By Rudy Cone, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

One of the great things about Copenhagen is its proximity to the rest of Scandinavia, particularly Sweden. It is so close to Sweden, in fact, that from areas (such as the Louisiana Museum), you can actually see it from across the Oresund (a waterway which forms the Danish-Swedish border).

During my first semester, I have managed to visit Malmö and Stockholm. Here is a guide for how to travel to Sweden, as well as some tips and tricks on keeping it budget friendly.

Malmö

I was lucky enough to travel to Malmö, with my family, during the first weekend I arrived in Copenhagen.

Transport

It is easy to reach in just 35 minutes, with trains departing every 20 minutes from Central Station. Return tickets, which you can buy at the stations, cost roughly £20.

Things to Do: Shopping

Sweden is less expensive than Denmark, making it a great place to shop. Particularly, you can save money on clothes. I recommend checking out Humana Second-Hand, one of many vintage stores which are noticeably cheaper than in Copenhagen. I also managed to save myself lots of money on a new branded pair of Polar Skate Co. shorts, from Street Lab which is a really cool Skate shop with friendly staff (side note: the skate culture in Malmö is really big if that also interests you).

Things to do: Attractions

It’s also worth visiting the Stortorget (the main square). It highlights how Malmö is very different to Copenhagen, in my opinion, with a more small-town feeling which makes it seem like you are worlds away.

We were also happy wandering down the cobblestone streets and alleyways, surrounding the square, where we discovered interesting street art.

Overall, I would just recommend making the most of how easy and cheap it is to reach Malmö for a day trip. It was very cool for me to be able to tick another country off my list to visit with such ease!

Stockholm

After making some friends, we decided to organise a group trip to Stockholm. This coincided with week 42, which is the national autumn holiday (also called Kartoffelferien, which translates to the ‘potato holiday’).

Transport

While flights to Stockholm can also be inexpensive (especially when using Skyscanner), we found it cheapest to take a FlixBus overnight Thursday (saving money on accommodation) and then a flight back late Sunday, costing us £79 in total.

In Stockholm, we bought public transport passes on the SL app. While these are fairly pricey, a single ticket is less cost effective. We really maxed out on using the public transport (including the subway, buses and water taxis), to explore a good portion of the 14 islands which make up the city.

Food

Food is slightly cheaper than Denmark, with eating out prices more similar to Manchester. We booked an Airbnb, which meant we were able to cook the majority of our meals to save money.

I did eat some delicious food out, however. Two highlights were the Pastrami Sandwich, from Panem in Gamla Stan (who had an offer of a Sandwich and drink for £8.50), and Vietnamese Pho from Saigon Baguette in Norrmalm.

Inexpensive Things to Do

We were really lucky to visit in Autumn, which is regarded as the most magical and perfect time for visiting. As well as being less busy, it meant the city was dressed in gorgeous shades of red, orange and gold. We had lots of fun walking around parks in Södermalm and Djurgården, a great free activity.

The best part of the trip for me was also free! On the Friday evening, we visited Skinnarviksparken. Here there is a rocky hill you can climb which takes you to the perfect viewpoint of the docks and city. I mean the pictures really speak for themselves! It is a view I will remember for all my life.

With just the city transport pass, you also have access to the world’s longest art gallery! 90 of Stockholm’s subway stations are decorated with art, meaning you can take a self-guided tour, hopping on and off at stops to take pictures. We visited three of these: T-Centralen, Radhuset and Stadion.

It is also worth remembering that a lot of museums may offer reduced entry fees, during the hour before closing. This is how we managed to see the Nationalmuseum.

Attractions Worth the Splurge

During our trip, we also paid to visit the Royal Palace, Prins Eugens Waldemarsudde, and the Fotografiska. While I did enjoy the palace, the other two were the real deal for me.

While the Fotografiska received mixed opinions among the group, I found the exhibits exhilarating. In particular, there was a brilliant exhibit (open until 16^th March 2025) showcasing the work of Shepard Fairey, creator of the iconic Barack Obama portrait and the skateboard brand OBEY.

Furthermore, the Prins Eugens Waldermarsudde was a lovely surprise. After catching a picturesque water taxi to museum island (Djurgärden) and having a walk around the park and garden at Waldermarsudde, we stumbled upon the art museum. While the art was interesting, it was the artist’s home which we all fell in love with. The views of the water, as well as the interior design, were stunning.

Overall, I think it is important to make the most of how easy it is to travel to other places from Copenhagen. Particularly, I want to try to visit areas in Scandinavia to have a greater understanding of the region. Therefore, I’m going to try to also tick off Lund in Sweden next semester. I am also devising plans on how to travel beyond the capital region of Denmark, and to Oslo, Norway and Helsinki, Finland… so stay tuned for more Scandinavian adventures.