It will come as no surprise if the main alternative to getting around Copenhagen is a bicycle. There are more cyclists than drivers. However, the city centre is small, so if you don't have to commute from the suburbs for accommodation, you can get by on foot during your stay.
View hotels in central Copenhagen
Alternatively, public transport in the form of the metro, trains, buses and boats is also an option.
Walking
It takes about 45 minutes to walk from Tivoli Amusement Park through the centre of Indre By to the Little Mermaid. That in itself suggests that if your feet don't hurt, you can discover the highlights in a day without the need for any means of transport.
Traffic within the city centre is not too dense, so walking around Copenhagen is safe and relaxing.
In addition to the streets, you'll also be walking along the numerous water canals, which makes walking even more enjoyable.
Bicycle
Cycling enthusiasts, as well as regular tourists, should rent a bike in Denmark. It's a typical activity that tunes you into the Danish rhythm, and if you need to get to neighbourhoods outside the main centre, it will also save a lot of time.
Bicycles are easy to rent in Copenhagen. Simply find one of Donkey Republic's dozens of bike docks, located virtually all over Copenhagen, create an account and simply take the bike.
You can create an account in advance, or on the tablet at the bicycle, which is always included. You can also easily enter the function to return the bike and the navigation will direct you. However, the easiest way to use the Donkey Republic mobile app (Google Play / App Store), through which you register, pay and unlock bikes.
The cycling infrastructure in Copenhagen is one of the best in the world. The city is flat, so riding is not strenuous.
There are separate bike lanes on literally every street in and out of the centre, and cycling is a clear priority in Copenhagen.
Donkey Republic prices
Classic bikes and electric bikes are available.
However, the prices are quite high and if you travel a lot over longer distances, public transport works out better value for money:
- 15 minutes - 18,50 dkk
- 30 minutes - 26 dkk
- 1 hour - 39 dkk
- 1 day - 180 dkk
Public transport
Buses, metro, trains, as well as water ferries are part of the integrated public transport system. This means that you can use any means of transport within the whole city and conurbation on one ticket.
Find the optimal route, timetables and other information on the official website of the transport organiser DOT: dinoffentligetransport.dk/en
Tickets - prices and where to buy
The fare depends on the number of zones you want to travel within. For example, there are three zones (4, 3 and 1) from the airport to the city centre and a maximum of two zones within the city.
Common ticket prices in Copenhagen:
- 24 hours (zones 1-4) - 90 dkk
- 48 hours (zones 1-4) - 160 dkk
- 72 hours (zones 1-4) - - 220 dkk
- 90 minutes for 3 connecting zones (e.g. going to the airport) - - 30 dkk
- 75 minutes for 2 connecting zones (travel only in the centre) - - 24 dkk
Day and multi-day tickets for the city centre only (zone 1) are not sold.
Map of zones Copenhagen and the wider area:
Tickets can be paid at ticket machines by credit card or cash.
The ticketmachines are square-shaped and silver. They can be found in underground stations or railway stations, where they are complemented by red DSB ticket machines. You can also buy tickets for public transport in Copenhagen that are valid for buses or the metro.
The rounded smaller machines are for the Rejsekort discount card for 80 dkk, which is only worthwhile for more frequent long-distance travel in Denmark.
Tickets from the machine start to be valid the moment they are printed and are not marked any further.
The easiest way to buy a ticket is via the DOT Tickets mobile app. When you buy a ticket on the app, you choose the date and the exact time when the ticket will be valid and you don't have to worry about anything else. The code is only retrieved from the app by the not very frequent checking of tickets by ticket inspectors.
Metro
Copenhagen's metro has four lines. They operate 24 hours a day with daily intervals of 2-6 minutes and nightly intervals of 15-20 minutes. They are unmanned metro, i.e. automated trains without a driver.
They operate 24 hours a day with daily intervals of 2-6 minutes and nightly intervals of 15-20 minutes.
For detailed information on how to use metro tickets, where to find line maps or what the stations look like, see the separate chapter Metro in Copenhagen.
Trains
Copenhagen's city centre is crossed from north to south by a main railway line with a highly frequent service running every 2-10 minutes.
The trains are most useful when travelling from København H main station to Østerport station, from where it's a short walk to the Little Mermaid or Kastelet Fortress. This backbone line is then complemented by several suburban or circular railways within Copenhagen.
City tickets in zones 1-4 can be used for any train: red S-tog or blue-grey-red regional services Re as well as long-distance IC and ICL. Tickets are sold at ticket machines at all stations. They are not marked in any way when you enter the train, you only present them to the conductor on request.
Stations are usually equipped with newsagents and 7Eleven mini-markets with refreshments. Toilets are not common at stations and can only be found at the main station and Østerport station (payable by card fee 5 dkk).
Buses
Bus routes crisscross the city and its wider surroundings, providing connections to all corners of the city.
The buses are very frequent, however, they are slow and not very clear within the centre. Bus stops lack line maps and accurate timetables to tell you exactly where or when a line is running.
Ideally use the transport planner via dinoffentligetransport.dk/en. Bus route maps are available for download at this link.
All-doorboarding is possible on lines marked with the letters "A" and "C" (for example 7A or 5C), which have yellow and red or yellow and turquoise vehicles.
On all other lines (yellow or yellow-blue buses), boarding is by the front door only, and exit is by the rear door.
Ships
The water ferry runs for a fairly long stretch from the Little Mermaid, via Opera and Nyhavn, to Slotsholmen (Christianborg) and on south of the city. These are lines 991 (southbound) and 992 (northbound), which sail at half-hourly intervals.
From a transport point of view, the boat lines make sense, especially for the fast service to the Opera House. From a tourist point of view, cruising the canal is a unique activity where you can enjoy wonderful views of the city.
Regular fares apply on the harbour buses. Tickets can be bought from the boat attendants or from vending machines in the stations, on the metro or via a mobile app.
