A Weekend in Copenhagen

It was a few weeks before my sister was jetting off around the world on her second gap year and we wanted to spend some quality time with my mum, who has Multiple Sclerosis and has no mobility from the neck down. As a family, we've always had a pretty can do attitude to everything despite the obvious challenges (mainly because my mum does!).

A few clicks later and we’d booked three tickets to the Danish capital, Copenhagen.

It was the first time that mum had flown for the best part of 6 years so she was nervous about the flight, especially given some of the horror stories she hears about service on budget airlines, but our fears were quickly quashed by the staff at Edinburgh airport who ensured we were escorted all the way to the gate and boarded via an electric platform lift. It’s worth noting that Edinburgh have fantastic transport options to the airport now, including an accessible tram and bus service from the City.

I have to say that it was me that was nervous about arriving at the other end, the thought of landing and not being able to get anywhere would be a bit of an embarrassing story to say the least. However, the Danish staff were equally as good, we to disembarked via an electric stair climbing wheelchair. Step one complete, arrive safely....hats of to Easyjet!

Getting into the centre of the City seemed easy enough via the train; although I would recommend speaking to someone before boarding the train as when we got to Central Station, we were faced with a small step to navigate. There are taxis available at the airport as well.

After lots of trawling the internet (hopefully Euan’s Guide will make this easier in the future!) we settled on a hotel called the Scandic Copenhagen, it was about a 10 minute walk (along a paved route) from the station. The room was fantastic, with two single electric beds, a large bathroom and an interconnecting door into the other room. The breakfast was even better and the staff were very helpful.

There is an abundance of stuff to do in the city:

• A visit to Tivoli gardens is a must - a theme park come gardens located in the heart of the city, it’s quite pricey but a unique experience. Expect to queue at the entrance for a while (mum’s entrance fee was a reduced price), but there are flat paths all the way around and depending on the night there are laser shows and firework displays. An excellent atmosphere on a weekend night.
• Nyhavn - This is the picturesque part of the city with the coloured houses lining the beautiful canal that you see in most postcard shots of the city. Be prepared for some cobbled streets as it’s located in the more historic part of the city. There are plenty of bars that you can sit outside in sun at though to get away from the bumps.
• Christiana - again, you won’t find anywhere like this is another city, but it isn’t for the faint hearted. This is a self governing area of the city with quirky houses, marijuana sold on market stalls (which is legal!) and one of the best place to people watch. However, given the self-governing nature, the majority of paths and roads are bumpy, and in some places, tarmac is non-existent. I would say this is only suitable if you have and electric wheelchair and you don’t mind a bumpy ride.
• A city walk - We took a day to walk around the city, there are some stunning sights to take in and you can either walk it or use the metro system to get around. You can easily get to the little mermaid statue that was inspired by Hans Christian Erikson’s fairy tale. If in doubt, head down to the waterfront where you will find some beautiful buildings and parks where you can simply sit in the sun.
• The city metro system - The metro system is fantastic for wheelchairs with elevator access and flat entry onto the trains - thoroughly recommended.

Copenhagen is an amazing city to visit, with stunning scenery, friendly people who are always willing to help and some fantastic restaurants and bars. I would thoroughly recommend it for a visit although you should still expect to have a few obstacles just like we sadly still do in the UK.

Locations: Copenhagen

Tags: guest blog, travel