Erasmus in Copenhagen

Copenhagen is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, the economic and cultural heart of the Nordic region. It is home to Københavns Universitet (KU), founded in 1479 and the oldest Scandinavian university, the prestigious Copenhagen Business School (CBS) consistently ranked among Europe's top business schools, DTU (Technical University of Denmark) in Lyngby for engineering, ITU (IT University) specialising in computer science, and KP (Københavns Professionshøjskole) for applied programmes.

Atmosphere-wise, Copenhagen is a global showcase of Scandinavian design and hygge, the untranslatable Danish concept blending wellbeing, cosiness and candlelit conviviality. It is also the world cycling capital: roughly 62% of Copenhageners commute to work or school by bike on a phenomenal cycle network. The Little Mermaid, the colourful Nyhavn façades and the canals give the city a unique charm.

Huge bonus for Erasmus students: English is spoken fluently by nearly all Danes — genuinely among the best non-native English speakers in Europe. You can study and live 100% in English with no issues. The downside: Copenhagen is one of Europe's most expensive cities, so plan a serious budget.

The housing market in Copenhagen is extremely tight and expensive. For Erasmus students, the absolute priority is applying to the Housing Foundation through your university's international office as soon as you receive your nomination: spots are limited but reserved for exchange students. Without university housing, try HousingAnywhere, Findroommate.dk, Erasmus Play or Spotahome.

Expect roughly €550-800/month for a shared room (4100-6000 DKK), sometimes much more in the centre. Popular neighbourhoods: Nørrebro (multicultural, hipster, nightlife), Vesterbro (cool and central), Østerbro (chic and residential), Frederiksberg (green and quiet), Amager (near KU and CBS south), Christianshavn (picturesque canals) and Christiania (alternative autonomous hippie commune).

Beware of deposit scams: never pay before visiting or verifying the landlord's identity, and avoid listings that seem too good to be true. International transfers without a contract should be avoided at all costs.

Public transport is run by DOT/Movia/Metro: metro (lines M1-M4), S-tog (suburban train), buses and harbour ferries. The adult monthly pass costs about 372 DKK or ~€50/month. Under-19s benefit from the discounted Ungdomskort. The metro runs 24/7.

But let's be honest: in Copenhagen, the bike is by far the best transport. The cycle network is phenomenal, with dedicated infrastructure (bridges, bike highways, dedicated traffic lights). By bike, you cross the city faster than by metro. For occasional needs, Donkey Republic and Bycyklen offer bike-sharing.

Kastrup Airport (CPH) is just 15 min by metro (line M2) from the centre — one of Europe's best-connected airports.

Student life in Copenhagen is driven by ESN Copenhagen and multiple chapters per university, with a packed social calendar. Cycling culture is central: you absolutely need to buy a second-hand bike (around 500-1000 DKK or €70-130) on DBA.dk or Facebook Marketplace, plus a sturdy U-lock (mandatory given theft rates).

For going out and culture: Tivoli Gardens (one of the world's oldest amusement parks, magical in winter), Nyhavn and its colourful façades, Christiania the autonomous commune, Distortion Festival (massive June street parties) and Refshaleøen, a former industrial area reborn with Reffen (street food paradise) and cool nightclubs. Food-wise: smørrebrød (Danish open-face sandwich) and pølser (Danish hot dogs) are classics.

It's expensive but quality is top-tier everywhere. For weekends, Malmö in Sweden is just 30 min by train via the Øresund Bridge, Hamburg is 5h by train, and Stockholm, Berlin or Oslo are within easy reach by low-cost flights.

Your first task on arrival: get your CPR number (Central Person Register) at International House Copenhagen. It is essential for everything in Denmark: opening a bank account, getting a phone, seeing a doctor, accessing public services. EU citizens get it free with their EHIC; non-EU students need a residence permit first.

For banking, open a NemKonto (CPR-linked bank account) at Danske Bank, Nordea or Jyske Bank. In the meantime, Revolut or N26 work perfectly for payments and withdrawals.

The Sundhedskort (yellow health card) is automatically assigned with your CPR: it gives free access to a GP and public healthcare. Keep it on you at all times.

Danish (dansk) is the official language. It is a Scandinavian language famously hard to pronounce for non-natives (the swallowed vowels and stød are a real challenge).

Good news though: English is spoken fluently by all Danes, perhaps the best non-native English speakers in Europe. You can live and study 100% in English in Copenhagen: KU, CBS, DTU, ITU and KP all offer many English-taught programmes.

Even better: the municipality offers free Danish classes to foreign residents via Studieskolen or IA Sprog — an incredible perk rare in Europe. KU also offers paid courses through its language centre. A few basics to learn: tak (thanks), hej (hi), skål (cheers).