Getting here from the UK
Flights to Copenhagen from the UK: every direct route, flight times and how to fly for less.
Copenhagen is one of the easiest city breaks from Britain: under two hours in the air from London, Manchester or Edinburgh, and a 14-minute metro ride from the airport to Nyhavn. Below, we at Nord Guide list every UK airport with a direct flight to Copenhagen Airport (CPH), which airlines fly each route and when, what a return fare usually costs, the cheapest months, the bag rules that catch people out on low-cost fares, and the train alternative if you would rather not fly.
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You can fly direct to Copenhagen from London Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle and Liverpool, plus Leeds Bradford in the winter season. The flight takes about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours. The lowest fares are usually Ryanair from Stansted and easyJet from Gatwick, Manchester and Edinburgh; typical return fares from London are about £94–195. The cheapest month is usually January; July and August are among the dearest, and from London so is December. Copenhagen is one hour ahead of the UK.
Routes, flight times and fares were checked on 28 October 2026 against published airline timetables, airline and airport announcements and the sources at the foot of this page. Airlines change schedules every season, so check the airline's own timetable for your dates before you book. Fares are rough ranges and change daily. Conversions use £1 ≈ DKK 8.9 (ECB reference rate, 27 October 2026).
Direct flights from the UK to Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the main hub of SAS (Scandinavian Airlines), and the low-cost airlines fly here from most big UK airports. This is what was scheduled for the winter 2026/27 season when we checked. Flight times are scheduled times from the UK to Copenhagen.
| From | Airlines | When it flies | Flight time to CPH |
|---|---|---|---|
| London Heathrow (LHR) | SAS, British Airways | Year-round, many flights a day | about 1 h 50 – 2 h |
| London Gatwick (LGW) | easyJet, Norwegian | Year-round, several flights a day | about 1 h 50 – 2 h |
| London Stansted (STN) | Ryanair | Year-round, at least daily | about 1 h 45 – 1 h 55 |
| Manchester (MAN) | SAS, easyJet, Ryanair, Norwegian | Year-round, about 4–6 flights a day | about 1 h 50 – 2 h |
| Edinburgh (EDI) | easyJet, Norwegian, Ryanair, SAS | Year-round, about 1–4 flights a day | about 1 h 45 – 1 h 50 |
| Birmingham (BHX) | SAS; Ryanair; easyJet; Jet2 | SAS daily, year-round. Ryanair new from 25 October 2026, about twice a week. easyJet from 16 November 2026, Mondays and Fridays. Jet2 Christmas-market flights on Thursdays and Sundays, 19 November to 20 December 2026 | about 1 h 45 – 2 h |
| Bristol (BRS) | easyJet | Year-round, about 4 a week. Ryanair also flew the route in summer 2026, but had no flights scheduled after 25 October when we checked | about 1 h 55 – 2 h 05 |
| Newcastle (NCL) | Norwegian; easyJet; Jet2 | Norwegian about twice a week. easyJet from 5 November 2026, Thursdays and Sundays. Jet2 winter season from 19 November 2026 | about 1 h 35 – 1 h 50 |
| Liverpool (LPL) | Ryanair | New from 26 October 2026, Mondays and Fridays | about 2 h 05 |
| Leeds Bradford (LBA) | Jet2 | Winter season from 19 November 2026, about once a week | about 1 h 55 |
| Aberdeen (ABZ) | SAS | Summer season only (about twice a week in 2026); no winter flights | see the SAS timetable |
No direct flight from your airport? When we checked in October 2026, there were no direct flights to Copenhagen from London Luton, London City, Southend, Glasgow, Belfast or Cardiff. From Scotland, Edinburgh is the airport to use; from Wales and the South West, Bristol or a London airport. A one-stop flight via Amsterdam is usually the quickest connection, at about 4 h 20 to 5 h in total from Manchester, London or Edinburgh.
Coming home takes a little longer. Westbound flights fly into the prevailing wind, so the return is usually 5–15 minutes longer. Copenhagen is one hour ahead of the UK all year, because both countries change their clocks on the same dates: a flight that leaves Stansted at 8:15 lands at about 11:00 Copenhagen time, and an early flight home from Copenhagen at 6:55 is back in Stansted before 8:00.
Compare flights to Copenhagen for your dates (Kiwi.com) →
How long is the flight from London to Copenhagen?
From London the flight takes about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours: Ryanair from Stansted is scheduled at about 1 h 45, and SAS, British Airways, easyJet and Norwegian from Heathrow and Gatwick at about 1 h 50 – 2 h. Between the three airports there are roughly 15–20 flights a day, so you can fly out on a Friday after work and come back late on Sunday. Manchester and Edinburgh are about the same, at roughly 1 h 50 and 1 h 45.
What a flight to Copenhagen costs from the UK
Fares move every day, so treat these as rough ranges, not quotes. KAYAK's fare data for the past 12 months showed this when we checked on 28 October 2026 (return, economy, one adult, before bags). The typical range is KAYAK's for the coming winter months; the monthly figures are medians over the past year:
| From | Typical return fare | Cheapest month (median) | Dearest months (median) |
|---|---|---|---|
| London (all airports) | about £94–195 | January, about £103 | July, about £160; December, about £158 |
| Manchester | about £84–167 | January, about £85 | August, about £141; October, about £140 |
| Edinburgh | about £70–153 | February, about £82 | July, about £137; May, about £122 |
The cheapest London airport for Copenhagen is Stansted, where KAYAK's past-year average was about £94 return, against about £150 from the other London airports. In sales and on quiet dates, Ryanair and easyJet often sell one-way seats from about £30. A typical London return of about £138 is roughly DKK 1,230 in Danish money.
Read the fare rules. The cheapest Ryanair and easyJet fares include only a small bag that fits under the seat. Add a large cabin bag or a checked bag when you book, not at the airport, where it costs far more. On easyJet, a large cabin bag added at the gate costs £60.
Hand luggage on low-cost flights to Copenhagen
For a weekend in Copenhagen, the free under-seat bag is often enough, as long as it really fits. These were the airlines' own rules on the cheapest fares when we checked:
- Ryanair: one small personal bag of up to 40 × 30 × 20 cm, which must fit under the seat in front of you. A larger cabin bag for the overhead locker is a paid extra.
- easyJet: one under-seat bag of up to 45 × 36 × 20 cm, including handles and wheels, and up to 15 kg. A large cabin bag (up to 56 × 45 × 25 cm) is a paid extra.
- British Airways: Economy fares include a cabin bag plus a handbag or laptop bag.
- Jet2: fares include a 10 kg cabin bag plus a handbag or laptop bag.
- SAS and Norwegian: what is included depends on the fare type, so check the fare details before you pay.
Two Copenhagen tips: winter coats and boots take up a lot of space, so wear the bulky things on the plane; and if you plan to bring home Danish design or a lot of shopping, a checked bag booked in advance is cheaper than an excess fee on the way back.
Cheapest months and booking tips
- Fly in January to March. January is the cheapest month from London and Manchester, February from Edinburgh. Copenhagen is quieter and hotel prices are lower too.
- Book about 7–11 weeks ahead. KAYAK's data showed the lowest fares about 11 weeks before departure from London and Manchester, and about 7 weeks before from Edinburgh. Last-minute fares within two weeks of departure averaged about 20% more.
- Fly midweek if you can. Tuesday was the cheapest day to fly from London and Edinburgh, and Monday from Manchester; Fridays and Sundays were the dearest.
- Compare more than one airport. From London, compare Stansted with Gatwick and Heathrow once you add bags and the train to the airport. From the Midlands and the North, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle now all have low-cost options.
- Set a fare alert for your dates and book when the price drops into the ranges above.
Want the whole trip in numbers? Our Copenhagen trip cost guide adds up 3, 5 and 7-day budgets, and our Copenhagen on a budget guide shows where to save once you are here.
A Christmas weekend in Copenhagen from the UK
Late November and December are the most popular time for a short break from Britain. Christmas in Tivoli runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 (closed 24 December), with entry from DKK 200 (about £22). The city's Christmas markets open from November too; see our Copenhagen Christmas markets guide for the dates of each one, and our Tivoli guide for tickets and what to see.
From Birmingham, Jet2 flies to Copenhagen on Thursdays and Sundays from 19 November to 20 December 2026, which suits a Thursday-to-Sunday market break. December fares from London were among the dearest of the year, so book flights and a central hotel early, and travel midweek or in late November for lower prices. Our Copenhagen in December guide covers the weather, the short days and what is open over Christmas.
Arriving at Copenhagen Airport
Copenhagen Airport is in Kastrup, about 8 km from the centre. Denmark is in the Schengen area, so as a UK passport holder you go through passport control on arrival. Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive and be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave. Check the latest entry rules on GOV.UK's Denmark travel advice before you fly.
Take the metro. The M2 metro leaves from directly beneath Terminal 3, runs 24 hours a day and reaches Kongens Nytorv (the stop for Nyhavn) in about 14 minutes. A 3-zone ticket costs DKK 30 (about £3.40); a City Pass Small, from DKK 100 (about £11) for 24 hours, covers the airport and the city if you will keep riding. The regional train goes direct to Copenhagen Central Station, which suits hotels in Vesterbro. Tickets, taxis and late arrivals are all in our Copenhagen Airport guide.
Landing late on a Friday evening, or travelling with children and bags? A pre-booked driver meets you in arrivals at a fixed price.
Price a fixed-fare airport transfer (Welcome Pickups) →
A weekend plan that fits the flights
Most UK flights are short enough for a two-night break. Fly out on Friday afternoon or evening, take the metro in and have dinner near your hotel. Spend Saturday on the harbour, Nyhavn and a museum, with Tivoli in the evening if it is open. On Sunday, keep the morning for one more neighbourhood and leave the city centre about 3½ hours before your flight: the UK is outside the Schengen area, and Copenhagen Airport advises arriving 3 hours before a non-Schengen departure. Our 2 days in Copenhagen itinerary sets it out hour by hour, and Copenhagen in 48 hours picks the route by travel style.
A one-hour canal tour is the easiest first afternoon: you see the city from the water and it works in any weather.
Check canal tour times and prices (Tiqets) →
Not flying? London to Copenhagen by train
You can go all the way by rail, but it is a two-day trip. Take Eurostar from London St Pancras to Brussels, then German trains via Cologne to Hamburg, and the direct train from Hamburg to Copenhagen, which takes about 4 hours 45 minutes. Most people stop overnight in Brussels, Cologne or Hamburg. Seat61 listed Eurostar from £51 one-way and Brussels to Copenhagen from €39.99 each way when we checked; like air fares, these rise as the train fills. There is no longer a direct ferry from the UK to Denmark: the Harwich–Esbjerg route closed in 2014. From the North, the overnight ferries from Newcastle to Amsterdam and from Hull to Rotterdam connect with trains to Hamburg. Our Copenhagen to Berlin and Hamburg by train guide covers the Hamburg leg in detail.
Where to stay for a short break
On a two or three-night trip, stay near a metro stop so the ride in is short. Indre By (around Kongens Nytorv and Nyhavn) is direct on the M2 from the airport; Vesterbro is next to Central Station and Tivoli, a direct train ride from the airport. Flying home very early? A night near the airport in Kastrup saves a pre-dawn start. Compare the areas in where to stay in Copenhagen.
Your next step
Pick the airport and airline that suit your dates, compare the fare with the bags you actually need, and once the flight is booked, lock in a central room with free cancellation. If you would like the days planned for you, our Copenhagen in 5 Days PDF (€9.97, about £8.30) works for longer trips, or we can build a trip plan around your flight times.
Compare flights to Copenhagen (Kiwi.com) →
Quick answers
Which UK airports have direct flights to Copenhagen?
When we checked in late October 2026, you could fly direct to Copenhagen from London Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham, Bristol, Newcastle and Liverpool, plus Leeds Bradford in the winter season. Aberdeen had SAS flights in summer 2026 only. There were no direct flights from London Luton, London City, Glasgow, Belfast or Cardiff. Check the airline timetable for your dates.
How long is the flight from London to Copenhagen?
About 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the airport and airline. Copenhagen is one hour ahead of the UK all year, so a flight that leaves London at 7:00 lands at about 9:50 Copenhagen time.
What is the cheapest way to fly to Copenhagen from the UK?
Ryanair from London Stansted and easyJet from Gatwick, Manchester and Edinburgh usually have the lowest fares. KAYAK's data showed Stansted as the cheapest London airport for Copenhagen, averaging about £94 return over the past year. Travel with only the free under-seat bag and the low fare stays low.
What is the cheapest month to fly to Copenhagen from the UK?
January from London and Manchester, and February from Edinburgh, according to KAYAK's past-year fares checked in October 2026. July is among the most expensive months, and December is dear from London because of the Christmas season, so book early for Tivoli and the Christmas markets.
Do UK citizens need anything to visit Denmark?
A valid passport, and no visa for a short holiday. Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before the day you arrive and be valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave. You go through passport control on arrival. Check the latest rules on GOV.UK's Denmark travel advice before you fly.
How do I get from Copenhagen Airport to the city centre?
Take the M2 metro from beneath Terminal 3. It runs 24 hours a day and reaches Kongens Nytorv, by Nyhavn, in about 14 minutes. A 3-zone ticket costs DKK 30 (about £3.40). The train goes direct to Copenhagen Central Station.
Sources, checked 26–28 October 2026: route schedules, airlines and scheduled flight times from published airline timetables as listed by FlightMapper (per-route pages for LHR, LGW, STN, MAN, EDI, BHX, BRS, NCL, LPL and ABZ to CPH), 2lnr and eoob.uk route pages; new Birmingham and Liverpool routes from Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2 and Birmingham Airport; typical fares, cheapest months, booking windows and flights per week from KAYAK for London, Manchester and Edinburgh; bag rules from Ryanair, easyJet and Which?; rail and ferry options from Seat61; airport metro from cph.dk; City Pass from DOT; exchange rate from the ECB.
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