Stockholm vs. Copenhagen for an extra day or two?

Hello - considering a cruise that starts in Stockholm and ends in Copenhagen. I have the time to add an extra day or 2 to one end of the cruise or the other, but not both. I've never been to either city. I understand this is subjective, and heavily-laden with personal preferences. Any thoughts? Thanks!

We were on a Baltic cruise last summer that began and ended in Copenhagen and spent 2 days in Stockholm.

We arrived early in Copenhagen and spent 1.5 days prior to our cruise and another day after the cruise. We were busy sightseeing the entire time and could have easily spent another couple of days there.

On the other hand, when we were in Stockholm for two days, we got off the ship for one day of sightseeing. In that one day, we were able to see everything that interested us. We spent the 2nd day on the ship.

So, where to spend your extra time depends on your interests, but for us, there was much more to see and do in Copenhagen.

Hello - considering a cruise that starts in Stockholm and ends in Copenhagen. I have the time to add an extra day or 2 to one end of the cruise or the other, but not both. I've never been to either city. I understand this is subjective, and heavily-laden with personal preferences. Any thoughts? Thanks!

We spent 4 days pre-cruise recently in Copenhagen, could easily have done a week and if push came to shove I'd go with CPH. That being said, Stockholm is a fascinating city and we could easily have spent a couple of days there and only be scratching the surface. Both cities are public transport friendly, imho CPH's is better if only because you can still use cash and shrapnel :)

Make a list of the things you want to see (the forums here and Trip Advisor should give you too much choice). Enjoy - you won't go far wrong in either.

Hello - considering a cruise that starts in Stockholm and ends in Copenhagen. I have the time to add an extra day or 2 to one end of the cruise or the other, but not both. I've never been to either city. I understand this is subjective, and heavily-laden with personal preferences. Any thoughts? Thanks!

BOTH are great, amazing, historic cities with lots of character, charm and interest. Personally, I would lean slightly to Copenhagen. BUT, since you are starting your cruise in Stockholm, I would add the extra time on the front end of your "adventure". WHY??

In doing your long air flights, if there are any delays, problems on luggage, time zone/change adjustments, etc., it is good to have that extra "cushion" before you start your cruise.

Need evidence and "proof" that both cities are wonderful?? Below are a few of my visual samples and options to consider when in both capitals. Like?

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

For details and visuals, etc., from our July 1-16, 2010, Norway Coast/Fjords/Arctic Circle cruise experience from Copenhagen on the Silver Cloud, check out this posting. This posting is now at 202,844 views.

http://www.boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1227923

Copenhagen’s Nyhavn or “new” Harbor is actually old and charming. This waterfront entertainment district is lined by brightly colored 17th and early 18th century townhouses and bars, cafes and restaurants. Serving as a "heritage harbor", the canal also has many historical wooden ships. Lots of people and fun activity!!:

Copenhagen's City Hall and its large Square are in the heart of the main downtown, near Tivoli and the central train station. Completed in 1905, it was designed in the "National Romantic" style with inspiration from the Siena City Hall. Dominated by its richly-ornamented front wth the gilded statue of Absalon just above the balcony, its tall, slim clock tower is 345.6 feet or 105.6 meters tall. It is one of the tallest buildings in Denmark.:

Copenhagen’s famed Tivoli has a wide variety of entertainment happening each day and evening. Here, we enjoyed this super energized “BIG BAND” performance, including the Duke’s famed “Night Train” sounds. This park inspired Walt Disney for his great 20th Century creations! Tivoli’s history goes back to 1843. Very unique and special place that is so handy. If possible, visit there in the evening when the lighting makes things so much more magical!!:

Here is a sample of Stockholm’s amazing Vasa Museum with this large salvaged ship from the 1600’s. This is their website: http://vasamuseet.se/en/ Taking almost two years (1626-1627) to build Vasa, carpenters, sawyers, smiths, ropelayers, sailmakers, painters, carvers, gun carriage makers and other specialists struggled to complete the navy’s great, new ship. The king, Gustav II Adolf, visited the shipyard to inspect the work. With a hull built of more than a thousand oak trees with 64 cannon, masts over 50 meters high and hundreds of painted and gilded sculptures, this was a spectacular ship. BUT, it was too heavy and sunk sailing out from the harbor.:

From the harbor in Stockholm, here is a view of the Royal Palace, the historic Saint Nicolaus Church, or as commonly known Storkyrkan. To the left in the picture is where the historic Gamia Stan area starts. Walking around in the Gamia Stan is wonderful as you soak up its history, charm and interesting architecture. Lots of fun outdoor dining places there for lunch, etc.:

At Stockholm’s Royal Palace, the changing of the guard was one of our highlights from visiting this historic capital in Sweden. Loved this part of our visit.:

From the several times we've visited both cities, I'd say that each of them is terrific. But I guess that I'm in the minority in saying that we significantly prefer Stockholm to Copenhagen.

Stockholm seems to me a more elegant city, and it has the wonderful Gamla Stan (Old Town), which I think is more interesting and handsome than what Copenhagen has in that sense. Also, we love water, and while Copenhagen has the nice canal, Stockholm has much more interesting water aspects imo-- all sorts of canals and other kinds of water, winding through it in every direction; little islands connected by bridges and boats, that kind of thing.

We also love parks, but Tivoli has very little appeal for us. The iconic amusement part aspect of Tivoli is its centerpiece, and we have no interest in that kind of thing. The two main parks in Stockholm, we think, are much more handsome: Djurgarden and Royal National City Park. Also, Stockholm has more interesting neighborhoods in our opinion. And more interesting museums. And much more to do. (I disagree with the earlier poster.)

Mainly, I think, it's the being surrounded by all the water that most makes us love Stockholm.

But, again, Copenhagen is wonderful, wonderful, as the song says. (We especially love the Rosenborg Castle, and of course the canal.) And I agree with Terry that other things being more or less equal, I'd prefer to spend time pre-cruise than after, for the reason that he mentioned.

From the several times we've visited both cities, I'd say that each of them is terrific. But I guess that I'm in the minority in saying that we significantly prefer Stockholm to Copenhagen. Stockholm seems to me a more elegant city, and it has the wonderful Gamla Stan (Old Town), which I think is more interesting and handsome than what Copenhagen has in that sense. And I agree with Terry that other things being more or less equal, I'd prefer to spend time pre-cruise than after, for the reason that he mentioned.

Appreciate the above excellent summary points and comments from poss. Yes, "ELEGANT" is a nice summary word/phrase for Stockholm.

People will sometimes ask how cities such as Helsinki and Oslo compare to Stockholm and Copenhagen. Much of the difference is about the contrast of the more contemporary great art/design of Helsinki and Oslo . . . versus . . . the more significant depth of history/design and royal background associated with both Copenhagen and Stockholm. Both of these capitals of Sweden and Denmark have had much longer recent histories of power and wealth, while Oslo and Helsinki are "newer" in many ways. At certain points in history, BOTH Stockholm and Copenhagen were really important "players" on the world stage. Denmark has the unique distinction of having the longest running royal standing/status. Many other countries, including England, France, Russia, etc., have had ups and downs in their royal runs of power and sitting on the thrones. Denmark is the most long-running.

THANKS! Enjoy! Terry in Ohio

Enjoyed a 14-day, Jan. 20-Feb. 3, 2014, Sydney to Auckland adventure, getting a big sampling for the wonders of "down under” before and after this cruise. Go to:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1974139

for more info and many pictures of these amazing sights in this great part of the world. Now at 155,398 views for this posting.