Each year we end up going somewhere different for our summer holiday. We’d look at a couple of ideas but still wasn’t really sure where we wanted to go. When Chris asked me and I said I didn’t know, I showed a map of Europe to Jaxon and got him to pick. Originally he picked Oslo but in the end we settled on Copenhagen. So here we go, our Danish adventure.
Once we had decided where we were going, I grabbed a roll of old wallpaper we have for crafts etc and started a list of things to do, our flight information and other things to do while we were in Copenhagen. How is it there are loads of places I want to see or things I want to do until I actually have the chance to go and then get major brain freeze. At least by having this big bit of paper I could scribble down ideas as they came to me.
I started packing on Monday. I’m not sure how it happened but because of the way the baggage allowance has worked, it made more sense for one of us to focus on packing across the allowance we had. As usual, packing started with a list – where else was I going to begin?
The plan had been for Jaxon and I to go to knitting group in the morning but when we got up in the morning I felt like there was still so much to do that we decided to stay home.
While Chris finalised some work bits, Jaxon played and I tried to get together all the last bits. Chris had a couple of errands to run so I was on Jaxon duty for some of it then Jaxon went out with Chris to get some air before we sat in a car, aeroplane and train.
When 3pm rolled around and my Dad arrived to take us to the airport, there’d been two extra loads of washing done and a few tears shed.
There was a bit of traffic around Black Cat but on the whole we made good time and it was a good idea that we moved our leaving home time half an hour earlier as it gave us breathing room at the airport.
The queue for security was insane. It was really long. Now maybe that’s just how busy it is as Stansted in the school holidays but it felt really crazy. We followed the easy steps that are shown through the queue to speed up the process. While in the queue, remove devices like your phone/tablet/laptop from your bag, as well as making sure you remove wallets, belts etc. When you get to the last bit, you’re placed in a queue and at this point take your shoes off. Then when you load your tray for security you’re already almost ready. In the end, when I collect my bag and bits, I packed my shoes with my watch and other small bits then carried everything else to get out of the way of the next people.
I was behind the boys and saw that Jaxon was taken one side and Chris went the other. Jaxon was so grown up and listened so well. He had to stand in the full body scanner, then the security chap did a quick body check (Chris and I were both within eye line so it wasn’t like he was alone). The security guy then gave Jaxon a sticker as a well done for being so good. Chris’s bits got delayed so I caught up with Jaxon and we both stood the other side of security and waited for Chris. I got my bits packed in the right places and got my shoes back on.
Chris made it through and it was apparently his little Lush Bar Shampoo in it’s metal tin that was one of the things that held him up.
Once we’d finished with custom we headed to find some food as it was getting towards 5:30 and we had time to spare before our flight. We ended up at Leon. Jaxon has gluten free chicken nuggets and Chris had Vegan Wings (which are made of jackfruit). I had a Halloumi Wrap which is becoming my favourite at Leon. By the time we’d finished eating and been for “just in case” visits to the loo, our gate number had been announced so we headed to the gate. When we got there, there was already a queue forming, there’d been delays too with the plane so we had time to hang around.
In the end I gave Jaxon my hoodie and his iPad and he sat playing on the floor as the queue wasn’t moving at all. When the gate did start boarding, Chris was in the priority queue and we were in the normal queue (it worked out best this way to be able to take a carry on suitcase too). Our queue stayed completely stationery until Chris’s queue had moved through to the next bit. By the time we’d caught up with Chris on the aeroplane, he’d already been in his seat almost 10-15 minutes.
The flight went smoothly. The staff onboard were lovely and friendly. Jaxon got a high five from one of the air hostesses when we went to find the toilet before landing. Everyone else had had a similar idea as there was a queue and then we had to stand in the “staff only” area at the end of the plane because we couldn’t get back along the aisle (and when we did attempt it, it was a very tight squeeze!) 
We landed in Copenhagen only a little later than expected which was good. I sent a message to my Mum and Dad so they knew we’d arrived safely and we set about finding the train.
I knew from my research it should be fairly easy. First we needed a ticket machine then we needed to find the train.
The ticket machine is bilingual so that was really easy. We got a single ticket for us all to get to København H (Copenhagen Central station). Two child under 12 can travel for free with a paying adult so although you have to make sure you still have a ticket for children, they can go free which is good.
We headed down to the platform and got a bit muddled about whether we needed to scan our ticket. Chris jumped off the train quickly to check then dashed back on again when he thought he was going to miss us. It seemed to be that if you had a paper ticket you just had to show it to the conductor when they did check otherwise you just kept it on your person and didn’t need to do anything else.
Here’s where I got a little muddled. We found our way to København H station nice and easily but once we were off the train, my directions didn’t match what we had in front of us. The station has exits through the station itself or up a set of steps at the end of each platform. I guess in rush hour this helps to move the crowds?
Anyway, my instructions had been from inside the station rather than from these steps at the other end. It was a little tense but in the end we found our way around the station and then back to my instructions. From the end of the street our hotel is on you can actually see the station, that’s how close it is!
We made it to the hotel and got all checked in. Once we were in the room we got all settled in and headed to bed. We were all shattered!
You can see the video of our adventure here.
