Copenhagen is an ideal biking city--manageably small and mostly flat, with smooth roads and infrastructure that takes its many cyclists into account. My husband Matt B. noticed Donkey Republic's orange bikes everywhere, and we decided to rent two of them on our last day in town. We spent 70 DKK each on a six-hour rental, and this was probably the best deal we got on anything in Copenhagen, where a hot dog and soda will set you back the same amount.
I'm always turned off by anything that seems like it could be a pain in the ass, so believe me when I tell you that Donkey Republic is easy to figure out. You have to download an app, but once you do that, you can just go where bikes are available and rent from your phone, without ever talking to another person. You unlock and lock your bike from the app, which is even fun and kind of satisfying, and at the end of the day, you can drop off at one of their numerous locations and pay from your phone.
We started our rental at 1:30 on a Tuesday afternoon, and rode from the city center to Nørrebro, where we had lunch, then through Østerbro, Frederiksberg, and Vesterbro, hitting up parks, The Cisterns, and the original Mikkeller Bar before heading back to our hotel at 7:30. We got to explore a lot of Copenhagen in one day, and the bike ride was essential to our sightseeing.
I'm a slow, terrible biker, something Matt pointed out frequently on this day and after ("You wouldn't believe the people who were passing you"--a lot of old people and children, apparently), but I still had a tremendous time biking around the city. The experience added so much to our trip. If you're visiting Copenhagen, download Donkey Republic. It's easy and affordable, and your trip will be better for it. read more