Copenhagen on the Move: 5 Unique Ways to Explore the Danish Capital
Copenhagen is a city that brings a unique charm that makes you feel serene despite the liveliness around town. If you’re visiting Copenhagen for the first time, here’s a quick summary of everything you need to know about the different ways to explore Copenhagen. This includes how to get to the city centre from the airport, which apps you can use to rent a bike all on your phone, and what’s the most convenient way to pay for public transport.
If you’re in a rush, check out the table contents for the topics I’m covering and scroll down to the relevant section!
A picture of Nyhavn from across the street.
Table of Contents:
Is Copenhagen walkable?
Bike rentals
E-scooters
Public Transport - Bus, Trams & Trains
My Recommended App
Rejsekort Card
Car rentals & ride-sharing
Is Copenhagen a walkable city?
Yes! Denmark is a mostly flat country and the temperature is quite comfortable all year round, so you’d definitely be able to walk around and explore the city (as long as it isn’t raining).
Even though I’d consider Copenhagen a walkable city, I personally struggled to spend a whole day just walking without relying on other modes of transport when I was exploring the city as a tourist. This is mainly because the destinations I was interested in visiting was kind of far from each other and also I’m not used to being on my feet all day.
However, if I was just interested in going shopping, grabbing something to eat and look for entertainment without looking at the typical tourist attractions, then it still might be possible especially around Norreport.
Instead of walking, I would recommend renting a bicycle in Copenhagen instead if you want to explore the streets!
Bike Rentals
If you don’t know how to cycle, I don’t recommend renting a bike but rather using the public transport instead.
Copenhagen is extremely bike-friendly with well designed bike lanes and systems in place. You’ll see tons of people cycling around for work or leisure even when it’s raining.
The flyer below shows some tips and rules that you should know before cycling in Copenhagen to make sure you stay safe and don’t get fined by the police!
Infographic on a few rules you should know before you cycle in Denmark. This flyer is handed out by the Danish Road Safety Council and taken from a blog post from The Local.
For easy bike rentals, I recommend using an app called Donkey Republic. It’s available 24/7 and there are a different pick up spots on the streets that you can collect a bike and go without any hassle!
Costs:
26 kr (RM16.6) for 30 minutes
129 kr (RM83) for 1 day
299 kr (RM192.3) for 7 days
For more prices or information, please check out their free app.
E-Scooters
Personally I haven’t used an e-scooter in Denmark before, so I don’t have much of an opinion on it. I also have not seen many people use a scooter either in Denmark as most would opt for a bike instead.
If you’re interested in renting one though, I recommend using Voi. It’s a popular Swedish e-scooter and e-bike rental company that I’ve used before in Germany, Norway and the UK. The e-scooters are really easy to use even as a first timer.
Costs:
10 kr start fee + ongoing 2 kr per minute
Day and weekly are also available on the app!
You will have stay in the same roads as the cyclist and also wear a helmet, otherwise you may be fined.
Public Transport: Trains, Metro and Busses
Public transport is amazing in Copenhagen and it should definitely be your go-to mode of transport if you’re visiting for a holiday and want to explore other areas of Denmark outside of Copenhagen.
From the airport, there will be signboards that point you to the metro station which will quickly bring you to the city in 16 minutes. If you live in the outside of the city centre of Copenhagen, I recommend going to Norreport to transit as it’s where all modes of transportation connects.
You can buy tickets for the public transport at the DSB machines in the airport, trains and metro stations. This includes all types of transportation, e.g. bus, trains and metro, that you’ll need to use to get to your destination.
These machines can be a bit difficult to use though as a first time visitor since there’s a lot of different options to choose from and you’ll need to know the zones you’ll be travelling in.
Recommended route planning app: Citymapper or Rejseplanen
Go-to Travel App: DOT
Instead, I recommend using an app called Dot. It’s a great public transport ticket app that I used when I was visiting Copenhagen. You just need to enter your intended destination and you’ll be able to buy a ticket that automatically calculates your route from your location for a set amount of time.
Rejsekort Card
A Rejsekort card is a public transport payment card which allows you to tap in and out at different locations without having to buy a ticket ahead of time.
Discounts available:
Rejsekort Personal - up to 40%
Rejsekort Flex or Anonymous - up to 25%
This also has the convenience of auto-topping up when you hit a certain limit from your bank account and making sure you always have money inside to move around.
Rejsekort Personal and Flex card is only available for Denmark residents which includes students, expats and citizens. This is because it requires a Mit ID for you to apply for a card. After applying for a card, it can take up to a week to arrive in your mail and will be activated when you use it.
Rejsekort Anonymous can be bought by tourists as it doesn’t require a Danish address or personal details at Copenhagen Central Station’s ticket office or at one of the Rejsekort machines.
Costs: 80 kr for the card itself.
You’re able to top up at one of the Rejsekort machines found in the metro stations.
Car Rental & Ride-sharing Apps
If you’re planning to only explore Copenhagen, I highly recommend NOT getting a car or using a cab / ride-share. This is because it’s really expensive especially in comparison to the other possible methods of getting around that I mentioned before this.
The only time I feel it’s suitable to rent a car is :
if you’re planning to do a big road trip all over Denmark and to the other neighbouring countries,
if you’re planning to move a lot of things around, or
if you need to travel at a time when public transport is not running e.g. late nights or early mornings.
Car Rental App: Sixt
A good company my family used before to rent a car in Copenhagen is Sixt.
There’s a car rental area that has all the different car rental companies’ booth at the airport which you can access via a free shuttle bus at Terminal 3. All you need to do is provide your ID to the person at the counter to verify and pay a deposit. The rental cars will be located in the parking lot next to it.
However, if you call ahead and download their app, you can pay for an express which allows you to do your verification ahead of time and unlock the car with just your phone. The car will be located closer to the entrance and you can skip the queue to getting your car.
Ride-sharing App: Viggo
Instead of Uber, people use Viggo or taxis for ride-sharing in Copenhagen.
Viggo prices will be either the same price as a taxi or cheaper. However, it is still expensive but at least you’ll get to know the price when you’re booking for your ride.
You can also pre-book a Viggo for a specific time which is handy when you need to prepare to go to the airport in the middle of the night.
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May your passports be full, and see you in the next post!
