Travel: Denmark on pounds 250

Central London, Friday, and you need a break. Cathy Packe suggests a weekend in wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen

Down payment

From Friday, Go (0845 60 54321), the new low-cost subsidiary of British Airways, will be flying between Stansted airport and Copenhagen for pounds 100 return; cheap rail tickets from Liverpool Street station to the airport are an option. Copenhagen airport is 10 miles from the city centre. SAS operates a bus service which runs every 15 minutes between the airport and the Central Station, stopping at the SAS hotel on the way.

Instant briefing

The Danish Tourist Office in London is at 55 Sloane Square, SW1X 9SY (0171-259 5959). In Copenhagen itself, the main tourist office is at Bernstorffsgade 1 (00 45 33 11 13 25), on the street between the railway station and the entrance to the Tivoli Gardens.

Rest assured

The most challenging part of a cheap break in Copenhagen is finding reasonably priced accommodation. The best option if you are on a tight budget might be a B&B: the accommodation service (00 45 33 25 38 44), housed in the same building as the tourist office, will be able to help you. If you prefer a hotel, the staff may be able to steer you towards one with a cheap summer special. Alternatively, try the centrally located Maritim Hotel (Peder Skrams gade 19, tel: 00 45 33 13 48 82); prices vary according to the time of year, but in midsummer a double room starts at 675kr (about pounds 65).

Must see ...

Must buy

The pedestrianised shopping street of Stroget runs from the Town Hall square to Kongens Nytorv, a leafy area containing the Royal Theatre. The name Stroget doesn't appear on the street maps - instead look for Frederiksberggade, Nygade, Amagertorv and Ostergade. For nearly a mile you will find a succession of shops that become increasingly pricey the nearer you get to Kongens Nytorv. Don't miss the Royal Copenhagen china shop; although most of the items on sale are prohibitively expensive, there are often good bargains to be had, particularly if you go upstairs where they sell off seconds. Close to the Town Hall square is a toy shop selling Lego at prices that are often lower than in other parts of Europe.

Must eat

To eat well in Copenhagen you need to be keen on fish, which makes up the main part of many menus. Restaurants can be hideously expensive: expect to pay the same for a beer and an open sandwich at somewhere like Krogs (Gammel Strand 38; 00 45 33 15 89 15) as you would for a main meal in Britain. If you want a light snack, head for Nyhavn, a lively area by the water lined with cafes, restaurants and stalls selling beer and ice- cream. Restaurants such as Nyhavns Faergekro (Nyhavn 5; 00 45 33 15 15 88) have menus at a manageable price; on the other hand, if food is your main interest you could blow the entire budget on a meal at the former monastery, Sint Gertrudis Kloster (00 45 33 14 66 30).