Public transit an option

Here’s something my husband, David, and I learned on a 2012 trip to Europe: don’t be afraid of public transportation, even when you are pressed for time. There are times when it really is your best option.

Following a cruise to Norway aboard Royal Caribbean International’s Vision of the Seas that began and ended in Denmark, we would be flying from Copenhagen to Nice. Everyone told us we’d really be cutting it short, since we hadn’t allowed the recommended five hours between docking and flying. (There aren’t a lot of flights between Copenhagen and Nice, so we had to take the flight we could get.) 

We had just about decided to throw fiscal caution to the wind and splurge on a taxi to the Copenhagen airport when I thought how awful it would be to get caught in rush hour in a taxi. Our cruise was scheduled to dock at 7 a.m., so, of course, it would be rush hour. The train seemed to be our best bet. 

We travel with only carry-ons, so we were able to take advantage of the express departure from the ship (7:10 a.m.-7:15 a.m. only) and were among the first to disembark. We asked a local for directions, quickly found the closest bus stop to the DFDS terminal (Freeport) and boarded bus No. 26 nine minutes after leaving the ship. 

We got off at Østerport station, from which we took the regional train all the way to the Kastrup airport, arriving at 8:06 for our 10:45 flight. The entire journey cost three transport tickets each (DKK36, or about $6.10).

PAULA PRINDLE

Orient, OH