Copenhagen Airport to the city centre: every option, timed and priced
The M2 metro leaves from inside Terminal 3 and puts you at Kongens Nytorv in about 13 minutes for a single 3-zone ticket, around 30 DKK. I'm Felipe, a local guide who makes this trip most weeks, and this is every way into town compared on the three things that actually decide it: how long it takes, what it costs and how well it copes with luggage.
1. The short answer
Take the M2 metro from Terminal 3. It runs 24 hours a day, leaves every few minutes, reaches Kongens Nytorv in about 13 minutes and Nørreport in about 15, and costs a single 3-zone ticket, roughly 30 DKK. There is no airport surcharge and no separate airport express to buy.
The one case where the train beats it: if your hotel is next to København H (Central Station), the regional train from the same Terminal 3 platform level goes straight there in about 15 minutes, roughly every 10 minutes during the day. The metro does not stop at Central Station.
Everything else, airport shuttles, private transfers, taxis, is a comfort decision rather than a speed one. Nothing gets you into the centre meaningfully faster than the metro; it just costs between five and twenty times more. For the full picture of fares, zones and passes once you are in town, see my Copenhagen public transport guide.
The Ranking
2. The five ways into town, ranked
Ranked the way I would actually choose for a friend landing at CPH, weighing time, cost and how it handles suitcases.
Metro M2
The default answer for almost every arrivalThe M2 platform is inside Terminal 3, at the end of the arrivals hall, so you never step outside. Trains are driverless and run every few minutes in the day and all night long, which matters more than it sounds: a delayed flight at 02:00 is a non-event here, not a taxi negotiation.
It puts you at Kongens Nytorv (about 13 minutes) and Nørreport (about 15), the two stations most central hotels sit within walking distance of. From Nørreport you can change to anything, including the M3 ring line that does reach Central Station.
- From: Terminal 3, inside the arrivals hall
- Time: About 13 min to Kongens Nytorv, 15 to Nørreport
- Cost: Single 3-zone ticket, around 30 DKK
- Runs: 24 hours a day, every 2-6 min by day
Tip: Buy the ticket before you go down to the platform, in the Rejsebillet app or at the machines by the escalators. There are no barriers, but there are inspectors, and the fine is far more than the fare.
Regional train to København H
Only better if you are staying at Central StationThe regional train leaves from the same Terminal 3 level as the metro and reaches København H in about 15 minutes, roughly every 10 minutes during the day. Same ticket, same price as the metro: this is not an airport express.
It is the right call if your hotel is in the Vesterbro side of the centre or if you are connecting straight onto another train. For anywhere around Nyhavn, Strøget or Indre By, the metro drops you closer.
- From: Terminal 3, same level as the metro
- Time: About 15 min to København H
- Cost: Same 3-zone ticket, around 30 DKK
- Runs: Every ~10 min by day, sparse overnight
Tip: Check the platform screen: trains from this platform also head to Sweden. A train to Malmö will happily take you across the bridge if you board on autopilot.
Bus
Cheapest only in theory, slowest in practiceCity buses serve the airport and take the same ticket as everything else, so there is no saving to be had, only time to be lost. With traffic, a bus into the centre can take twice as long as the metro.
The one scenario where it makes sense: your accommodation is on a bus corridor that the metro does not follow, and you would otherwise change twice with suitcases.
- From: Bus stops outside Terminal 3
- Time: 30-45 min depending on traffic
- Cost: Same 3-zone ticket, around 30 DKK
- Runs: Frequent by day, core lines 24 h
Tip: If you are arriving with more luggage than hands, skip this one. Copenhagen buses are not built for suitcases and neither are the people already on them.
Taxi
Fast door to door, and priced accordinglyThe rank is directly outside arrivals and you do not need to book. A taxi to the centre typically runs 250-350 DKK depending on traffic and time of day, and takes 20-30 minutes, so it is not faster than the metro, only more direct.
Danish taxis take cards everywhere and the meter is regulated, so there is nothing to negotiate. It is a fine choice at 04:00 with two children and four bags, and an expensive one at any other time.
- From: Taxi rank outside Terminal 3 arrivals
- Time: 20-30 min to the centre
- Cost: Typically 250-350 DKK
- Runs: 24 hours, no booking needed
Tip: Rates are higher at night and at weekends. If the meter start looks high, that is normal here rather than a scam.
Private transfer
For groups, early flights and nobody wanting to thinkA pre-booked car meets you in arrivals with your name on a sign and a fixed price agreed in advance. For a group of four or more it lands close to two taxis, and it removes every decision at the end of a long flight.
For one or two people travelling light, it is money spent on comfort rather than time. Be honest with yourself about which one you are buying.
- From: Meeting point in the arrivals hall
- Time: 20-30 min to the centre
- Cost: Fixed, usually above the taxi fare
- Runs: Any time, booked in advance
Tip: If you are landing the same morning your trip starts, this is the one upgrade I would consider. Otherwise the metro leaves from inside the terminal and wins on every other measure.
Prices
3. What it costs and which ticket to buy
Central Copenhagen sits in zones 1-2 and the airport is zone 4, so the airport transfer is a 3-zone trip. One ticket covers metro, train and bus interchangeably.
| Option | Adult price | Covers | Worth it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single 3-zone ticket | ~30 DKK | One trip, transfers included for about an hour | You are heading straight to the hotel and will walk from there |
| City Pass Small (24 h) | 100 DKK | Zones 1-4 including the airport, unlimited | You will take 4+ rides in your first day |
| City Pass Small (72 h) | ~270 DKK | Zones 1-4, unlimited for 3 days | A typical 3-4 day stay with one airport transfer |
| City Pass Large (24 h) | 200 DKK | Zones 1-99, the whole capital region | You are adding day trips to Kronborg, Louisiana or Roskilde |
Children under 12 travel free with a paying adult, up to two per adult; 12 to 15 pay roughly half. That alone makes the metro unbeatable for families: a couple with two small children pays for two tickets, not four.
Buy in the Rejsebillet app, which replaced DOT Billetter at the end of 2025, or at the machines in the terminal. There is nothing to check in or out with a City Pass, and no barrier to pass on the way to the platform. Prices and passes come from the metro operator and the official City Pass page.
4. First and last departures
The metro is the reason arriving late in Copenhagen is not stressful: it runs 24 hours a day, every day, with trains every 2 to 6 minutes during the day and every 15 to 20 minutes overnight (7 to 15 on Friday and Saturday nights). There is no last metro to miss.
The train is the opposite: frequent all day, roughly every 10 minutes, and then sparse overnight. If you land after midnight and your hotel is at Central Station, take the metro to Nørreport and change, or simply walk the last stretch.
Going the other way, allow 15 minutes for the ride plus the usual airport buffer. From Kongens Nytorv, leaving 2 hours 15 minutes before a European departure has never let me down.
5. Luggage, kids and step-free routes
There is no luggage charge on any of it, and no separate luggage ticket. Metro carriages have open floor space by the doors, and outside the morning and evening peaks you will have room for a large suitcase without annoying anyone.
The whole airport-to-metro route is step-free: lifts run from the arrivals hall down to the platform, and Kongens Nytorv and Nørreport both have lifts to street level. Strollers roll on without folding.
One habit worth copying from locals: stand to the right on escalators, and let people off before boarding. Copenhagen is polite but it is not patient.
Questions
6. Copenhagen Airport transfers: frequently asked questions
About 13 minutes on the M2 metro to Kongens Nytorv and about 15 to Nørreport. The regional train reaches Copenhagen Central Station in about 15 minutes. A taxi takes 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic, so it is not faster, only more direct.
A single 3-zone ticket, around 30 DKK for an adult. The airport is zone 4 and the city centre is zones 1-2, so it is three zones. There is no airport surcharge. Children under 12 travel free with a paying adult.
Yes. The Copenhagen metro runs 24 hours a day, every day, with trains every 15 to 20 minutes overnight and more often on Friday and Saturday nights. There is no last metro to miss.
Yes. Regional trains leave from Terminal 3 and reach København H in about 15 minutes, roughly every 10 minutes during the day. It uses the same 3-zone ticket as the metro. The metro itself does not stop at Central Station.
Only if you will take four or more rides in your first 24 hours. City Pass Small covers zones 1-4 including the airport for 100 DKK a day. For a single transfer and then walking, a single ticket is cheaper.
Yes, in the Rejsebillet app and at the machines in the terminal. Denmark is close to cashless and cards are accepted everywhere, including on board taxis.
The Verdict
7. Final thoughts: my take
If you take one thing from this page: walk to the end of the Terminal 3 arrivals hall, buy a 3-zone ticket, and get on the M2. It is the fastest realistic option, it costs about the price of a coffee, it runs at any hour, and it starts indoors, which in a Copenhagen November is not a small detail.
The train is worth it only if you are sleeping at Central Station. The taxi is worth it only if the group or the hour makes the metro genuinely awkward. Everything else is somebody selling you a solution to a problem this city does not have.
Once you are in town, the same ticket system covers everything, and my full transport guide has the fares, the zones and the mistakes to avoid. If your first day is also your sightseeing day, my 3-day itinerary starts a ten-minute walk from where the metro drops you.
Landing tomorrow and want the city explained in person?
Book a private walking tour with me and I'll take it from where the metro leaves you.
Join the conversation
Comments
Questions, tips or corrections about this guide? Leave a comment, every comment is checked before it goes live.
Be the first to comment on this guide.
Thanks for your comment!
It's in the queue for review and will appear here once it's approved.