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Travelling to Copenhagen

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orpine

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I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for getting to Copenhagen from London in early September.

I have of course seen - http://seat61.com/Denmark.htm - but I was wondering if there are any other options - that seems like a super-slow journey given the distance.
I guess there aren't any sleepers left any more other than the one to Amsterdam, which doesn't seem to offer much of a time saving.
 
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Phil.

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Maersk air from Gatwick offers an excellent service and good prices. I can recommend them.
 

stut

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Maersk Air disappeared years ago! Norwegian do a good job from Gatwick, however - and Ryanair tends to be stupidly cheap from Luton.

The overnight options have indeed disappeared, as have the North Sea ferries. The closest you've now got to an overnight service to Copenhagen are the Baltic ferries from Germany to Sweden (Trelleborg is the easier one, even if Malmo seems closer!) There's also a couple of train ferries - the Hamburg-Copenhagen ICE-TD via Puttgarden-Rodby, and the summer-only overnight Berlin-Malmo Express.
 

30907

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I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for getting to Copenhagen from London in early September.

I have of course seen - http://seat61.com/Denmark.htm - but I was wondering if there are any other options - that seems like a super-slow journey given the distance.
I guess there aren't any sleepers left any more other than the one to Amsterdam, which doesn't seem to offer much of a time saving.

There is no Amsterdam sleeper, sadly,so the options are as given.

If you are intending to do the trip by rail both ways, then it's also possible to go via the Rendsburg High level bridge over the Kiel Canal and then the Great Belt bridge.
Or even via the Niebüll-Tonder branch line to take advantage of diesel haulage on the Westerland line
On my only recent rail trip to Scandinavia (some 8 years ago) that's what I did, as I'd "done" Rendsburg recently.
There is still a Rostock-Gedser ferry but it's no longer rail connected and well off route.
 
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Groningen

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Departure at 20.43 from Hamburg to Flensburg and with much time you arrive in Copenhagen around 5.00 o'clock in the morning.
 

Phil.

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Maersk Air disappeared years ago! Norwegian do a good job from Gatwick, however - and Ryanair tends to be stupidly cheap from Luton.

The overnight options have indeed disappeared, as have the North Sea ferries. The closest you've now got to an overnight service to Copenhagen are the Baltic ferries from Germany to Sweden (Trelleborg is the easier one, even if Malmo seems closer!) There's also a couple of train ferries - the Hamburg-Copenhagen ICE-TD via Puttgarden-Rodby, and the summer-only overnight Berlin-Malmo Express.

Ah well, it was about ten years ago!
 

30907

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Departure at 20.43 from Hamburg to Flensburg and with much time you arrive in Copenhagen around 5.00 o'clock in the morning.

Think that's high season only, and you'd miss all the interesting bits.
 

Groningen

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Think that's high season only, and you'd miss all the interesting bits.

As far as i know; the only highpoints is the Rendsburg bridge and the tunnel between Korsor and Nyborg. At about 21.55 you will pass Rendsburg and also at that time darkness sets in during the summermonths.

Hamburg 20.43 Flensburg 22.43 - 22.50 Fredericia 0.22 - 0.58 Odense 1.35 - 3.06 Nyborg 3.26 - 3.35 Koebenhavn H 4.59

Should one go via Hoek van Holland (Harwich ferry) than via Flensburg to Copenhagen is arrival at 22.36 and via Puttgarden at 20.22.
 

30907

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As far as i know; the only highpoints is the Rendsburg bridge and the tunnel between Korsor and Nyborg. At about 21.55 you will pass Rendsburg and also at that time darkness sets in during the summermonths.

Fair point, but the OP is travelling in September when it will be dark. The Great Belt has a long bridge section as well as tunnel.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
should one go via Hoek van Holland (Harwich ferry) than via Flensburg to Copenhagen is arrival at 22.36 and via Puttgarden at 20.22.[/QUOTE

It's a long day, and those times depend on making an 08.11 from Hoek, when the ferry now officially arrives at 0800. It's safer southbound 0737-2002.

I might be tempted by a cheap flight to/from Hamburg to cover the most interesting bits of railway.
 
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306024

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If simply flying London to Copenhagen is a bit tame (Norwegian are fine for that), then I'd agree fly to Hamburg and do a circular trip via Rendsburg, Copenhagen and Puttgarten. The Danish railway museum at Odense is of some interest if you want to stop off there.

The Hook of Holland ferry, excellent as it is, means a long slog across Holland and Northern Germany, not a lot of interest there.
 

Gordon

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You can go on the night ferry to Hoek van Holland from Harwich. It is possible to travel from Hoek van Holland Haven in the morning after the ship has berthed and reach Copenhagen in the day. This is one of the few routes that still works like it did in the 'good old days'


.
 
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Groningen

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Hoek van Holland 9.26
Rotterdam Centraal 9.57 - 10.20
Amersfoort 11.20 - 11.37
Osnabrück Hbf 14.06 - 14.23
Hamburg Hbf 16.13 - 16.43
Flensburg 18.43 - 18.50
Fredericia 20.10 - 20.22
Copenhagen 22.36
 

30907

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Hoek van Holland 9.26
Rotterdam Centraal 9.57 - 10.20
Amersfoort 11.20 - 11.37
Osnabrück Hbf 14.06 - 14.23
Hamburg Hbf 16.13 - 16.43
Flensburg 18.43 - 18.50
Fredericia 20.10 - 20.22
Copenhagen 22.36

I hadn't spotted that the Great Belt route now connects so well - in fact one the summer engineering work is over it's a 2205 arrival, compared with 22.22 via the train ferry.
 

Welly

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I went on the Eurostar to Brussels and stayed overnight, then travelled all day from Brussels to Cologne (by TGV Thalys) and took the Cologne - Hamburg train (4 hours journey!) and caught the DSB train from Hamburg to Copenhagen via the Puttgarden - Rodby train ferry arriving there at 10pm!! I was happy with that adventure as flying wasn't part of the holiday but I reckon you are better off flying to Copenhagen.
 

Groningen

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On the German website there are also connection between London and Copenhagen that take 21 hours (of travel). Change in Paris, Strasbourg, Karlsruhe and Hamburg. It seems that on certain days there is an IC leaving Hamburg at 23.42 and arrives in Copenhagen at 6.56. First stop after Hamburg is Kolding (no locomotive change in Padborg?!) and the stop in Odense is from 3.30 till 5.13.
 

30907

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On the German website there are also connection between London and Copenhagen that take 21 hours (of travel). Change in Paris, Strasbourg, Karlsruhe and Hamburg. It seems that on certain days there is an IC leaving Hamburg at 23.42 and arrives in Copenhagen at 6.56. First stop after Hamburg is Kolding (no locomotive change in Padborg?!) and the stop in Odense is from 3.30 till 5.13.

It's just possible to do the trip in a day, but it's 14-15 hours.

The overnight IC you mention is AFAIK an IC3 DMU.
 

orpine

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I'm currently trying to finalise my tickets for this and I'm struggling to find anything on the cheaper end of the spectrum (early Sept).

Looking to arrive at Copenhagen mid-afternoon, which means overnighting in Germany somewhere, then taking the (somewhere)->Hamburg->Copenhagen train, which is fine and reasonably priced

The problem is getting London->Germany. All the trips that aren't leaving London at 6am are of the order €129. The one exception is via cologne which is €79 for the night, but leaving 6am the following morning.
I've looked at Hamburg, Hannover, Osnabrück, cologne, bremen, dusseldorf, dortmund.
The very cheapest I've found the entire journey is €128, with a nice 6am start in dortmund/dusseldorf/cologne. :-/

Does anyone have any suggestions for an improved version of this?
 

30907

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The 1058 ex STP is, not surprisingly, the most expensive, but the best option for a mid afternoon arrival in Copenhagen.

The best split point I have found in the past is Oldenburg (Holstein), and looking at the 1504 departune midweek in mid September I get London - Köln - Oldenburg at EUR79, thence 29, which is 108 in all. I haven't checked against a Hamburg split, but I'd expect a saving of EUR10.

That assumes an overnight in the Köln-Dortmund area (Dortmund is the realistic limit) and a little flexibility with times thence.

Flensburg also works, and would offer a 1605 arrival (once the trains are bookable, which they don't seem to be ATM) rather than 1822 via Oldenburg.

Split ticketing is fine as DB issues both tickets, but I would be tempted to put in an hour's break in Hamburg anyway, as services into Denmark are basically 2-hourly. And/or an hour at Brussels.
 

orpine

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Thanks for the suggestions. Looking into Oldenburg (Holstein) I see that it's only €49 and fast trains all the way to Hannover. So I was thinking I'd go to hannover using that ticket, arriving around midnight, spend the night there, then leave on the 07:36 (another €49). Total price: €98 and actually quite a short journey.
I'm guessing I can do this and that if I miss any connections I'll be ok?

(it's actually possible to do this for €78 total, staying on the Oldenburg train until Hamburg, but that includes a 4 hour transfer at 1am, and no real sleep time).
 

30907

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Are you sure you can get London-Hannover for EUR49? I can't find less than 69.

If you miss a connection, you are entitled to use the next available service. And split ticketing is covered.
 

orpine

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Are you sure you can get London-Hannover for EUR49? I can't find less than 69.

I'm looking for London -> Oldenburg(Holst), and could have sworn it was €49. But now it's showing as €79. I think I mis-read the price. :-/ Now I need to re-assess again. Hmmmmm.
 

30907

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I'm looking for London -> Oldenburg(Holst), and could have sworn it was €49. But now it's showing as €79. I think I mis-read the price. :-/ Now I need to re-assess again. Hmmmmm.

That's what I found.
 

Groningen

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Especially if you are on an island you should choose for the plane. Brussel and Paris OK, but the rest?!
 

orpine

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I ended up going via hannover. Leaving on the 3pm from London, getting to Hannover midnight, a nearby hotel, then leaving on the 7:30am.
Total cost: €128.

Especially if you are on an island you should choose for the plane. Brussel and Paris OK, but the rest?!

While it is true that a regular person would fly this journey, unlike them, I am ethically compelled to take the train. Flying is one of the most polluting forms of transport there is; especially short-haul flights like this.
 
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