A British couple has revealed how their 14-hour festive day trip to Copenhagen's famous Christmas markets proved cheaper than visiting similar attractions in the UK.
The Budget-Friendly Scandinavian Adventure
Sasha Jones and Rhian Ewer, both 33, embarked on their Scandinavian Christmas adventure by catching a 6.50am Ryanair flight from Manchester Airport. They landed in the Danish capital at approximately 9.30am local time after securing a remarkably affordable £58 return fare.
The pair headed straight to Tivoli Gardens, one of Europe's most celebrated Christmas destinations, where they spent the entire day immersed in festive magic. 'Christmas is our favourite time of year,' Sasha told Luxury Travel Daily. 'We love adventures, and Christmas always feels really magical, and the draw for us was the combination of markets and rides.'
Making Every Penny Count
The couple employed several smart strategies to keep costs down throughout their day trip. They spent just £52.40 on a return taxi to Manchester airport and used Copenhagen's efficient metro system to reach the city centre for only £3.50 each way.
Thanks to Rhian's disability access, Sasha was able to enter Tivoli Gardens as a carer, meaning their full access ticket with rides cost just £45 in total. They further reduced expenses by bringing their own breakfast bagels from home, spending only £7 on chicken strips for lunch, and enjoying dinner at a burger bar costing approximately £40 for two burgers, fries and drinks.
A Magical Experience Worth Repeating
The couple described their day as 'perfect', particularly noting how the atmosphere transformed after sunset. 'The markets were great, with lots of local sellers and homemade crafts and trinkets,' they reported, though they noted the gardens' markets lacked extensive food and drink stalls.
In a particularly magical moment, they even 'visited the big man himself, who remembered us from our visit in Lapland earlier this year.' The combination of Christmas markets and amusement park rides kept them 'both busy and occupied' throughout their visit.
Their return journey saw them catching a 9.50pm Easyjet flight home, landing back in Manchester at 11pm. The entire adventure cost them just £113 each, leading them to suspect that a trip to London's Christmas markets would have cost twice as much.
Sasha emphasised the value proposition: 'It's cheaper than travelling to London for the markets. It usually costs at least £80 for a return from Warrington to London. And we explored markets in a completely different country, but were in our own beds at the end of the day. It was an amazing day.'
Their experience comes as other British tourists faced disappointment after being misled by AI-generated advertisements promising a Christmas market at Buckingham Palace, which turned out to be non-existent.
