Denmark

Denmark is not only the gateway to Scandinavia in cultural terms, but certainly also geographically, and as such the country is well connected with the rest of the European continent and to Scandinavia. A plethora of ferries connects Denmark with Europe and Scandinavia, and Copenhagen airport even more so serves as the main Scandinavian hub, since its southern latitude makes it a natural stopping point for flights between Scandinavia and the rest of Europe.

The national currency is the Danish krone (plural "kroner", abbreviated "kr", ISO code: DKK). The word krone means crown in English; some vendors may translate it as such. Denmark is the only EU country that has negotiated a legal opt-out from adopting the euro (i.e. all other remaining non-euro EU countries are legally required to adopt the single currency at some point in the future). In the more "touristy" shops in Copenhagen, and at the traditional beach resorts along the Jutland West Coast and Bornholm Island it will often be possible to pay in euros. The Danish krone is pegged to the eur…

Long distance train travel is done with DSB, the Danish State Rail system. A number of long distance bus companies also operate. Each region in Denmark has its own local public transportation company. For public transportation (trains, buses and ferries) use the online travel planner Rejseplanen.

Denmark's national language is Danish (Dansk), a Scandinavian language rooted in Old Norse. For this reason, modern Danish is similar to Norwegian Bokmål and somewhat to Swedish, and is to some extent intelligible to speakers of those languages, especially in written form. However, its sound is more influenced by the guttural German language, rather than the lilting languages found to the north and understanding spoken Danish may be a trace more difficult to those who only speak Swedish or Norwe…

Dial [tel:112 1-1-2] (Alarm 112) for emergency services in situations that are dangerous for life, health, property, or the environment, such as accidents, serious crime and fire. This is toll free, and will work even from cell phones without a SIM card. For the police in non-emergencies call [tel:114 1-1-4] (Service 114).

Health services in Denmark are of a high standard, although waiting times at emergency rooms can be quite long for non-emergencies. Except for surgical procedures there is no private healthcare system to speak of, all is taken care of by the public healthcare system and general practitioners. All visitors are provided with free emergency care, until you are deemed healthy enough to be transported back to your home country. Citizens of EU countries, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland and certain British dependencies are all entitled to additional basic medical services during their stay, but other na…

=== Internet === While Internet cafés are present in most larger cities, they are usually not geared for tourists and hence they can be a bit tricky to find. Hotels usually provide both wireless internet and computers with internet access, but whether this service is provided for free, varies greatly. Many cafés and bars also provide free wireless internet for paying customers, even when it is not signposted, so it is always a good idea to ask. A lot of the McDonald's restaurants in Denmark have…

In a country which has no direct equivalent to please in its vernacular, where the local version of Mr. and Ms. has all but disappeared from common usage, and where the people can hardly muster a sorry if they bump into you on the streets, you could be forgiven to think they are the rudest people on earth, and you can get away with pretty much anything. You'd be wrong. Most of the behaviour many tourists consider appalling can be attributed to either the Danes' blatant – and when you get to understand it, quite sympathetic – disregard for formality, or their unfortunate shyness (see Drink abov…