Air and transportation questions on Copenhagen Cruise

[Daolbuzzard]

Hello...

 

My wife and I will be taking our first cruise with Princess on the 29th of June from Copenhagen. I have a few questions that I was hoping some of you could help me with.

 

We are leaving from Vancouver B.C. on Air Transat. We can either land at Gatwick or Amsterdam. Is the flight from one to Copenhagen more complicated and or expensive than the other?

 

What mode of transportation would you recommend from the Airport to city centre?

 

Is there a specific pier that Princess docks at?

 

One excursion we thought of taking was one to Berlin. However some friends have warned that the 3 hour train trip can be difficult especially if it is hot out as there is no airconditioning on the train. Has anyone taken this tour if so would you do it again?

 

Thanks

Bryan

[Globaliser]

We are leaving from Vancouver B.C. on Air Transat. We can either land at Gatwick or Amsterdam. Is the flight from one to Copenhagen more complicated and or expensive than the other?

As things currently stand, there are no flights from Gatwick to Copenhagen. You'd have to transfer to Heathrow. So if you want a relatively simple connection to Copenhagen, then Amsterdam is better.

 

SAS and KLM are the scheduled airlines that fly non-stop between Amsterdam and Copenhagen. However, if you want a one-way ticket then SAS is probably your cheaper option, as they appear to sell discounted fares on a one-way basis. If you buy a ticket on KLM, you have to pay a business class fare as things currently stand.

 

However, you should bear in mind that it is very possible that Air Transat will not interline your baggage to another airline. This will mean that in addition to the normal formalities of connecting at Amsterdam, you will have to collect your baggage there, clear customs and then check in again for your onward flight.

[ab0si]

Transavia (low cost sub of KLM) has a daily flight from Amseterdam to Copenhagen. Sterling has one or two flights a day (depending on the day of the week). Before you book with a low cost airline, check the luggage allowance to see if works for you. As mentioned above, SAS (usally reasonble cost) and KLM (usually unreasonable cost) also do this route.

 

Amserdam is going to be an easier connection. By far.

 

From the airport to the city: Train is a good choice. There are also the other usual choices: bus, taxi, etc.

 

I don't know where Princess doecks, sorry.

 

I greatly enjoy Berlin, but would never recommend trying to see it on a day trip from a cruise. You will be spending more time on a train than in Berlin.

 

Paul

[cruza]

Princess is docked in Free Port (Frihavn) cruise terminal

[Daolbuzzard]

Just wanted to express my thanks to you all for the information. This board and those on it are incredible! I am sure I will have more questions as our cruise gets closer. It is good to know I now have somewhere to get first hand answers.

 

Thanks Again

Bryan

[OregonDuck]

Have you checked into SAS? We are taking it non stop from Seattle to Copenhagen next May. I didn't think the rate was too bad, considering we are connecting from Oregon.

[Daolbuzzard]

Checked into SAS, BA etc. Because my wife has two artificial hips we need the extra room of business class. Found that leaving from Vancouver via Air Transat(Club Class) gives us the room of business class for a good deal less money.

 

Bryan

[dog]

Checked into SAS, BA etc. Because my wife has two artificial hips we need the extra room of business class. Found that leaving from Vancouver via Air Transat(Club Class) gives us the room of business class for a good deal less money.

 

Bryan

 

Bryan just be aware that Air Transat may be using different aircraft sometimes. I saw this posted on their site earlier this year. I have used the Club Class seats to Greece, France and London's Gatwick. They are okay for the price.

Sunquest did a switch on their premier economy to my friend going to Rome last year. Not happy!

[jstducky]

I can't speak to the flight connections in either London or Amsterdam, but I can speak to the rest of your questions.

 

The easiest, and cheapest way to get from Copenhagen's Kastrup International Airport to the city center is by train. The train leaves directly from Terminal 3, the international terminal via track #2. If you land at a different terminal in the airport, there is a free shuttle bus that can transport you to terminal 2. The train into the city runs every 15 minutes or so. The ride from the airport to the city center is roughly 15 minutes long and drops you at the Central Train Station. From there, you can take a taxi to anywhere you need to go. This is a much more economical solution than taking a taxi into the city from the airport, which will run you approximately $50 USD.

 

As your cruise gets closer, you can check out the Port of Copenhagen website for the pier assignment. There are only 2 cruise ship piers in Copenhagen and they are not too far from each other.

 

As for Berlin, have you looked into the option of taking a private tour into Berlin? I just took a private tour this past July and it worked out well. When you take a ship's tour into Berlin, I sat at breakfast and watched as they tried to organize 600+ on to the trains, it took approximately 1 hour to organize each tour and then lead the tours one by one on to the appropriate train cars. It was a mess. On our private tour, the driver greeted us right at the terminal, the drive to Berlin was comfortable and quick. Even with a brief rest stop halfway, we arrived at the Olympic Stadium and the Charlottenburg area in a little over 2 hours rather than the 3 hour train trip. The car we were in had air conditioning so we were comfortable. We were able to customize our tour and see and do the things we wanted. We ended up back at the pier in Warnemunde before the train arrived back and therefore missed the rush to get off the train, back to the ship and up to the restaurants for food. And the cost of the private tour, for 5 of us, was more than 2/3 cheaper than what the ship was offering for tours to Berlin