Day 1: Los Angeles International Airport.
I was ready to start a new adventure in Copenhagen Denmark, and Stockholm, Sweden.
This multi-day post will recap my journey along the way, including flights, hotels, transportation, food, and more. I will document it all, from the highs to the lows.
The story begins at LAX.
Table of Contents
Los Angeles International Airport
Every time I drive into LAX, I get excited.
I know it’s the start of a new journey: new experiences, new places, new people, new foods, and another stamp in the passport.
The whole journey is like a puzzle that comes together in just the right way, and this is why I love to travel so much.
Tom Bradley International Terminal
Tom Bradley International Terminal has been renovated and expanded in the past few years.
The new terminal was beautiful. The security line was quick and efficient, making things better. It took no longer than 15 minutes to check in and pass security.
With its new shops and restaurants, the remodeled terminal has made LAX a world-class airport. LAX now competes with some of the best and busiest airports in the world.
A sandwich at Ink Sack
Having some time to burn before my flight, I decided to check out the food options at the terminal.
Since I knew I wouldn’t get a meal on my flight to Copenhagen, I thought eating before the flight would be a good idea.
With Norwegian Air, you must pay for food, so plan accordingly or bring your own food and drinks on board.
In the mood for a sandwich, I stumbled across Ink Sack. This small food counter offered interesting sandwiches, including Cold Fried Chicken, Banh Mi, Turkey Melt, Reuben, Pastrami, Cuban, and Corned Beef & Egg.
I ordered at the counter, paid for my food, and picked up my sandwich when it was ready.
For me, I took the advice of the cashier and went with the Chorizo, Egg, & Cheese Sandwich ($6.99).
Besides chorizo, egg, and cheese, the sandwich had jalapenos, coriander, tomato, and mayonnaise.
For the price, the sandwich was great. Sliced chorizo, a large fluffy egg, fresh sliced jalapenos, and veggies were all covered in cheese and placed inside crispy artisan bread.
Boarding My Flight
Fueled up on food, I was ready for the flight.
When I arrived at my gate, I was surprised to see people waiting in line to board the plane.
Since Norwegian Air charged for checked and carry-on luggage, most people just checked their luggage.
With most bags checked in, overhead space was virtually empty, so I couldn’t figure out why people waited in line for over 30 minutes to board.
Another Norwegian Air requirement was with carry-on luggage. It had to be under a certain weight. Unfortunately, my bag was overweight, so I had to check it in.
With my luggage checked and my seat assigned, I had no reason to board early. I waited until the last moment possible to board.
Waiting to board last gave me a few more minutes of freedom to stretch my legs and body before I had to sit for over 10 hours.
Norwegian Air Flight 7092
Finally, I got on board Norwegian Air Flight 7092 with non-stop service from Los Angeles, California, to Copenhagen, Denmark.
If you guessed that a seat reservation also came at a cost, then you guessed right. If I wanted to select a seat on my flight, I would have had to shell out 33 euros one way.
You will be assigned a seat at check-in if you choose not to pay for a seat.
Since I was traveling alone, I chose to gamble and have my seat assigned for me at check-in. Luckily, I received an aisle seat.
Free Entertainment
Stuck on a 10-hour flight to Europe, I was happy Norwegian Air offered passengers various free entertainment.
At every seat was a personal entertainment system with a touch screen. The system had hours of entertainment, including new and classic movies, television shows, documentaries, music, and more.
Watching a few movies helped the flight pass by much quicker than it was. Long-haul flights without personal televisions at every seat are never fun.
Besides movies and television shows, I spent a decent amount of time messing around with the cool interactive map that took advantage of the touch screen.
You could spin, zoom in, and manipulate the map however you liked. You could view multiple maps with different angles of your current location in the world.
Other than maps, the flight information included the time to destination, elevation, and airspeed.
Just below the television screen, there was a USB power slot, perfect for charging small electronics, music players, and phones.
Having USB power is a must for long flights. I could listen to music for the entire flight, and even better, I had a fully charged phone when I landed in Copenhagen.
In economy, there were two power plugs for every three seats. These plugs were great for recharging laptops and other electronics that needed more than USB power.
Copenhagen Airport
After 10 hours and 12 minutes, I finally touched down in Copenhagen.
It was rainy and cold, but I was excited to start a new adventure in a new country.
After a long flight across the Atlantic, the last thing I wanted to see was a long line for customs. Unfortunately, this was exactly what I encountered. Discouraged, I walked over and joined the lengthy line.
To my surprise, a new line opened just after I joined the line, and I walked right through customs in only a few minutes.
Copenhagen Airport. The first stamp on my new passport.
Always remember to sign your new passport. The customs agent gave me some grief for not signing my new passport. Rookie move on my part.
After passing through customs, I was excited to be in Copenhagen, Denmark finally.
Public transportation options from Copenhagen Airport to Copenhagen Central Station
If you are trying to reach the city center of Copenhagen from Copenhagen Airport, then you are in luck.
You can choose from the train, metro, bus, taxi, and Uber. At terminal 3, you can access the train, metro, and taxis. You can catch the bus just a short walk away outside Terminal 2.
Tickets for the train, metro, and bus can be easily purchased at ticket machines at baggage claim and inside Terminal 3. These machines only accept debit cards with a PIN.
When I tried to use my credit card, the machine declined it. If you have any problems, you can stop by the DSB ticket counter inside Terminal 3.
Since I needed to reach Copenhagen Central Station, I purchased a ticket for the train. A train directly connects the airport and the central station in under 15 minutes.
Copenhagen Central Station
After a quick train ride and only three stops, I reached Copenhagen Central Station.
This beautiful station, the largest in Denmark, opened in 1911.
If you have extra time, walk around the main area and outside the station. The station’s architecture and the beautiful facade outside are worth a quick look for any visitor to Copenhagen.
Cabinn City Hotel
After hours of traveling, I finally made it to my hotel, the Cabinn City Hotel.
If you weren’t aware, Copenhagen is a costly city. For $65 a night, I scored a great deal on the Cabinn City Hotel.
The hotel is about 5 minutes from the central station and only 10 minutes from the major city sights.
The rooms might have been small, with bunk beds and an airplane-style bathroom, but the hotel was clean, efficient, and affordable. Couples and solo travelers will have more than enough room.
If traveling with a big group or wanting a bigger room, you should look elsewhere in the city.
Dinner at Kødbyens Fiskebar
Tired but hungry, I knew I had to find something to eat before I fell asleep due to exhaustion. Luckily, with the help of Yelp, I discovered Kødbyens Fiskebar in the trendy Meatpacking district.
After a 15 minute walk from my hotel and several wrong turns through the Meatpacking District, I finally reached the restaurant.
Kødbyens Fiskebar had an upscale but casual ambiance and an inviting interior.
As I was dining alone, I grabbed a seat at the bar. The extensive menu had raw seafood, oysters, fish, meats, and more.
I decided to go with the fish and chips (110 kroner or about $16.21). The dish might have been a little expensive for its size, but the lightly smoked cod and hand-cut potatoes were delicious and hot.
Warm food and a few cold Carlsberg beers was a perfect way to end my long day.
After a long journey to Copenhagen, it was now time for me to sleep.
Last Updated on April 21, 2024
Thanks very much for sharing your travel experience. I hope to visit Copenhagen one day and it was fun to make the trip vicariously. I’m curious about something, though — what made you opt for the Cabinn City Hotel instead of renting a small apartment through Airbnb? Depending upon the time of year and the exact location of the apartment, it’s possible to find something homey on Airbnb that is in the same price range as your antiseptic hotel room.
Is it because you felt that a hotel would be more trustworthy than some random stranger who might flake out at the last minute and cancel your reservation?
Heather,
Sorry for the late reply. When I went to Copenhagen back in 2015. although I used Airbnb then, I still mixed in some hotels depending on the price. Copenhagen can be very expensive so sometimes I have to settle on a hotel over an apartment.