Train travel has all sorts of advantages – it’s better for the environment and journeys usually end in the centre of the city you want to visit, rather than in an airport several kilometres away.
The journey time is of course longer, but this isn’t always a bad thing – take some time to relax, take in the view, enjoy a good book or binge on a box set and the journey becomes part of your holiday.
Copenhagen central train station has direct services to Sweden and Germany. From Germany, you will have access to the rest of Europe.
Here’s our pick of five European countries (Sweden, Norway, Germany, France and the Netherlands) that have easy train links from Denmark that you can do in a day. We’ve provided a price guide, but obviously prices change depending on when you travel and when you book.
Copenhagen to Sweden (Stockholm, Malmö, Gothenburg, Linkoping, Lund)
There are fast direct trains to Sweden departing several times a day.
Malmö
Øresund trains are the regional trains that operate from Copenhagen Central Station (København H) to the centre of Malmö every 20 minutes and take just 40 minutes over the Øresund bridge. Malmö train station then connects you to many other Scandinavian cities to explore.
How much: Tickets can be bought through DSB, 7-eleven shops or ticket machines. A single ticket costs 94 DKK (€12) with a Rejsekort using Rejseplanen.dk
If you don't have a Rejsekort, it's around €12 using Omio.com.
There are no seat reservations on this train and your ticket is valid on any train that day.
Stockholm
A direct train from Copenhagen Central Station to Stockholm takes around 5 hours 15 minutes. Single tickets cost between €50 to €150 depending on the time of train and if you book economy or business class.
Linkoping
A direct train from Copenhagen Central Station to Linkoping takes around 3 hours 40 minutes. Single tickets cost between €50 and €150 depending on the time of train and if you book economy or business class.
Gothenburg
A direct train from Copenhagen Central Station Gothenburg takes around 4 hours and costs around €40-€50 for a single ticket. You can buy them through the Øresund website www.oresundstag.se
Lund
A direct train to from Copenhagen to Lund takes just 53 minutes and costs around €30.
Copenhagen to Oslo, Norway (via Gothenburg)
It takes around 4 hours to get to Gothenburg and then 3 hours 35 minutes to get from Gothenburg to Oslo.
How much: A single ticket costs around €60 and you can buy tickets at www.sj.se. or www.tagbokningen.se.
Or Seat61.com suggests splitting the booking to buy the Gothenburg to Oslo at a cheaper rate (minipris) with Norwegian trains at www.vy.no
Copenhagen to Hamburg or Berlin, Germany overnight
Thanks to the two overnight train services launched in 2021 and 2022, you can now catch an evening train from Copenhagen and wake up in either Hamburg or Berlin.
You can choose between the Snälltåget train which stops in Ørestad at 23:07 and the SJ EuroNight Train, which leaves Copenhagen Airport at 00:02.
The Snälltåget drops off in Hamburg at 05:31 and Berlin at 08:47 the following morning. The return trip begins from Berlin at 20:57 and stops off in Hamburg at 23:59, arriving in Ørestad at 06:47 the following morning.
The Euronight leaves Copenhagen Airport at 00.05, arrives in Hamburg at 06.01 and in Berlin at 9.00. On its return, it leaves Berlin at 18:37 and arrives at Copenhagen Airport at a less-than-sociable 3:28am.
How much:
For the overnight train, prices vary depending on departure and class of comfort, which can be a basic seat, shared compartment or individual compartment. One-way tickets tend to cost €60-€100. You can also use Interrail Global Pass along with purchasing a reservation.
READ MORE: What you need to know about the new night train from Copenhagen to Germany
Copenhagen to Hamburg or Berlin, Germany during the day
Air conditioned intercity trains also connect Copenhagen to Hamburg in around 5 hours. There are 3 direct trains a day in each direction all year round, leaving at 07.10, 11.00 and 15.00. To get to Berlin during the day, you need to change at Hamburg station and then get the German ICE train which takes around 2 hours.
How much: For the train to Hamburg during the day, fares very between €30 and €60. From Copenhagen to Berlin, fares vary between €37.90 and €69.90. You can check train times & buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.
Copenhagen to Paris, France (via Hamburg)
You can travel from Copenhagen to Paris by train in a single day, if you change at Hamburg station and set off early.
You get from Copenhagen to Hamburg by intercity train, as mentioned above. If you get the early morning train, you then have time to change at Hamburg and get to Paris Gare de l'Est between 21:00 and 23:00 that evening.
Copenhagen to Hamburg takes around 5 hours by train. Hamburg to Paris takes just over 8 hours.
How much: You can travel from Copenhagen to Hamburg for roughly between €30 and €60 and from Hamburg to Paris for roughly between €50 and €150. You can check train times & buy tickets at www.bahn.de.
According to the website Seat.62, if you book the two trips as separate bookings on www.bahn.de, you can get cheaper fares for each stage.
Copenhagen to Amsterdam, Netherlands (via Hamburg and Osnabruck)
You can travel from Copenhagen to Amsterdam in a single day, if you get the morning train to leave enough time to change at Hamburg train station and Osnabruck, to then get to Amsterdam.
It takes around 5 hours from Copenhagen to Hamburg and around 6 hours from Hamburg to Amsterdam with the one straight forward change at Osnabruck.
How much: Fares for a single ticket including the changes, can start between €50 and €80. You can check train times & buy tickets at www.bahn.de.
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