Denmark
First Liv Tyler and Paris Hilton a year ago, now Britney with her two sons in tow are just a few of the celebrities to have hit the Danish capital.
Naturally they went to one of the city's biggest attractions, Tivoli Gardens. The amusement park is said to have formed part of the inspiration behind the iconic Disneyland.
Even Paris Hilton braved the Roller Coaster and Ferris wheel, according to visitcopenhagen.com.
As a result, Tivoli is one of the top ten attractions as recommended by the Danish tourist board. Among others are the canal tours. You can get an hour-long guided tour, which is often a good way of getting your bearings.
Alternatively, you can use the waterbus – a hop-on-hop-off boat that runs between Sealand and Amager.
Sticking with the watery theme, there's the sculpture of the Little Mermaid, immortalised in the fairy story by Hans Christian Anderson.
For Copenhagen started off as a fishing village thanks to its harbour, before coming into its own in the Middle Ages under the helm of the church.
Naturally its maritime heritage means Copenhagen has a good selection of sandy beaches too from Bellevue Beach to Charlottelund Beach Park. Apparently the water is quite shallow in Charlottelund so you have to go out quite far before you hit deeper water – it's perfect for toddlers and people in search of a paddle.
If cleanliness is a factor, head for Tisvildeleje Beach, which has a blue flag rating. That means the water has been identified as very clean.
For fans of flora and fauna, there are the tulip beds, which form part of Copenhagen's King's Garden and were designed by Christian IV, and laid out in 1606.
Or there's the large circular greenhouse at the Botanical Gardens, which dates back to the 1870s on land formerly occupied by the town walls.
Cheap eats
Build your own sandwich at Skildpadden, which can be found at Grådbrødre Square. Costs start from about DKK70, which is roughly £8 and is rather like the Danish equivalent of a Subway. For the evening, try Madklubben in the centre of the city. Two courses cost about DKK150 (about £17) per head, according to visitcopenhagen.com.
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Accommodation
Bellahoj Camping is the nearest campsite to Copenhagen, it's a couple of miles away from the city and there are static caravans plus tents for hire.
Depending on the route, Hamburg is about 4 hours' away but that does involve another ferry ride. Otherwise you can drive up from Germany through Denmark and cross by the Great Belt Bridge connecting Nyborg and Korsør.
There are many options in the Schleswig-Holstein area of Germany, which is just over the Danish border, according to 'AA Camping & Caravanning Europe 2009'.
Getting there
Ferry ports such as Newcastle go to Norway, while Harwich takes you to Esbjerg in Denmark itself. Copenhagen is roughly 3 hours' drive from Esbjerg. But look out for the toll bridge en route. If you're travelling from one of the Norwegian ferry ports, Stavanger is the closest, but it's still over 11 hours' drive from the port.
Of course, Germany is just down the road too. In fact the drive from Hook of Holland takes just 9 hours' drive and can take you via Utrecht, Bremen, Hamburg and the German border town of Flensburg, as well as the Danish toll bridge.
One thing to note, the Danish drive on the right.
Breaking down in Denmark
The main language is Danish of course, so you'd struggle to know what's wrong with your car, let alone the words for drive shaft. It's worth considering AA European Breakdown Cover. If you break down, you'll be able to call us and we'll arrange for a local mechanic to come out to you.
If the car can't be fixed, we get you, your family and the car home again. Cover starts from just £9.05 for a day and you'll be able to speak to someone 24 hours a day.
Last updated: 30 July 2009
Prices correct at the time of going to press.
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