STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

I studied abroad in Spain last winter and my best advice for you is to bring a couple of small travel bags that can be easily folded up in your suitcase b.c. i guarantee you will return back to the states with A LOT more stuff than what you went with.

I would make sure that you bring mostly layering pieces because that will give you some versatility to mix and match plus it helps with the quick changes in weather.

When I was in Spain, I actually ended up buying some clothes over there because they had great stores but also because I wanted to fit in and not stand out as a "tourist." I would suggest this as well.

If I think of anything else I will let you know...I hope you have a great time and be sure to take lots of pictures!!!

Congratulations! Studying aborad is so great, I know you'll have an amazing time. I studied in Glasgow last spring, and I did not want to come home!

I suggest comfortable tennis shoes - I think I took about four pairs, because I walked EVERYWHERE.

I ended up taking three suitcases, which at first I though wasn't enough stuff, but I only ended up using about 1/2 or maybe 2/3 of. I'd be very choosy when picking out things! (I also have a tendency to overpack).

Definitely bring some fold-up travel bags, because you will accumulate tons of stuff! I was lucky enough to have my family come visit me twice, and they hauled back a ton of stuff. I had to throw out some stuff (like toiletries, panties, socks) at the end of my stay because they wouldn't fit in my suitcase.

For clothing, pack the things that you wear the most, and the things that are most comfy. I don't know what the weather is like in Copenhagen, but in Glasgow it was cold and rainy. I packed a lot of wool sweaters and sweatshirts (which took up a lot of room) and I think I would have been better off packing thinner things that easily could have been layered. If you have a warm coat this will work well (my coat wasn't very warm, unfortunately).

If you have any toiletries (like makeup or a certain toothpaste) bring them along, but I'd be choosy since you can obviously buy most of your toiletries over there. I personally would bring tampons! I always use Tampax pearl, which they did not sell in Scotland. The tampons I ende dup buying there were awful - all of the girls on my floor agreed about this. One of my friends came to visit me, so I mader her buy me a huge box of them! lol.

Anyways, long enough, just have fun! Definitely update us on how your trip is going once you get settled in.

Thank you so much for your replies!
I will def bring extra fold up bags as I will most likely shop once im over there. Thanks for the idea. They would have come in handy last time i traveled..lol.

Jah, Im glad you had a good time in Copenhagen! Im so excited to be going. I just bought a new camera so I will be sure to take a ton of pictures. Off topic but Do you reccommend any must see places??

Wetbandit42 my brother might be visiting me in March so Im going to have him bring back some of my stuff. My concern was packing my chunky sweaters because they will probably take up most of my suitcase. This calls for some shopping for some thinner sweaters I suppose

Ilovechoo, the weather in Denmark in the spring is probably like how the weather is here in NY now. Sigh~ oh how i will miss the warm weather.

Ok, i apologize in advance for this stupid question but does anyone know if the streets in Copenhagen are cobblestones streets? I want to bring at least one or two pairs of heels. Last time I went to Rome I had the hardest time walking in my heels because the heels were thin. It kept getting stuck in ebtween the cobblestones. My friend got so frustrated she took off her shoes and walked barefoot...lol.

Thanks again ladies!

ooo thanks Ilovechoo! That is a great idea. Do you mind telling me what brand they were so I can look for them? Thanks a lot!

I echo the advice about packing less than you think you'll need.  You can probably fit all the clothes you need in one medium suitcase if you use those vacuum seal packing bags.  I HIGHLY recommend those.  You can get them at Target or any other cheapo department store.  They saved my butt both going and coming back from my study abroad - they really do make a significant difference in how much room your clothes take up, especially in the winter when clothes are bulkier.  Only pack things that you absolutely love to wear - your favorite favorites.  Pack things that will layer, and pack things that mix and match.  Bring a hat and gloves, as well as a few cute scarves.  Rely on your accessories and your ability to mix things to create new outfit ideas.  You WILL want to buy clothes once your their because European style is amazing and there will be stores there that have things you can't easily get here, so take that into account when you pack.  Bring comfortable flat shoes (I echo the suggestion of flat boots) for day to day walking, but make sure they're cute (at least 2-3 pairs that AREN'T sneakers of any kind, even cute sneakers) - normally only teens and tourists wear sneakers in Europe.  Make sure you bring at least one more dressy outfit for formal events.  Wear skirts and tights - it will let you blend in more.  (Eurpean women wear skirts all the time even in winter - just with cute textured tights.)   

-- Edited by Michibanana at 21:24, 2006-12-10

Hi! I've never posted on this forum before (been a longtime lurker, though), but I just had to reply to this post. I'm not from Denmark, but I have visited there a few times (and I am from almost the same neck of the woods ), so I should hopefully have enough knowledge to give you some useful information anyway.

As far as I know, on trips between the US and Europe, all airlines allow you to check in 2 pieces of luggage, each of these can weigh up to 50 lb. This is actually quite a lot of stuff! Still, I agree with what the other ladies have already said, bring as little as possible and think layering. Try to limit it to one suitcase. You can always buy a new one in Denmark if you find you need to.

What's tricky here, is that you have to pack for a period of very varying weather conditions. You can expect the temperature to be in the 30s or low 40s when you arrive in January, and in the 70s or maybe even 80s when you leave in July, so you have to pack for all seasons. Denmark rarely has snow, but expect the winter to be cold and wet. A winter jacket, scarfs, gloves, and a hat are musts, as is jeans and (thin) wool sweaters. A sturdy umbrella might also be a good idea. As for thermal underwear, I mostly wear these when I do outdoorsy stuff, but I might just be used to the climate up here They hardly take up any space in your suitcase anyway, so just bring them! A Danish summer is almost like an American summer, so you should also bring some cute t's, shorts/summer skirts/dresses, sandals/flip flops, and a bathing suit.

People in the Nordic countries dress quite casual, so I disagree with some of the other ladies here, in that I think you can definitely wear jeans and cute sneakers (ex. Puma shoes) during the day. However, we like to dress up also, so you can safely bring some cute shoes I also second the comment one of the ladies made about bringing one nice outfit. If Danish student life is anything like Norwegian (which I suspect it is), you will need formal clothes (coctail dress or nicer) at least once during your stay.

Bring only your basic make-up and toiletries, and purchase the rest when you get there. These things are heavy and take up space. If you use any electrical appliances like hair straightener or blow dryer, you should either buy the travel versions that can tolerate higher voltages (we have 230 V over here, you have 110 V) or purchase them in Denmark. If you have the travel version, you still need to remember that are sockets and plugs are different too, so you need one of those extension thingies... (don't know the term for these )

For getting around in Copenhagen, I suggest you do it the Danish way: by bike. You can rent one of the city bikes when you need one, but it's probably easier to just buy an old, rusty one once you get there.

Denmark is known for its design (their furniture designers might be the most well known), and you can expect great shopping in Copenhagen. Many of the clothing stores and brands that are sold throughout Europe, are based in Denmark. I'll give you some names, and then you can google them if you are curious I don't think any of the brands can be purchased online, but most should have homepages with showrooms that will give you an impression of what their clothing is like.

Clothing:
Cheap (H&M price level and quality): Vero Moda, Vila, Only, B-young
Mid-range (Banana price level) and up: InWear, Part Two, Jackpot, Sand
Designers: Day et Mikkelsen, Bruuns Bazaar, Munthe plus Simonsen

Shoes: Ecco (well-known, quality shoes), Bianco (cute and pretty cheap)

Jewelry: Pilgrim, Dyrberg & Kern

In addition, you can expect to find all the big European store chains (Zara, Mango, H&M etc).

I'm not sure how helpful my rambling post actually was. Feel free to ask any question you might have. (Mods: Sorry if this got a little off topic...)

I'll head over to the Travel and Tourism section now, to give you my travel advice