There are other alternatives, but most visitors to Denmark check into a hotel. Accommodations range from the most basic, perhaps lacking private bathrooms, to the most deluxe. Outside of Copenhagen, you are likely to encounter first class in the top category instead of luxe accommodations. The one thing you'll not find is a truly cheap hotel. Even the most inexpensive hotels might be considered a bit pricey in some parts of the world. To compensate, many hotels, especially chain members, offer discounted rates on weekends, when hotels lose their most reliable client -- the commercial traveler.

Our accommodation listings include service charges and taxes so you won't be shocked when the time comes to pay the bill and a lot of extras are added on, as is the situation in many European countries.

Denmark classifies its hotels by stars ranging from one (the most basic) to five (deluxe). A hotel without a restaurant is called Hotel Garni. One-star hotel rooms have a hand basin with hot and cold running water and at least one communal bathroom per 10 rooms; two-star hotels have at least 30% of the units with private bathrooms; three-star hotels offer rooms with their own private bathroom (such hotels also have an elevator if there are more than two floors). Moving up, four-star hotels offer round-the-clock reception, an a la carte restaurant, room service, minibars, laundry service, and a bar. The best hotels in Denmark are five-stars, with luxuriously appointed rooms, often indoor pools, professionally staffed fitness centers, air-conditioning, safes in the rooms, and round-the-clock room service, among other luxuries.

If you have not booked a room prior to your arrival in Copenhagen, you may call personally at Wonderful Copenhagen Tourist Information at Bernstorffsgade 1, opposite the Central Station next to Tivoli. A handling fee of $9 is charged. There is also a booking desk, charging the same handling fee, at the Copenhagen Airport Arrival Hall.

Advance booking online is possible through Wonderful Copenhagen Tourist Information & Booking Center, Gammel Kongevej 1, DK 1610 Copenhagen (tel. 70-22-24-42; www.visitcopenhagen.dk). Outside Copenhagen, bookings can be made online at www.visitdenmark.com, through local tourist offices, or directly with the hotel.

Alternative Accommodations

If you'd like to avoid a stay in a hotel, consider these other options:

Bed & Breakfast -- Dansk Bed & Breakfast publishes a catalog of guesthouses throughout Denmark that receive visitors for overnight stays, fortifying them the next morning with a hearty Danish breakfast. A typical B&B might be an 18th-century farmhouse built of granite and half-timbering. Contact Dansk Bed & Breakfast, at Sankt Peders Stræde 41, DK-1453 Copenhagen (tel. 39-61-04-05; www.bedandbreakfast.dk).

The densest concentration of B&Bs is found on the Hans Christian Andersen island of Funen. There is a separate organization handling these bookings: Nyborg Tourist Office, Torvey 9, DK-5800 Nyborg (tel. 65-31-02-80; www.bed-breakfast-fyn.dk). A typical overnight price for a double room in a B&B is DKK170 ($29/£17).

Castles & Manor Houses -- Denmark is riddled with old manor houses and even a few small castles that receive paying guests all year. In our view, this type of lodging is the most exciting way to stay in Denmark, because of the grandeur of the buildings. You get to feel like a king (or queen), or at least a prince or princess for the night. Some of the establishments in this category are more like country homes than castles or manors. By taking in boarders, many of the owners of these privately owned estates are preserving Denmark's cultural heritage. For more information, contact Danish Castles & Manor Houses, Sankt Leonis Stræde 1A, DK-8800 Viborg (tel. 86-60-38-44; www.slotte-herregaarde.dk).

Danish Inns -- Nearly 100 atmospheric, old-world accommodations spread across the country have formed an association, offering rooms in kros (inns) that often date back hundreds of years. The bedrooms, however, are mostly renovated in the modern style. You get atmosphere and comfort, and most often good, solid food, both regional dishes and in many cases French specialties as well. For this type of accommodation, book through Danska Kroer og Hoteller, Vejlevej 16, DK- 8700 Horsens (tel. 75-64-87-00; www.krohotel.dk).

Farm Holidays -- Some 110 farms all over Denmark receive paying guests. To get close to the heart of the country and to meet the Danes, there is no better way than spending a week on one of these farms. In addition to an atmospheric stay, you can enjoy good country cooking with fresh vegetables, newly laid eggs, and rich butter. You stay on a farm as the guest of the family, joining members and other guests for meals. Often lodgings are in a small apartment on the grounds or even a cottage near the main building. In many cases you do your own housekeeping. Prices average around $35 per person, including a full Danish breakfast. You can book with the farm directly or else go through Landsforeningen for Landboturisme, Lerbakken 7, DK-8410 Rønde (tel. 87-37-39-00; www.bondegaardsferie.dk).

Holiday Homes -- Yes, it's possible to rent your own house -- most often a seaside cottage -- throughout Denmark. The house may be a snug retreat for two or spacious enough to accommodate 10 to 12 guests. Some of these holiday homes are within a 30-minute drive of Copenhagen. They are available all year, and prices begin at around $600 per week, the rates depending on the season, size, and location. Naturally, seaside holiday homes are the most sought after and most expensive in July and August. Many of the best homes are found on the west coast of Jutland, often with an indoor swimming pool and sauna. To book one of these homes, contact one of the following organizations: Dansommer (tel. 86-17-61-22; www.dansommer.com); Novasol AS (tel. 73-75-66-11; www.novasol.com); and Sol og Strand (tel. 99-44-44-44; www.sologstrand.com).

Home Stays -- Friendship Force, 34 Peachtree St. NW, Suite 900, Atlanta, GA 30303 (tel. 404/522-9490; www.thefriendshipforce.org), is a nonprofit organization that encourages friendship among people worldwide. Dozens of branch offices throughout North America arrange visits, usually once a year. Because of group bookings, the airfare to the host country is usually less than the cost of individual APEX tickets. Each participant spends 2 weeks in the host country, the first as a guest in the home of a family and the second traveling in the host country.

Servas, 1125 16th St., Suite 201, Arcata, CA 95521 (tel. 707/825-1714; www.usservas.org), is an international nonprofit, nongovernmental, interfaith network of travelers and hosts whose goal is to help promote world peace, goodwill, and understanding. Servas hosts offer travelers hospitality for 2 days. Travelers pay an $85 annual fee and a $25 list deposit after filling out an application and being approved by an interviewer (interviewers are located across the U.S.). They then receive Servas directories listing the names and addresses of Servas hosts.

Home Exchanges -- One of the most exciting breakthroughs in modern tourism is the home exchange. Sometimes the family automobile is even included. Of course, you must be comfortable with the idea of having strangers in your home, and you must be content to spend your vacation in one place. One potential problem, though, is that you may not get a home in the area you request.

Intervac USA, 30 Corte San Fernando, Tiburon, CA 94920 (tel. 800/756-HOME [756-4663]; www.intervacus.com), is part of the largest worldwide exchange network. It contains more than 10,000 homes in more than 36 countries. Members contact each other directly. The cost is $85 plus postage, which includes the purchase of three of the company's catalogs, plus the inclusion of your own listing in whichever catalog you select. If you want to publish a photograph of your home, there is an additional charge of $15. Fees begin at $90, going up to $150.

The Invented City (tel. 415/846-7588; www.invented-city.com) publishes home-exchange listings three times a year. For the $50 membership fee, you can list your home with your own written descriptive summary.

Home Link, 2937 NW 9 St., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311 (tel. 800/638-3841 or 954/566-2687; www.homelink.org), will send you five directories a year for $130.

Chain Hotels & Discounts -- The most prevalent chain hotel in Denmark is Best Western (tel. 800/937-8376; www.bestwestern.com). It offers a Best Western Advance Card that allows you to take advantage of special "summer low" or "winter special" promotion rates, and grants such privileges as allowing one child under the age of 12 to stay free in a room shared with parents.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.