A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Odense vs. Calais for Families, Food, Couples, and Backpackers

Should you visit Odense or Calais?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Odense and Calais. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Odense

Other popular activities here include food.

Calais

Calais is a coastal, authentic, and undiscovered city. Because this is such a big city, visitors will find many sights and attractions around town. Other popular activities here include food, beaches, and shopping.

Odense and Calais: Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Family-friendly
  • Good for students
Things to Consider
  • Less popular with couples
  • Less popular with backpackers
Pros
  • Popular museums and historical sights
  • Active nightlife
  • Popular beach
  • Fun shopping
  • Family-friendly
  • Good for couples and romance
  • Good public transit
  • Very walkable
Things to Consider
  • Less popular with backpackers


Is there more to do in Odense or Calais?

Visitors will generally find more to do in Calais than Odense. While Odense is larger than Calais, Calais has more sights, attractions, and activities for tourists. Calais is more touristy than Odense and is known for being a gateway for travelers to France. It is also well known for The Town Hall. Odense is famous for

How is Odense different from Calais?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between Calais and Odense. Then, you can decide for yourself which place is better for your next trip.

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Odense or Calais?

Odense
Calais

Calais is a good destination for its sights and museums. However, Odense does not have museums and landmarks.

If you're looking for an educational opportunity, there are a decent number of museums and historical sights around Calais. It's a port city with a few good museums and landmarks to see. Check out the Town Hall, Burghers of Calais, La Cité de la Dentelle et de la Mode, and Musée de la Guerre de Calais, as well as the Calais Lighthouse.

Odense does not have museums and landmarks.


Is the Food Better in Odense or Calais? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

Odense
Calais

Local dishes at restaurants are fun to try in both Odense and Calais.

There are many up and coming restaurants in the Odense area. You'll find local restaurants serving local favorites such as smoked salmon. You'll also find burger joints and international options such as sushi.

There are plenty of up and coming restaurants around Calais. The region is known for its mackerel, andouillette sausage, and endive and ham gratin. If you're passing through, this is also a good place to stock up on wine and cheese.

Is Odense or Calais Better for Nightlife?

Odense
Calais

Calais is a good destination for its evening party scene. However, Odense is not a destination with noteworthy nightlife.

There's a variety of activities in the evening in Calais. You'll find bars and pubs around town as well as a few clubs. Places range from trendy and high end to local dive bars.

Odense is not a destination with noteworthy nightlife.

Is Odense or Calais Better for Beaches?

Odense
Calais

Calais is a good destination for the beach. However, Odense is not a beach destination.

Calais offers a nice beach destination. There are some sandy beaches near town that have nice stretches of sand and plenty of sand dunes. Many locals enjoy sunbathing at the beaches.

Odense is not a beach destination.


Is the Shopping Better in Odense or Calais?

Odense
Calais

Calais is a good destination for its shopping areas. However, Odense is not a noteworthy shopping destination.

Many visitors go to Calais to go shopping. Many visitors stock up on wine and cheese when they're passing through. It's common to head straight to Auchan or Carrefour to stock up on some items.

Odense is not a noteworthy shopping destination.

Is Odense or Calais Better for Families?

Odense
Calais

Odense is well known for its family-friendly activities. Also, Calais is still popular, but not quite as popular for its kid-friendly activities.

Odense is known to be a very family-friendly place to visit. As the home of Hans Christian Andersen, this town is a child's playhouse. You can visit the H.C. Andersen House, which will bring his fairytale mind to life. The city also has more than 200 playgrounds, an amazing zoo, and the Funen Village, which is an open air museum. There's also a castle to explore and paddle boating on the water.

Calais offers lots of family activities. There's the Nausicaa Aquarium, the Museum of the Atlantic Wall, and the Second World War Museum. There are also beaches and parks to explore as well as some nice playgrounds.

Is Odense or Calais Better for Couples?

Odense
Calais

Calais is a good destination for couples. However, Odense is a mediocre city for romance.

Calais is a good city for couples to visit. Couples can picnic with wine and cheese or eat their way through the town's great restaurants. There are also some nice beaches where people enjoy sunbathing or relaxing.

Odense is not the best destination for a couple to visit. It's a charming city with a lot of green space and paddle boating on the water, but it lacks some of the romance that you find in many European cities.


Is Odense or Calais Better for Students?

Odense
Calais

Odense is a popular place for students. However, Calais is not popular with students.

Odense is popular with students. It's a charming and friendly city that makes a fun place to learn and live. There's a fascinating culture and a number of things to do.

Calais is not popular with students.

Is Odense or Calais Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Odense
Calais

Calais is a good destination for its public transit. However, Odense does not have public transit.

Calais has a few public transit options. The city has 13 bus lines that run through town and into the surrounding areas. If you're arriving by ferry from the UK, there are shuttle buses that connect the ferry terminal to the train station.

Odense does not have public transit.

Is Odense or Calais a more walkable city?

Odense
Calais

Calais is a good destination for its ease of walking around. However, Odense is not a walkable destination.

Calais is a somewhat walkable city. Parts of the town are more walkable than others.

Odense is not a walkable destination.


Should I spend more time in Calais or Odense?

How long in Odense or Calais?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Odense and Calais. In our opinion, Calais has more to see and do, so we recommend spending more time in Calais than Odense. In general, 2-3 days is a good amount of time for Odense, and 1-3 days is enough time in Calais.

Families should spend more time in Odense than Calais. Because of the many family-friendly attractions and fun things to do for kids in Odense, it's a great place to visit with the whole family.

Couples should spend more time in Calais than Odense. You'll find plenty of romantic sights and fun activities in Calais that are perfect for a weekend getaway or a longer couple's trip.

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in Calais than Odense if your budget allows for it. With a larger number of budget-friendly sights, good nightlife, and active things to do, anyone traveling on a budget would have a good time in Calais.


  • How many days in Odense or Calais? Ideal Length of Stay
    Odense 2-3 
    Calais 1-3

One day in Odense or Calais?

Many travelers enjoy the food when visiting the destination of Odense. But since there are so many activities, you'll likely want to spend more than one day exploring.

Many travelers enjoy the museums and nightlife when visiting the destination of Calais. One day is often enough time to do most activities.

A weekend in Odense or Calais?

Odense is a great place to explore. It is common to spend a weekend here. With all of its activities, you can easily fill a weekend here. Your budget might influence how long you stay.

Calais is a great place to explore. It is common to spend a weekend here. With all of its activities, you can easily fill a weekend here. Your budget might influence how long you stay.

Five days in Odense or Calais?

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Odense. Five days may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

It's hard to know how much time to spend in Calais. Five days may feel like too much time unless you plan to do a lot of relaxing. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.


A week in Odense or Calais?

Travelers enjoy the food when visiting the destination of Odense. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from. Most people find that one week is more than enough time to see everything.

Travelers enjoy the shopping and museums when visiting the authentic destination of Calais. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from. Most people find that one week is more than enough time to see everything.


For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best 2-Week Tours from Copenhagen, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Denmark, The Best Budget Tours to France, and The Best Tours for Seniors to France.


Which place is cheaper, Calais or Odense?

These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.

The average daily cost (per person) in Odense is $160, while the average daily cost in Calais is $149. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Odense and Calais in more detail.



Accommodation
  • Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one person
    Odense $80
    Calais $83
  • Accommodation Typical double-occupancy room
    Odense $160
    Calais $166
Compare Hotels in Odense and Calais

Looking for a hotel in Odense or Calais? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.

Hotels in Odense


Hotels in Calais


Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.


Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Odense Hotel Prices and Calais Hotel Prices.

Local Transportation
  • Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.
    Odense $44
    Calais $50

Is it cheaper to fly into Odense or Calais?

Prices for flights to both Calais and Odense change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.





Food
  • Food Meals for one day
    Odense $51
    Calais $38

Entertainment
  • Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.
    Odense $29
    Calais $9.56

Tours and Activities in Odense

Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Odense are as follows:

  • Copenhagen Audio Tour: Following Hans Christian Andersen: $9.99
  • River Cruise on the Odense River: $16
  • GoBoat Self-drive Boat Tour: $57
  • Inspiring Odense - Walking Tour for Couples: $480
  • Christmas Charms in Odense - Walking Tour: $587

Alcohol
  • Alcohol Drinks for one day
    Odense $22
    Calais $13


When comparing the travel costs between Odense and Calais, we can see that Odense is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Odense Expensive? and Is Calais Expensive?.


Which is Bigger, Odense or Calais?

Odense has a larger population, and is about 96% larger than the population of Calais. When comparing the sizes of Odense and Calais, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.