One night at the end of July, a small partner in the small partner group sent a round-trip ticket message from Hong Kong to Copenhagen at the end of September, asking if any small partners wanted to go together. The leader of this family has always wanted to travel to Europe, but he has no time to leave. The call of my friends immediately aroused the enthusiasm of my team leader to leave for Copenhagen, so my team leader Xiaomei and I started a long preparation for leaving for Copenhagen.
After receiving a call from a friend, we immediately compared Ctrip, Flying Pig, Qunar and other platforms, and found that it was the cheapest place for friends to book air tickets. They took off from Hong Kong on September 29th, stopped in Beijing and arrived in Copenhagen at 6 am on September 30th.
Return to Copenhagen at 1: 00 pm local time, stop in Beijing and arrive at1:00 noon local time in Hong Kong. The time difference between Beijing time and Copenhagen is 6 hours, and the round-trip time is about 17 hours. Air tickets.
Considering that it was around the National Day and the flight time was just over 16 hours, we were quite satisfied with the ticket price, so we booked a round-trip ticket from Hong Kong to Copenhagen that night.
About visas
Because it was a temporary decision to start the journey, after booking the air ticket, the first thing we need to solve urgently is the visa problem (I have a little understanding that Northern Europe is a place where the Schengen visa refusal rate is relatively high), because our two small partners live in Shenzhen and we work and live in Guangzhou.
So we decided to apply for Schengen visa separately. Xiaomei and I have never applied for a Schengen visa before, so we chose a relatively reliable plan and went to dad's house to find a travel agency to help prepare the materials. Why is it relative?
Because we finally found out that the materials of the travel agency we were looking for were not rigorous at all. When we submitted the materials, Miss diss of the visa center visited several places. In the end, they are all corrected and remedied on the spot, and the specific precautions will be discussed later.
The service fees charged by online travel agencies are basically from 388 yuan (basically promised to refund the service fee if the visa is refused, and the visa fee will be paid at the visa center site, 684 yuan/person, and the visa fee will not be refunded if the visa is refused).
Mainly to help you prepare air tickets for your travel itinerary, make hotel reservations, provide a 30-day travel insurance (you need to apply for insurance before applying for the roots), make your travel itinerary, and help you review the materials you need to submit.
Help you fill out the Schengen application form. This is the first time for us to apply for Schengen. We need to submit the information in person at the visa center, enter the fingerprint and face information, and someone will give you simple guidance on the spot.
[Guangzhou to send a visa] Taiyi Denmark visa personal travel Schengen country free travel visa 388 yuan to fly pigs to buy.
A travel agency has been selected and visa materials will be prepared after payment. The materials I (employees) need to prepare include a copy of the household registration book (the whole book), a copy of the ID card, a copy of the marriage certificate, the company's business license (the copy is stamped with the official seal) and the employment certificate (printed on letterhead according to the template, but there are actually many online).
Visa application form, bank statement (balance required is 50,000 yuan, half-year salary), 2 visa photos, air ticket reservation certificate, hotel reservation certificate, travel to travel itinerary (if you don't have air ticket, hotel reservation certificate and travel to travel itinerary, the travel agency will help you), and if you have real estate license and car driving license, you can provide them as suggestions.
On August 3, we sent all the materials to the travel agency for pre-examination according to the requirements of the travel agency. At the same time, they began to prepare our hotel reservation list and travel itinerary. On August 6th, the travel agency completed all the materials and made an appointment for an interview at noon on August 9th.
On the day of the interview, we saw that the person accompanying the visa gave us the prepared materials. After a look, we added insurance policy, hotel reservation list and travel itinerary on the basis of the materials we provided (it was later found that there were tools for making travel itinerary for poor travel and wherever to go, and the travel agency used these tools to help form the plan). It was suggested in advance that besides going to Denmark, we will also go to Bergen and Oslo in Norway, so the travel itinerary also reflects the itinerary of these two places.
The second floor of the urban construction building of Sports West Road in Denmark Visa Center is together with the visa centers of Iceland, the United States and the United Kingdom. Interviewers are all from China and can speak Chinese. Children who sign Schengen for the first time need not worry too much about the interview. All materials are collected in advance by the visa center and then sent to the consulates of various countries for approval.
Noon 1 There are not many people waiting in line for visas, so they will come to us for an interview soon. We gave all the materials to the little sister in the visa center, and she redistributed all the materials again, and all the materials copied by Xiaomei and I were taken out.
Only one copy was left, and then several cities we were going to were marked on our travel itinerary with colored pens. At the same time, we checked whether the information of transportation and hotel reservation is consistent, and then began to find faults in our materials and share them with you.
Schengen's application form was checked by the travel agency for many visas. My sister came up and asked you why you have to choose multiple visas when you go to Europe for the first time. I was shocked when I came up (I thought the travel agency would help me fill it out, I don't know). I said, can you change it to only one visa? The answer is yes, just cross out the original place, sign your name below, and then tick the place where you sign.
She turned over the copy of our passports and said that the page with the entry and exit stamp and visa on it should be copied (God, the travel agency didn't mention this at all, which is why I said the travel agency was unreliable). Fortunately, the visa center has a copy place, but 1 yuan/page, it costs more than ten yuan to copy two stamped pages. Remind friends of this.
The bank flow dominated by my family is printed by a stylus printer, and the paper is not in A4 format. My little sister said that all materials must be A4 format paper, and the running water in this bank does not meet the requirements. You need to shrink the whole book into A4 format. My wife's running water has 20~30 pages, and she also spent dozens of copies on shrink printing.
The lady in the visa center finally found something wrong and was able to pay the money. I took out my bank card and prepared to swipe it. My lady suggested that I must pay cash, but I can't pay by credit card. In this era when even bus tickets can be swiped by WeChat, the visa Center can't swipe my card, so I went to the bank downstairs to pay cash.
Miss Xie said to sit in the front, wait for the phone to take photos and take fingerprints in the next room, take fingerprints and get the receipt after 20 minutes, and then you can go. Then there is a long and painful wait. The travel agency also sent us a notice of electric tuning the next day, saying that we must be careful not to be involved in electric tuning. After the information is submitted, you can check the visa progress online. The visa progress is on the Danish visa website.
In TrackyourApplication, enter the single number of the visa receipt and the applicant's date of birth.
About Diandiao-while waiting for signing the contract, we also read a lot of experience about telephone survey on the Internet. It seems that the probability of Schengen visa dialing in several Nordic countries is quite high. About a week later, my family leader also received a telephone survey from the Danish consulate. Diandiao is also from China, who speaks Chinese, but the problem of Diandiao is very direct and sharp, which makes the whole person very nervous. The general questions are as follows.
This is your first time to Europe. Why did you choose Northern Europe?
Do you speak English?
Know the company where you work, where the headquarters is, where you work, how many people are in the branch, and what work you are responsible for.
Have you paid the full amount for this air ticket reservation? How much does it cost?
How much did the hotel reservation cost? Have you all paid?
Because I was in charge of the air ticket booking and visa matters, my family leader was very nervous when he received the phone call, but fortunately, she pushed everything she didn't know to me and the visa officer didn't call me again. Three days later, the visa center informed us that we could get our passports back. I wanted to ask about the visa result on the phone, and the answer I got was that I had to open the materials myself to know the visa result, and the visa center didn't know the result either. The next day, I went to the visa center to get the sealing materials. Open it and see that both passports have Schengen visas. Shenzhen friends who applied together also got visas the next day. The most important tickets and visas are available. The trip to Copenhagen can finally be confirmed.
Electric adjustable tips provided by travel agencies.
About itinerary and accommodation
We have got the plane tickets and visas, and we may have drawn up the itinerary. In fact, the time in northern Europe is only eight days. Because we have to go in and out of Copenhagen, it will be very short if we want to go to three countries, so our initial trip is Copenhagen-Bergen-Oslo-Copenhagen, and we only go to two countries. The specific itinerary is as follows:
This is our preliminary itinerary before we leave. The general plan is 10 to fly from Copenhagen to Bergen on June 3rd, 10 to take the Norwegian miniature classic route from Bergen to Oslo on June 4th, 10 to live in a small town Fl on the way to Norway on the evening of June 4th. M (Fromm) stays one night, 10 10 stays one night after arriving in Oslo, 10 10 stays in Oslo for one day in the morning, takes the airport express at Oslo Central Railway Station in the afternoon, and flies back to Copenhagen in the evening. 65438+1return at noon on October 7. The reasons in the plan are basically scenic spots, and the actual play is not in the order of the plan. The second part will introduce the scenic spots in detail.
After the itinerary was confirmed, we began to book accommodation, inter-city air tickets and miniature tickets in Norway. Let's start with accommodation. Because we are positioned as a poor leisure tour, we are going to take instant noodles to the market to buy ingredients for cooking, so Airbnb is given priority in accommodation. If Airbnb can't book, we will consider booking Agoda, booking. The travel experience proves that the homestays in Denmark and Norway are very good and fully furnished. Several homestays we have stayed in are equipped with dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerators, ovens, especially dishwashers, which are very convenient. I have been observing dishwashers since I brought them back to China. However, I don't know if Nordic people seldom blow their hair, and several homestays are not equipped with hair dryers. Two girls in our group said it was inconvenient. There are also four homestays we went to this time. Three of them didn't have kettles, but fortunately, our peers brought their own, which solved the problem of making tea and warm water.
We are traveling with four friends (two couples) this time, and the hotel is relatively easy to book. We can basically find a two-bedroom hotel. We booked a hotel in Copenhagen for the first three days, Bergen for the fourth day and Oslo for the sixth day on Airbnb, and the cost was about 1200- 1400 a night. Because in Fl? M (Fromm) is a small town with few homestays, so you can only book Brekke on Agoda.
There are two double rooms in the apartment. Although only two double rooms have been booked, the hotel has arranged a suite with two rooms and one living room.
And there is a kitchen, which is a little more expensive than B&B on Airbnb. A double room per night 1000. Copenhagen on the last night is considered to arrive at 8 pm and leave the airport the next morning, so it is close to the airport, and it is convenient to take the train or subway. Finally, I chose a hotel like Copenhagen, a 7-day domestic chain.
GOHotel, a big bed room costs more than 900 yuan a night, but the environment and facilities can't be compared with B&B in the previous three days. So if you go to northern Europe, B&B still suggests living in B&B.
Hotel in Copenhagen three days ago-Deluxe living room
Restaurant-a homestay in Copenhagen three days ago.
The first three days in Copenhagen-the gym
An outdoor dining table, a homestay in Copenhagen three days ago.
The homestay in Copenhagen three days ago-the open kitchen.
In Fl? M (Fromm) hotel-cabin
In Fl? M (Fromm) Hotel-There are sheep outside the window, which is very rural.
Industrial style Oslo B&B.
The landlord B&B in Oslo is a local musician in Oslo.
After the hotel moved in, it began to solve the traffic between cities. Denmark and Norway belong to Scandinavian countries, while ScandinavianAirlines (Scandinavian Airlines)
SAS (Scandinavian Airlines) is an airline composed of three Nordic countries: Norway, Denmark and Sweden.
So our flights from Copenhagen to Bergen and Oslo to Copenhagen are all booked on SAS, and the prices are quite cheap. Where to book the air ticket, Copenhagen to Bergen is 502 yuan/person, Oslo to Copenhagen is 396 yuan/person, which is more expensive than a burger king package in Norway 100 yuan.
The cost of this transportation can be described by the price of cabbage. In fact, we originally planned to take a DFDS trip from Oslo to Copenhagen, but considering that the arrival time is only a few hours away from the return flight, we were worried about what would happen in the middle, and finally gave up the cruise, leaving a regret.
About Norway in miniature
As for the transportation from Bergen to Oslo, we take the official route of Norway in miniature (official website, China, Norway). The route from Bergen to Oslo can be divided into one-day tour and two-day tour, which can start from Bergen or Oslo. In order not to be in a hurry, we chose a two-day route, with the middle in Fl? M (Fromm) stays for one night, giving you plenty of time. If you walk through the miniature of Norway from Bergen to Oslo in one day, it will be very tired to go from Bergen to Oslo after 8 o'clock in the morning and 8 o'clock in the evening.
In order to avoid trouble, we didn't choose to buy Norwegian miniature tickets officially, but bought them at "Nordic Travel in muxi" on the hornet's nest (the purchase address). We searched online for a merchant (muxi's own official website) who specializes in Nordic tourism products. The order price is 18 13 yuan/person, and we need to confirm it twice. We placed the order on August 28, and the instructions are very clear. M (Fromm) stayed for one night and received the second confirmation email two days later. When he arrived in Bergen, he went to the ticket center of the railway station with the confirmation number in the mail, and he could get all the tickets for the whole journey. At this point, the cross-city traffic has all settled, and then we began to make some final preparations before departure.
Norwegian microcircuit
Miniature Norway-Bergen to Oslo (one day)
Miniature Norway-Bergen to Oslo (two days)
Norwegian mini tickets (***5 tickets) exchanged at the ticket office of Bergen Central Railway Station Hall.
About other things that need to be prepared
Calling card: This time, in order to save trouble and money, I didn't buy a Nordic calling card separately, but bought a daily traffic package of China Mobile directly (unlimited traffic can slow down the traffic, but it can't be used up). The price for eight days is 84 yuan, which is cheaper than calling cards.
Copenhagen Card (Qiang Amway): At the beginning of September, a friend who immigrated to Belgium for many years happened to travel to Denmark, complaining that the price in Denmark was too high. I immediately asked her to give us some tips. She strongly suggested that we buy a Copenhagen card, and we didn't know there was such a thing. The Copenhagen Card is designed for tourists who go to Copenhagen. They can take all public transportation including buses, subways and/or trains in Copenhagen 1-99 area for free, and exchange tickets for all tourist attractions that need to be charged and discounts for designated merchants. Transportation and classic tickets in Copenhagen are very expensive. Any classic ticket is 65,438+000 Danish kroner. Copenhagen card has 1 day, 2 days, 3 days and 7 days with different effects and different prices. You can buy it in official website, through travel websites or at Copenhagen Airport. In contrast, the price bought on the travel website is the lowest (we bought a 3-day card 705 at that time.
Because I need to buy tickets separately for the fourth and seventh days to and from the airport, although I have found a nearby hotel, it costs 24 Danish kroner to leave the airport, even if I only take one subway or train, which is why I strongly like the Amway Copenhagen card. In Copenhagen, all subways and trains don't sell tickets, and there are no gates, but you must never think about evading tickets, because once the tickets are checked, the fine is very heavy, and the fine is 750 Danish kroner. In the lower left corner of the train ticket below, a ballpoint pen scratched it, which was a mark made when checking the ticket.
You can buy the Copenhagen city card, tourist transportation card, scenic spot pass card and airport transportation 65 yuan Flying Pig.
With it, you can travel freely in Copenhagen.
Subway ticket
train ticket
On the question of whether it is necessary to exchange foreign currency, my friend exchanged 3000 Danish kroner and 300 euros before leaving, but when I got there, I found that there was no need for cash at all. A VISA or MasterCard with a sufficient amount is enough. All subways and trains need to be purchased with bank cards. Ticket machines basically don't accept paper money, and some can use coins, not to mention shopping malls, supermarkets and convenience stores.
Can be settled by credit card, but it should be noted that some automatic ticket purchasing devices need to enter a PIN code when paying.
Code, I didn't set a password before using the Great Wall Global Credit Card of China Bank. Enter the PIN.
I can only enter the code.
Therefore, the transaction will fail. Fortunately, it can be set on the mobile APP. It is recommended to set it before departure. The foundation of WeChat Alipay in Northern Europe has not been firmly established, which is almost useless. Therefore, it is suggested that if you want to change krona, 1000 yuan is enough, and you don't have to worry if you don't change it.
Danish krone
Clothing and equipment, we went to Copenhagen for a few days, which is about 10- 15 degrees. It will be colder in Norway, and the miniature of Norway will pass through the mountainous area at an altitude of 1300 meters. At the same time, Bergen is said to have rain at ordinary times, so we always put waterproof and windproof first when buying equipment, so we suggest a coat and a pair of waterproof walking shoes.
Camera and camera bag, this time four friends brought two cameras, one is Canon 600D+SIGMA 18-35MM.
F 1.8 and a fuji XT 100. The camera bag is a shoulder bag specially designed by TARION. The camera bag is still good. Although it is canvas, it is also very waterproof and layered up and down, which is very practical.
TARION Germany camera bag SLR backpack cowhide canvas retro Canon multifunctional professional portable camera bag
In JD.COM, instant noodles and tea cost 299 yuan. Since the whole trip is almost a homestay, instant noodles are necessary to save money. Our four friends always bring 30 packs of instant noodles, which solves most problems of dinner or breakfast. As for tea, it is also necessary to quench your thirst and get tired of it.
Seafood with instant noodles
Suitcase, this time we only brought a 28-inch suitcase and two backpacks (one of which is a camera bag). A 28-inch suitcase is quite enough.
Mobile phone, remember to install Google Maps and translation software.
At this point, all the preparations before departure have been completed. The next article is about going to Copenhagen. I hope this article will help your friends who are going to northern Europe. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a message and I will try my best to tell them.