Getting from Copenhagen Airport to the City: The Three Options and Which One to Use

I arrived at Copenhagen Airport on a Tuesday with two bags and a Swedish Rejsekort card that did not work on the Danish system. This was my first lesson in the fact that Denmark and Sweden, despite being separated by a twenty-minute train journey, operate completely separate transit systems.

The Metro is the correct answer for most arrivals. The M2 line runs directly from the airport (Kastrup) to the city centre — Kongens Nytorv in about fifteen minutes. A single ticket costs DKK 36 (around €5). Buy a Rejsekort — the Danish transit card — at the airport machines immediately. It works on Metro, S-tog, and buses across the region. Load DKK 100 on it and you are set for the first few days.

The train: DSB runs trains from the airport to Copenhagen Central Station in about thirteen minutes, DKK 36 with Rejsekort. The Metro is more frequent. Either works.

Taxi: around DKK 250–350 to the city centre (€35–50). Worth it if you have a lot of luggage or are arriving very late. Otherwise unnecessary given how good the Metro is.

What I wish I had known: the Rejsekort requires a deposit. Get one at the airport or at any 7-Eleven near a Metro station on your first day. This is the practical solution before you have a Danish payment method set up.