Copenhagen Airport to Copenhagen City Centre (Indre By / Nyhavn)
About 8 km from CPH; the Metro M2 reaches Kongens Nytorv in ~13 min for a flat 36 DKK (~€5), with DSB trains, a fixed-fare taxi and private transfers as alternatives.
Copenhagen City Centre (Indre By / Nyhavn), CopenhagenEuropean Commission / Wikimedia, CC BY 4.0Indre By is Copenhagen's old core — the Strøget shopping street, Kongens Nytorv square, the coloured townhouses of Nyhavn and Rådhuspladsen all fall within walking distance of one another.
Every way to get there
Our verdict: for Copenhagen City Centre (Indre By / Nyhavn), a private transfer is the easiest door-to-door option (from €45).
What it costs for your group
The bus is charged per person, while a taxi or private transfer is one price for the whole car — so the more of you there are, the better door-to-door value looks.
| Group | Private transfer | Best value |
|---|---|---|
| Solo · 1 traveller | €45 | Private transfer |
| Couple · 2 travellers | €45 | Private transfer |
| Family of 4 · 4 travellers | €45 | Private transfer |
Which option should you choose?
| If your priority is… | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | Cheapest fare | From €5, though slower with a change in the city. |
| Speed & comfort | Private transfer | Door-to-door, fixed price, a driver waiting for you. |
| A group of 3–4 | Transfer or taxi | One flat fare splits cheaper than several bus tickets. |
| A late-night arrival | Transfer or taxi | Both run 24/7 when buses and the tram have stopped. |
By transport mode
Metro
The M2 stops at Kongens Nytorv (~13 min), a two-minute stroll to Nyhavn, then carries on to Nørreport. Flat 36 DKK 3-zone ticket (~€5) from the machines or the DOT Tickets app. Nothing beats it for value into the centre.
Where to catch it: 'Lufthavnen' Metro station sits above Terminal 3 — follow the M signs for a 5-minute covered walk from arrivals; no stairs to the platform.
Best for budget travellers near a stationTrain
Reaches København H (Copenhagen Central) in ~13 min for the same 36 DKK (~€5). Best if your hotel is around Central Station, Tivoli or the western half of Indre By rather than the eastern squares.
Where to catch it: Airport railway station directly beneath Terminal 3; the DSB desk and machines are by the escalators in the terminal.
Best for budget travellers near a stationTaxi
Roughly 250–350 DKK (~€34–47) metered to the centre, 20–30 min depending on traffic. Every licensed cab takes cards (incl. Apple/Google Pay), so you needn't find an ATM first.
Where to catch it: Marked taxi rank straight outside Terminal 3 arrivals — no need to book, just take the next car in line.
Best for small groups in a hurryPrivate transfer
A fixed quote agreed at booking (~€45–60) regardless of traffic. The clear winner if you land late or want a set price with no meter anxiety.
Where to catch it: Your English-speaking driver waits in the Terminal 3 arrivals hall and tracks the flight, so a delayed landing doesn't cost you the car.
Best for families, groups & late arrivalsCar rental
Only worth it if you're touring Zealand — central Copenhagen is dense, parking is metered and pricey, and the bike-and-metro network makes a car a liability in town.
Where to catch it: Rental desks and the pickup garage are in Terminal 3 arrivals, signposted 'Car Hire'.
Best for travellers who want to exploreCopenhagen City Centre (Indre By / Nyhavn) & Copenhagen in photos
Buying tickets in Copenhagen
Copenhagen Airport (Kastrup) has both metro and train right under Terminal 3. You need a 3-zone ticket (30 DKK, valid about 90 minutes with unlimited transfers). The driverless M2 metro reaches Kongens Nytorv in roughly 13 minutes, while DSB trains reach København H (Central) in about 15 minutes for the same fare. Buy from the DSB/DOT machines or the DOT Tickets app, or just tap a contactless card at the metro gates. No separate stamping needed for machine or app tickets.
Taxi scams & safety in Copenhagen
Copenhagen is very low-scam. Use the official taxi rank outside Terminal 3; metered cabs run high, and several companies offer a fixed fare of about 300 DKK to the centre, so confirm before you set off. Touts are rare. Note the rideshare gap: Uber withdrew from Denmark in 2017 over taxi-meter rules and has only recently begun limited operations around Copenhagen, so do not rely on it. Instead use local apps such as Taxa 4x35, Viggo (fixed price upfront) or Dantaxi for booked rides.
Getting from CPH to Copenhagen City Centre (Indre By / Nyhavn)
Few European capitals hand you the old town this fast. Copenhagen Airport keeps its Metro station and its mainline railway under the same roof as Terminal 3, so the choice into Indre By isn't really about which mode exists — both do, both are quick, and both cost the same flat 36 DKK (about €5). The driverless M2 reaches Kongens Nytorv, two minutes' walk from the coloured townhouses of Nyhavn, in roughly 13 minutes. A DSB train reaches Copenhagen Central in the same 13 or so. That pairing is good enough that a taxi, for most first-time visitors heading to Strøget, Rådhuspladsen or the harbour, is a decision you make for reasons other than getting there faster.
The M2 to Kongens Nytorv, then a two-minute stroll to Nyhavn
The Metro is the line to reach for if your hotel sits anywhere around the eastern squares — Kongens Nytorv, Nyhavn, the Strøget end of the old town. Follow the illuminated M signs out of Terminal 3 arrivals and you're at 'Lufthavnen' station in about five minutes, entirely under cover, with no stairs down to the platform. Trains leave every four to six minutes through the day and never actually stop: overnight they thin to one every 15–20 minutes, but the M2 runs on Christmas Eve and at four in the morning alike. Kongens Nytorv arrives in around 13 minutes, and Nyhavn's quayside is a 120-second walk from the exit. Stay on one more stop to Nørreport if you're closer to the lakes or the botanical garden. For value into the centre, nothing on this page competes.
Take the DSB train instead if you're sleeping near Central Station
The airport railway station sits directly beneath Terminal 3 — down the escalators past the DSB desk and machines — and it changes the calculus depending on where you're staying. DSB and Øresundståg regional trains reach København H (Copenhagen Central) in about 13 minutes for the identical 36 DKK, running roughly every 10 minutes from around 05:00 until half past midnight. If your address is near Tivoli, the Central Station, or the western half of Indre By, stepping off at København H drops you closer than the Metro would and saves you a connection. If you're bound for the eastern squares, the M2 wins; if you're bound for the Tivoli side, the train does. Both draw on the same 3-zone ticket, so you can decide at the terminal without paying a penalty either way.
One ticket, the machines, and the DOT app
A single 3-zone ticket at 36 DKK (~€5) covers the whole airport-to-centre trip on the Metro, the train or a city bus — buy it once and it's valid across modes for that journey. You'll find ticket machines beside the Metro entrance and by the railway escalators, both taking cards, or you can buy in the DOT Tickets app before you even reach the platform. There are no barriers on the Copenhagen Metro, so validate your ticket type correctly and keep it for spot checks. One practical note that catches people out: if you're tempted to ride the Øresundståg the other direction, over the bridge to Malmö in Sweden, that's a separate cross-border fare and ID or passport checks can apply — but for anything inside Copenhagen, the €5 ticket is all you need.
When the rank outside, or a car booked ahead, earns its keep
The taxi rank is straight outside Terminal 3 arrivals, no booking, just the next car in line. Metered fares to the centre land at roughly 250–350 DKK (€34–47) and take 20–30 minutes depending on traffic — slower than the Metro and around eight times the price, so the reasons to take one are heavy luggage, small children, or a group that splits the fare down to something sensible. Every licensed cab reads cards, including Apple and Google Pay, so there's no dash to an ATM. A pre-booked private transfer trades the meter for a fixed quote agreed at booking, around €45–60: your English-speaking driver waits inside the arrivals hall and tracks the flight, which is the payoff if you're landing near midnight or travelling with more bags than hands and want a set price with no traffic surprises. Car rental — Avis, Hertz, Europcar and Sixt all have desks in Terminal 3, roughly €40–75 a day — only makes sense if you're touring the rest of Zealand afterwards; central Copenhagen is dense, parking is metered and steep, and a car in town is more burden than help.
The short version: point yourself at the M signs for Nyhavn and the eastern old town, or down the escalators to the train for the Central Station side. Either way you're standing in Indre By inside a quarter of an hour, having spent five euros.
