Denmark family holidays and breaks

Denmark, which lacks the remoteness of the rest of Scandinavia and is an enthusiastic member of the EU, is a delightful place for family holidays, with quaint timbered houses, cobbled streets and tree-lined fjords where Hans Christian Andersen found inspiration for his famous tales, beautiful scenery where Vikings once roamed, and great family beaches and cycling terrain. Danes are charming and friendly, public transport is excellent, and most people speak English. 

12.00

Today

13°C
57°F

Capital City	Copenhagen
Flying Time	2 hours
Carbon Footprint	0.93 tonnes CO2
Timezone	GMT +1
Local Currency	Danish Krone

What to do

Visit Copenhagen, the wonderful capital, one of the easiest cities in Europe to visit with a family, with walkers and cyclists outnumbering cars (it's home to the world's longest pedestrian street), pavement cafés, mime artists, small art galleries and hippy hang-outs, and some first-rate museums and shopping. Don't miss the world-famous Tivoli Gardens amusement park, Amalienborg Palace and statue of Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid.

Head to Billund, home to the world's first Legoland, with its own hotel. Also easily accessible from the ferry port of Esbjerg is Ribe, Denmark's oldest city, which celebrated its 1300th birthay in 2010. As well as the well-preserved medieval centre with its half-timbered houses, cobbled streets and cathedral, it's worth visiting for the Ribe Viking Museum and Ribe Viking Centre.

Discover Arhus with its Viking origins, one of the liveliest and prettiest towns in Denmark and a good base – central, with very good transport links. Self-effacing, laidback and artistic, it has some excellent modern hotels and architecture.

Explore Funen, the third-largest of Denmark's islands, in the middle of the country. Known as the garden of Denmark for its fields of fruit trees and vegetables, it's a place of writers and artists (Hans Christian Andersen was from here), drawn by the soft light, lovely beaches and bucolic nature. It's best seen by bike.

Where to stay

From city, seaside and castle/manor house hotels and cosy inns and B&Bs to cottages, farm-stays, holiday villages, hostels and campsites, Denmark covers all bases when it comes to family holiday options. See the right-hand column of this page for our booking specials.

When

For beaches and bicycling, summer is best, but the cities are great for breaks year-round, and Christmas in the Tivoli Gardens with its hundred of mechanical pixies is worth the trip in itself.

How

DFDS Seaways operates ferries from Harwich in Essex to Esbjerg on the west coast of Denmark, meaning easy-peasy family holidays using your own car. You can choose from straight crossings, mini cruises (including some to Legoland), and hotel breaks.

It takes less than 2hrs to fly from London to the capital Copenhagen, or there are flights from several other UK airports to Copenhagen, Billund or Aalborg. Airlines include British Airways, Scandinavian Airways and some no-frills operators. Check deals with Expedia and see our family-friendly car-hire page.

Eat

Danes are enthusiastic eaters, although the pickled or smoked herring and other fish and meats and black bread might be initially offputting for younger eaters. Other traditional Danish fare, which has undergone a revival in recent years, includes smørrebrød (open sandwiches), pølser (sausages sold from stalls on the street) and famous Danish pastries. You might also enjoy Limfjord oysters, Læsø langoustine and eel. A good option for family holidays are places that do buffets – a family-friendly introduction to local cuisine. 

Copenhagen has experienced a gastronomic revolution over the last 10 years or so and is now regarded as Scandinavia's culinary capital, with Noma named the world's best restaurant by Restaurant magazine. The latter, set in a converted waterfront warehouse, does welcome kids, but its aesthetically gorgeous dishes can be challenging – think Vegetables in Soil (baby carrots, radishes, leeks and celeriac served on a bed of 'soil' , made from malt flour, hazelnut flour, melted butter and beer) and other dishes featuring many ingredients foraged from the surrounding countryside. You'll need to book months ahead.

Copenhagen also has plenty of reasonably priced bistros, ethnic restaurants and cafés, many offering fixed-priced menus.

Cost

Like the rest of Scandinavia, Denmark is not a cheap place for family holidays – a fact that will be exacerbated if it joins the Eurozone. Package trips purchased in pounds sterling – such as DFDS's mini-breaks (see 'How' section) – may help keep costs down.

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