We are planning a trip to Copenhagen and Malmo for mid April travelling totally by train (there and back).
Catching the night sleeper from Redruth to Paddington then Eurostar/ICE to Brussels/Hamburg and on to Denmark.
Hopefully we will be staying in Hamburg on the way and Cologne on the way back. We will be spending a few nights in Copenhagen and a couple in Malmo hopefully.
We are at quite an advanced stage in the planning (the website maninseat61 has been very helpful).
Has anyone got any useful hints or tips before we make the final bookings ?

Yes... make sure you call in on Minatur Wunderland!

Have spent a lot of time in Copenhagen (great city) and Malmo - very different cities.

Loads to see in both cities - you must go up the Round Tower in the centre of Copenhagen - be warned shops close early on Saturday and the city goes quiet then (most don't open on Sundays in Denmark).

The central stations in Malmo and Copenhagen have to be seen - both with a wooden vaulted roof.

Food is expensive.. have a good buffet breakfast in the hotel , eat at lunch times (look for Dagen Tips/Lunch in Sweden), I always grab food from a supermarket in the evening.

A must - trip over the Öresund or Øresund Bridge.

Tony

Cologne station is certainly well worth a visit...and the city has a few decent model shops also. There is a particular spot which affords excellent views of trains running in and out of the station and onto the bridge.

Note of caution about Copenhagen. I have been to Japan, Australia and Switzerland, but Copenhagen is still the most expensive place I have ever been to (not managed Norway as yet!).

P.S. Danish pastries are called Viennese bread out there, and their local fire water (aquavit) is well worth trying...

My favorite hotels in Hamburg are the Gastwerk and the Design East. Both are old industrial buildings with a really cool makeover.

And the bridge between Copenhagen and Malmö is a must...

There's an open air museum called the Frilandsmuseet in Lyngby just north of Copenhagen. We went there with our kids by train from the Central Station, its well worth a visit.
The little mermaid is underwhelming.

Regard,

John P

I'd agree with John P, the little mermaid is a waste of time and only attracts millions of idiot tourists who can't look further than the pages of their simpleton guidebooks for things to do and see.

I'd recommend the Glyptotek art museum, Museum of Danish Resistance during WW2, and round tower. Also at least have a look at the modern Opera House.

Keep your eyes open for cyclists as they're all over the place, which is excellent to see but they come up on you silently of course.

In Malmo the Turning Torso building is stunning. You can't miss it, a little way from the centre but if you like architecture it's a must.

It's with getting a two day Copenhagen pass. Gives free travel and free entry to many attractions. It also gives a reduced fare on the water tours from Nyhaven and the red/green/yellow city tours.

So....we are now back from our trip through Belgium, Germany, Denmark and onto Malmo in Sweden.
Thanks foe the tips from everyone.
Mrs PP and I  had a fabulous time with so many highlights. Thanks to Chetcombe for recommending Gastwerks hotel in Hamburg which was excvellent and a very interesting conversion.
Our intention was to do the whole trip by train but that was scuppered by the Belgium General strike which meant that the leg from Cologne to London on the return was changed to a flight.
Our trains were :
Redruth to Paddington on the overnight sleeper.
St Pancras to Brussels by Eurostar
Brussels to Cologne on the Thalys express
Cologne to Hamburg on the ICE train
Hamburg to Copenhagen by IC train (including the whole train going on the ferry for 45 mins)
Copenhagen to Malmo over the fantastic connecting bridge
Back to Copenhagen then on to Hamburg and back to Cologne
Cologne central to the airport
Flight to Gatwick
Gatwick to New cross (where we stayed with Mrs PP's daughter and her husband).
New Cross to Paddington
Then home to Cornwall on the 12.06 yesterday.
The whole trip went without a hitch and I have to say that travelling by train through parets of Europe is so efficient and the trains are so incredibly smooth.
Highlights......there were so many :
Minatur Wunderland in Hamburg - I just can't say how incredible that was (we spent over 3 hours in there).
The train going on the ferry between Germany and Denmark
Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen and , of course, Nyhavn and the circular church towe which we climbed to the top of.
Malmo is lovely with it's old sqaures and the Twisted Torso.
The bridge between Sweden and Denmark
Cologne cathedral and city.
Cologne station - our hotel was overlooking it and we had a panoramic view of constant rail action.
Much more but overall a great holiday experience which has given us the urge to plan another European trip by rail.
May post some pictures later but now it's ........back to normal !

Wonderful holiday break, makes me VERY envious!

I will be in Aarhus in May for my grandsons confirmation and I feel sure that I will, as usual, get the most fantastic welcome and good feelings that you experienced in that country!

Thankyou for the update, it will make us all envious of your experiences!

Peter.

So pleased to hear you made it to Minatur Wunderland! Isn't  it sooo awesome.

They started on the British part yet? 

George

Quote from: Bealman on April 24, 2015, 12:01:59 PM
So pleased to hear you made it to Minatur Wunderland! Isn't  it sooo awesome.
They started on the British part yet? 
George

It is mind boggling. The whole vastness of it is incredible. We thought it was never going to end.
The airport is just unbelievable with planes taking off and landing (including a giant bee added for fun).
The scenic work is just awesome and I liked the numerous little cameos all over the place.
Great to see the scenic modellers at work on the next section (which incidentally will be Italy - including Venice).
When you see the control centre it's just amazing with miles of cabling and about 20 computers.
There were many highlights - the football ground was amazing (about 20,000 little people in there) as was the rock festival.
I would just say if you've never been it is a MUST visit. Even though it's not N Scale.
Must be an amazing place to work.

very interested to hear of your experiences PP

last May we did something very similar: flew to Amsterdam - took City Night Line sleeper to Copenhagen - on eventually via Gothenburg to Oslo - train up to Trondheim - then Hurtigruten ferry boat (not a cruise ship!) back to Bergen (nearly 30hrs at sea but scenery worth it!) - train through the May(!) snow drifts to Oslo - out to the airport and back to UK

in June this year we're travelling in southern France, but it has been really hard work getting to grips with the SNCF way of doing things!

Flying in to Bordeaux then train via Dax and Pau to Tarbes - Pyrenees interlude: car hire to see the Col d'Aspin etc famous from le Tour - train to Toulouse - train through the Auvergne to Clermont - down to Nimes and Avignon - then finally plane home from Marseilles.

Sounds good but having made the bookings for out/back flights etc I read the detail in the French notices of engineering work.  Oops ......... major 'male chicken' (changed by forum)-up, the old line we wanted to travel across the Cevennes, which is very scenic in places, is closed the dates we're there!!!  Had to make do with a quick whizz on the TGV down the Rhone valley.

Very satisfying to work it all out, isn't it PP - brilliant how it all comes together hotels, trains etc 

For us, one of the keys to success is not making "end on" connections part of the journey - way too stressful!!  If the train's late, but you're staying over ..... ....... who cares!

Adrian

I  wish you success with your trip Adrian.  Sounds a great adventure.
Yes, it certainly whetted our appetites to do another maybe next April. First tentative idea is across France to Madrid then on to Porto, down to Southern Portugal and back into Southern France. We want to take in Saville as well if we can so will start perusing maps soon.
Yes, I really enjoyed working it all out and planning the itenerary. We did have some end on connections (thankfully they worked perfectly) but I think we'll build in overnight stops next time to avoid (as you suggest) late running.
By the way two websites I'd recommend to anyone  as helpful are Man in Seat 61 and Rome2Rio

Martin

Thanks for your good wishes Martin

Let's see how we manage this June ......... but if all works out well I'd be happy to share SNCF "experience" with you if it helps your planning. 
If not and we're marooned somewhere in rural France ...................... SOS and you'll know we're both pretty useless former Geography lecturers!!! So won't be much use to you!

For now, I've found better fares for "seniors" on SNCF rather than TER trains - except we want to go where only TER goes!  But wouldn't apply if heading for Madrid.
Hable usted espanol?

Best

Adrian