Always wait for the green man
Danes like to follow rules and this is one they stick to: don’t cross the road, even in the middle of the night on an empty street, until the green man appears. As a visitor, it’s up to you what you do – you are unlikely to be fined for jaywalking – this is just a Danish social norm.
Don’t say please
Hard to swallow as a Brit, I know, but nobody says please in Denmark – there isn’t a word for it. Nobody says sorry when they walk into you in the street, either. Danes don’t mean anything by it; this is just how it is. Everyone says thank you; however, there are multiple ways to say it. Start with a simple ‘tak’, and work up to ‘mange tak’ or ‘tusind tak’.
Pay with a card or your phone
There is no need to take out lots of notes at the airport. In Denmark, nearly every payment is made by card or via mobile apps. For public transport, download the rejsekort app and set it up ahead of time, and you’ll be able to use it too. The one exception is at a flea market. Danes typically pay via a mobile banking system called Mobilpay, but you can’t access it with a foreign bank account, so coins and notes will do instead.
Leave the heels at home
This city has a huge reputation as a fashion capital, but don’t expect to see the city looking like fashion week on a typical Tuesday. In these highly walkable historic cobbled streets, tottering heels are not a common sight. Make like a Dane and pack a pair of Gazelles, New Balance or Birkenstocks, and you’ll fit right in.
You are not so special
Divas beware: the most important thing to know ahead of a trip to Copenhagen is Jante’s Law. It’s a basic Scandinavian cultural rule that disapproves of individuality and showiness. Tantrums and ‘me, me, me’ behaviour doesn’t impress the Danes; nobody is impressed with what you do for a living or what you earn. Blending in will score you more points.
