This guide will help you get to Copenhagen without a plane. We've detailed the steps you need to take to get there, the total time required, the budget and the carbon footprint.
step 1: Hamburg
The most logical, straightforward and comfortable way to get to Copenhagen without a plane is to first fly to Hamburg, in northern Germany. To do this, first board a Eurostar (formerly Thalys) train bound for Cologne. The journey takes 3 h 20 and there are several departures a day from Paris. You can also take the same train to Brussels or Liège. If you're departing from another city, you'll usually have to make a connection.
Once in Cologne, board a direct train to Hamburg. The journey takes 4 hours on the ICE, the German high-speed train, and is operated several times a day by Deutsche Bahn, Germany's main rail company. Be sure to bring some ballast for your connection, however, as German trains have a reputation for running late.
Read on for more inspiration: our selection of destinations where you can go without flying from France.
2nd stage: Hamburg - Copenhagen
Once you've arrived in Hamburg, continue your journey to Copenhagen without flying, by boarding a train directly to Denmark's capital. Deutsche Bahn operates several trains a day. Allow 4 h 45 for the journey. Once there, you can plan your stay with our Copenhagen itinerary tips.
Once there, discover the city's most popular activities:
Another option: the bus
While Copenhagen is accessible by train from France, it's also possible to get there by bus. Flixbus offers a direct bus service from Paris to Copenhagen. The journey will be longer, taking 19 h 15, but it will also be less expensive. It's an ideal option for those on a tight budget, but will certainly be less comfortable and more tiring.
How to get to Copenhagen without a plane
Getting to Copenhagen without a plane using the train itinerary suggested above requires a total journey time of around 12 hours, not including stopovers. The journey can be broken down as follows:
- Train from Paris to Cologne: 3 hrs 20 min.
- Train from Cologne to Hamburg: 4 hrs.
- Train from Hamburg to Copenhagen: 4 h 45.
If you're well organized and take the first train to Cologne in the morning, you can completely combine all three trains on the same day. Once again, remember to leave some time between each train. German trains are notorious for their delays.
What's the budget for going to Copenhagen by train?
The price of a train ticket to Copenhagen is difficult to estimate, as it depends on a number of factors. First of all, the price will vary depending on whether you choose to travel by bus or by train. The time of year also plays a role, since tickets are more expensive during the tourist season. To minimize your budget, try to book as early as possible. You can also travel outside these busier periods, remaining flexible on dates and opting for non-cancellable tickets, which are often less expensive. To get a more reliable idea of how much you'll need to budget to travel to Copenhagen without a plane, we recommend you visit the websites of the transport companies concerned- SNCF, Deutsche Bahn and Flixbus - to obtain the precise price for your travel date.
Here's a budget estimate for a train journey to Copenhagen via Hamburg:
- Tickets from €30 for the train journey from Paris to Cologne are available, but you'll need to book several months in advance.
- If you book in advance, you can find train tickets from Cologne to Hamburg from €35.
- Tickets for the direct Hamburg-Copenhagen route are available from €30, provided you book early.
In short, if you book your train early and travel outside the tourist season, the whole journey can cost around €95. You'll need to add food, whose budget will vary depending on whether you opt for sandwiches at the station or restaurants during stopovers, and possibly accommodation if you want to take a break at the various stops in Cologne and Hamburg.
As for the bus, you can find tickets from Paris to Copenhagen from €60. Here again, it's advisable to book well in advance.
Related article: get more inspiration for your next trip with our selection of European cities accessible without a plane.
What is the carbon footprint of a train journey to Copenhagen?
To calculate the carbon footprint of your travels, you can use the ADEME tool. According to its estimates, the emissions of a train journey from Paris to Copenhagen are as follows:
- 1.3 kg ofCO2 emitted for the trip from Paris to Cologne by TGV.
- 1.3 kg ofCO2 emissions for the Cologne to Hamburg TGV journey.
- 1.5 kg ofCO2 emitted for the journey from Hamburg to Copenhagen by TGV.
In total, 4.1 kg ofCO2 are emitted for the entire train journey. If you wish to make the journey by bus, this score rises to 36.5 kg ofCO2 emitted. That's more than by train, but much less than by plane. Indeed, it takes 193 kg ofCO2 emissions to fly from Paris to Copenhagen. On the ground, you can continue your eco-responsible actions, especially as Copenhagen rewards sustainable tourism.
Book your train tickets now to take advantage of more affordable fares:
