[Culturechat] Quality of Life in Denmark

[Paul Nick]

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> I have invited Idyllchat people to join our culture chat because I
> want to merge culture themes with travel issues. Denmark is still high 
>  on
> our list as a country in which we want to start an Untour. We have 
> avoided
> doing so for two primary reasons: 1) Prices are high, which will 
> certainly
> make marketing more difficult; and 2) most people want to visit 
> Denmark,
> Norway and Sweden, one week in each. That's an administrative  
> nightmare,
> and  adds considerably to expense. So we have been contemplating having
> a  two-week program in Copenhagen and offering a  rail/hotel add-on for
> Sweden and Norway. I'm hoping for comments, perhaps a few suggestions 
> of
> how to solve the problems I've posed--maybe some questions.
> Hal

I've just joined culture chat, and after reading the posts on Denmark, 
I realize I've been missing out a lot on some interesting exchanges.  
I'll have to go through the archives this weekend....

Let me start by stating that in 1986-1987, I spent a year abroad in 
Copenhagen, studying the the Danish International Studies (DIS) program 
through the University of Copenhagen and the Copenhagen Business School 
(HK).  I lived with a Danish family on a farm west of the city, in a 
small town called Ganlose.  Although I had a long commute into the city 
for classes, I enjoyed every minute of it.  To this day, Copenhagen is 
one of my favorite cities.  I enjoyed it so much that I actually 
considered trying to find a job there, but alas, my Danish never 
developed beyond the conversational and my U.S. law degree wasn't very 
useful.  So, in the interests of full disclosure, I am somewhat biased 
about Copenhagen.

Turning to the suggested Untour, let me offer some suggestions.  
Copenhagen is expensive, but less so than Stockholm or Oslo.  Also, now 
that the bridge across the Oresund is finished, it is easy to travel 
across to southern Sweden which, in my opinion, is to eastern Sweden 
what western Ireland is to eastern Ireland.   I don't want to start a 
debate :-), so let me just suggest that there are A LOT of day trips 
that could be made from Copenhagen to Sweden that would satisfy many 
(Orrefors and Kosta Boda crystal factories, the town of Helsingborg, 
Universities of Lund and Malmo, etc.)

We're probably not your typical Untourists, in that my wife and I are 
in our thirties and really cannot afford to take off more than two 
weeks at a stretch for a vacation. (Reason #1115 to move to Europe, I 
know....) Although I like the idea of a 2 week tour with optional 
additional excursions to Norway or Sweden conceptually, we would never 
do it.  I'd advocate something along the lines of the new one week 
tours being offered.  That way, travelers could add Copenhagen to, say, 
Berlin or the Rhine valley, making for a fascinating juxtaposition of 
cultures (at least in my view).  Pricing it for a one week stay might 
also cut at least some costs, so it wouldn't be so expensive that no 
one would go on it.  I like the idea of a rail/ferry/hotel add-on too, 
but only as an add-on to the one week tour.

The Danes are like the Dutch with regard to possessing excellent 
language skills, so I'm sure you wouldn't have a problem locating a 
local on-site person.  And yes, if you need someone to help with 
interviews, I'm sure I could find the time ;-)

I hope that a Scandinavian Untour becomes a reality!

Regards,
Paul
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<excerpt><fixed><fontfamily><param>Courier New</param>I have invited
Idyllchat people to join our culture chat because I 

want to merge culture themes with travel issues. Denmark is still high 
on 

our list as a country in which we want to start an Untour. We have
avoided 

doing so for two primary reasons: 1) Prices are high, which will
certainly 

make marketing more difficult; and 2) most people want to visit
Denmark, 

Norway and Sweden, one week in each. That's an administrative 
nightmare, 

and  adds considerably to expense. So we have been contemplating
having 

a  two-week program in Copenhagen and offering a  rail/hotel add-on
for 

Sweden and Norway. I'm hoping for comments, perhaps a few suggestions
of 

how to solve the problems I've posed--maybe some questions.

Hal

</fontfamily></fixed></excerpt>

I've just joined culture chat, and after reading the posts on Denmark,
I realize I've been missing out a lot on some interesting exchanges. 
I'll have to go through the archives this weekend....


Let me start by stating that in 1986-1987, I spent a year abroad in
Copenhagen, studying the the Danish International Studies (DIS)
program through the University of Copenhagen and the Copenhagen
Business School (HK).  I lived with a Danish family on a farm west of
the city, in a small town called Ganlose.  Although I had a long
commute into the city for classes, I enjoyed every minute of it.  To
this day, Copenhagen is one of my favorite cities.  I enjoyed it so
much that I actually considered trying to find a job there, but alas,
my Danish never developed beyond the conversational and my U.S. law
degree wasn't very useful.  So, in the interests of full disclosure, I
am somewhat biased about Copenhagen.


Turning to the suggested Untour, let me offer some suggestions. 
Copenhagen is expensive, but less so than Stockholm or Oslo.  Also,
now that the bridge across the Oresund is finished, it is easy to
travel across to southern Sweden which, in my opinion, is to eastern
Sweden what western Ireland is to eastern Ireland.   I don't want to
start a debate :-), so let me just suggest that there are A LOT of day
trips that could be made from Copenhagen to Sweden that would satisfy
many (Orrefors and Kosta Boda crystal factories, the town of
Helsingborg, Universities of Lund and Malmo, etc.)  


We're probably not your typical Untourists, in that my wife and I are
in our thirties and really cannot afford to take off more than two
weeks at a stretch for a vacation. (Reason #1115 to move to Europe, I
know....) Although I like the idea of a 2 week tour with optional
additional excursions to Norway or Sweden conceptually, we would never
do it.  I'd advocate something along the lines of the new one week
tours being offered.  That way, travelers could add Copenhagen to,
say, Berlin or the Rhine valley, making for a fascinating
juxtaposition of cultures (at least in my view).  Pricing it for a one
week stay might also cut at least some costs, so it wouldn't be so
expensive that no one would go on it.  I like the idea of a
rail/ferry/hotel add-on too, but only as an add-on to the one week
tour.  


The Danes are like the Dutch with regard to possessing excellent
language skills, so I'm sure you wouldn't have a problem locating a
local on-site person.  And yes, if you need someone to help with
interviews, I'm sure I could find the time ;-)  


I hope that a Scandinavian Untour becomes a reality!


Regards,

Paul
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