How to visit Copenhagen on a budget

As much as I had a whale of a time visiting Copenhagen, the city isn't the cheapest of places I visited. I work in London and have the pleasure of paying through the roof for most things but the prices here made my eyes water. But I do believe it is possible to do the Danish capital on a budget AND still have an amazing time. In fact, when I visit again I've got a few tricks up my sleeve to ensure that I don't come back to London a pauper. Again.

Eating and drinking can be a killer on your wallet but you don't have to spend a fortune on filling up your belly. Copenhagen has a cracking food market which has everything you could ever dream off. Buy a few bits and pieces to enjoy a picnic in one of the many green spaces. Or even pick up some fresh food to keep at home and trying out some recipes. If you do prefer to eat out, Paper Island is great value for money. The street food market has cuisines from all over the world and average about £7-10 for a dish. They're pretty decent sizes too so they keep you feeling satisfied. It's such a great vibe down the canal. Although we only had brunch once, I really recommend taking advantage of the brunch scene in the city. Head for something to eat about 11am and you'll last until it's time for dinner in the evening. Eating out twice a day is a lot cheaper than eating out three times a day! I'd also avoid alcohol or just have one glass with dinner because it soon adds up. I'd buy a bottle of wine from the supermarket and enjoy it at home reminiscing about what you've done throughout the day.

Accommodation is something else that isn't cheap in the city. When I was looking into places to stay, the hotels were way out of my budget. The trip was my boyfriend's birthday present so I couldn't afford to pay those prices for the both of us. So I turned to my old favourite, Air BnB. I found an amazing Scandic-Chic apartment near Rosenborg castle at a pretty decent price. However, you can find cheaper apartments but I wanted something a little more special as it was a birthday treat. Renting an apartment is a great way to experience local life and save a bit of money on a trip.

Finally, another top tip is to avoid public transport to help save money. It's not the most compact of cities but it is quite easily to walk. The most we walked from one place to another was 40 minutes. But it didn't seem that long at all as you're marvelling at the city along the way. It's a great way to really get a feel of it and to stumble across sights that you may have missed on the metro. Getting taxis, buses and the metro can soon add up and start to become expensive. Why travel underground when there is so much to see on top?

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Recipe: Chicken and courgetti with kale pesto

I'm a massive fan of spiralizing vegetables so when Lakeland sent me the handy hand held spiralizer I set about making one of my favourite dinners with a twist. Courgetti, chicken, tomatoes and kale pesto. After a bit of a indulgent week, this is my dinner I always turn to so I can get back on track with the old healthy eating. The hand held sprializer is such a great gadget. It's so easy to use, quick and easy to store - it's in the sale now too!

Ingredients
85g curly kale
85g pine nuts, plus some to sprinkle
85g parmesan cheese
150g virgin olive oil
A pinch of sea salt
A handful of cherry tomatoes on the vine
1 courgette
1 chicken breast
Spray oil

Method
1. Using the hand held sprizaliser, turn the courgette into noodles and set aside.

2. Pop the chicken breast under the grill to cook. Keep an eye out on it.

3. To make the pesto, put the kale, pine nuts, olive oil, sea salt and parmesan cheese into a food processor and give it a quick whirl until it resembles pesto. Keep in mind this makes enough for 12 servings so keep in the fridge in a air tight jar.

4. Spray a frying pan with the oil before popping in the courgetti and the cherry tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes before stirring in a tablespoon of pesto.

5. Transfer onto a plate before topping with the chicken and sprinkling over a few pine nuts.

It really is as simple as that! A really quick, healthy dinner when you feel like you've been eating too many burgers. As always, let me know on Twitter if you ever make it. I'd also love to hear about any other spiralized recipes you recommend.

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Exploring Europe: a weekend in Copenhagen, Denmark

I feel like I'm quite well travelled in Europe but Scandinavia is a region I had yet to visit. And it happened to be on my boyfriend's bucket list so I decided to kill two birds with one stone and book him a trip for his birthday. Well Stockholm actually was top of his bucket list but Copenhagen had cheaper flights so that sealed the deal. Oh my, I feel head over heels in love with this Danish city. I genuinely could imagine myself living there - it felt like it could be home.

One thing I will say about the city is to make sure you save up plenty of money. It will be an expensive trip! What I loved most about the trip was that Copenhagen is just effortlessly cool. The people dress impeccably and always willing to help you out, the restaurants and bars are casual yet buzzing and the architecture is beautiful without being too try hard. There are endless places to eat at, visit and explore - I think I could go ten times and still not see everything I wanted too. Like I mentioned in Sunday's post, the food scene blew me away. I had some of the best meals I've ever eaten. The possibilities were endless and of such high quality. It's worth just going for the food and forgetting about all the sights. In fact, that's how I'm looking to visit next!

We wanted to take the four days pretty easy as there's nothing worse than coming back from a holiday and feeling even more exhausted than when you left. Plus if you never manage to fit everything in, there's an excuse to visit for a second time. I love leisurely city breaks as I feel you get a real feel of living like a 'local'. We had a list of sights we wanted to visit and an order in which we wanted to do them. I love a castle but alas my boyfriend does not. I would spend every weekend visiting a castle, stately home or palace but my inner 80 year old lady is crushed every time. But for once, I did manage to get him to agree to Rosenborg Castle with the promise of the Crown Jewels. This was one of my highlights! I'd also recommend trekking up the Round Tower for some incredible views of the city. There's nothing better than being at the top of a building and gazing over the rooftops of the city below. I really enjoyed the hour long canal boat tour too as it was a great way to see the city and learn all about the landmarks. It's always good to have some knowledge of the place you're staying.

The things that didn't really float our boat were Tivoli despite it being top of my boyfriend's list of things to do. I'm not a massive theme park person anyway and it cost us £70 for two unlimited tickets. A bit of a waste as neither of us are that keen but we made of the most of it and dragged ourselves on four rides to get our money worth. It's a cool place to see but not really worth it unless you are into those sorts of things. The mermaid was a little underwhelming considering it's probably the most famous landmark in the city. It's small and over crowded. I'd recommend getting the canal boat tour so you can see it on the way round.

I had a great time in Copenhagen and it's made me eager to visit more of Denmark. I'd urge everyone to move it further up their travel list and pay it a visit. You won't be disappointed. Hopefully it won't be too much longer until I'm back in the city!

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