Copenhagen travel info

At eight in the morning the light changes on Queen Louise's Bridge and dozens of bikes pull away at once: cargo bikes with toddlers in the box, office workers in suits and helmets, a grandmother with flowers in her basket. Here the bike lanes jam before the roads do. At lunch people cut into dark rye heaped with herring or roast beef using a knife and fork, and when the sun shows up they sit on the canal edge and crack open a beer.

The centre is smaller than you'd think. Walk the pedestrian street Strøget from City Hall Square and in 20 minutes you're at Nyhavn, the canal lined with painted houses; one bridge further and you're in Christianshavn, with houseboats moored along its canal. West is Vesterbro, where the old meatpacking district became bars and restaurants, and northwest is Nørrebro, all cafés. In summer the harbour water is clean enough that office workers jump in on their way home.

The metro gets you from the airport to the centre in 15 minutes, so day one is easy. Brace for one thing: prices. A beer costs about US$7. You'll barely use cash, and for transport you buy a ticket in an app and you're done.

Copenhagen Airport (Kastrup) (CPH)