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The train link to Denmark & Scandinavia...

Air-conditioned Intercity trains link Hamburg with Copenhagen in around 4h40 with fares from €28.90.  There are 3 trains a day in each direction all year round, but in summer 2022 this will expand to 5 trains each way.  You can check train times & buy tickets at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.

Since December 2019 these Hamburg-Copenhagen trains take the long way round through Flensburg & Odense via the Great Belt Fixed Link and no longer go on the Puttgarden-Rødby train ferry.  On the plus side, this is 18 minutes quicker and as trains are no longer limited to 3 cars to fit on the ferry, most departures are now 6 cars.  Trains will use this route while the direct line via Puttgarden is rebuilt and the Fehmarn Link constructed, fast trains Hamburg-Copenhagen won't start using this new fast route until at least 2029.

  What's the train like?

  What the journey like?

  Travel tips

  Route map

  How much does it cost?

  How to buy tickets

Train times northbound until 10 December 2022

Train times northbound from 11 December 2022

Hamburg to Copenhagen is 522 km or 324 miles by train via this route.

Train times southbound until 10 December 2022

Train times southbound from 11 December 2022

Copenhagen to Hamburg is 522 km (324 miles) by train via this route.

What are the trains like?

Hamburg-Copenhagen trains are now operated by Danish IC3 trains like this, shown in the timetable as IC for Intercity, a generic term used by many European train operators for quality trains.  IC3 trains are 3-car articulated diesel units, Hamburg-Copenhagen trains are usually composed of two units making up a 6-car train.  There is a small 1st class section at one end of each unit.  IC3 trains are air-conditioned and there's free WiFi.  There's no catering car on these trains (other than the complimentary tea/instant coffee for 1st class passengers, see travel tips), so bring your own along.  Read more about IC3s at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IC3.

Future plans:  From April 2023, these IC3 will start to be replaced by Intercity cars leased from DB (German Railways) and hauled by a DSB electric locomotive, bringing a welcome increase in capacity.  However, this is temporary as from 2024 brand new articulated trains are being built by Talgo for this route.  Service in 2023 remains 3 per day all year and 5 in summer, but from 2024 it is hoped to run 4 trains per day all year, 5 most of the year and up to 7 per day in summer.

The late afternoon Hamburg-Copenhagen IC3 leaving platform 5 at Hamburg Hbf on a busy summer day.  The yellow stripe above the windows indicates first class, located at one end of both 3-car units.

Boarding a Danish IC3 train at Hamburg Hbf...		1st class seats on an IC3 train.  Larger photo.

2nd class seats on a IC3 train.  Larger photo.		An IC3 train to Copenhagen at Hamburg.

1st class armchairs, showing the complimentary tea & coffee area.

A Hamburg-Copenhagen IC3 at Copenhagen station.

The trains no longer go on a ferry...

The highlight of the journey used to be the 50-minute ferry crossing between Puttgarden in Germany & Rødby in Denmark where the train went onto a ship.  The Vogelfluglinie (as the crow flies) route from Hamburg to Copenhagen via the Puttgarden-Rødby train ferry dates from 1963, but trains ceased using it (and the train ferry) as of 15 December 2019.  The planned Fehmarn Belt Fixed Link will ultimately replace the ferry with a tunnel, dramatically cutting travel time between Germany and Copenhagen, probably from 2029.  The associated railway lines are being modernised and Hamburg-Copenhagen trains are currently being re-routed the long way round via Padborg, Kolding, Odense and the Great Belt Fixed Link.

The train entering the ferry.  Photo courtesy of Keith White.		IC3 train on board the ferry.  Courtesy Tom Simpson.

The Rendsburg Loop & High Bridge...

There are still things to see on the way.  Just north of Hamburg, the trains to Copenhagen cross the high and imposing Rendsburg High Bridge (Rendsburger Hochbrücke) over the Kiel Canal, built 1911-1913, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendsburg_High_Bridge.  The bridge is 42m (138 feet) above the canal, it's also a transporter bridge, with a gondola suspended below the deck ferrying cars across the canal.  The trains then go around the Rendsburg Loop to lose height (see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendsburg_Loop) before passing non-stop through Rendsburg station.  You can see Rendsburg marked on the route map below.  On the map you'll see another loop at Flensburg, but these trains don't call at Flensburg and by-pass that loop.

Crossing the Rendsburg High Bridge above the Kiel Canal.

The Hamburg to Copenhagen train has crossed the Rendsburg High Bridge and is about to go around the Rendsburg Loop.  Photo courtesy of Discoverbyrail.com.

The Little Belt...

Between Kolding and Odense, the Hamburg-Copenhagen trains cross a bridge over the Little Belt (Lillebælt in Danish) from Jutland (mainland Denmark) to Funen, the island on which Odense is located, see the route map below.

The Great Belt...

Between Odense and Ringsted, the Hamburg-Copenhagen trains cross the Great Belt Fixed Link from Funen to Zealand, the island on which Copenhagen is located, see the route map below.  For a century, trains were ferried across this stretch of water on a train ferry, this ended when the Fixed Link opened to trains in 1997.  It opened to road traffic in 1998.  The Great Belt Fixed Link is 18 km (11 miles) long, consisting of a box-girder bridge for the western section for both road and railway, then a suspension bridge for road traffic and tunnel for the railway for the eastern section.  It's a major piece of engineering, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Belt_Fixed_Link.  The photo below shows the view of the Great Belt Fixed Link from a Hamburg to Copenhagen train about to cross it.  The train crosses the West Bridge next to the road, then uses the East Tunnel while the road passes over the East Bridge, visible in the background here.  Photo courtesy of Peter Kincey.

Travel tips...

• 1st or 2nd class? 

  2nd class is absolutely fine.  The seats in both classes are very similar, 1st class ones are a bit wider and arranged 2+1 across the car width rather than 2+2, so you get more elbow room and fewer people per car, and there are solo seats and face-to-face tables-for-two on one side of the aisle, that and complimentary tea/coffee are the only significant differences.

  The small 1st class section at one end of each 3-car unit is indicated by a yellow stripe above the windows.

• Food & drink on board...

  There's no catering, so bring your own food & drink.  In 1st class there is a self-service area with flasks of hot water, tea and instant coffee whilst the train is in Denmark.  The flasks are removed whilst the train is in Germany.

• A seat reservation is strongly recommended, and compulsory in summer...

  Seat reservations are optional for most of the year on this route as on most German & Danish trains, but they are compulsory for the peak summer period from June to September as demand for seats can exceeds supply in the summer months.  However, I strongly recommend reserving a seat at any time of year, as these trains have limited seats and demand often exceeds supply.

• Tickets appear to be on sale, but booking won't complete?

  German Railways put tickets on sale up to 6 months ahead.  But seat reservations are compulsory on this route in summer, so a ticket cannot be sold without one.  Seat reservation inventory is handled by DSB (Danish Railways), who usually just load seat reservation inventory only 2 months ahead.  So if you try to book but it fails to go through and this is usually the reason.  A known issue!  If it'll let you, buy the ticket to lock in the price, then come back 2 months ahead and make a seat reservation.  If it won't let you buy, come back closer to travel date.

• To make a seat reservation if you have a Eurail or Interrail pass or have already bought a ticket...

  Bahn.de lets you add a seat reservation when you buy a ticket, and most of the time it can sell stand-alone seat reservations on this route if you already have a ticket or have an Interrail or Eurail pass.  Seat reservations usually open 2 months ahead, you simply run the enquiry using the Seat only (no ticket) link.  If booking isn't open or can't be done for any other reason it'll say reservation impossible.

  If you have any problems reserving at bahn.de, you can also make a stand-alone seat reservation at the Danish Railways website www.dsb.dk:  Click In English right at the bottom of the page, then scroll back up & click Train ticket to Europe.  Now click Buy your international seat reservation and run the relevant enquiry.  Here's a direct link to save you doing all that:  travel.b-europe.com/dsb-rail/en/reservation-only (please let me know if it changes).  The seat reservation costs around 30Kr, about €4.  The fact that a price is shown doesn't mean booking is open, you only know that it's open and space is available when you click to reserve.  You print your own reservation.

• Finding & boarding your train...

  As with most European trains, there's no check-in, just board the train any time before the doors close and off it goes.  The platform number will be shown on the departure screens all around the station.  If you run an enquiry at German Railways www.bahn.de it'll usually tell you the planned platform number at Hamburg Hbf.

• First class lounges...

  In Hamburg, if you have a full-fare Flexpreis first class ticket you can use the DB Lounge at Hamburg Hbf before or after your journey, with complimentary refreshments & free WiFi.  However, you can't use the lounge with an Interrail or Eurail pass, or an advance-purchase Sparpreis or Supersparpreis fare.

  In Copenhagen, anyone with any 1st class ticket including a 1st class Interrail or Eurail pass may use the DSB 1 lounge on the main concourse, with complimentary tea, coffee & free WiFi.  It's only open on Mondays-Fridays, see the Copenhagen station page for opening hours.

• Luggage & bikes...

  Like any European train, you take your bags into the train with you and stick them on any suitable rack near your seat.  There are overhead racks above your seat which take anything up to backpack size.  Nobody weighs or measures bags, so no worries.  Bikes are not carried on this route.

• Power sockets and WiFi...

  You'll find power sockets at all seats and free WiFi, although the WiFi only works when the train is in Denmark.  Danish Railways (DSB) free WiFi will appear on your phone or laptop as TDC.

• See Hamburg Hbf station information.

• See Copenhagen station information.

• General information for train travel in Europe.

Route map...

How much does it cost?

• Advance-purchase tickets start at €28.90 in 2nd class, €59.90 in 1st class.

  If you're happy to book ahead and commit to a specific train, these Sparpreis fares are what you want.  They are only valid on the specific train you book, limited or no refunds or changes to travel plans.  Prices vary, with limited availability at each price level, they sell out close to departure, but they're often available even a few days in advance.

• The fully-flexible fare is around €98 in 2nd class, €151 in 1st class.

  If you want to stay flexible and/or buy a ticket at the station on the day, the Flexpreis fare is what you pay.  This is good for any train that day.  Unlimited availability, they can't sell out.

How to buy tickets...

• Buy online at the German Railways website www.bahn.de.

  Booking opens up to 6 months in advance, but significantly less than this when the mid-December timetable change intervenes.

• Seat reservation is optional for a small extra charge (about €5 per seat) except May-September when it becomes compulsory and is included free of charge.  Reservation is strongly recommended all year round as these trains get very busy.

  Tip:  You can only add a seat reservation within 2 months of departure, the booking may fail if you try to buy a ticket with seat reservation added more than 2 months before travel.  The solution if booking 3-6 months out is to buy the ticket without any seat reservation to lock in the cheap price, then come back later and make a separate seat reservation 2 months or less before departure, as explained in the Travel tips section above.

• You print your own ticket or can show it on your laptop or smartphone.

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