World Borders: How to Get From Sweden to Denmark (Malmo to Copenhagen by train)
So the first two Scandinavian countries I ever visited were up again on my recent adventure as I headed back to Sweden and then Denmark. This time I spent a bit longer in Sweden and toured Stockholm, Malmo, Angelholm and Gothenburg. With Denmark, I would visit Copenhagen, Helsingor and the quirky self declared Freetown of Christiania.
Touring Copenhagen, Denmark
So after touring Stockholm, I got a train to Malmo where I stayed a couple of nights in the STF Vandrarhem Hostel. From Malmo in Sweden, Denmark is an easy journey across the water by train and here is a full guide on how to do it.
The water between Malmo Sweden and Copenhagen Denmark
Buying Your Ticket in Malmo, Sweden
There are a few different exit points from Sweden on the train. Some people get a train from the main station in Malmo. However as I was staying so close to the Triangeln Station, I headed from there. There are regular trains from Malmo to Copenhagen throughout the day and they all pass through Triangeln on route. I’d say there are around 2 trains per hour. I boarded the train at 9.50 am in Triangeln and by 10.25 am I was bang in the city centre of Copenhagen. Not just a new city, but a new country.
Triangeln Station, Malmo, Sweden
Trains from Malmo to Copenhagen
To buy your ticket simply go to a machine and buy one. You can pay in either Swedish Kroners or by card. I was there in February 2015 and the cost was 210 Swedish Kroners (£16 British Pounds or $25 USD) for an adult return ticket, which is valid for 24 hours so you can have a night in Copenhagen and head back to Sweden if you want.
The Journey from Malmo, Sweden to Copenhagen, Denmark
The train journey is scenic and pleasurable and one of the coolest train borders I have crossed. The total distance by train is 41 kilometres though it’s shorter than that as the crow flies from the edge of the two cities.
The Copenhagen to Malmo border on a map
As both countries are within the EU, there is no longer any passport or border checks. This would only happen on a really rare occasion or if either city or country was on high alert. There was a shooting recently in Copenhagen which obviously meant more police in and around the train stations.
Leaving Malmo Station
Leaving Malmo Station
9.56 am – Train leaves Triangeln, Malmo, Sweden
The train between Malmo in Sweden and Copenhagen in Denmark
10.00 am – Train stops at Hyllie, Sweden
10.01 am – Train crosses the water by bridge all the way to Denmark
ON board crossing the bridge between Sweden and Denmark
ON board crossing the bridge between Sweden and Denmark
10.13 am – Train stops at Kastrup/Kobenhavn Airport, Denmark. This is especially handy for anyone from Sweden wanting to fly out of Copenhagen airport.
Copenhagen Airport – Kastrup
10.16 am – Train stops at Tarnby, Denmark
10.18 am – Train stops at Orestad, Denmark
10.25 am – Train arrives at Kobenhavn Central station (final stop).
Arrival in Copenhagen main train station
Arrival in Copenhagen main train station
So all in all the train is fast, smooth, enjoyable and decent enough price and I really recommend it. In Copenhagen I did a free tour of the city as well as visiting Christiania and enjoying a night out in some cool bars.
Enjoying the streets and canals of Copenhagen
Here are some videos of the border crossing between Sweden and Denmark:
Read this blog before going on my trip, and wanted to share with world two mistakes I made going the other direction from Copenhagen to Malmo (airport):
1. From Copenhagen, the train goes to Karlskrona. But DON’T BUY A TRAIN TICKET TO KARLSKRONA. This is deep in Sweden, you only need a ticket to Malmo. It’s a dumb mistake I made that cost me an extra 200 Danish kronor (about $35).
2. The bus that runs to Malmo airport is fast, but DOESN’T RUN EVERY HOUR. It runs every seventy minutes during the middle of the day, but more often in the morning. They accept credit cards on the bus, so don’t worry about trying to find an ATM when you get to Malmo. Because I went looking for an ATM, I missed the airport bus by one minute, and then I had to wait 70 minutes for the next one. So by the time I got to Malmo airport, it was 1:15 pm for a 2:00 pm flight to Stockholm (eep!). Luckily, Malmo airport is one of the smallest, fastest airports to get through. It took ten minutes to check my bag, go through security and find the gate. I was sitting at the gate at 1:25 pm. New record!
Hi Jon, that’s a great update and bit of advice there mate. Thanks a lot! Safe travels. Jonny