Hop-On/Hop-Off Copenhagen

With one day to spend in Copenhagen after our Royal Princess Baltic cruise, we wanted to see as much as possible in a short amount of time. Copenhagen is a fascinating city with a lot to see. However, many of its attractions are spread out over a wide area. One of the best ways to see European cities is by Hop-On/Hop-Off (HoHo) buses. The concept is pretty simple: you purchase a 24- or 48-hour pass and you can get on and off the bus as often as you like. Tickets can be purchased online in advance or from on-site representatives where you board the bus or from the bus driver. The buses make regular stops every 30 minutes at Copenhagen's most popular attractions.

Red Buses HoHo in Copenhagen

A 48-hour bus pass was 195 DKK or 25€ (about $33US) per person. Compare that to $100 or more for a cruise line excursion and you see why the HoHo has grown in popularity. We boarded the Red Buses HoHo in front of the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel (look for the big SAS on the building). There are several companies offering Hop-On/Hop-Off at this location, so make sure you look for the Red Buses logo of all the flags around the top of the bus. As we boarded the bus, we were given a new set of ear plugs in a sealed bag along with a route map. The Red Buses HoHo makes 17 different stops. Each of the buses is also equipped with FREE Wi-Fi, making it an even better value.

The upper deck of the HoHo bus

When the weather is nice, and dry, there is no better place to sit than on the top deck of the double-decker bus. Not only do you get fresh air, but you have the best opportunity to take photos. It was raining when we got on the bus in Copenhagen, so a tarp was extended to protect riders from the elements. However, the sides were still open for photo taking. Information about all the landmarks you are seeing is available through the plug-in audio system and is offered in several different languages. You take your ear plugs with you when you hop off and use them again on the next bus you board.

One of the stops on the route was the famous Little Mermaid statue. Our driver stopped for 10 minutes to allow us to get out and take photos before the bus proceeded on its route.

The Little Mermaid

When the bus made a stop at the famous Nyhavn district, we "hopped off" to explore on foot. This area has lots of shops and restaurants and some great photo spots. From here, we were able to walk to the famous pedestrian shopping area, and eventually back to our hotel.

The scenic and historic Nyhavn district in Copenhagen

Cruise passengers visiting Copenhagen for the day will be pleased to learn that you can pick up the Red Buses HoHo right where your cruise ship docks in Copenhagen. Just look for the big red bus with Red Buses logo. If you want to explore the city and see all the famous landmarks at your own pace, you can't miss with the Red Buses Hop On/Hop Off bus.

For more information, go to their website at www.RedBuses.com

Originally posted on: 8/25/2014