Copenhagen Public Transport Prices 2026: Metro, Bus, Tickets & City Pass

1. How Copenhagen's transport network fits together

Copenhagen runs on one integrated ticket across six different ways of moving: the driverless metro, the S-train suburban rail, city buses, the harbour bus, the new light rail, and regional trains for trips further out. Buy or tap once, and it works across all of them within your zones and time window, so you don't need to think about which company runs which line.

Most of what a first-time visitor wants to see (Nyhavn, Strøget, Christiansborg, Amalienborg, the old town) sits comfortably within walking distance of itself, and honestly, the best way to get to know those streets is still on foot with someone who can point out what you'd otherwise walk straight past. That's the whole idea behind my private walking tour. Public transport is what you'll use to get there from the airport or your hotel, to reach the beaches and suburbs the metro doesn't cover, and to move fast between neighbourhoods once you've seen the centre.

This guide covers all of it: current 2026 prices, an honest ranking of which option is actually worth your time, exact frequencies, and the stations you'll use most. It's part of our complete Copenhagen guide, updated as the network changes, not written once and forgotten.

3. Tickets and prices in 2026

Copenhagen's zone system looks intimidating on a map and is actually simple in practice, because the Rejsebillet app calculates your zones for you: you just tell it where you're starting and ending.

Single tickets

A single ticket covers metro, bus, S-train, regional trains and the harbour bus interchangeably: buy once and transfer freely for up to an hour (longer on longer trips). Central Copenhagen sits within zones 1–2, and the airport is zone 4, three zones out from downtown.

Children aged 12–15 pay half price; under-12s travel free with a paying adult (up to two per adult).

City Pass: the best option for most visitors

If you'll take more than 3–4 rides in a day, the official City Pass beats buying singles. It gives unlimited travel for a set number of hours, from 24 up to 120, with no need to check in or out.

• City Pass Small (zones 1–4, the city plus the airport): 100 DKK for 24 hours, around 270 DKK for 72 hours, up to 340 DKK for the full 120 hours (48- and 96-hour options are priced in between). Children pay roughly half.
• City Pass Large (zones 1–99, the whole capital region including North Zealand): 200 DKK for 24 hours, up to 680 DKK for 120 hours.

For a typical 3–4 day trip based in the centre with one airport transfer, City Pass Small comfortably covers everything. If you're also planning day trips into North Zealand (Kronborg Castle, the Louisiana Museum, Roskilde), go with City Pass Large instead.

What about a monthly pass?

Copenhageners commuting daily use a Pendlerkort, a period pass priced by zone rather than by hours, set up through the Rejsekort app. It's built for residents, not visitors: its minimum period is 30 days, so even a full week in the city works out cheaper on City Pass Large than on a Pendlerkort. If you're relocating to Copenhagen rather than visiting, that's the one to ask about at any staffed station.

How to actually buy a ticket in 2026

The DOT Billetter app most guides still mention closed at the end of 2025. It's been replaced by Rejsebillet (iOS and Android), which now handles single tickets and City Passes, with an English interface and card payment built in. Ticket machines at every metro and train station, including the airport, still sell the same tickets and accept cards.

What about the Copenhagen Card?

The Copenhagen Card is a different product: alongside unlimited public transport, it also includes free entry to 80+ attractions (Tivoli, Rosenborg Castle, Christiansborg, the Round Tower and more). A 24-hour adult card runs around 479 DKK, dropping sharply per day the longer you buy it. It only pays for itself if you're planning to hit several paid attractions on the days you're using it; for transport alone, a City Pass is cheaper. See whether it's worth it for your trip in our Copenhagen travel FAQ.

4. Frequencies, hours and journey times

Metro (M1–M4)

Expect a train every 2–4 minutes at rush hour, 4–6 minutes for most of the day, and 15–20 minutes overnight (down to 7–15 minutes on Friday and Saturday nights). From the airport, it's roughly 15 minutes to Nørreport or Kongens Nytorv.

S-train (S-tog)

Trains run from around 05:00 to 00:30 on weekdays, with all-night service on Friday and Saturday. Most lines run every 10 minutes by day; the F-line (the ring line) runs every 5. Together, the metro and S-train carry well over half a million passengers a day.

Buses

A-buses and the high-frequency 5C Cityline run genuinely round the clock, one of the few European capitals where you can rely on a surface bus at 3am. Waits shrink to almost nothing at rush hour and stretch out, though never disappear, overnight.

Harbour bus

Lines 991 (southbound) and 992 (northbound) sail the full harbour route roughly once an hour; the higher-frequency 993 shuttle pendulums between Nyhavn and the Refshaleøen/Reffen area for most of the day. It's the one service on this list I'd actually check for real-time departures before walking to the pier. See the honest take in the ranking above.

Greater Copenhagen Light Rail (Letbanen)

The newest addition to the network runs roughly every 10 minutes. Only the southern section (Rødovre Nord to Ishøj) is open as this guide is updated; the northern half, adding 17 more stations up to Lyngby and Lundtofte, is in final testing and expected to open by the end of August 2026, so it's worth checking before you plan a route around it.

5. Accessibility, bikes and travelling with kids

Accessibility

The metro is step-free throughout, with lifts at every station and level boarding onto the trains: it's the easiest option if you're travelling with a wheelchair, a heavy suitcase or a stroller. Buses kneel and have a ramp at the front door; S-trains have level boarding at most, though not literally every, platform.

Travelling with bikes

Rules differ by mode, and this trips people up constantly. On the metro, bikes aren't allowed at all on weekdays between 07:00–09:00 and 15:30–17:30; outside those hours you need a separate bike ticket. On the S-train, bikes travel free at any time, with one specific exception: you can't board or alight with a bike at Nørreport station on weekdays between 07:00–08:30 and 15:30–17:30, because the platforms get too crowded. Harbour buses take bikes for free outside peak hours too. If in doubt, use the flex carriage (first or last car) on S-trains, marked with a bike symbol. For rental prices, the best routes and the rules that actually get enforced, see our full Copenhagen bicycle guide.

Travelling with kids

Public transport here is genuinely built for families: up to two children under 12 travel completely free with each paying adult, strollers ride free everywhere, and the metro's lifts mean you're never carrying a pram down a flight of stairs.

6. The best stations and stops, with map links

These are the interchanges and stops you'll actually use as a visitor, roughly in the order you'll need them.

Nørreport Station: Cityringen (M3) · S-train · regional trains

Copenhagen's busiest interchange, and usually the first one you'll get to know. You come up right next to Torvehallerne food halls, within easy walking distance of Indre By's historic core. M3 trains run every 2–6 minutes for most of the day; a standard 2-zone ticket (24 DKK) or any City Pass covers it. Travelling with luggage? Use the lifts by the signed exits: they're fast even at rush hour.

Copenhagen Airport Metro, Terminal 3: the easiest airport transfer in Scandinavia

The simplest, fastest way into the city the moment you land: no shuttle, no separate ticket counter, just the M2 platform inside the terminal. It's about 15 minutes to the city centre, with trains every 4–6 minutes by day and 15–20 minutes late at night. A single ticket for the 3-zone hop runs around 30 DKK, or it's fully covered by City Pass Small. Buy either at the machines right by the platform, which have an English interface and take cards.

København H (Central Station): M3/M4 · S-train · regional trains

Your jumping-off point for Tivoli, Vesterbro and every long-distance or regional train. M3 and M4 connect directly downstairs, with trains running every few minutes and S-trains a steady 5–10 minutes by day. Follow the signs to the pedestrian tunnel for the metro: it's the smoothest route with luggage.

Harbour bus at Nyhavn Pier: the best-value scenic ride in the city

A regular public bus that happens to be a boat. Your normal ticket works here. Nyhavn is also the fourth stop on my private walking tour, where I'll tell you what's actually behind those colourful facades rather than just pointing a camera at them. Sail south on the 991 towards the Royal Library and Islands Brygge, or north on the 992 towards Refshaleøen and Orientkaj. Just build in some slack, since the main lines run roughly hourly.

M3 Cityringen at Rådhuspladsen or Kongens Nytorv: the sightseeing conveyor belt

One circular line linking most of the hits (City Hall, Gammel Strand, Marmorkirken, Østerport, Nørrebro and Frederiksberg) in under 30 minutes for the full loop, at 2–6 minute intervals. Kongens Nytorv and Gammel Torv, right by this line, are also the default meeting points for my Copenhagen walking tour, so if you're booking one, this is roughly where you'll start.

S-train Ring Line F at Nørrebro Station: cross-town without the centre

A cross-town shortcut that skips downtown entirely, running every 5 minutes by day with weekend night service, useful for reaching Nørrebro's cafés and Assistens Cemetery, or the lakes, without backtracking through the centre. Bikes ride free here, but avoid boarding or alighting with one at Nørreport during rush hour (see the bike rules above).

Bus 5C Cityline at Den Blå Planet: 24-hour surface spine

A genuinely 24-hour surface line running from the airport, past the National Aquarium, into the centre and beyond, handy if your hotel sits along Amagerbro or near Nørreport and you land late. The aquarium's own stop, Den Blå Planet, is about 200m from the entrance. There's no separate 5C bus ticket: it uses the same zone-based fare as the metro, from 24 DKK, or any City Pass.

Greater Copenhagen Light Rail at Ishøj Station: the new cross-suburb link

The southern terminus of the new ring line, useful for hotels, retail parks and hospitals outside the historic core, less relevant if you're staying centrally. Trains run roughly every 10 minutes, and the fare is covered by any standard ticket or City Pass Large.

M4 Sydhavn extension at København Syd: the harbourfront shortcut

This stretch of the M4, open since 2024, links Vesterbro's harbour developments (Havneholmen, Enghave Brygge, Sluseholmen, Mozarts Plads) to a major interchange at København Syd, formerly known as Ny Ellebjerg. It's your quickest transfer point between the metro, S-trains and regional lines if you're heading south of the centre, with trains every few minutes throughout the day.

7. Classic routes, step by step

Airport to the city centre

Board the M2 at Terminal 3. It's 12–15 minutes to Kongens Nytorv or Nørreport. Use a single 3-zone ticket or any City Pass. Kids under 12 travel free with you.

Tivoli Gardens from anywhere

Take M3, M4 or an S-train to København H, then walk 2–3 minutes to the gates. Easy even with luggage, since the metro connects directly to the station concourse.

The harbour line, for the price of a bus

Take the 991 or 992 from Nyhavn. Hop between the Royal Library, Islands Brygge (home to the harbour baths, one of the city's top experiences), Refshaleøen and Orientkaj's modern harbourfront, all on your regular ticket.

Or skip the logistics altogether: on my private Copenhagen walking tour, I plan the route, handle the timing and tell you what you're actually looking at, from Rådhuspladsen to Nyhavn and Amalienborg.

8. Cheat sheets you'll actually use

Typical frequencies at a glance

Best value for three kinds of trip

• Short stay, 2–4 rides total: just buy single tickets as you go, from 24 DKK for 2 zones.
• A busy 1–3 day visit: City Pass Small (zones 1–4), unlimited rides including the airport, from 100 DKK/24h.
• Suburbs and day trips: City Pass Large (zones 1–99), or the Copenhagen Card if you also want museum entry. See whether it's worth it for your trip.

The three apps worth having

• Rejseplanen: the official journey planner with live routing across every mode; use it like Google Maps, tuned for Danish transit.
• Rejsebillet: for single tickets and City Passes, and the app that replaced DOT Billetter in 2025.
• Rejsekort app: for pay-as-you-go travel with automatic zone pricing, now that the physical card is being retired.

9. Mistakes to avoid

• Assuming there are gates or barriers to scan through. Danish transport runs on an honour system: buy your ticket before boarding and keep it on you. Plainclothes inspectors do random checks, and travelling without a valid ticket carries a fine of around 750 DKK.
• Expecting to tap a bank card at a reader, like in London. That's not how it works here: you need a ticket bought through Rejsebillet, the Rejsekort app, or a City Pass before you travel.
• Trying to use an old physical Rejsekort. It's being phased out through 2026 and can no longer be topped up or used to travel. Switch to the app.
• Bringing a bike onto the metro at rush hour. Not allowed weekdays 07:00–09:00 and 15:30–17:30; buy a bike ticket outside those windows.
• Buying tickets for young kids. Two under-12s travel free per paying adult. Don't pay for children who don't need a ticket.
• Assuming the harbour bus runs as often as the metro. The main 991/992 lines sail roughly once an hour, so check Rejseplanen before timing a connection around one.