14 June 2009. Train times valid from 14 June to 12 December
2009.
London to Denmark without flying...
Above:
The Little Mermaid by Edvard Eriksen. Unveiled in the Churchill Park
in 1913, it's now a symbol of
Copenhagen.
It's easy to travel from
the UK
to Denmark without flying, either by cruise ferry across the
North Sea or overland all the way by Eurostar & sleeper train. DFDS Seaways
luxurious cruise ferry 'Dana Sirena' sails from
Harwich to Esbjerg in Denmark several times a week with
InterCity train connections to
Copenhagen. Or take Eurostar to Brussels and a
high-speed train to Cologne, then the overnight City Night Line
sleeper train 'Borealis' to Odense & Copenhagen. The
choice is yours. A great alternative to an unnecessary
flight, where the journey is part of the holiday.
On this page...
You'll find a
step-by-step guide to planning, booking & making a journey
from the UK to Denmark by train or ferry, with train & ferry
timetables, approximate fares, and the best way to buy
tickets.
Above: DFDS Seaways ferry "Dana Sirena" links
the UK with Denmark...
Photo
courtesy of DFDS Seaways.
This is easily the most relaxing way to reach Denmark,
although not the fastest. DFDS Seaways' ferry 'Dana
Sirena' sails 3 or 4 times a week year-round from Harwich in
Essex to Esbjerg in Denmark, with connections by InterCity
train to Copenhagen. With comfortable en suite cabins,
restaurants, bars, cinema and shops on board, the voyage is
a holiday in itself. For the faster Eurostar+sleeper
train option, see below.
London ► Esbjerg, Odense,
Copenhagen
Day 1, travel from London to Harwich by train, leaving London Liverpool
Street at 14:18 and arriving Harwich 15:42. Harwich International station is right next
to the ferry terminal. The train runs hourly, and
the later 15:18 train from London will also connect, but
the 14:18 departure gives plenty of time to catch the ferry.
Please double-check times at
www.nationalrail.co.uk.
Day 1, sail from
Harwich to Esbjerg in Denmark aboard DFDS Seaways 'Dana Sirena'.
The Dana Sirena sails from Harwich every Wednesday, Friday & Sunday
at 18:00 (increased to every second day in
June, July & August ), arriving in Esbjerg at 13:00 next
day (day 2).
www.dfds.co.uk
will confirm sailing dates. The Dana Sirena is a
modern and well-run ship, with comfortable cabins,
two restaurants, a bar, coffee shop and lounges. On arrival at Esbjerg, take a taxi
or bus or simply walk to the
railway station. Bus number 5 runs from the ferry
terminal to the
station every 20 minutes, bus fare 15 Kr adult 8 Kr
child.
If you've a backpack or light
luggage, you can easily walk from the ferry terminal to
the pedestrianised town centre in about 10-15 minutes,
from where it's another 5-10 minutes walk to the
station. The station is a historic red-brick
building, not very distinctively marked.
Map of Esbjerg showing station & ferry terminal.
Day 2, travel from Esbjerg to
Odense or Copenhagen by air-conditioned InterCity
train, leaving Esbjerg town station at 15:41 and arriving
Odense 17:13 &
Copenhagen at 18:53. The journey is about 175
miles, right across Denmark in air-conditioned comfort,
see the photos below. You can check times
for your date of travel at
http://bahn.hafas.de. You might make the 13:42
(arriving Copenhagen 16:53) if the ferry is on time and
you walk quickly to the station or take a taxi, but it
is better to plan for the later train.
Copenhagen,
Odense, Esbjerg ► London
Day 1, travel from Copenhagen
or Odense to
Esbjerg by modern air-conditioned InterCity train, leaving Copenhagen at
12:30 or Odense 14:05 and arriving Esbjerg at 15:27. You can
check times at
http://bahn.hafas.de. Take a bus or taxi or
simply walk (20-25 minutes) to
the DFDS ferry terminal. Bus number 5 runs from
the station to the port every 20 minutes, fare 15 Kr.
Map of Esbjerg showing station & ferry terminal.
Sail from Esbjerg to Harwich
aboard DFDS 'Dana Sirena', leaving Esbjerg ferry
terminal at 19:00 on Tuesdays, Thursdays & Saturdays, arriving Harwich at 11:30
next day (sailings are increased to every second day in
June, July & August). See
www.dfds.co.uk
to confirm sailing dates. The Dana Sirena is a
modern and well-run ship, with comfortable cabins, two
restaurants, a bar, coffee shop and lounges, see the
photos below.
Day 2, travel from Harwich to London
by train, leaving Harwich
International station at 13:06 and arriving London Liverpool Street at 14:33.
The train service runs hourly, please check
times for your date of travel at
www.nationalrail.co.uk. On Sundays, you must
change trains at Manningtree.
Introducing DFDS Seaways
ferry "Dana Sirena" from the UK to Denmark...
The Dana
Sirena is a modern and well-run ship, built in 2002.
All passengers travel in cabins, and all cabins have a private
shower & toilet. Facilities on board include the 7 Seas buffet restaurant,
the Blue
Riband ΰ la carte
restaurant, Cafι Lighthouse (with WiFi access for laptops), Columbus Lounge,
and shop. The ship is child-friendly, with children's play
area, child restraints for cabin berths available from
reception, and highchairs available in all restaurants and
lounges. Cabins come in three classes:
Seaways class:
1, 2, 4 or 6 berths with private shower and toilet;
Sirena class: 1
or 2 berth with private shower and toilet, TV (BBC World,
BBC Prime), complimentary minibar, breakfast included;
Commodore
Deluxe: Hotel-style rooms with double bed or two single
beds, TV (BBC Prime, BBC World), small sitting area, private
shower and toilet. Commodore cabins are on their own
deck with exclusive access to the Commodore Lounge which has
sea views, complimentary tea, coffee, snacks, beer and (in
the evening) free wine and spirits, PC with internet access
and WiFi access if you have your own laptop. Commodore
Deluxe is like travelling to Denmark
aboard a
floating hotel, highly recommended..!
Crossing the North Sea with
DFDS Seaways aboard the Dana Sirena...
Commodore class cabin
with double bed, TV, shower & toilet. Yes,
that's an ice bucket on the table with a half bottle
of sparkling wine....
Sirena class cabin
with TV, shower, toilet & minibar.
On board the
Danish InterCity train from Esbjerg to Copenhagen...
Air-conditioned Danish InterCity train.
2nd class seats on board
the InterCity train...
All aboard for Copenhagen..!
How much does it cost?
London to
Harwich by train costs £26 Saver return or £25 full
fare one-way.
Advance reservation isn't necessary, just buy tickets at the
station on the day of travel. Alternatively, if you
book with DFDS Seaways by phone, they can sell you a
London-Harwich train ticket with your ferry ticket for a
special price of around £12 one-way or £24 return.
Harwich to
Esbjerg by ferry starts at around £106 return per person for two people
sharing a 2-bed Seaways class cabin with private toilet and shower or £218 return for one person with
exclusive use of a
cabin. To
check sailing dates, times and fares for different types of
cabin, visit
www.dfds.co.uk.
DFDS
Seaways now has an airline-style pricing system so prices
vary, book early and avoid peak times to get the cheapest fares. Children under 16 travel at
reduced fare. DFDS
won't now let solo passengers share cabins, the whole cabin
must be booked. All passengers must have cabins.
Esbjerg to
Copenhagen by intercity train costs 297 Kr (£27) one way, 594 Kr (£54)
return for adults, or 149 Kr (£14) each way for children and
seniors over 65. Advance reservation is possible but not
necessary, tickets can be bought at the station on the day
and you can just hop on.
Alternatively, if you book with DFDS by phone they can sell you a train ticket with your
ferry ticket, at the same prices. You can check fares at
www.dsb.dk
(Danish Railways).
How to buy tickets...
The cheapest
way to book the ferry is online at
www.dfds.co.uk.
Alternatively, call DFDS Seaways on 0870
5 333 000, although there's a £10 fee for phone bookings.
Phone lines are open 08:30-20:00 Mondays-Fridays,
08:30-17:00 Saturdays, 10:00-16:00 Sundays.
You can buy
your London-Harwich & Esbjerg-Copenhagen train tickets at
the station on the day of travel. No reservation is
necessary, and there's no price advantage in buying tickets
in advance.
If you want to
save queuing at the ticket office, you can buy
the London-Harwich ticket online at
www.nationalrail.co.uk and the Esbjerg-Copenhagen ticket
(with seat reservation) at
www.dsb.dk,
the Danish Railways website. This is in Danish, but
it's not difficult to work out how to use it if you're
familiar with the way such booking systems work. You
pay by credit card then print out your own ticket.
remember that Copenhagen in Danish is 'Kobenhavn'.
Alternatively,
if you book by phone, DFDS can add both UK and
Esbjerg-Copenhagen tickets to your ferry fare, including
making a seat reservation on the Esbjerg-Copenhagen train.
Ask DFDS about special cheap train fares from other UK
stations to Harwich, too.
Taking a lunchtime Eurostar to Brussels, a connecting
high-speed train to Cologne, then the excellent City Night
Line sleeper train overnight to Copenhagen is the fastest
way to get to Denmark without flying. It's both
comfortable and affordable, too.
London ► Copenhagen & Denmark
Travel
from London to Brussels by
Eurostar,
leaving London St Pancras at 14:34
and arriving in Brussels
Midi at 17:33.
Travel
from Brussels to Cologne by
high-speed Thalys train, leaving
Brussels Midi at
18:59 and arriving
in Cologne at 21:15.
Travel from Cologne to Odense
or Copenhagen on the City Night Line overnight train
'Borealis', leaving Cologne at 22:28 and arriving next
morning in Odense at 08:20 & Copenhagen at 09:59.
This train has a sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed rooms, some
with private shower/toilet), couchettes (4-berth &
6-berth) & ordinary seats.
More pictures & information about this City Night Line
train.
Change at Odense for anywhere
else in mainland Denmark, for example Fredericia,
Frederikshavn or Εrhus. Use
www.bahn.de to find connecting train times.
Copenhagen & Denmark ► London
Travel from Copenhagen to
Cologne on the excellent City Night Line overnight train
'Borealis', leaving Copenhagen
at 18:53 or Odense at 20:23 and arriving Cologne at 06:14 next
morning. This train has a modern
air-conditioned sleeping-car, couchettes & ordinary seats.
More pictures & information about this City Night Line
train.
Coming from anywhere else in
mainland Denmark, for example Fredericia, Frederikshavn
or Εrhus, take a
train to Odense to pick up the sleeper to Cologne.
Use
www.bahn.de to find connecting train times.
Travel from Cologne to
Brussels by high-speed
Thalys
train, leaving Cologne daily at 07:45, arriving
Brussels Midi at
10:01.
Introducing the City Night Line sleeper
train 'Borealis' from Cologne to Copenhagen...
The
Cologne-Copenhagen overnight train is one of the German
Railway's excellent City Night Line sleeper trains. It
has a modern sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3-berth deluxe rooms with
private shower and toilet, 1, 2 & 3-berth standard rooms
with washbasin, there's a shower at the end of the corridor
and all rooms have power-points for laptop computers), modern
air-conditioned couchettes (choose between a berth in a 4-
or 6-berth compartment), and ordinary seats (not
recommended). Inclusive fares are charged covering travel
plus sleeping accommodation. More
pictures & information about this City Night Line train.
1, 2 or 3 bed sleeper:
The most comfortable & civilised option, standard with
washbasin or deluxe with shower & toilet.
4-berth couchettes:
Ideal for families, much more space per person than
6-berth couchettes.
6-berth couchettes:
A very economical option, far better than a seat for
just a few euros more...
Above: One of the new
'Comfortline' sleeping-cars used on the Cologne-Copenhagen City Night Line sleeper train.
The easiest way to book train tickets from London to
Copenhagen is at
www.raileurope.co.uk,
because all three trains can be booked as a single
transaction on one UK-based website. If you live
outside the UK, or want to book 4-berth couchettes (which
for some reason raileurope.co.uk currently won't do) then
use
www.eurostar.com &
www.bahn.de
instead (see the next section). It's a good idea to
compare prices for the Cologne-Copenhagen train between
www.raileurope.co.uk
&
www.bahn.de
as they can differ.
Step 1, go to
www.raileurope.co.uk,
but resist the temptation to enter 'London' & 'Copenhagen'
all in one go as this won't find the cheapest fares.
Remember that booking opens 90 days before departure, you
can't book before then. First, enter 'Cologne' &
'Copenhagen' and book the overnight train from Cologne to
Copenhagen & back. Obviously, in the search results simply
look for the direct train with no changes. For some
reason it won't book 4-berth couchettes, and may struggle
with 2-berth sleepers with shower, but if you have any
difficulties like this simply book using
www.bahn.de
instead, as described in the next section. Add this
ticket to your basket and click 'continue shopping'.
Step 2, still at
www.raileurope.co.uk,
now book the train from Brussels to Cologne & back, using
the train times above as your guide. Add this ticket
to your basket and click 'continue shopping'.
Step 3, still at
www.raileurope.co.uk,
now book the Eurostar from London to Brussels & back, using
the train times above as a guide. By all means take an
earlier Eurostar outwards, or a later one back, if it has
cheaper seats available or if you'd like to stop off in
Brussels. Add this to your basket and proceed to the
payment stage.
Tickets can be sent to any UK address and normally arrive
within a couple of days. Only UK credit cards are
accepted.
This method involves two websites, so do a dry run on both
sites to check prices and availability before booking for
real.
Step
1, go to
www.bahn.de (the German Railways
website) and book a sleeper or couchette from Cologne (Kφln Hbf)
to Copenhagen (Koebenhvn H) and back, looking for the cheap
'Savings' fares ('Sparnight' in German). You pay online and print out your
own ticket in .PDF format on your own PC printer.
Easy! I recommend registering when it asks you before
completing the purchase, so you can easily retrieve any
bookings.
Step 2,
go to either
www.eurostar.com
or
www.raileurope.co.uk
and using the train times on this page as your guide, book a ticket from London to Cologne
& back (Cologne is listed as Koln on the Eurostar website).
It's a good idea to try both of these websites, as sometimes
one is cheaper than the other, for some strange reason. Bookings
for Eurostar+Thalys open 90 days (3 months) before
departure, and the further ahead you book, the more likely
you are to see the cheapest fares. Tickets can be
posted to any UK address or collected at St Pancras on
departure. Make sure you allow plenty of
time for the connection in Cologne, preferably between 1½
& 2 hours when connecting with a sleeper train.
It's obvious, but remember that your return departure date from Cologne will
be the day after your departure date from Copenhagen!
Top tip: If you don't see any sensibly-priced
London-Cologne through fares, go to
www.raileurope.co.uk
and try booking in two stages, first London-Brussels & back,
then Brussels-Cologne & back, using the train times above as
your guide. This can be cheaper!
You
may prefer to book by phone. The
recommended UK agencies to book this journey are
Deutsche
Bahn's UK office on 08718 80 80 66
(lines open 09:00-20:00 Monday-Friday,
09:00-13:00 Saturday & Sunday, no booking fee, 2% credit card
charge, no charge for debit cards) or www.europeanrail.com
on 020 7619 1083 (lines open 08:30-17:30 Mon-Fri,
09:00-13:00 Sat, £25 booking fee).Click
here for a list of
agencies and other useful information on how to book.
London to
Copenhagen is too far to go in one day, so the sleeper
service shown above is ideal and very time-effective.
But if you prefer daytime trains and don't mind a slower
journey you can travel from London to Denmark over 2 days
with an overnight hotel stop in Cologne or Hamburg.
London ► Copenhagen by daytime trains
Day 1, travel
from London to Cologne or Hamburg using any of the services
suggested on the London to Germany
page. For example, you can leave London St Pancras
at 14:34, change at Brussels, and arrive Cologne 19:15.
By all means travel earlier & spend some time in Cologne.
Or you could leave London at 12:57, change trains at
Brussels & Cologne, arriving Hamburg at 00:20.
Day 2, travel
from Cologne or Hamburg to Copenhagen by any suitable
daytime train. For example, leave Cologne at 09:11,
change trains at Hamburg (arrive 13:12, depart 13:28) and
arrive Copenhagen 18:11. Or if overnighting in
Hamburg, leave Hamburg at 09:28 arriving Copenhagen 14:11.
Check train times using
www.bahn.de
(English button top right). The train is shunted onto
a ferry for the crossing from Puttgarten in Germany to Rodby
in Denmark, one of the few places in Europe where trains
still go onto ferries. An interesting experience in
itself!
Copenhagen ► London by daytime
trains
Day 1, travel
from Copenhagen to Hamburg or Cologne by any suitable
daytime train. You can check train times for your date
of travel using
www.bahn.de
(English button top right).
Day 2, travel
from Hamburg or Cologne to London using any of the services
suggested on the London to Germany
page.
Fares & how to
buy tickets...
First jot down
each separate train you need to book using the information
above, and the date of travel. I suggest doing a dry
run to check prices & availability on both the relevant websites
before booking for real.
Step 1, book
from London to Cologne & back using
www.eurostar.com. Prices for this start at £85 return. Bookings open
90 days before departure. Tickets can be posted to UK
addresses or collected at St Pancras. Returns may be
cheaper than official on-ways for a one-way trip.
Step 2, if overnighting
in Cologne, go to
www.bahn.de and book from Cologne to Copenhagen
& back online. Prices start at just 39 euros (£33) one-way, 78 euros (£66) return if
you book well in advance (maximum 90 days ahead).
If overnighting
in Hamburg, go to
www.bahn.de. First book from Cologne-Hamburg
& back for day 1 of your outward journey and day 2 of your
return journey. Then click 'add another ticket' and
book from Hamburg to Copenhagen & back for day 2 of your
outward journey and day 1 of your return journey.
Cologne to Hamburg starts at 29 euro (£24) each way, Hamburg
to Copenhagen starts at 39 euro (£33) each way.
Traveller's
reports...
Traveller Ian
Dow reports on a ride on a Hamburg-Copenhagen EuroCity
train, which goes onto a special train ferry to cross to
Denmark: "The ferry portion is from Puttgarden to
Rodby. The ferry has already been loaded with cars and
lorries, and the train is loaded last. On our journey,
the train stops at Puttgarden station and then moves on to
the ferry terminal, it then slows but runs straight to the
ferry, moving on board at fairly slow speed. It then stopped
about half a metre from the front (in the front First class
the Guard had held the door to the drivers can open and we
could see through). The train then edged slowly forward.
At the front of the ferry on the bulkhead doors is an
auto-coupler and the train couples on to this to ensure it
does not move during the journey. The train engines then
stop, the doors open and you can get off, as there is a sort
of platform step on the ferry. Once the train is docked, the
ferry doors closed and we departed immediately. The
trip on the ferry is just 30 minutes, and you get off to use
the ferry facilities, you can also inspect the train
arrangements. The EuroCity train is designed to fit and when
I was on it, there was less than a half metre at the back of
the train between it and the ferry doors. The track runs
through the centre of the ferry, with cars and lorries on
either side. You had better make sure that you are back on
board the train in time at the end of the ferry trip, as it
does not hang about! The ferry takes a little longer
than a normal car ferry to line up at the destination, but
once it has, the doors open, the track is locked in place,
and the train engines start, and we are off, pretty fast.
We made a brief stop at the Rodby station, then continued to
Copenhagen."
The Thomas Cook European Timetable
The
Thomas Cook European timetable
has train & ferry times for every country in Europe plus currency
& climate
information. Published since 1873, it costs £13.99.
It's essential for any serious traveller
and an inspiration for armchair travellers. Still
not convinced you need one? More information
on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains. You can
buy the latest monthly edition online at
www.thomascooktimetables.com with worldwide delivery or
buy it in person from any UK branch of Thomas Cook (ask at the
bureau de change), or from W H Smiths in Victoria or Kings
Cross stations in London.
Or
buy the twice-yearly independent traveller's edition with
laminated cover from Amazon.co.uk:
2009 edition (June to December 2009)
The Thomas Cook Rail Map of
Europe is the best and most comprehensive
map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the
west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland
in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south. High speed
&
scenic routes are highlighted. Highly recommended!
Buy online
at www.amazon.co.uk
(worldwide delivery).
See an extract from
the map.
Find a hotel in
Copenhagen or anywhere in
Denmark...
The
search box below links to
www.hotelscombined.com, a free search tool
which checks all the main hotel booking sites (Expedia, Travelocity, LateRooms, Opodo, Venere,
Asiarooms and many others) to find just about the widest range
of hotels with the cheapest rates on the net.
www.hostelbookers.com: If you're on a tight budget,
don't forget about backpacker hostels. Hostelbookers
offers online booking of cheap private rooms or dorm beds in
backpacker hostels in Copenhagen and most
other European cities at rock-bottom prices.
Travel insurance & health card
Travel insurance..
Travel insurance is boring, but a necessity, so
never travel without it. Make sure your cover is adequate, at least £1m or preferably £5m medical cover,
from a reliable insurer. It should also cover loss of
cash (up to a limit) and belongings, and cancellation. An annual
multi-trip policy is usually cheaper than several single-trip
policies even for just 2 or 3 trips
a year (I have an annual policy myself). Here are some suggested insurers.
Seat61 gets a small commission if you buy through these
links.
If you live in the UK, get quotes from
Direct Line,
Columbus Direct & the Environmental Transport Association
(click the banner below).
I've used Direct Line myself and on one occasion, successfully
claimed back the cost of non-refundable Eurostar & trainhotel
tickets to Spain when we cancelled the trip because my mother
fell ill. ETA offer discounts on insurance for
non-flying trips, so give them a try too although I have yet
to use them myself.
Feedback from
using insurance for rail & ferry travel is always welcome!
UK citizens travelling in Europe should carry a European
Health Insurance Card. This replaces the old E111 forms
as from January 2006. The EHIC card is available free
from
www.ehic.org.uk and entitles you to free or reduced rate
health care if you become ill or get injured in many European
countries, under a reciprocal arrangement with the UK's NHS.
If you live in the UK, get quotes from
If you live in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or the
EU, see
If you live in the USA or Canada, see