Copenhagen airport to central, with children?

[ash39]

Hi, looking for some advice if anyone can help. I'm travelling to Copenhagen at the end of August with my wife and two children, who are 2 & 5.

Rather than get a taxi from the airport, I'd quite like to use the train for the experience. Is it an easy system to understand or might we encounter problems? We'd also have a pushchair for the youngest one.

Any other pointers or advice would be great. We're staying fairly close to central station.

Thanks

 

[Gordon]

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Pretty similar to most airports around the world with rail links. Copenhagen has a rail link (two in fact), accessed by escalators, lifts etc with ticket machines at the station.

Like Heathrow, Copenhagen has heavy rail and metro links. Unlike Heathrow the journey time on either is much faster as Copenhagen much smaller than Greater London!

All the explanation you should need is here:

https://www.cph.dk/en/parking--transport/bus-train-metro/


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[rf_ioliver]

It's very easy...the station is underneath the terminal. Trains are very frequent, though can be a bit busy with commuter traffic between Malmö and Copenhagen. It's been a while since I've been there but there are ticket machines and a ticket office. Everyone speaks perfect English so there'll be no language problem.

I've not used the metro in Copenhagen - it wasn't built when I was travelling there frequently but I think the trains run every few minutes.

The metro is driverless so if you have kids then sit at the front watching the track (mine loved this at Gatwick and San Francisco

If you have time, it would be worth you taking a trip over to Malmö just to experience crossing the bridge - take your passport!

t.

Ian

 

[racklam]

The metro and heavy rail stations are separate (but close together) at Copenhagen Airport. From arrivals, keep walking forwards and you'll see the ticket office and route down to the platforms for the DSB (Danish State Railways) station. All trains on the Copenhagen-bound platform will stop at the central station (Hovedbanegård) For the metro, simply keep walking forwards. Again, all trains go to the centre.

Metro runs roughly every 5 mins, and DSB trains are roughly every 10 mins. Both will be fine with children, although as mentioned above you can pretend you're driving the metro!

Copenhagen uses what can seem a complex zoning system, but the ticket machines at the DSB station will let you select your destination station and then give you a ticket for however many zones you need (I'm not sure whether the machines at the metro station have this option). All ticket machines have English options, take cash and card, and as mentioned everyone speaks very good English anyway. All tickets are valid on trains, S-trains, metro and busses. Info on zones: http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/transportation/zones

Where you're staying in Copenhagen will dictate whether the metro or DSB trains are most appropriate. If you're anywhere near the central station and Tivoli, the DSB trains will be easiest. Metro is best if you're nearer the centre of town (Nørreport), but nothing's too far away in Copenhagen anyway.

I hope you enjoy it, it's a lovely city.

 

[Gordon]

Where you're staying in Copenhagen will dictate ... If you're anywhere near the central station

I quote from the OP...

"We're staying fairly close to central station."



(sorry couldn't resist!)
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[racklam]

I quote from the OP...

"We're staying fairly close to central station."



(sorry couldn't resist!)
.

Just providing all the options...

 

[ash39]

Thanks all for the advice, found it really useful. We've decided to try and go to Malmo for tea on the second day now as well if we leave the zoo in time, thanks rf_ioliver for the suggestion!

 

[Shinkansenfan]

For your journey from Copenhagen city center to the airport, consider allowing extra journey time if you take the S-bahn.

When I traveled from the city center to the airport this past March, all eastbound trains to Malmo were delayed entering the airport. I was told it was due to border checks being carried out (and also presumably trains falling out of path). That situation may have eased now, but you may want to add say 20 minutes to your journey time.

Or take the Metro which is unaffected since it doesn't cross international borders.

I'll be interested if trains are still delayed or if my experience was a one off situation.

 

[stut]

It's a good idea to avoid Taxis in Copenhagen - they are stupidly expensive!

If you're going to go to Malmo, bear in mind that there is disruption at the moment, so avoid the evening peak going over (starts and ends an hour or more earlier than in the UK). At present, you have to change at Copenhagen Airport, and go through a document check before entering the platform opposite. There is then a further police check on arriving at Hyllie.

While in Copenhagen, you could consider renting a Christiania Bike to get around carrying the kids inside - they're great fun (and the best way to see the city).

If you're staying near the main station in Copenhagen, bear in mind that this isn't immediately the most appealing looking area. Istedgade is the centre of the red light district (and do expect to see prostitutes on street corners from late afternoon, fairly explicit sex shops, and drug clinic along here, so you may want to take an alternative route with curious children!). But it's really not dangerous by non-Scandinavian standards, and it the Vesterbro district is rather up-and-coming these days. The area round Halmtorvet and the Kodbyen is great for places to eat.

 

[Minilad]

I am having a little day trip to Copenhagen on 18th Aug courtesy of a ridiculously cheap fare on EasyJet from Luton. Arr at 0955 and Dep at 2055.
Half plane spotting and half trying to get some ME Class locos in the book.
Any hints and tips for them would be gratefully received

 

[Jordy]

There are diagrams for the ME/EA locos on European Rail Gen. The diagrams seem to be fairly reliable - spent a couple of days covering them earlier in the year and things pretty much stuck to plan

 

[bkhtele]

Metro is very good so would recommend a ride in the front. Malmo is a lovely city it is worth going to the harbour on the strange tram/bus and interesting to see Malmo bridge from the harbour.