Laura Hall

It’s 7am in Copenhagen airport. The departures board lists the destination for my 9.25am flight as ‘unknown Schengen’ while my boarding card, when I get it, lists the destination as ‘fictitious’. I have a suitcase full of probably the wrong clothes, and a few concerns, but I’m still excited for a trip into the unknown. I’ve joined SAS’s inaugural ‘Destination Unknown’ trip, a voyage where the final destination is a closely guarded secret and the 180 passengers boarding the flight have no idea where we’re going. All we’ve been told is it’ll be 20C and we should pack swimwear. ‘In the old days, travel was an adventure,’ said Alexandra Kaoukji, Head of Media Relations at SAS. ‘But these days it has become a commodity. So how do you make it special again?’ SAS decided to offer a mystery trip to their EuroBonus members. Flights were purchased using EuroBonus points, racked up through being a frequent flyer, and included contributions towards biofuel; hotel accommodation was arranged for an extra cost. It instantly proved popular: 6,000 applied for the four-day trip. Even before the trip, SAS considered adding mystery travel to their range of options – after the success of the debut, they’re planning to run the trips regularly. What is mystery travel?   Mystery travel is a rising trend in Europe and beyond, where customers – whether as part of a group or as individual travellers – purchase (or win) air tickets and travel packages without knowing where they’re headed.  In an event t

We all like the idea of summertime in Europe – long, lazy days in the Mediterranean sunshine, whiling away an evening people-watching in local bars – but the reality is often much less romantic, with overtourism, sky-high prices and heatwaves blighting many a Euro Summer fantasy. But it doesn’t have to be that way. To inspire your summer holiday plans this year, we asked writers across Europe to tell us about their favourite alternative summer trip ideas. From Croatia’s quieter island-hopping route to an Estonian spa break, here’s where to head for crowd-free bliss and unsung adventures right across the continent. You’re welcome. RECOMMENDED:🏝️ The best alternative Mediterranean beach breaks🗺️ Europe’s most underrated travel destinations

Forget ‘saving money’ in 2024. You know what your New Year’s resolution should be? Get out more. Do more stuff. See more of the world. Life is short, after all – and 2024 promises a tonne of unmissable festivals, art, food and music. There are openings and re-openings. Brand-new train routes criss-crossing countries and continents. Whacky places to party. And even if the cossie livs does have you tightening the purse strings, there are plenty of free and affordable events on this list, too.  So get your booking fingers at the ready: your 2024 bucket list awaits. This is our definitive guide to the coolest new things to do in the world next year. See you out there!  RECOMMENDED:😎 The coolest neighbourhoods in the world🌃 The best European city breaks for 2024🖼️ The world’s best museums and galleries

If you didn’t know already, Copenhagen’s food scene is a very exciting place indeed. You may already have heard of Noma, Copenhagen’s notorious high-end New Nordic restaurant – it will be closing at the end of 2024, making space for a new wave in the city.  A newer addition to our list is Alchemist, which has fought its way to the top bracket of the World’s Best, but we’ve also got Danish bakeries, family-run Taiwanese dishes and the classics serving up seasonal fish, meat and veggies. It’s not all expensive, but the blowout meals are there if you fancy it. Whatever you fancy, here are the best restaurants in Copenhagen right now.  RECOMMENDED:🍸 The best bars in Copenhagen📍 The best things to do in Copenhagen🏛️ The best museums in Copenhagen💃 The best nightlife spots in Copenhagen🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Copenhagen This guide was last updated by Laura Hall, a writer based in Copenhagen. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

It’s that time again. Every year, we ask thousands of city-dwellers to tell us the coolest spots in their cities. What are the places locals love and visitors flock to? Where are the exciting new openings across food, drink and culture? Where are people going out, hanging out and having fun? For the sixth year running, the results are in. Over 12,000 people had their say in this year’s shortlist, naming the neighbourhoods in their hometowns where everyone wants to be right now. Then, we narrowed down the selection with the insight and expertise of city editors and local experts who know their cities better than anyone else. To create and rank the final list, we considered factors including community and social ventures, access to open and green space, and thriving street life. In 2023, our neighbourhoods are more global than ever before. The rise and rise in post-pandemic digital nomadism has led to an explosion of brand-new community spaces, multi-purpose culture centres and more cafés than we can count on two hands. But while most of these neighbourhoods have experienced a transformation over recent years, they remain resolutely local at heart. Slick new developments and cool cafés might bring in new crowds, but neighbourhood stalwarts – from old pubs to family greengrocers – keep it real.  The world’s coolest neighbourhoods this year are, therefore, places with big personalities. Each area’s diversity is reflected in its food, culture and festivals. Community is key: local

Mini mountains of snow have formed at the corners of the streets in Helsinki, where January temperatures dropped to as low as -19C, and a daytime temperature of -2C is the norm. Cold weather usually has me hibernating under a warm blanket, thick woolly socks and a cup of tea, but not today: I’m in the freezing city to figure out how to keep spirits high when the temperature is low. According to local expert Heidi Johansson, this is something of a specialist subject for Finns, who after all live in the world’s happiest country. As the darkness of the winter afternoon sets in, we trudge off through the snow on a tour of Helsinki’s happiness hotspots. Our mission? Discovering the secret to winter happiness. Happiness tip #1: Eat well The first stop on our happiness tour is Hakaniemi Market Hall, a renovated two-floor former department store that reopened last May. Who doesn’t comfort eat in winter? We browse the independent market stalls selling everything from colourful licorice cables coiled up in jars to pastries named after poets, fresh fruits and vegetables and great slabs of glistening salmon.  I try handmade Karelian pastries, sauna-smoked ham, and dried reindeer – all delicious – as we go. On the fish stall, a box of herring is smoked to a golden sheen, while just down the hall, a local cheese stall sells varieties from Helsinki’s cows. There’s a good reason why herring is one of the most popular flavours of the Nordic region: not only have they been historically easy to

Copenhagen is the prime destination for a trendy, foodie weekend away. The kind of place that makes you want to rent a little bike for the day with a bag full of fresh pastries, and hopefully end up being the subject of someone’s Instagram shot. It’s a beautifully aesthetic, dainty place with great vibes, but don’t be fooled – Copenhagen has a very fun, very late-night side too.  That’s right. This city is aesthetically pleasing by day, and wild by night. Dipping a toe into Copenhagen’s nightlife scene will have you dancing to live music in an old-school jazz bar and ordering shots at a three-story nightclub. It’s got everything from niche indie spots to classic mainstream spots, and everything in between (including a community centre with DJs). Whatever you’re into, here are the best nightlife spots in Copenhagen right now.  RECOMMENDED:🍸 The best bars in Copenhagen🍽️ The best restaurants in Copenhagen🏘️ The best Airbnbs in Copenhagen🎨 A complete guide to the Nørrebro neighbourhood This guide was last updated by Laura Hall, a writer based in Copenhagen. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. 

For design-lovers, fashion fiends and city breakers who like a side order of hygge with their sightseeing, Copenhagen makes a great location for a city break. Discover pavement cafés, art galleries, interior design and much more in this fun-loving city where small moments are celebrated, art and design are revered and work-life balance is (genuinely) prioritised.  Denmark’s capital is definitely on the bijou side, which is all the better for exploring by bike, just as the locals do. But spontaneous travellers, beware: one thing I've learned as a long-term resident is that booking ahead is customary here, so take note if you want to eat at a specific restaurant. From natural wine to super clubs, here is how to smash a weekend tour of Copenhagen. RECOMMENDED:🍸 The best bars in Copenhagen🍽️ The best restaurants in Copenhagen📍 The best things to do in Copenhagen🛌 The best Airbnbs in Copenhagen Laura Hall is a writer based in Copenhagen. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines. This guide includes affiliate links, which have no influence on our editorial content. For more information, see our affiliate guidelines.