Getting around in central Copenhagen is fairly easy and quick. As most other cities there are a number of different means of transportation, and on this page we will describe them.
Copenhagen isn’t a huge city, and you can get from all the various sights and attractions we describe here on this site by walking. Yes, it would take some time going through all of them, but if you just walk from one sight to a few others close by, you will get to experience much more of the cityscape and
the city’s spirit!
If you want a good alternative to walking, we can also recommend what we Danes use a lot – the bicycles! More than 30% of the locals use their bike to and from their destinations, and generally we just love to cycle! A good indication to that, is all the bike repair shops that is almost on every corner. So if you are up for the challenge of the Danish way of sustainable transportation, feel free to join the fun!
Around the city there are a few shops where you can rent bikes, and the price ranges from spot to spot. A good central spot, is close to Dybbølsbro Station where you can rent bikes.
If you want a free alternative, check out Bycyklen. This free initiate have bikes placed all over the central part of Copenhagen. Both the Central Station, Christiania, Nyhavn, and other central areas have these easy to recognize bicycles with city maps attached to them. You insert a Danish 20 KR coin, and when you turn the bike back to a rack, you get the money back! Check their website for detailed locations, and guidelines.
Though just remember a few guidelines if you do chose to ride the bike around the city:
- First of all, remember to enjoy yourself!
- Keep an eye on the other cyclists (and the cars)
- Keep the fast lane (the one closest to the cars) free for the fast bikers
- Remember to signal! Left and right arm for directions when turning, and a hand in front of you (like pledging) for stopping.
Mechanized Transportation
A general note on all the public transportation possibilities available in Copenhagen, is that the system is zone-based. If you stay within the main area, which most of this sites guides are, you will do just fine with a 2 zone card/voucher. There is a little longer way from the Airport however!
Read about validity on the back of the ticket, but a rule of thumb is: 2-3 zones are valid for 1 hour, 4-6 for 1½ hour, and 7+ for 2 hours.
When the Metro opened 10 years ago in 2002, it made the city much ‘smaller’ and cozy. It modernized the means of transportation in the city, and it’s two metro lines are very fast and fully automatic.
From Nørreport Station close to the Lakes, you can visit Frederiksberg and Amager within 10 minutes, with departures in prime times each 3 minutes.
The tickets aren’t that expensive, just remember to buy a 2-zone 10-clip-card, which will save you some money. The cards work for all transportation units, such as the S-trains and A-busses as well, so it’s well worth the money.
The metro’s been awarded with ‘Worlds Best Metro’ in 2008 for it’s regularity, safety and passenger satisfaction.
The first lines were introduced in the 1930’s, and today it spans over most of Copenhagen and Greater Copenhagen. Each of the five line departs within 20 minutes, and connects the Central Station to Nørreport and all the other stations the Metro does not servicise yet.
The S-trains spans to as far as 45 kilometres south to Køge, and a little less to the north of Copenhagen to Hillerød, close to Helsingør and Kronborg.
Vouchers works here.
The yellow and red A-buses – and the yellow and blue S-buses, for that matter, cover most of the city with their almost 400 lines to complete the circle. With both the Metro, S-train and busses, you can go pretty much wherever you like. There are bus stops all over the city, with information on where you can go from that station, and when the next bus arrives. The big lines as 1A, 2A and 5A all depart every few minutes, and you can get from Amager East to
Nørreport within 20 minutes. It’s faster than sometimes having to walk the 10 minutes to the nearest metro when you aren’t downtown.
The S-line is more direct and cut straight through the city from the surrounding cities.
Usually the bus drivers are more than happy to let you know when it’s your stop, just give them a smile 🙂