Planning a trip to Sweden (ending up in Stockholm) next summer and would like to visit Copenhagen before returning home. We can get on a plane, but I'm wondering if there are benefits to taking the train. Is seeing the countryside between the two cities worth the extra time it would take to ride the rails?
Posted by
Copenhagen, Denmark
971 posts
I travel between Copenhagen and Stockholm 3-4 times a year.
The view of the countryside is pleasant enough, but not spectacular. It’s mostly lots of woods with a sprinkling if farms here and there.
The real benefit of the train is comfort in my opinion. It’s 5 hours in a comfy seat, with wifi and you can but Coffee and snacks. It’s city centre to city centre and there is no hassle of going to an from airports, baggage check in, security check or boarding. Also if booked in advance the train can be very cheap.
Posted by
Sweden
6363 posts
Just make sure you don't fool yourself, the extra time the train takes is maybe 15-20 minutes or so. The question you should be asking yourself is, "is it worth all the extra money and hassle to save maybe 20 minutes?".
Buy a train ticket well in advance and you can get a ticket for 195 SEK. Flying cost 549 SEK bought in advance, then you need to add the cost of getting to and from the airport. The train is also very comfortable, a 2nd class train seat is way better than every intra european airline business class seat. And if you bring a book, the train will give you 5 hours of uninterrupted reading, flying at most 1.5 hours of usable time. (Replace the book with something else if you prefer, the point is that while the train takes slightly longer, it wastes less time.)
Posted by
Sweden
6363 posts
Another thing, when buying train tickets, buy them at www.sj.se, don't use a 3rd party reseller.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thanks very much for your comments! Definitely leaning toward the train now!
Posted by
Malmö, Sweden
128 posts
Another option is the night train to Malmö and then commuter train from Malmö to Copenhagen in the morning. The night train doesn't depart on Saturdays. You save a hotel night and spend zero sightseeing time on transport.
Note that between 22 June and 16 August there is a big track work in Stockholm. High speed trains will depart from Stockholm Södra instead of the central station. It is one stop with commuter train and there is also a metro station close by.
The night train departed from central station and did a detour part of the summer 2019 and departed from a Flemingsberg (commuter train station 20 mins from Stockholm) the other part. Not sure how it will be this summer.
Posted by
OP
3 posts
Thank you!