--- title: "Train Stations in Copenhagen: København H and the Others" date: 2026-06-21 author: "Johan E. Johansson" featured_image: "https://everyrail.com/wp-content/uploads/image_75f313a42a38f8af8734b9ce92c53a64.jpeg" categories: - name: "Destinations" url: "/destinations.md" --- # Train Stations in Copenhagen: København H and the Others Copenhagen has one main long-distance train station, København H, also written Copenhagen Central. Three smaller central stops on the S-train Boulevard Line (Vesterport, Nørreport, Østerport) sit a few minutes apart, and Copenhagen Airport has its own train station built into Terminal 3. For most travellers, the default is København H. The international picture sits on top of that. København H is the entry point for SJ trains to Stockholm, EuroCity services towards Hamburg run jointly by DSB and Deutsche Bahn, the Snälltåget night train to Berlin, and Øresund commuter trains to Malmö. The wrong station, or the wrong ticket office, can cost you a connection. ## Copenhagen’s main train stations at a glance If your booking page only shows “Copenhagen”, open the train details before paying and look at the named station. “Copenhagen All Stations” is not the same as København H. A booking that resolves to Høje Taastrup, 10 km west of the city, can be a real surprise on the day. StationBest forNetworksNotesKøbenhavn H (Copenhagen Central)Long-distance, regional, international, S-tog Boulevard LineDSB national, Øresundståg, SJ, Snälltåget, DB, S-tog, Metro M3, Metro M4The default. Next to Tivoli Gardens.VesterportS-tog only (Boulevard Line)S-togOne stop north of København H. Useful for Vesterbro.NørreportLocal interchangeS-tog, regional, intercity, Metro M1, M2, M3Busiest station in Denmark. No Lyn / express services.ØsterportLocal and regionalS-tog, regional, intercity, Metro M3, M4Closer to Kastellet and the Little Mermaid.Copenhagen Airport (Kastrup)Airport arrivals and departuresØresund trains, DSB IC, Øresundståg, SJ, Metro M2 (separate)Built into Terminal 3.Høje TaastrupSome international and DSB ICDSB IC, Snälltåget (some patterns)Suburban interchange about 10 km west.The rule of thumb. Choose København H unless your trip is specifically airport, Vesterbro side (Vesterport), the Latin Quarter (Nørreport), Østerbro and Kastellet (Østerport), or a booking that names Høje Taastrup. ## København H (Copenhagen Central): the default station København H is the long-distance, regional, intercity, and international hub for the Danish capital. The H stands for Hovedbanegård, meaning main station. DSB, the Danish national operator, owns it, and the building sits beside Tivoli Gardens, with the main entrance on Bernstorffsgade and Banegårdspladsen. A few numbers are useful for orientation. There are 7 platforms on an island layout (the count includes the Metro platforms below the concourse) and 13 tracks for long-distance and regional trains. A pedestrian tunnel runs below the main platforms and connects directly to the Metro M3 (Cityringen) and M4 platforms, so you do not need to leave the concourse to change to the Metro. The main hall has a DSB ticket office and machines, left luggage lockers, ATMs, toilets, baby change, and showers. A 1st-class lounge sits above the ticket office. The DSB office sells DSB domestic tickets, most DSB international tickets, and pass-holder reservations. It does not sell SJ tickets to Stockholm; those are bought via SJ.se. What to check before you set off: which platform group your train uses. SJ X 2000 to Stockholm departs from a separate platform 26 that is not part of the main 1 to 12 group. ## The other three central stations: Vesterport, Nørreport, Østerport Three smaller central rail stops sit on the Boulevard Line of the S-train, between København H and Østerport. None of them replace København H for long-distance travel. All three are useful for arriving closer to a specific neighbourhood. Vesterport is one stop north of København H on the S-tog Boulevard Line and handles S-tog only. It is the closest train stop to Vesterbro, the quieter side of Tivoli, and the Vesterbrogade hotels. Nørreport is the busiest station in Denmark, with around 165,000 passengers a day. It is fully underground and offers S-tog, regional and intercity trains, and Metro M1, M2, and M3 (Cityringen). It is the right station for the Latin Quarter, the shopping streets around Strøget, and the Botanical Garden. One thing to know. Nørreport does not see Lyn or InterCityLyn express services. Do not book it as a substitute for København H if you are catching a Lyn to Aarhus or an international train. Østerport handles S-tog, regional and intercity trains, plus the Metro M3 (Cityringen) and M4. It carries around 30,000 passengers a day and is closer to Kastellet, the Little Mermaid, and the Østerbro hotels. What to check before you book: that the booking page shows “København H” (or “Copenhagen H”), not just “Copenhagen”. The wrong central stop can add a 5 minute S-tog hop you did not plan for. ## Copenhagen Airport train station (Kastrup) Copenhagen Airport has its own train station built into Terminal 3, called Københavns Lufthavn or Kastrup on most timetables. For most travellers arriving by air, the train is the right way into the city. Frequency and service mix make it work as an airport link. Local Øresund trains run roughly every 10 minutes to København H, with a journey time of about 13 to 15 minutes. Every 20 minutes one of those continues across the Øresund Bridge to Malmö C. DSB IC trains run from the airport directly to Odense, Aarhus, Aalborg, and Esbjerg without changing at København H, which can save 20 minutes if you are heading to Jutland. Øresundståg services run on to Lund, Helsingborg, Landskrona, and Hässleholm, with longer-distance services to Gothenburg, Kalmar, and Karlskrona. SJ X 2000 to Stockholm also calls here. A note on Metro versus train. The Metro M2 has its own platforms outside Terminal 3 and runs into the city via Christianshavn, Kongens Nytorv, Nørreport, and on to Vanløse. It does not call at København H. For København H, the train from inside Terminal 3 is the direct option and the one most travellers want. What to check: the live screens for the next train towards København H, and your ticket. Any DSB or Øresund ticket already covers the airport zones, so you do not need a separate airport surcharge. ## Switching between Copenhagen’s stations The Boulevard Line of the S-train connects København H, Vesterport, Nørreport, and Østerport in a few minutes. The Metro M3 Cityringen, which opened on 29 September 2019, connects København H, Nørreport, and Østerport on the same loop, along with stops like Kongens Nytorv and Marmorkirken. For a station-to-station hop between the four central rail stops, the S-tog Boulevard Line is the quickest tool. From København H to Nørreport is about 3 minutes on either the S-tog or the Metro Cityringen. For an onward stop that is not on the Boulevard Line, the Metro Cityringen is usually the right call. Buses cover the gaps but are rarely faster than going underground. What to check at København H: which platform group your S-tog uses. The Boulevard Line uses platforms in the same complex as long-distance, but the long-distance tracks themselves are separate. ## International trains from København H: Stockholm, Hamburg, Berlin København H is the international terminus for Copenhagen. Three operators dominate the international map from here. SJ, the Swedish national operator, runs daytime EuroCity / X 2000 services to Stockholm via the Øresund Bridge. SJ X 2000 departs from a separate platform 26 at København H, which sits about 250 m south of the main building. Reach it by walking along platforms 3 to 6, up the steps to the Tietgensgade road bridge, across the road, and back down to platform 26. Allow 5 to 6 minutes from the main hall. The official signage says 15 minutes, which is conservative. Snälltåget, a Swedish open-access operator, runs the year-round main route from Stockholm via Malmö to Copenhagen, and a seasonal Berlin Night Express from Stockholm via Copenhagen, Malmö, and Hamburg to Berlin between April and September, plus selected dates outside the main season. As of November 2025 Snälltåget had announced a daily daytime Stockholm to Hamburg service planned from May 2026. Snälltåget uses København H, and in some operating patterns it uses Høje Taastrup or Ørestad. DSB and Deutsche Bahn co-operate on EuroCity services towards Hamburg with onward connections deeper into Germany. These are sold through DSB or via DB and are the usual route towards Germany by day from København H. What to check: SJ tickets are not sold at the København H DSB ticket office. Buy SJ tickets via SJ.se before you travel. Reservations on SJ EuroCity / X 2000 and on Snälltåget are compulsory, including for Interrail and Eurail pass holders. ## Høje Taastrup and other suburban stations Høje Taastrup is a suburban interchange about 10 km west of central Copenhagen that occasionally shows up in international itineraries. It is used by some DSB IC services en route to Aalborg, by Snälltåget’s Berlin Night Express in some operating patterns, and by trains on the Hamburg to Berlin route in some patterns. Foreign booking systems sometimes return a Høje Taastrup result when København H is full. The fix is simple. Read the named station on the booking before paying. If it says Høje Taastrup, plan the suburban S-tog journey out from København H. Lines A and B of the S-train run there from the central platforms in about 20 minutes. What to check: that the named station on your ticket matches where you actually want to be. A Høje Taastrup arrival with a hotel in central Copenhagen is a tight transfer if you have not planned for it. ## Operators using København H København H is shared by Danish, Swedish, and German operators, with overlapping ticket systems. DSB is the Danish national operator. It runs IC and ICL (Lyn) services across Denmark, most regional trains in eastern Denmark, and the cross-border DSB and DB EuroCity towards Hamburg. Øresundståg is the brand of Skånetrafiken, currently operated by VR Sverige under contract (the contract changed hands from Transdev in December 2025). It runs cross-border services between Denmark (København H, Copenhagen Airport, Ørestad, Tårnby, Nykøbing F) and Sweden (Malmö, Lund, Helsingborg, and longer-distance flows to Gothenburg, Kalmar, and Karlskrona). Øresund tickets are integrated, and an Øresundståg train is a normal way to travel from København H to Malmö in around 35 minutes. SJ is the Swedish national operator. EuroCity / X 2000 daytime services from København H to Stockholm via the Øresund Bridge are SJ. Snälltåget is a Swedish open-access operator. It runs a year-round Stockholm to Malmö to Copenhagen daytime service, with the seasonal Berlin Night Express on top. Deutsche Bahn (DB) co-operates with DSB on EuroCity services towards Hamburg. Tickets are sold by either operator. What to check: which operator your booking is with. That determines where the ticket is sold, the reservation rules, and which counter you go to with a question on the day. ## Tickets, fares, and rail passes at Copenhagen stations DSB ticket machines and the København H counter cover DSB national tickets, most DSB international tickets, and pass-holder reservations. SJ tickets are bought via SJ.se rather than at København H. Local public transport across the capital region uses Rejsekort, a contactless smart card, or zone tickets, and is integrated across S-tog, Metro, regional trains, and buses in the relevant zones. A few pass-holder rules trip travellers up regularly. Reservations on SJ EuroCity / X 2000 to Stockholm are compulsory, including for Interrail and Eurail pass holders. Reservations on Snälltåget are compulsory, including for pass holders, on both the daytime Stockholm to Copenhagen service and the Berlin Night Express. Reservations on DSB IC inside Denmark are optional but recommended on peak Fridays and on seat-numbered services. Local Øresund trains from København H to Malmö and to the Airport are walk-up, with no reservation needed. Where to buy on the ground. Counters and machines at København H, machines at Nørreport, Vesterport, Østerport, and the Airport. For an Interrail or Eurail trip, plan to add the reservation separately for any SJ EuroCity / X 2000 to Stockholm or Snälltåget service before you board. What to check: whether your pass needs a separate paid reservation for the specific international train you have booked, and whether that reservation has been issued before you leave the booking site.