Getting Around Copenhagen: Transport, Airport Transfers and Where to Leave Your Bag
Last updated: October 2026
Intro
The physical Rejsekort card is finished. Its last check-in was on 29 June 2026, so any guide telling you to buy one is out of date. A ticket from Copenhagen Airport into the city is DKK 30 (about €4, approximate) on the Rejsebillet app or at a station machine, the Metro reaches Nørreport in about 15 minutes, and a 24-hour City Pass covering the airport and the centre is DKK 100. Prices below were checked in October 2026.
Disclosure: Ciceru earns a commission if you book luggage storage through its Radical Storage link, and you get 10% off. It does not change what is recommended.
Once the bag is dropped, the Ciceru Copenhagen walk is a self-guided walk in the Ciceru app, with a story and a quiz question at each stop and a free 500 MB global eSIM. It covers 3 km in about 2.5 hours, from Rådhuspladsen to Nyhavn, and the tour page has the details.
⚡ Quick answer
- Airport to centre: Metro M2 or a DSB train from Terminal 3, about 15 minutes, DKK 30 on the same ticket. A taxi runs roughly DKK 250 to 400
- Normal rides: the cheapest single ticket, 2 zones, is DKK 24, bought in the Rejsebillet app or at a machine
- Best pass: the 24-hour City Pass Small at DKK 100 wins from about the fourth ride. The Copenhagen Card is for attractions, not transport
- Bikes: good, flat and easy here. Bycyklen, the old city bike scheme, no longer exists
- Luggage: Central Station lockers are DKK 70 to 80 for 24 hours, per Visit Copenhagen. Radical Storage has 72 spots from €3.90 a bag a day
✈️ From Copenhagen Airport
Metro M2 is the answer for most people. The station sits directly in line with Terminal 3, trains run every 4 to 6 minutes by day and evening and every 15 to 20 minutes at night, and the airport says it takes 15 minutes to Nørreport. Visit Copenhagen lists Kongens Nytorv and Christianshavn among the stops, and the Metro runs around the clock.
The DSB train leaves from tracks 1 and 2 in Terminal 3 and reaches Copenhagen Central Station (København H) in about 15 minutes. Pick it if your hotel is near the station, in Vesterbro or by Tivoli. Pick the Metro for anywhere else.
Both take the same DKK 30 ticket. You cannot buy a ticket on the train, and boarding without one risks a fine.
Buses from the airport also cost DKK 30, but journey times vary by route. They only make sense if your address is nowhere near a Metro stop.
🎫 The ticket system, explained once
Copenhagen runs on zones, and one ticket covers the Metro, S-train, regional train, bus and harbour bus. Three ways to pay:
- 💶 Single tickets: DKK 24 for 2 zones, DKK 30 for 3 zones (the airport), DKK 40 for 4 zones, from DSB's price sheet valid from 18 January 2026. Under-12s travel free, up to two per adult, and 12 to 15 pay half
- 💶 Rejsebillet app: buys single tickets and City Passes in advance. It replaced the old DOT Billetter app. Each traveller needs their own ticket on their own phone, with no group discount
- 💶 Rejsekort app: you check in and out and pay for the distance. The 2-zone fare is DKK 22 and journeys outside rush hour are 20% cheaper. Whether it accepts foreign payment cards could not be confirmed, so check in the app before you fly and keep a machine ticket as back-up
Ticket machines at the airport Metro station take coins and cards (Dankort, Visa and similar), but not banknotes. Whether you can simply tap a foreign bank card at the gate is not something the official pages confirm, so do not rely on it.
A new physical card, the Basiskort, comes in a personal and an anonymous version. The anonymous one costs DKK 80 at 7-Eleven and kiosks. For a short stay it is not worth the bother.
Single-ticket prices rose on 18 January 2026 only for journeys of 4 to 6 zones, so the 2 and 3 zone fares above did not move.
💳 Which pass is worth it
Do the sums on the first day. Airport ticket DKK 30, then three 2-zone rides at DKK 24 is DKK 102. The 24-hour City Pass Small, zones 1 to 4, is DKK 100 and covers the airport. From the fourth ride it wins.
- 💶 City Pass Small: zones 1 to 4, which includes the airport and the centre. DKK 100 for 24 hours, and it also comes in 48, 72, 96 and 120 hours. One adult may take two children under 12 free, and children aged 12 to 15 pay half
- 💶 City Pass Large: zones 1 to 99, for Roskilde or Helsingør. Not needed for the centre
- 💶 Copenhagen Card Discover: DKK 589 for 24 hours, DKK 1,039 for 72 hours, with public transport in zones 1 to 99 included. Transport alone is nowhere near that value, so only buy it if you will visit enough paid attractions. The sums are in Copenhagen on a Budget
🚶 What you will actually walk
The centre is small enough that most visitors use transport for the airport and nothing else. Rådhuspladsen to Nyhavn is about 3 km on foot, and Kongens Nytorv, near the Nyhavn end, is also an M2 station, so the Metro makes a clean exit.
Harbour buses are the underrated way to cross the water. Routes 991 and 992 use the regular bus fare, run electric boats and carry up to 8 bikes. Stops include the Royal Library, Islands Brygge and Refshaleøen. Check the timetable on the journey planner, because Visit Copenhagen does not list hours.
🚲 Bikes
The usual advice is to rent one, and for once it is right: Copenhagen is flat, the lanes are everywhere and drivers expect cyclists.
- 💶 Baisikeli: regular bikes from DKK 180 a day, helmets from DKK 50 a day. Open Monday to Friday 10:00 to 17:30, Saturday 10:00 to 14:00, closed Sunday
- 🚲 Donkey Republic: app-based rental, with the price shown in the app before you unlock. Visit Copenhagen lists it first among twelve rental options
- 🚫 Bycyklen: the city bike scheme is gone. Its website says the service is no longer available
Rules from Visit Copenhagen:
- Use lights when it is dark
- Right hand out to turn right, left hand out to turn left, left hand up to stop
- Keep right unless you are passing
- Turn left in two stages, using two crossings
- Leave the phone in your pocket
Bikes need their own ticket on public transport, and the Rejsebillet app sells a Metro bike ticket.
🧳 Luggage storage in Copenhagen
Stations first. Visit Copenhagen lists these prices for Copenhagen Central Station, by the Istedgade exit.
- 🚉 Lockers: DKK 70 small, DKK 80 large for 24 hours, DKK 85 for a bike locker
- 🚉 Staffed storage: DKK 75 for a small item, DKK 85 for a large one, 24 hours
- 🕐 Hours: 05:30 to 01:00 Monday to Saturday, 06:00 to 01:00 on Sundays and bank holidays. Maximum stay 10 days
Airport: Visit Copenhagen lists lockers by car park P4. A small one is DKK 60 for 4 hours or DKK 80 for 24, a large one DKK 80 or DKK 100, payable by Visa or Mastercard only, with a 7-day maximum. Skis and golf bags have a separate locker at DKK 100 and DKK 120. The airport's own site did not list lockers when checked, so confirm on arrival.
Where Radical Storage wins. Radical Storage lists 72 verified spots in Copenhagen from €3.90 a bag a day (about DKK 29, approximate), with no standard size or weight limit and a €10,000 guarantee. On price alone it beats the DKK 70 to 100 station and airport lockers, and it is the one to try if a locker is full or too small for your case. The catch is that hours depend on the shop hosting your bag, so book one that is open when you land and when you collect.
🚕 Taxis and ride apps
Visit Copenhagen puts a taxi from the airport at roughly DKK 250 to 400, depending on traffic. Taxis are metered. Taxa's own price page still carried 2023 rates when checked, so treat any per-kilometre figure as a guide and ask the driver for an estimate.
Uber does operate here. Its own Copenhagen page lists UberX, UberXL and Uber Taxi, with airport pickups. Older guides saying Uber is absent are wrong. Compare the in-app quote with the taxi range before you confirm.
🕐 Your first hour in Copenhagen
- Install Rejsebillet before you leave home. Buy the DKK 30 airport ticket, or a DKK 100 City Pass if you will ride four or more times today.
- From Terminal 3, take the Metro to the centre, about 15 minutes. If your hotel is by Central Station, take the DSB train instead.
- Too early to check in? Drop the bag in a locker at Central Station, or book a Radical Storage spot nearby.
- Walk. Once the bag is out of your hands, the centre is flat and compact.
🇸🇪 One line on Malmö
Trains to Malmö leave København H and also run direct from the airport, taking about 35 minutes, every 20 minutes. Bring ID, as border checks are carried out at Copenhagen Airport. Ciceru has a separate piece on the Copenhagen to Malmö trip.
❓ FAQ
How much is a ticket from Copenhagen Airport to the city centre?
DKK 30 for the Metro, the DSB train or a bus. Buy it in the Rejsebillet app or at a machine in Terminal 3.
Can I still use a Rejsekort card in Copenhagen?
No. The physical Rejsekort stopped working on 29 June 2026. Use the Rejsebillet app for tickets, the Rejsekort app for check-in, or a City Pass.
Where can I leave my luggage in Copenhagen?
Copenhagen Central Station has lockers at DKK 70 to 80 for 24 hours, by the Istedgade exit, with the area open until 01:00, according to Visit Copenhagen. The airport has lockers by P4. Radical Storage has 72 spots from €3.90 a bag a day.
✅ Before you go
Install Rejsebillet, pick your airport ticket and bring a card for the machines. For the bigger picture, read Copenhagen Explained, and for a first walk after you drop your bag, the Ciceru Copenhagen walk runs from Rådhuspladsen to Nyhavn. The wider destination page is at Ciceru in Copenhagen.
