Copenhagen Airport to the city centre,
the clear way, not the expensive way.

The three real options

The metro runs from directly beneath the arrivals hall — follow the signs down, buy a ticket from the machine (card works fine), and the platform is right there. No transfers needed to reach the centre.

If you're staying more than a day or two

Buy a 24-hour City Pass (100 DKK) at the airport station vending machine instead of a single ticket — longer passes (up to 120 hours) cost up to 340 DKK. All cover the airport metro plus all city transport; check the exact price for your duration in the Rejsebillet app. If you'll visit three or more paid attractions, run our free Copenhagen Card calculator instead — it also covers the airport transfer.

Taking a taxi — how to avoid the one scam that exists here

Denmark has one of the lowest tourist-scam rates in Europe, but the airport taxi rank is the exception worth knowing about. Only get into a taxi with a visible meter and a recognised company logo — TaxA, 4x35 and DanTaxi are the legitimate operators. Unmarked black cars offering a flat fare (often quoted around €100) are operating illegally; walk past them to the official rank.

A pre-booked driver — when it makes sense

A pre-booked driver is the third option, and the one we use least. It costs more than the metro, and the metro is just as fast. It starts to make sense when you land very late, when you travel with small children and a lot of luggage, or when you want a local driver to meet you at the airport. Welcome Pickups has a Copenhagen Airport page (affiliate link) where you can see the options for your own arrival. Compare its price with a metered taxi on the same route before you book.

Affiliate link: if you book through Welcome Pickups, NordGuide may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. See our affiliate disclosure.

Your first hours — before check-in

Most hotel check-in is 14:00-15:00, and most flights into Copenhagen land well before that. Two candid options:

1. Drop your bags and start walking. Nearly every Copenhagen hotel will store luggage before check-in — ask at the desk. Then go straight into the city rather than waiting around. No hotel yet, or already checked out? Our Copenhagen luggage storage guide covers the airport lockers, Central Station and luggage apps.
2. Book a hotel with early check-in or a day rate. Worth checking directly with the hotel if your flight lands very early.

Either way, book the stay before you land rather than after — Copenhagen's best-value rooms move fast in high season.

Flying in on the new SAS nonstop from Mumbai? See our Mumbai to Copenhagen first-trip guide. Landing from the US? Our Copenhagen guide for US travelers covers money, tipping and plugs.

Only changing planes? If you have five hours or more between flights, our Copenhagen layover guide works out whether it is worth leaving the airport, where to store bags and when to be back, with plans for 5 hours, 6–8 hours and an overnight stopover.

Flying in from the UK? There are direct flights to Copenhagen from London Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham and other UK airports, most of them under two hours. Our guide to flights to Copenhagen from the UK lists every route, the airlines, typical fares and the bag rules on low-cost fares.

Flying in from the US? Most nonstops from the East Coast land here early in the morning, hours before hotel check-in. Our guide to flights to Copenhagen from the US lists every nonstop route, its flight time and landing time, and a simple first-day plan for beating jet lag.

Joining a cruise? Most big ships use Ocean Quay in Nordhavn, which is a metro ride and a bus from the airport. Our Copenhagen cruise port guide shows the route to each terminal, taxi prices and where to stay the night before.

Flying on from Copenhagen? Our guide to cheap flights from Copenhagen covers which airlines fly where from CPH, when to book, and how to compare the full price with bags. Going on to Norway? Compare the flight with the overnight ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo. Going on to Stockholm? The Öresund trains from the airport station connect in Malmö; see Copenhagen to Stockholm by train.

Want the whole trip planned, not just the transfer?

Start with a free route, or have us build the whole thing.