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[DouglasE]

Hi everyone!

Today I just got an email that said that I won a sweepstakes from Travelocity. You know, the company with the little gnome that is the big sponsor for The Amazing Race.

According to this email I won two nights accomodations in Copenhagen, Denmark and two nights accomodations in Malmo Sweden. The trip includes round-trip airfare (for 2) from my city to three gateway cities in the US; round-trip airfare (for 2) from the US Gateway city to Copenhagen, Denmark on Scandanavian Airlines; Two (2) nights’ double-occupancy hotel accommodations at the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark. ·Copenhagen City Card (sightseeing pass) valid for 72 hours.
·Two (2) nights’ double occupancy hotel accommodations at the Radisson SAS Hotel in Malmo, Sweden. Malmo City Card (sightseeing pass) valid for 72 hours. Obviously the missing link is the transportation between Copenhagan and Malmo, and possibly getting from Malmo back to Copenhagen for the return flight but I think I can swing a couple of train tickets.


I'm thinking of tacking on a little side trip to Aero in Denmark. Aero offers a look at a time gone by at a Scandanavian island so we can wind down, enjoy the seagulls, and pedal a bike into the essence of Denmark.


Anything you could supply as far as tips for my trip, MUST-SEES and MUST-DO's would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks!

[duck addict]

Congratulations

Can't wait to see your trip report :

[Colexis Mom]

No tips Douglas, but congrats on winning the trip!

[lauriep]

WOW Douglas! What a wonderful surprise. I've been to the places you mentioned, but so long ago that I can't really offer any tips. When I was in Copenhagen I was a college student, staying in hostels and eating on the cheap. I loved going through the royal palace, and just exploring the city.

When will you go? Your Peru trip is so close!

[chezp]

What an awesome surprise Douglas - we keep talking about going to Copenhagen, it's very much on our list of places to visit, so keep us updated about your plans. If you're going to be there over a weekend, maybe we can fly over and join you?

I've got the Dorling Kindersley Top 10 book about Copenhagen, which is very good and the things I want to see and do there are:

- Tivoli Gardens
- harbour cruise
- visit Rosenberg Slot and Kongens Have
- see Kongens Nytorv and Nyhavn
- visit Amalienborg and Frederiksstaden

[DrDolphin]

Congrats on your win!!! Hope you will write a TR!

[Kenny]

Congrats!!

[DouglasE]

Time for an update.

Yes, it does appear that this sweepstakes is legit. There are a couple of down sides. Now I'm not trying to whine. However, I am disappointed by a few things. First, they did not inform me of a specific week that the trip was scheduled so I was assuming I would have up to a year from notification to take this trip. This is not the case. I have only until December 31, 2009. This gives me very little time indeed. Additionally, observant passporters will note from my signature that I am going on a trip to Peru in Mid-October, smack dab in the middle of this time period. I had no idea that I would be winning this contest. My boyfriend, Craig, and I have meagre incomes and all of our discretionary income has been dedicated to our Peru trip. While travelocity is paying for most of the trip, they are not paying for food, beverages, transfers and things of this sort. I do need SOME money. Therefore, I really can not go until AFTER the Peru trip. On top of all of this a lot is going on in my life this fall. For example, I've already spent significant money on participating in the Great Urban Race that will be taking place in a couple of weeks so I will definitely be running around Philly with my angel wings and halo that I purchased . After doing a bit of research I discovered that the Oresund region (my destination) basically closes down a lot after September. I'm assuming because it's FR@@#$%ing COLD!!! A lot of the stuff that I would want to do I would not be able to do because it will be winter. Everything I read says go to Scandanavia in the SUMMER (June through August). Ummmm, travelocity did not inform me that I had even won until September. Of course, this makes sense. I'm sure it's easier squeezing me onto a plane to Scandanavia now than it would be during peak season.

The second disappointment is the fact that since I have to take this trip in 2009, Craig can NOT go with me . He will have taken his paid time off for 2009 already, much of it due to traveling to visit me or me traveling to visit him (long distance relationship issues) and our Peru trip.

The good news is I have a very good friend who is completely free to go. My friend Josh and I always have a good time together and laugh a lot. He sings with me in the Philadelphia Gay Men's Chorus and we have shared hotel rooms in the past in Washington, DC and in Miami. He doesn't snore . We get along great . I also chose him because he has been a bit down in the dumps since he is currently unemployed (don't have that nasty need to request time off from work business) and he has been having horrible dating problems (finding someone sane and stable ain't easy). I figured he could use a pick me up.

Sunday, Josh will give me his notarized affidavits and releases to send back to travelocity and we will get further details about booking our trip following that. It looks like we'll be going in mid-November.

Chez if you are willing to brave the cold to visit me in Cobenhavn I would love to see you. I will definitely be there over a weekend because the sweepstakes rules require me to stay in one of the hotels on a Saturday.

[lauriep]

Yikes! Of course this would all happen when you've got the Peru trip coming right up. And it's not exactly a completely "free" trip... but close enough that you've got to do it. Don't worry at all about the cold. Copenhagen does cold very well. I spent Christmas there and it was cold and dark almost all day, but very beautiful. Inside the restaurants and stores and museums it's toasty warm and cheerful, and outside the street lights twinkle all day. What an autumn this is going to be for you!

[Kenny]

Whew! You do have a lot going on! But, what's a little cold when it's free... almost!

[chezp]

Wow, that's a bit mean on the terms of the competition, but I guess at the end of the day, it's free...

I hope we do get to meet up, but we're out of here over to Disney from 10 December and are maxed out with family trips to do the Christmas thing from late November... I have a horrible feeling that unless it's the second weekend in November, this just may not work out. Isn't that just typical?

[DouglasE]

Chez,

I really wouldn't sweat it because I think Kobenhavn probably deserves to be seen in its finest. So many things are unavailable during the time that I will be there that unless you were going for free like I am it wouldn't make as much sense. I know I am one super duper incredible person but don't knock yourself out to travel up to Denmark to see me. The exception to this rule of course would be if you happened to come across some incredible flight + hotel deal that you felt you couldn't pass up.

[chezp]

Originally Posted by DouglasE

Chez,

I really wouldn't sweat it because I think Kobenhavn probably deserves to be seen in its finest. So many things are unavailable during the time that I will be there that unless you were going for free like I am it wouldn't make as much sense. I know I am one super duper incredible person but don't knock yourself out to travel up to Denmark to see me. The exception to this rule of course would be if you happened to come across some incredible flight + hotel deal that you felt you couldn't pass up.

Of course we can find incredible hotel and flight deals, especially at that time of year! As you said, it's not peak time to visit, which makes getting there very cheap. The total irony is that a couple of weeks ago, I was actually looking at going to Copenhagen for a weekend and I was looking at that weekend!

[DouglasE]

I'm hoping to finalize dates for the trip by next week. Tomorrow I will be sending the notarized documents for Josh and myself to travelocity. Once they receive them they will give me instructions on how to book the trip and I will have the dates of my trip. The rules did mention about certain black out dates and until I get further information I won't know what they are.