I definitely have a love-hate relationship with the Copenhagen airport train. It’s still the fastest way to get from CPH to the city center—but sometimes you’ll wish you’d chosen any other mode of transport.
The Train from Copenhagen Airport to City Center
If you arrive at Copenhagen Airport (CPH)—or are flying out of it—the Copenhagen airport train is a very convenient option to get to and from the city center. It is in fact the same Øresund line that continues to Malmö, Sweden, CPH airport being somewhere in the middle along the way between the two cities.
Right after leaving the airside area and entering the public space at CPH airport Terminal 3, the train station is just a minute’s walk ahead. Continue straight, and you’ll find the two platforms below ground at the end of the terminal building.
The trains to the city center usually depart from platform 2 and trains from Copenhagen (continuing to Malmö) arrive to platform 1. But make sure to check the screens because platform changes sometimes occur. For the city center, board a train toward Østerport. Typical stops are Tårnby, Ørestad, København H (Copenhagen Central), Nørreport, and Østerport.
You can use all of these stations depending on your destination, but most tourists get off at Copenhagen Central. You can change to S-trains and metro lines 3 and 4 there. Change to metro line 1 at Ørestad and lines 1 and 2 at Nørreport.
The Copenhagen airport train is a very convenient solution as it runs every 10-15 minutes during peak times, and will get you to the city center in just 13 minutes. Trains run every 20 mins in the evenings and hourly overnight. Check the airport train schedule on the DSB railway company website, and departure times are also posted next to the underground station at Terminal 3.
Buy Your Ticket in Advance
Make sure to buy your ticket in advance in CPH T3 or Copenhagen Central (coming back to the airport) at the DSB office/machines as tickets are not sold on the train. You can also use any of the available Copenhagen travel apps for a single journey or day ticket, see my article on Copenhagen transit for more information.
The Love Part of Our Relationship
The simple reason I love the Copenhagen airport train is because it is fast and effective. If everything goes according to plan, and make sure to read the hate part also to understand this, the train takes you to the heart of the city in literally under 15 minutes.
I don’t know of another major city where you can reach the airport from the city center in such a short time.
Besides, emphasizing that if everything goes as planned, the Copenhagen airport train is comfortable. You have a lot of room for your luggage, and convenient seating for 2 and 4, with tables in the latter configuration.
And the Hate Part
But here is the catch. Mentioning if everything goes according to plan was intentional. Because, unfortunately, most of the time it doesn’t.
Copenhagen Airport railway station is undergoing a huge development. When finished in 2026, it will hopefully provide enough capacity for the increased number of travelers to/from Copenhagen Airport, and better overall circumstances on this mode of transport.
I honestly don’t remember a single trip in the last couple of months when this train wasn’t late at least a few minutes. The delay is sometimes 5-10 minutes, some trains even being cancelled. It is utterly annoying to see the delay being increased on the information monitors by 1 minute increments just to find out that your train will arrive 10 minutes later or will be cancelled entirely. Don’t plan on arriving at the last minute to the airport by train.
Add to this that sometimes the trains are so short that it literally becomes a challenge to board a train. Seats that are planned to be comfortable are often out of reach unless you board at Østerport, you are happy if you have enough space next to the doors, not to mention your luggage.
And of course delays usually cause more delays. A train that arrives 10 minutes later will carry much more passengers than planned. These passengers take more time to board, thus leading to even more delays. It’s a vicious cycle that never seems to be resolved on a regular day. I truly hope for the airport train station expansion to bring a more reliable and comfortable train service.
All in All
If you want my final opinion, I would still rather use the train to and from Copenhagen airport than the metro. Especially if your destination is on the way or you need to connect to another mode of transport. It is much faster, and the metro itself is also always jam-packed, unfortunately. On the other hand, the metro runs every 4-6 minutes by day or evening, and 15-20 minutes by night, and if your destination is Nørreport station, it will get you there in 15 minutes, roughly the same time as the train.
So it does depend on your final destination, whether the train, the metro, or the bus is the best option for you from and to Copenhagen airport. To have a full picture of your airport transit and other travel options, read my article about how to get from Copenhagen airport to city center.
