Copenhagen Airline Crew Layover Guide
Reviewed by Captain AL
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The CPH crew card
| Fastest into town | Metro line M2 from the station at Terminal 3 reaches the centre of Copenhagen in 14 min; the station is above ground, with two lifts |
|---|---|
| First / last run | M2 keeps running through the night: about every 8 min between 01 and 07 after Friday and Saturday, then about every 20 min on nights after Sunday to Thursday |
| Payments | Buy in the Rejsekort app or the Rejsebillet app, on a Basiskort, or from the ticket machines at every metro station; a journey on a Basiskort, Rejsekort, or Rejsekort app is 20 percent cheaper outside rush hour. The physical Rejsekort card is being phased out, closing date 29 June 2026 |
| Tap water | Safe to drink |
| Emergency | 112 (112 gets you police, ambulance, fire, or environmental authorities, and every 112 call is recorded; use 114 for anything that is not urgent, dialled as +45 114 from a foreign phone) |
| Solo & at night | Copenhagen Police keeps a station about 300 metres from the east entrance of Terminal 3, open 06:15 to 21:00 on weekdays and 06:15 to 16:00 at weekends; 112 for emergencies, 114 for everything that is not urgent |
| Crew knows | Airport lockers bill by the hour, but the daily maximum catches them fast. Small is DKK 50 an hour against a DKK 100 daily maximum, large DKK 80 against DKK 150, and checked-in size DKK 100 against DKK 200, so every size reaches its ceiling at roughly two hours: a quick harbour walk and a full day in town cost the same to store a bag. Pick the P7A bank under the Clarion Hotel over the P4 bank by the Terminal 2 entrance, because P7A sits next to the metro and Terminal 3, and the M2 from that station does the centre in 14 minutes. Neither bank can be booked ahead. |
| Crew deals | Verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff: on this page, right below this guide. |
airlinecrewdiscount.net · CPH crew card · Checked Aug 2026 · Next check Nov 2026 · Screenshot this card for offline
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Getting from Copenhagen Airport (Kastrup) to the City Centre by M2 metro, train, city bus, or metered taxi
The metro, the train, and the city bus all leave from Terminal 3, and one DOT ticket system covers the lot. Metro if you want the centre fast. Train if Copenhagen Central or onward rail is where you are really going. Taxis run on a meter under a national price cap, and no official total for the ride is published anywhere.
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| Mode | Time | Cost | Good to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro line M2 | 14 min from Terminal 3 to the centre of Copenhagen | adult single for three zones DKK 30 on the DOT 2026 fare sheet | The metro station is part of Terminal 3, a short walk from arrivals. M2 heads towards Vanløse and links the airport with Christianshavn, Kongens Nytorv, and Nørreport, per m.dk/en/travel-with-the-metro/from-copenhagen-airport-to-copenhagen-central-station-the-easiest-way-to-travel/. M2 crosses zones 1 to 4, but a ring-zone rule caps the fare at three zones. The 14-minute time and the station description come from m.dk/en/plan-your-trip/koebenhavns-lufthavn/, the DKK 30 fare from dinoffentligetransport.dk/media/wlfdfnbo/dot-takstblad-2026-a.pdf. |
| Train from Copenhagen Airport station | same DOT ticket system as the metro and the bus; the DOT 2026 fare sheet prices an adult single at DKK 24 for two zones and DKK 30 for three, and no opened official page states how many zones the airport to city centre trip covers by train | The station sits at Terminal 3, 2770 Kastrup. DSB says trains to the airport run often and that you can count on finding a departure even in the middle of the night. The DOT station map at dinoffentligetransport.dk/media/ujsnwyxm/dot_stationskort_cph-airport_web.pdf puts track 2 towards København H (Copenhagen Central) and Roskilde, track 1 towards Malmö C in Sweden; the airport operator page cph.dk/en/parking-transport/bus-train-metro-taxi/train adds that the trains use tracks 1 and 2 at Terminal 3 and that tickets cannot be bought on board. So buy before you board. Journey time and headway are published on no official page opened this session, which is why both fields stay empty. | |
| City bus (lines 5C, 35, and 36) | same DOT ticket system as the metro and the train; the DOT 2026 fare sheet prices an adult single at DKK 24 for two zones and DKK 30 for three, and no opened official page states how many zones the airport to city centre trip covers by bus | The stop marked Københavns Lufthavn beside Ellehammersvej is served by lines 5C, 35, and 36. Separate terminal buses run to the Car Rental Centre and to car parks P15, P17, and P19, and the airport operator calls that terminal bus free and describes the same route (cph.dk/en/parking-transport/bus-train-metro-taxi/bus). Times and headways for lines 5C, 35, and 36 appear on no official page opened this session, so those fields stay empty. The fare comes from dinoffentligetransport.dk/media/wlfdfnbo/dot-takstblad-2026-a.pdf. | |
| Taxi | metered, under the national 2026 price cap: DKK 94.68 start plus DKK 14.20 per km on weekdays, and DKK 106.52 start plus DKK 20.13 per km evenings and nights (18:00 to 06:00) and at weekends | These are ceilings set by the Danish Road Traffic Authority from 1 January 2026 and indexed by 3 percent, not the price any single operator charges. The weekend band runs from Friday 18:00 to Monday 06:00 and covers public holidays. The time rate is capped as well, at DKK 473.44 per hour on weekdays and DKK 532.59 per hour in the higher band. Vehicles built for 6 to 9 people carry a steeper per-km cap, DKK 21.30 on weekdays and DKK 30.19 in the same band, and 1 January, 24 to 26 December, and 31 December carry a higher cap again. The airport operator puts the taxi pick-up point directly outside Terminal 3 (cph.dk/en/parking-transport/bus-train-metro-taxi/taxi). What none of that gives you is a total, because no official total for an airport to city centre trip is published. |
Best Areas for Crew Stays in Copenhagen, from Indre By and Nyhavn to Vesterbro and Nørrebro
Indre By: The old core around Strøget and Kongens Nytorv, small enough to cross on foot. On a short window this is where you go.
Nyhavn: The painted harbour front next to Kongens Nytorv. Photo stop and canal boat departure point, not an evening plan.
Christianshavn: Canals and houseboats at a slower pace, on the same M2 line you rode in on.
Vesterbro: The old meatpacking quarter behind Copenhagen Central Station, food and bars in a compact grid. Best of the five if you are staying near the station.
Nørrebro: Mixed and young. The lakes and Assistens Cemetery are the walk for a day when you want green rather than shopping.
What to Do on a Layover in Copenhagen: is five hours enough to leave Terminal 3?
Under 5 hours: Stay in the terminal. The metro and train platforms sit inside Terminal 3, so town looks close from the moment you clear arrivals, and that is the trap: the walk back and the security queue eat a short window.
5 to 9 hours: Now the centre is realistic. 14 minutes each way on the metro leaves a usable block for the old town, the harbour front, and one sit-down meal. Keep the return buffer untouched.
9 hours plus: A full Copenhagen day works. Museums and the harbour in daylight, Christianshavn or Nørrebro after dark, and the night metro covers the late run back to Terminal 3.
Crew Tips for Copenhagen and Copenhagen Airport: the Rejsekort card that is closing, the off-peak discount, and where a bag waits at P4 and P7A
Public transport payments: Tickets come from the Rejsekort app, the Rejsebillet app, a Basiskort, or the machines at every metro station. A personal Basiskort costs DKK 50, an anonymous one DKK 80. Start a journey outside rush hour on a Basiskort, Rejsekort, or Rejsekort app and it is 20 percent cheaper, and outside rush hour here means 11:00 to 13:00 and 18:00 to 07:00 Monday to Friday, plus all day Saturday, all day Sunday, and public holidays. Diary this one: the physical Rejsekort card is closing, with 29 June 2026 given as the closing date.
What a ticket costs: The DOT fare sheet in force since 18 January 2026 prices an adult single at DKK 24 for two zones and DKK 30 for three. Rejsekort fares on the same sheet run DKK 22 and DKK 28, plus a DKK 1.75 supplement on the metro, and the physical card closes on 29 June 2026. City Pass Small costs DKK 100 for one day, DKK 160 for two, and DKK 220 for three, and DSB states that it covers zones 1 to 4 and travel to and from Copenhagen Airport and the city centre (dsb.dk/en/travelling-in-the-cities/copenhagen/). Children buy singles at 50 percent off.
Mobile data: Denmark is in the EU, so an EU or EEA SIM works at domestic rates under the roam like at home rules, which also cover Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Moldova, and Ukraine. Operators may still apply a fair use data cap, set at EUR 1.30 per GB plus VAT in 2025 and dropping to EUR 1 per GB plus VAT from 2027. Bring a SIM from outside that group and you have no such protection.
Luggage storage: Copenhagen Airport rents self-service lockers in car park P4 (ground floor, in the Kiss and Fly area opposite the Terminal 2 entrance) and in P7A (under the Clarion Hotel, next to the metro and Terminal 3). There are 330 of them in three sizes, accessible 24 hours a day, maximum rental 7 consecutive days, and no, you cannot book one in advance. Per hour they cost DKK 50 for small (28 x 50.5 x 60.2 cm), DKK 80 for large (43 x 50.5 x 60.2 cm), and DKK 100 for checked-in size (34 x 55 x 83.7 cm), against a maximum per day of DKK 100, DKK 150, and DKK 200. In town the alternative is staffed: DSB runs a Bagagecenter at Copenhagen Central Station, open 05:30 to 01:00 Monday to Saturday and 06:00 to 01:00 on Sundays and public holidays, at DKK 75 for a small bag and DKK 95 for a large one per started 24 hours, DKK 70 for a small locker (35x45x90 cm) and DKK 90 for a large one (35x60x90 cm), and DKK 100 if you lose the ticket (dsb.dk/find-produkter-og-services/bagagecenter/).
If something is stolen: Call 112 if the thief is still there or has just run. For a theft after the fact it is +45 114, or you report it in person at the nearest police station. The police send a receipt with a case number by email, and that receipt is the document your insurer will ask for. Reporting the loss to the insurer is still on you.
Medical care gotcha: You cannot simply walk into a Danish emergency department. For acute illness or injury that is not life threatening, you phone first: your own doctor, the on-call doctor, or the regional acute telephone, and the citizen portal states this holds in every region. Life threatening cases go to 112.
Emergency Numbers for Copenhagen, Copenhagen Airport, and Denmark
👉 Swipe sideways if the numbers do not fit
| Emergency (police, ambulance, fire, environmental authorities) | 112 |
| Police, non-urgent matters and reporting a crime | 114 |
| Police, non-urgent, from a foreign phone | +45 114 |
| Copenhagen Airport Police Station (Petersdalvej 1A, 2770 Kastrup) | +45 3314 1448 |
| Denmark country code (calling from abroad) | +45 |
Save these before you fly; numbers work from any phone.
How do I get from Copenhagen Airport to the city centre?
Take metro line M2. It leaves from the station at Terminal 3 and reaches the centre of Copenhagen in 14 minutes, connecting the airport with Christianshavn, Kongens Nytorv, and Nørreport. Trains from the same terminal run from track 2 to København H (Copenhagen Central) and Roskilde, and city buses 5C, 35, and 36 serve the Københavns Lufthavn stop by the terminal. Taxis run on a meter under a national price cap of DKK 94.68 plus DKK 14.20 per km on weekdays.
How much is a ticket from Copenhagen Airport to central Copenhagen?
DKK 30 for an adult single across three zones, and the ring-zone rule means an M2 journey is never charged for more than three. City Pass Small, which DSB says covers zones 1 to 4 and travel to and from the airport, costs DKK 100 for one day, DKK 160 for two, and DKK 220 for three.
Does the Copenhagen metro run at night?
Yes. M2 keeps running through the night, about every 8 minutes between 01 and 07 on nights after Friday and Saturday, and about every 20 minutes between 01 and 07 on nights after Sunday to Thursday. By day it is about every 2 minutes in rush hour (07-09 and 14-18), and about every 3 minutes for the rest of the day, through the evening, and at weekends.
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Crew Discounts in Copenhagen: verified car rental and hotel rates for airline staff sit right below this guide. Bookmark this page before you walk out to the M2 platform at Terminal 3. Next Copenhagen rotation you start on the rates, not in a search box.
