on the UNESCO world heritage list and its is one of the most remarkable renaissance style castles in Northern Europe. Eric was thrilled to discover that it was Eric of Pomerania that started the construction of Kronborg and used it to collect naval taxes (Sound Dues) from whoever wanted to exit or enter the Baltic Sea. We arrived at the castle before opening times (10am), but there’s a small playground if kids get bored. Or there’s always the story of Hamlet to catch their attention…

You can park near the castle, close to the port, where there’s a free parking area. We spent here about 1h or so and we then headed further on our way to the next castle.

Our next stop was Frederkisborg castle, about 30 minutes away from Kronborg. This castle is quite imposing, built on 3 island, with red brick facades. It is thee largest renaissance castle in Scandinavia, but much like Kronborg and other castles of the time, fires destroyed most of the initial buildings. The current castle has been rebuilt, preserving the original style, by none other than the owner of the Carlsberg brand. The sole remnant of the original castle is the chapel, where to this day the kings and queens of Denmark are anointed. We found the interior of the castle to be very interesting. It is worthwhile to visit it. Make sure you save time to walk around the mind-boggling gardens, at the back of the castle. There’s a payable parking lot to the left of the entrance to the castle. Frederiksborg Slot is open every day all year round during 10-17 from April-October and 11-15 from November until March. Entry price was 90DKK/adult in June 2022. Kids below 6 benefit from a free entry. You can check prices and opening hours on their website. There’s an audio guide available, even one that is specifically designed to cater for the young ones. The audio guide works with your mobile phone using the Smartify app(available to download in the App Store and Google Play).

Our next stop was Roskilde, with two important sight, the Roskilde Cathedral (enlisted in the UNESCO world heritage list) and the Viking ship museum. It will be an understatement to say that Eric enjoyed far better our second sight. I think the grownups did too. If you fall short of time, go to the Viking ship museum as they offer some very well-organised education activities to help the young ones learn more about well…viking ships. The museum houses 5 original Viking ships that were excavated near Skuldelev. But apart from that, they have several informative panels on viking ships and how they were built. Not to mention the amazing barn with tools to built a model viking ship. We spent more than 30 minutes designing and building a ship, which we later tested on water. Afterwards, we boarded a viking ship and learnt how to navigate by actually taking part in the whole sailing experience.

The Roskilde Cathedral has an important mark on Danish history and it is the traditional burial place for the kings and queens. If you’re into architecture, then the cathedral is a must see piece that showcases changing styles over 800 years, while being overall an exquisite example of early Scandinavian gothic design built in bricks. Eric did not pay entrance fee, while for us it was 60DKK/adult. Make sure you check prices and opening hours (usually 10-17 during summer) here. Parking places are available right next to the cathedral. We finished the day with a nice dinner at Restaurant Upstairs, which is located on the pedestrian street. I recommend it for nice, quiet meals. Staff was very attentive and the food was delicious.

Our final stop was Billund, where we spent the next 4 nights. Apart from the obvious visit to Legoland and Legohouse, we used Billund as our hub for daily trips to the Wadden Sea and Ribe, as well as for Aarhus. We stayed at The Lodge Hotel, an amazing hotel, very close to the famous Billund attractions. The prices was roughly 1000 euro, including an excellent breakfast, with plenty of options. We had a ground floor room with a terrace overlooking their playground. They also have an indoor playground, a swimming pool and sauna. Free on-site parking is also available.