Practical guide · Checked October 2026
Copenhagen to Bornholm 2026: ferry, train, bus or flight?
Bornholm needs its own place in the itinerary. Compare the crossing and accommodation together: a cheap sailing is of little use if the arrival leaves you far from your bed. This guide sets out the ferry, rail-and-ferry, coach and flight options from Copenhagen, with the extra costs and connections that can change the decision.
Quick booking picks
Going to Bornholm? Book the bed before the ferry.
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The easiest way from Copenhagen to Bornholm is via Ystad in Sweden: a train, bus or car to Ystad, then Bornholmslinjen's fast ferry to Rønne in 80 minutes. Expect about 3 to 3½ hours in total from central Copenhagen. The fastest option is the DAT flight from Copenhagen Airport, about 40 minutes. The only direct sailing from Danish soil is the night ferry from Køge, 5½ hours, leaving at 00:30. Carry your passport on the Swedish routes: DSB says border checks still apply on trains from Denmark to Sweden.
Checked 17 October 2026 against Bornholmslinjen's prices and timetable, DSB's Bornholm ticket and Kombardo Expressen's Copenhagen–Rønne route. Fares change with demand, so treat them as starting prices.
Copenhagen to Bornholm at a glance
| Option | Time | From price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train + fast ferry via Ystad (DSB ticket) | ~3–3½ h | Fare shown at booking; ferry included | Foot passengers who like trains, cyclists |
| Bus + fast ferry via Ystad (Kombardo Expressen) | ~2 h 05 bus + 80 min ferry | DKK 119 one way | The cheapest seat, airport arrivals |
| Car + fast ferry via Ystad | ~1 h 20 drive + 80 min ferry | Ferry from DKK 99 for a car and up to 5 people, plus the Øresund Bridge toll | Families and anyone exploring the island by car |
| Night ferry from Køge | 5 h 30, leaves 00:30 | See Bornholmslinjen | Drivers who don't want to go via Sweden |
| Flight CPH–Rønne (DAT) | ~40 min in the air | Varies a lot with season | Short trips and travellers connecting at Copenhagen Airport |
Ferry and bus prices are the operators' own "from" prices for 2026, checked 17 October 2026. Bornholmslinjen sells cheaper Lowprice fares that rise as sailings fill up, so booking early saves money, especially for July and the Danish school holidays.
The Ystad–Rønne fast ferry
Almost every route to Bornholm ends on Bornholmslinjen's fast ferries from Ystad, on Sweden's south coast about 60 km east of Malmö. The crossing takes 80 minutes and runs all year, with several sailings a day each way and more in summer. Check-in for foot passengers and cars closes 10 minutes before departure.
You can book direct with the ferry company, or compare Ystad–Rønne sailing times and fares on Direct Ferries (affiliate link), which is handy if you want to see a whole week of departures and car prices side by side before you commit.
Bornholmslinjen's car tickets cover a car up to 1.95 m tall and up to five passengers. Its 2026 "from" prices:
| Ticket | From | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Lowprice | DKK 99 | Cheapest; changeable online for DKK 50 plus any price difference; not refundable |
| Flex | DKK 599 | Free changes up to departure, apart from any price difference; not refundable |
| Standard | DKK 899 | Changeable for up to three months; refundable for a fee |
| StandardPLUS | DKK 1,099 | Fully flexible and refundable, with lounge access and priority boarding |
Travelling on foot? Children aged 0 to 11 sail free with a paying adult (up to two children per adult), and 12 to 15-year-olds pay from DKK 29 on a Lowprice ticket. Bornholmslinjen's seasons for 2026 are off season from 19 October to 31 December, and peak season from 8 June to 9 August, when fares are highest.
By train and ferry: the DSB Bornholm ticket
DSB, the Danish rail company, sells one ticket from Copenhagen to Rønne that covers the train and the ferry. You take the Øresund train over the bridge to Sweden, change at Malmö C, Hyllie or Triangeln to the Swedish Pågatåg regional train to Ystad, and walk onto the ferry. Buy it on dsb.dk or in the DSB app.
- Your ferry seat is a separate free reservation. Every traveller needs a ferry seat ticket (pladsbillet) for the sailing on the ticket, children too, and DSB only has a limited number of them per sailing. If DSB's allocation is sold out, try an earlier or later sailing.
- You can take an earlier train. From Zealand you can use any train on the day, as long as you make the ferry you're booked on.
- Two children under 12 travel free with each adult, but they still need to be added to the booking.
- Refundable up to the day before you travel.
- Bikes and prams: you can't reserve space for them on the Øresund train or the Pågatåg, so leave early in summer. DSB sells a separate Bornholm bike ticket.
- Carry your passport. DSB says border checks still take place on trains from Denmark to Sweden.
If a train or sailing is cancelled, DSB says you can use your ticket on the first ferry with space, or get a refund if you no longer want to travel.
By bus: Kombardo Expressen
The old Bornholmerbussen (route 866) stopped running in 2023. The bus route today is Kombardo Expressen, run by the same group as the ferry. The bus leaves from Copenhagen Bus Terminal at Carsten Niebuhrs Gade 30–32, near Copenhagen Central Station, and some departures also stop at Copenhagen Airport. The bus drives onto the fast ferry in Ystad, so you stay with your luggage, and it arrives in Rønne behind Destination Bornholm (Nordre Kystvej 3).
- Time: about 2 hours 5 minutes from Copenhagen to Ystad, then 80 minutes on the ferry.
- Price: from DKK 119 one way, and the earlier you book the cheaper it gets.
- Be at the bus 15 minutes early, or 20 minutes with a bike or pram.
- "Shuttle" departures drop you at the ferry in Ystad instead of driving on board. You check in at Bornholmslinjen's foot-passenger machines and scan your bus ticket at the gate.
- On the island: Kombardo sells a DKK 40 add-on ticket for BAT, Bornholm's bus company, valid for one journey within three hours of arriving. Copenhagen to Allinge then costs from DKK 151 in total.
By car: via the Øresund Bridge, or the Køge night ferry
Via Ystad (most people). It's about 90 km and 1 hour 20 minutes from Copenhagen to Ystad over the Øresund Bridge. The bridge costs a car up to 6 m DKK 420 one way with an online ticket, or DKK 470 at the toll station, on top of the ferry. On Bornholmslinjen, a Lowprice car ticket covers the car and up to five people, which makes this the cheapest way for a family or group.
From Køge (no Sweden, no bridge toll). Køge, south of Copenhagen, has the only direct sailing from mainland Denmark. It takes 5 hours 30 minutes and leaves at 00:30, so a ticket for Saturday means being in Køge late on Friday evening. You arrive in Rønne early in the morning without losing any daylight, but check that your train or bus to Køge still runs that late if you're not driving.
Do you need a car on the island? We'd say yes for families and short stays: Bornholm is not walkable end to end, and the prettiest harbours are on the north and east coasts. Cyclists manage fine in summer. Our driving in Denmark guide covers the rules, the Øresund Bridge and taking a rental car to Sweden, which most rental companies only allow with their permission.
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Taking the car to Sweden? Check the cross-border rules before you book.
Useful for longer rentals that start in Copenhagen.
By plane: Copenhagen Airport to Bornholm Airport
DAT (Danish Air Transport) flies from Copenhagen Airport to Bornholm Airport in Rønne, about 35 to 40 minutes in the air on ATR turboprops. It's the only airline on the route. In October 2026 the schedule shows about five departures on weekdays, between roughly 07:30 and 21:50, with fewer at weekends, and the timetable changes with the season, so check dat.dk for your dates.
Flying makes most sense if you're arriving at Copenhagen Airport from abroad anyway, or if you only have a long weekend. Book early for summer, when fares climb. If you're flying in from outside Denmark, booking the whole journey on one ticket with DAT's interline partner, SAS, lets your bag be checked through to Bornholm.
Still sorting the flight to Copenhagen itself? We compare fares on Kiwi.com.
Arriving at Copenhagen Airport with time to kill before your connection or bus? Our Copenhagen Airport guide covers the terminals and getting into the city.
Which one should you pick?
- On a budget, on foot: the Kombardo bus, booked early.
- Like trains, or bringing a bike: the DSB Bornholm ticket, and leave early in summer.
- A family or group with luggage: drive via Ystad on a Lowprice car ticket, and you have the car for the island.
- Driving, but want to skip Sweden: the Køge night ferry, and book a cabin if you want to sleep.
- A long weekend, or landing at Copenhagen Airport: fly, and rent a car or use BAT buses on the island.
Whichever you choose, give Bornholm at least three nights. As our Bornholm travel guide says, it isn't a day trip, and the travel day is part of the holiday.
Where to stay when you arrive
The ferry, the bus and the airport are all in Rønne, so where you sleep decides how much of the island you see. These are the bases we'd compare:
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Rønne: right by the ferry, the bus stop and the airport. Practical for short stays and late arrivals without a car.
Hotels in Rønne →Gudhjem: a steep little harbour town on the north-east coast, good for couples. Book early for summer.
Stays in Gudhjem →Svaneke: on the east coast, for bakeries, breweries and crafts.
Stays in Svaneke →Dueodde: wide sandy beaches in the south, best for families in summer.
Stays near Dueodde →Quick answers
What is the best way to get from Copenhagen to Bornholm?
For most visitors it's via Ystad in Sweden: a train, bus or car from Copenhagen to Ystad, then Bornholmslinjen's fast ferry to Rønne, which takes 80 minutes. Allow about 3 to 3½ hours from central Copenhagen. Flying is quicker, at about 40 minutes from Copenhagen Airport, and the Køge night ferry avoids Sweden but takes 5½ hours.
How long is the ferry from Copenhagen to Bornholm?
There's no ferry from Copenhagen itself. The fast ferry from Ystad in Sweden to Rønne takes 80 minutes, and the overnight ferry from Køge, south of Copenhagen, takes 5 hours 30 minutes and leaves at 00:30.
How much is the ferry to Bornholm?
Bornholmslinjen's 2026 car tickets, covering a car up to 1.95 m tall and up to five passengers, start at DKK 99 for Lowprice, DKK 599 for Flex, DKK 899 for Standard and DKK 1,099 for StandardPLUS. Lowprice fares rise as sailings fill up. On foot, children under 12 sail free with a paying adult, up to two per adult.
Is there a bus from Copenhagen to Bornholm?
Yes. Kombardo Expressen runs from Copenhagen Bus Terminal at Carsten Niebuhrs Gade 30–32, and from some departures at Copenhagen Airport, to Rønne, driving onto the Ystad fast ferry. The bus takes about 2 hours 5 minutes to Ystad, the ferry 80 minutes, and fares start at DKK 119. The old Bornholmerbussen route 866 stopped in 2023.
Can you take the train from Copenhagen to Bornholm?
Yes, with DSB's Bornholm ticket, which includes the ferry. You take the Øresund train to Malmö C, Hyllie or Triangeln, change to the Pågatåg to Ystad and board the ferry to Rønne. Every traveller needs a free ferry seat ticket for the sailing on the ticket, and the ticket is refundable up to the day before.
Do I need a passport to go from Copenhagen to Bornholm?
Bornholm is in Denmark, but the Ystad routes pass through Sweden, and DSB says border checks still take place on trains from Denmark to Sweden. Carry your passport or national ID card. The flight and the Køge ferry stay inside Denmark.
How long is the flight from Copenhagen to Bornholm?
About 35 to 40 minutes. DAT is the only airline on the route, with about five departures on weekdays in October 2026 and fewer at weekends. Check dat.dk for your dates, as the timetable changes with the season.
Plan your Bornholm trip
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Lock the bed first in summer, then book the ferry to match.
What runs changes with the season, so check your dates.
How many nights to give it, and which base suits you.
Copenhagen plus Bornholm, with the travel day worked in.
Sources, checked 17 October 2026: Bornholmslinjen prices · Bornholmslinjen timetable · DSB Standard Bornholm · Kombardo Expressen Copenhagen–Rønne · Kombardo Expressen stops and BAT add-on · News Øresund (route 866) · Øresundsbron prices · DAT. Flight schedule: published October 2026 timetables for DAT's Copenhagen–Rønne route.