Navigating through new streets is never easy at first. Eyes glued to Google Maps, bumping into people, scrambling around looking for street names, worried you aren’t going to make it to a class or meeting on time. These things are all very stressful when arriving to a new city. In summary, the whole experience is pretty overwhelming, especially if you’re navigationally challenged like me. Learning and adapting to the transportation methods of a new city is probably one of the largest cultural shocks an incoming student can expect. That being said, it also gets a lot easier and even enjoyable once settling down.

As most people know, Copenhagen is famous for its bicycles. Bicycling is the most common form of transportation in the city, with bikes outnumbering cars five to one. Cyclers are given priority over cars on the road and also get wide bike lanes that separate them from the car lanes. You will see people of all ages biking, with a lot of people biking their children or pets around on the front or back of their bike in either a seat or a basket. It is easy to see how all the locals are very healthy, fit, and happy as they participate in this gentle form of exercise every day. Biking is one of my favorite transportation methods as it is a great form of exercise and allows me to see a much larger scope of the city than the metro or bus. Although it was very stressful to ride through the city at first, the Danes are very skilled bikers and collisions have thankfully (as of yet) been avoided.

The second most popular way of getting around as a student has been via the metro. The metro is a very neat underground network that connects different neighborhoods of the city together in minutes. The whole metro system is electric and self-automated, so it runs 24 hours on a coordinated schedule. Unlike some metros/subways I’ve seen in the U.S., the Copenhagen metro system is exceptionally clean and completely safe. I was pleasantly surprised how I could metro home by myself at any hour of the day and night and feel totally at ease. The metro system also operates via the trust system, which is a new and stark comparison to some U.S. customs. This means that there is no mandatory swipe or check-in for those using the metro. Every once in a while, a security member will walk through the metro to check if everyone has a metro pass, but for the most part, it is entirely trust-based. Although getting around in Copenhagen is entirely different than getting around in the US, I have learned to love and respect this new way of traveling not only because it is more sustainable, but also because it is better for your health and happiness!