Odense day trip from Copenhagen: Hans Christian Andersen, Egeskov and the train that makes it easy.

Odense at a glance

What	Time or price	Worth knowing
Train Copenhagen–Odense (DSB)	~1 h 10–1 h 30 each way	Orange fares are the cheapest, fixed to one departure
Driving	~165 km, ~2 h	Great Belt Bridge toll each way
H.C. Andersen's House	Adults DKK 165; under-18s free	Timed entry; allow 1½–2 hours
Andersen's Childhood Home	DKK 75 on its own	Included with the House ticket
The Funen Village	Adults DKK 145	Seasonal; Christmas weekends in winter
Odense Zoo	Adults DKK 250, ages 3–11 DKK 150	Under-3s free
Egeskov Castle	Summer 2026: adults DKK 265 online with the castle	~35 min drive south of Odense

Prices are the attractions' own 2026 adult prices, checked 18 October 2026.

Copenhagen to Odense by train

DSB runs the trains from Copenhagen Central Station (København H) straight to Odense Station, in the middle of the city. DSB says the InterCityLyn takes about 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 20 minutes and an ordinary InterCity under 1 hour 30, with more than 50 departures a day. The line crosses the Great Belt, so the view over the water halfway is part of the trip.

• Orange tickets are the cheap ones. DSB's own route pages advertise Orange fares on Copenhagen–Odense from under DKK 100. They go on sale about two months before the travel date, are valid only on the departure you pick, and can't be changed or refunded. Buy them on dsb.dk or in the DSB app.
• Want flexibility? A standard ticket costs more but isn't tied to one train, which helps if you'd like to stay on in Odense for dinner.
• Seats: a seat reservation costs DKK 30 whatever the distance. It's worth it on Friday and Sunday afternoons, or if you want to sit together.
• Children: one adult can take two children under 12 free, and 12 to 15-year-olds get 50% off an Orange ticket.
• Orange doesn't cover the light rail or buses in Odense; you'll need a separate local ticket (see below).

Leave after the morning commuter peak and you still arrive well before lunch. Coming from the airport? Our Copenhagen Airport guide covers getting to København H.

Driving instead

It's about 165 km and 2 hours from central Copenhagen to Odense on the E20, over the Great Belt Bridge. The bridge is tolled every time you cross: for 2026 a car up to 6 m pays DKK 235 one way at the toll plaza, or DKK 205 with a BroBizz or number-plate agreement, so budget for it twice on a return trip. Our driving in Denmark guide has the rules, the tolls and the drive times to the rest of the country.

A car makes most sense if you want Egeskov Castle on the same day, or you're carrying on west to Aarhus or LEGOLAND rather than coming back.

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H.C. Andersen's House: the reason to come

H.C. Andersens Hus, which opened in 2021 in a building by the Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, isn't a conventional biography museum. You move through his life and his fairy tales in largely underground galleries and a garden, with an audio guide (in Danish, English, German, Chinese and Ukrainian) telling the story as you go. The museum recommends 1½ to 2 hours. It's an 8-minute walk from Odense Station, at H.C. Andersen Haven 1.

• Tickets: adults DKK 165. Under-18s get in free but still need a booked ticket. Entry is in time slots, so book online for the time you want. Tickets can't be refunded, but you can change the time up to 72 hours before.
• What's included: entry to Hans Christian Andersen's Childhood Home, plus 50% off the Carl Nielsen Museum, TID – Museum for Odense and the Funen Village for 30 days.
• Opening hours 2026: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00–16:00 from 1 November to 30 December, with an extra opening on Monday 28 December. Closed 24, 25 and 31 December. Hours for 2027 aren't published yet.
• With children: Ville Vau, the children's area for ages 2 to 12, opens at 13:00 on weekdays and 10:00 at weekends and in school holidays. Prams can't go into the museum.

Hans Christian Andersen's Childhood Home

The small house where Andersen lived as a boy is about an 8-minute walk south of the museum, on Munkemøllestræde. It's free with your House ticket on the same day and for 30 days afterwards; on its own it's DKK 75, bought at the door. From 1 September to 30 December 2026 it opens Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00–16:00, so it's closed on Mondays. It's a listed building with limited wheelchair access.

The streets in between, with low houses and cobbles, are the old Andersen quarter, and they're the part of Odense that feels most like the stories.

What else to see in Odense

The Funen Village (Den Fynske Landsby). An open-air museum of old Funen farmhouses, workshops, gardens and animals in the woods south of the centre. Adult entry is DKK 145 in Museum Odense's webshop, or half that within 30 days of a visit to H.C. Andersen's House. It is seasonal: the regular 2026 season ended with the autumn break on 18 October, and the village opens again for Christmas on 28–29 November and 5–6 December, 10:00–15:00. FynBus routes 12A and 110–111 stop right in front of the village.

Odense Zoo. On Søndre Boulevard, south of the centre. Tickets are DKK 250 for adults and DKK 150 for children aged 3 to 11; under-3s are free. Opening hours change through the year, so check the zoo's calendar for your date; the entrance closes an hour before the zoo does. FynBus lists more than 170 buses a day from Odense Station, on routes 55A–56A, 85, 100A/101–103 and 400A.

Music, city history and trains. The Carl Nielsen Museum (DKK 100) covers Denmark's best-known composer, who also grew up on Funen, and TID – Museum for Odense (DKK 100) tells the city's own story. Both are half price with your Andersen ticket. The Danish Railway Museum is right by Odense Station, which makes it an easy last stop before the train back.

Egeskov Castle: worth the detour, if you plan it

Egeskov is a moated Renaissance castle from the 1550s, standing in its own lake in the south of Funen, with gardens, a large maze, a treetop walking course in the play forest and a museum of more than 100 historic cars, aeroplanes and motorcycles. It's the most photogenic place on Funen, and the one most people try to squeeze in with Odense.

• Season 2026: the castle interior season ran from 28 March to 18 October; the park, play areas and exhibitions stay open until 25 October.
• Summer prices 2026: castle, park, play and exhibitions DKK 265 for adults and DKK 160 for children aged 4 to 12 online (DKK 285 / 180 at the ticket office). Park, play and exhibitions only: DKK 225 / 145 online (DKK 245 / 165 at the gate). Under-4s are free. Online tickets aren't refundable.
• Christmas market: five weekends, 7–8, 14–15, 21–22 and 28–29 November and 5–6 December 2026, 10:00–16:30. Online tickets are DKK 130 for adults and DKK 80 for ages 4 to 12 (DKK 145 / 95 at the gate), booked for a day and arrival time.
• 2027: the new season's dates aren't published yet; check egeskov.dk before you plan a spring trip.

Getting there by car: Egeskov is at Egeskov Gade 22, Kværndrup, about 33 km and 35 minutes from Odense Station: take Route 9 towards Svendborg and exit 14 for Kværndrup. Parking is free, with more than 1,400 spaces and EV chargers. From Copenhagen it's about 165 km and a little over 2 hours.

By public transport: take the local train from Odense towards Svendborg to Kværndrup Station (about half an hour), then FynBus route 170, which stops in front of the entrance at "Egeskov Gade". Route 170 was called 920 until August 2026, so older guides still use that number. You can walk the 2.5 km from the station, but it's along a busy main road and Egeskov suggests the bus. Plan the connections on Rejseplanen, as the bus doesn't run every few minutes.

Our view: Odense and Egeskov together from Copenhagen by train is too much for one day. Either drive, or sleep in Odense and do Egeskov the next morning.

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Egeskov tickets and tours on GetYourGuide →

Getting around Odense

The centre is small: H.C. Andersen's House is about 600 m from the station and the Childhood Home another 600 m beyond it, so walk. For the zoo and the Funen Village, use the light rail (Odense Letbane) or FynBus buses.

• The light rail runs from Tarup to Hjallese through Odense Station, from about 05:00 to midnight (06:00 at weekends), an hour later on Friday and Saturday nights, every 7.5 minutes on weekday daytimes.
• Tickets: scan the QR code at a stop or buy at letbanebillet.dk. A single costs DKK 15 for adults aged 26 and over and DKK 10 for under-26s, is valid for 1 hour 15 minutes on trams and buses in Odense municipality, and only works on the phone you bought it on. An adult can bring two children under 12 free. Rejsekort works too.
• Day Ticket: FynBus sells a DKK 75 Day Ticket, any age, in the Rejsebillet app, covering FynBus buses and the light rail across Funen and Langeland, but not trains.

A one-day plan

Times are a guide: check Rejseplanen or the DSB app for the actual departures on your day.

Time	What
~08:30	Train from København H, after the morning commuter rush.
~10:00	Arrive in Odense and walk 8 minutes to H.C. Andersen's House; book the 10:30 slot.
10:30–12:30	H.C. Andersen's House and its garden.
12:30–13:30	Lunch in the centre, then wander the Andersen quarter.
13:30–14:00	The Childhood Home (Tuesday to Sunday).
14:30–16:30	Pick one: the Funen Village (in season), Odense Zoo, or the Carl Nielsen Museum and TID at half price.
~17:00–18:30	Train back; you're in Copenhagen in time for dinner.

On a Monday from November to the end of December both Andersen museums are closed (apart from 28 December), so pick another day for this trip.

Summer or winter?

• Late spring to early autumn is the best time for Odense with Egeskov, because that is when the castle interior, the gardens and the Funen Village are all in season (the 2026 seasons ended on 18 October, and the 2027 dates are not out yet). The afternoon can then go on the village or the zoo.
• November and December still work well for H.C. Andersen's House, with shorter hours (10:00–16:00) and Monday closures. The Funen Village and Egeskov, whose regular seasons ended in October, open only for their Christmas weekends, which are popular, so book those days ahead.
• January to March: 2027 hours for the museums and Egeskov's new season aren't published yet. Check the official sites before you book trains. If you're in Copenhagen in winter, our Copenhagen in winter guide has indoor ideas closer to the city.

Staying the night in Odense

One night turns Odense from a rushed day into an easy one, and it's the simplest way to add Egeskov. These are the central options we'd compare:

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Fitting Odense into a longer Denmark trip

Odense sits halfway between Copenhagen and Jutland, so on a week in Denmark it works better as a stop than a return trip. A common route is Copenhagen, then Odense for a night, then Aarhus; our one week in Denmark by train itinerary does it without a car, with the train times and fares. By car, Odense to Aarhus is about 145 km and 1 h 40. Our 7-day Denmark road trip builds exactly that, with one bed per stop, and Aarhus in 48 hours picks up where Odense leaves off.

Only doing day trips from Copenhagen? Compare Odense with the shorter options in our day trips from Copenhagen guide: Roskilde and Kronborg are both under an hour away.

Quick answers

Is Odense worth a day trip from Copenhagen?

Yes, if Hans Christian Andersen is part of the reason you came. The train takes about 1 hour 10 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes each way, so Odense is a full day rather than the half-day that Roskilde or Kronborg needs. Go for H.C. Andersen's House and the old Andersen quarter around it, and add the Funen Village or Odense Zoo if you have the afternoon.

How long is the train from Copenhagen to Odense?

About 1 hour 10 to 1 hour 20 minutes on DSB's InterCityLyn and under 1 hour 30 minutes on an ordinary InterCity train, from København H to Odense Station. DSB runs more than 50 departures a day. The cheapest Orange tickets go on sale about two months ahead, are valid only on the departure you choose and cannot be changed or refunded.

How much is a ticket to H.C. Andersen's House in Odense?

Adult entry is DKK 165. Under-18s get in free but still need a booked ticket. Entry is by time slot, so book online. The ticket includes Hans Christian Andersen's Childhood Home and gives 50% off the Carl Nielsen Museum, TID – Museum for Odense and the Funen Village for 30 days.

Is H.C. Andersen's House open on Mondays?

From 1 November to 30 December it is open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 16:00, so it is closed on Mondays, apart from an extra opening on Monday 28 December. It is closed on 24, 25 and 31 December. The Childhood Home opens Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00 to 16:00.

Can you visit Egeskov Castle on a day trip from Copenhagen?

By car, yes: it is about 165 km and a little over 2 hours each way. By public transport it is a long day. You take the train to Odense, the local train to Kværndrup (about half an hour), then FynBus route 170 to the Egeskov Gade stop or a 2.5 km walk along a busy road. We would pair Egeskov with a night in Odense, or drive.

Is Egeskov Castle open in winter?

The castle interior's 2026 season ran from 28 March to 18 October, and the park, play areas and exhibitions closed on 25 October. After that Egeskov opens for its Christmas market on five weekends: 7–8, 14–15, 21–22 and 28–29 November and 5–6 December, 10:00 to 16:30. Online tickets for the market are DKK 130 for adults and DKK 80 for children aged 4 to 12. The 2027 season dates are not published yet.

How do you get around Odense?

On foot in the centre: H.C. Andersen's House is about an 8-minute walk from Odense Station. For the zoo and the Funen Village, use the light rail or FynBus buses. A single Odense ticket costs DKK 15 for adults aged 26 and over and DKK 10 for under-26s, and is valid for 1 hour 15 minutes. FynBus's DKK 75 Day Ticket covers buses and the light rail across Funen, but not trains.

Is the Funen Village (Den Fynske Landsby) open in winter?

Its regular 2026 season ended with the autumn break on 18 October, and the village opens again for Christmas on 28–29 November and 5–6 December, 10:00 to 15:00. Adult entry is DKK 145 in Museum Odense's webshop. The 2027 season dates are not published yet.

Plan your Odense trip

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Sources, checked 18 October 2026: DSB Copenhagen–Odense · DSB København–Odense (Danish) · DSB Orange · H.C. Andersens Hus opening hours · H.C. Andersens Hus tickets · H.C. Andersens Hus visitor FAQ · Museum Odense ticket shop · Den Fynske Landsby opening hours · Odense ZOO prices · Egeskov opening hours and prices · Egeskov tickets · Egeskov Christmas market · Egeskov getting there · FynBus: Funen's top attractions · FynBus route 920 → 170 · Odense Letbane tickets · Odense Letbane frequency · Storebælt prices. Walking and driving times measured with OpenStreetMap routing (OSRM) on 18 October 2026, without traffic.