Before You Book

PREPARING TO GO TO DENMARK

CAPITAL
Copenhagen

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE
Danish

RELIGION
Of all the religions in Denmark, the most prominent is Christianity in the form of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark (Dansk Folkekirke), the state religion. There are also other religions recognized by the constitution. About 85 percent of the Danish population belongs to the Evangelical Lutheran religion, while 3 percent are Roman Catholics, and less than 2 percent are Muslim.

ELECTRICITY
Electrical sockets (outlets) in the Kingdom of Denmark (Kongeriget Danmark) usually supply electricity at between 220 and 240 volts AC. For the most part, electrical sockets in Denmark are their own standard, the “Type K” Danish SRAF 1962/DB. Also reported to be in use is the “Type C” European CEE 7/16 Europlug. If your appliance’s plug doesn’t match the shape of these sockets, you will need a travel plug adapter in order to plug in.

PASSPORTS AND VISAS

A valid passport is required by all nationals. All Passengers are responsible for securing proper documentation prior to joining the tour. Please ensure that passport/s are valid for a minimum of 6 months beyond the intended date of return and contain between 2-6 blank “Visa” pages. You should have at least two free pages in your passport. Please access the Travel & Visa Requirements Section on the top of this page for the latest visa entry requirements for the country/ies you are visiting. Passports are required; in addition, travelers are also advised to check with local consulates for full details regarding visa requirements. Please note securing a valid visa for entry is the sole responsibility of the traveler.

Currency information:
The currency of Denmark is called the Danish Krone (DKK). The Danish notes are 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 kroner. The krone is written kr. or DKK or Dkr. The krone (kr) is broken into 100 ǿrer. The coins are 50 ǿrer, 1 krone, 2 kroner, 5 kroner, 10 kroner and finally, 20 kroner.
In most major cities, the Euro is also accepted in most shops, but you will get more for your money if you exchange your currency to the Danish currency – kroner instead of Euros.

Credit Cards:
American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted, as well as Eurocheque cards. Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant acceptability and other services which may be available.

ATM:
ATMs are widely available in Denmark, usually located outside banks, supermarkets and shopping centres. Most cash machines are available in different major European languages. It is free to withdraw money if you are using a cash machine from your own bank, though you may have to pay a transaction fee if you withdraw cash from a different bank.
Cash machines are probably the easiest way to access your money, especially outside of banking hours. However, be aware that not all ATMs in Denmark are available on a 24-hour basis. This is especially the case outside of Copenhagen, and such cash machines are often unavailable between 1:00am and 6:00am.
You should check with your home bank as to whether or not your card from home will allow you to withdraw money from a cash machine in Denmark. You should also be aware of how much you will have to pay in fees for any withdraw.

Banking hours:
In general, banks are open from Monday to Friday, from 9:00am – 5:00pm. On Thursdays, banks stay open until approximately 6:00pm.

Currency restriction:
No limitations on the import or export of either local or foreign currencies.

Currency exchange:
There are plenty of ATMs. Some banks may refuse to exchange large foreign bank notes.

CLOTHING
Denmark is a cosmopolitan country and there isn’t a dress code as such. Having said that, Copenhagen residents do dress very smartly. Jeans are always popular and will serve as a versatile base to your wardrobe. Wear them with cool layers such as camisoles and a cardigan for the summer, or warmer ones e.g. a long-sleeved shirt and sweater in the winter.

COMMUNICATION & EMAIL

Telephone

National Emergency is 112

National Enquiries is 118

International Enquiries is 171

Pre-paid Calls is 172
Bring your own unlocked GSM phone to make calls. Prepaid SIM cards are available at most shops and international calling can be reasonably priced. Any prepaid credit generally only valid for calls made in Denmark, but can be purchased in small amounts to avoid waste when you leave.
International collect calls are not allowed from phone booths, which are all ran by the TDC (Tele Danmark) company. You should be able to make international call with the prepaid SIM cards anyways.
Denmark’s international phone country code is 45. The prefix for international dialing is ‘00’ or ‘+’ (on a mobile phone).

Internet
Hotels usually provide both wireless internet and computers with internet access, but whether this service is provided for free, varies greatly – many cafes and bars also provide free wireless internet for paying customers, even when it is not signposted, so it is always a good idea to ask. The easiest way to get online is often the public library, as there is one in almost every town, they are usually centrally located, well signposted (look for Bibliotek) and always free – there can be a bit of waiting time to get a free computer though, but there will normally also be some sort of reservation system in place, so you can time it better.

WEATHER & CLIMATE
Best time: May to August.

June to August: Summer. Pleasantly warm. Afternoon temperatures average 22°C (70°F). Although rain falls year-round, expect 10 days of rain in each of June, July and August which are some of the wettest months. Seven to 8 hours of sunshine daily.

September to May: Light rain. December to February is cloudy. January and February are the coldest months with near freezing temparatures. Snowfalls occur from January to March on 6 to 9 days per month. September and May are mild months, 17°C (62°F) in the afternoons, with 5 and 8 hours of daily sunshine respectively.

Copenhagen, Denmark: Altitude 9m (30ft)

 

 

MEAL COSTS

A McMeal at McDonalds or Burger King (or similar combo meal): 76 DKK (10.50 EUR) per person

A cheeseburger: 23 DKK (3 EUR) per person

A Cappuccino coffee: 37 DKK (5 EUR)

An Espresso: 26 DKK (3.50 EUR)

Economy lunch: 20 EUR per person

Meal at a Good Restaurant for 3 courses: 50 - 70 EUR per person

DRINKS

Coke = 40 DKK (5.50 EUR)

Beer = 60 DKK (8 EUR)

Wine = 70 DKK (9 EUR) per glass

DRINKING WATER

Tap water is drinkable. The cost of bottled water in a supermarket or 7-eleven is approx. 15 DKK (2.5 EUR)

FOOD & DRINKS

Specialities:

• Smǿrrebrǿd is a traditional lunchtime Danish dish consisting of a slice of dark bread with butter, topped with sliced meat, fish   or cheese.
• Buffet-style lunch (the koldt bord) is also popular with a variety of fish, meats, hot dishes, cheese and sweets, usually on a self-service basis.
• A normal Danish breakfast, or morgen-complet, consists of an assortment of breads, rolls, jam and cheese, often also sliced meats, boiled eggs and warm Danish pastries.

Some of the more common components are:

• Frikadeller (meat balls), sometimes hot.
• Leverpostej (liver paste), sometimes hot, with pickled beetroot, mushrooms or fried bacon.
• Mǿrbradbǿf (pork tenderloin), sometimes hot, with fried onions.
• Flæskesteg (roast pork) with crackling, usually with red cabbage.

National drinks: 

• Scandinavian coffee is usually drunk strong and black.
• Denmark also has many varieties of beer, famous breweries being Carlsberg and Tuborg. Most popular is pilsner (lager) but there are also specialist beers, notably those produced by Jakobsen, whose brewery is located at the original Carlsberg installation.
• Akvavit, popularly known as schnapps, is meant to be drunk with cold food or at Christmas, preferably with a beer chaser. It is served ice cold.

SUGGESTED TIPPING SCALE

In Denmark, tipping isn’t common – all service bills that you receive already include gratuity, and it is unnecessary (but always appreciated) to add a tip in Denmark. If you’re at a restaurant, don’t leave without giving at least a small tip. Check the menu or the final bill for “tip included / not included” to make sure how much you should give. Or, go the easy route: If you feel you’ve received really good service, the appropriate amount to tip in Denmark would be up to 10% of your bill. You can leave this tip by rounding up the total amount. And you’ll see a lot more smiles from staff! You can even offer your hotel service a couple kroner here and there.

In Denmark, tipping isn’t even needed for taxis – their final charges already include gratuity as well.

Here are some guidelines that you may find helpful:

 

HEALTH & MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES

As a general recommendation, it is advisable to check with your family doctor or travel clinic for latest health information.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

It is highly recommended that you purchase travel insurance. Your home country health plan may only provide limited coverage while traveling outside of the country. Indus Travels can offer you a complete travel insurance package. Some credit cards do offer travel insurance; however, they do not always provide adequate coverage. Review and understand the terms of your credit card insurance policy. Extra travel insurance can be purchased. Most insurance companies do have exclusions in their coverage. Pre-existing medical conditions are not insurable.