Hamburg to Copenhagen by train

Direct trains link Hamburg Hbf and København H in about 5 hours, crossing into Denmark at the Padborg border.

Direct trains and how often they run

Book a direct train. Until 12 December 2026, five a day leave Hamburg Hbf for København H on most days, roughly every two hours from late morning to early evening. The new timetable from 13 December adds a morning departure, giving five or six a day through the winter, with an extra early train on many days over Christmas and New Year. The trip takes between about 4 hours 45 minutes and 5 hours 30 minutes.

Two kinds of train share the route: EuroCity Express (ECE) trains and Czech Railways ComfortJets, which timetables list as railjets (RJ). The EuroCity trains shuttle between Hamburg and Copenhagen, while the ComfortJets come from Prague via Berlin. They take around half an hour longer. DB runs the German section and DSB the Danish one from Padborg, but you keep the same seat all the way.

Snälltåget's train to Stockholm is a third direct option on most weekdays. It usually stops at København Syd rather than København H, so you finish with a short local train into the centre, and it always needs a reservation with Snälltåget.

Changing trains is a fallback. Regional trains to Flensburg and Danish InterCity trains beyond will get you there, but expect two changes and about 6 hours 30 minutes.

Stations and the route north

Most travellers board at Hamburg Hbf. The railjets also call at Hamburg Dammtor and Hamburg-Altona, which helps if you are staying near either. The EuroCity trains normally start at Hamburg Hbf only.

North of Schleswig the train crosses the border at Padborg, then calls at Kolding, Odense and Ringsted. Between Funen and Zealand it crosses the Great Belt, first on a bridge and then through a rail tunnel. You arrive at København H, Copenhagen's central station. The shorter Fehmarnbelt tunnel route is still being built.

Tickets, fares and Interrail

DB and DSB both sell tickets for the whole journey. DB's Sparpreis Europa fares from Hamburg to Copenhagen start from €33.99 in second class and €43.99 in first, one way, and go on sale up to six months ahead. They tie you to the booked train. You can cancel until the day before travel for a €10 fee, refunded as a voucher. DSB sells the same trains with prices in DKK.

Families do well on DB fares: children up to 14 usually travel free with a companion aged 15 or over.

Interrail passes are valid on the direct EuroCity and railjet trains. In summer 2026 a seat reservation was compulsory from 26 June into August; outside the summer peak it is optional. On a five-hour trip a reserved seat is worth having.

Changes to the service this winter

• 29 November to 5 December 2026: track work means fewer direct trains from Hamburg Hbf. Both railjets start at Hamburg-Altona instead and do not run from Prague and Berlin.
• 25 January to 21 February 2027: the railjets are out of the timetable, leaving four EuroCity trains a day.
• 6 and 7 March 2027: the EuroCity trains start at Hamburg-Altona instead of Hamburg Hbf, and the railjets run only between Padborg and København H. From Hamburg Hbf you need one change, by S-Bahn to Altona or by regional train to Schleswig, so allow just over 5 hours.