Visit Copenhagen with kids.

We had previously visited Copenhagen in January 2015, pre Teddy and enjoyed all the touristy sights (Nyhavn, Carlsberg Museum, Little Mermaid etc) one of our regrets was that Tivoli Gardens were not open at the time and it seemed like a fantastic place in Copenhagen to visit with kids. Though we were able to have a look inside due to the location of it being so close to the city centre, non of it was open for us to explore.

It seemed a great idea to go back and visit Copenhagen with kids, as it’s such a nice, easy-to-navigate city. We visited in December during Tivoli Gardens’ festive period!

The flight was a short 90 mins from the UK, and one of the easiest parts was the train connecting the airport and the main Copenhagen Central Station. They run every 10 mins during the day and every 20 mins during the evening. They are clean, spacious and reliable with plenty of space for luggage and prams.

It took only 15 minutes to reach the city centre where upon exiting we were treated to a spectacular view of Tivoli Gardens. Lit up with all the rides in action.

For our accommodation, we stayed at the Tivoli Hotel. This was a beautiful hotel with every amenity you could have wanted. We used the bars and restaurants for the odd drink but not too much with a young child.

There was a fantastic children’s play area which honestly made the whole trip so easy for us. Unfortunately the temperatures were around -7 during our trip so we ended up spending far more time in the hotel than we usually would. It was just simply far too cold to have Teddy out all day, even though we were more than prepared with snowsuits and blankets the cold was chilling. https://booking.tp.st/Qg2lPTT

I would have to say the weather did impact our trip negatively, even we adults were just too cold to stay out and all our plans had been based on outdoor activities. Even sitting in a restaurant for some food/drinks is hard work with a 2-year-old for any extended period! We had booked this trip month in advance, so had no way of knowing we would end up in some of the coldest temperatures of the year. The snow around Tivoli Gardens was particularly beautiful though.

Tivoli is everything you would expect from the world’s 3^rd oldest operating theme park and the one that inspired Walt Disney. It had a feeling of Blackpool Pleasure Beach in the sense of an old-fashioned family theme park that somehow managed to blend a large B&M floorless rollercoaster with small children’s attractions and a very unique wooden rollercoaster.

The ticket options were very useful for families as there is a small fee to enter the park and enjoy the beautiful scenery and plentiful dining options without having to ride any of the rides if that is what suits you. The ride tickets were either pay by ride. Purchasing a children’s wristband, which was cheaper than the full adult one giving you access to all the kids rides. This is great value if you have a child who does not reach the height requirements for a lot of the larger attractions. Or finally an adult wristband giving access to everything.

Tivoli is perfect for the entire family as it has some wonderful dining options which as far from typical theme park offerings of burgers and hotdogs. We were also very lucky that as it was during the Christmas season there were markets and festive stalls set up giving it a magical feel.

For children, there is a nice selection of flat rides featuring several carousels, a small coaster and some ‘Dumbo’ style attractions. Teddy had a great time and we found there were no queues at all. There is also a lovely section around Tivoli Lake with gardens to walk around that came alive at night.

Aside from the B&M floorless coaster, Daemonen, which packs a punch with its very small footprint, there is a very unique coaster, Rutschebanen. This wooden rollercoaster, opening in 1914, is designed as if you were travelling through a mountain and due to its design, there is actually a ride operator on board your train who applies the breaks during the ride. It is a unique attraction and a very fun one!

The next day we had a walk along the river to Nyhavn. An iconic sight in Copenhagen with its multicoloured buildings along the river. Whilst we visited this the last time we were here and enjoyed a drinking session, as it was December there were additional festive stalls with gifts, mulled wine (glogg), festive treats and all the restaurants had lovely, heated outdoor seating areas which gave it a wonderful European market feel with loads of photo opportunities.

That evening, after returning to the hotel to warm up and let Teddy run riot in the play area, we headed into the city. We dined at the very touristy, but the place I like to tick off each time I visit somewhere different, Hard Rock Café. This is situated in the very heart of Copenhagen so after eating we had a look around the rest of the centre and headed to Rudhuspladsen for a look at the magnificent tree.

There are a few sights we didn’t do/see this time as we had already seen them last time we were in Copenhagen. The Little Mermaid was one of them, for something with such hype it is quite small, and a little bit disappointing. So not worth the quite long walk with little ones to experience it but it’s quite a nice walk if it is on your must-see list. Just pre-warn your little ones they won’t be seeing Ariel herself!

Copenhagen botanical gardens were beautiful and the perfect place for children to stretch their legs. One slightly strange thing to recommend in Copenhagen with kids is the Carlsberg Brewery…. We did this on our first trip and whilst it’s nowhere near as much fun as the Heineken tour over in Amsterdam it’s a lovely tour featuring horses and old cars in a courtyard.

Over all we enjoyed our trip. Tivoli is one of the most perfect days out to take children based on its location and family-friendly attractions. Also with enough for the whole family to experience. The rest of our trip was slightly hindered by the freezing temperatures, which were unavoidable, but it meant that there were things we just weren’t able to explore as much as planned.

Therefore next time I would consider a European city break at a different time of year with a young one in tow, but Copenhagen with kids is a very cool break for your family.

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