Copenhagen Public Transport: Zones, City Pass and Ticket Validation

Copenhagen uses shared tickets for the metro, buses, S-trains and other covered public transport: you choose the zones and validity rather than buying a separate ticket for every vehicle. For a short visit, compare single tickets with City Pass Small or Large, then choose how to carry the ticket.

The important distinction in 2026 is between Rejsebillet, which sells tickets, and the Rejsekort app, which records a journey through check-in and check-out. The old physical Rejsekort has been discontinued. This guide covers ordinary transport, airport travel and ticket use, with official information checked on 28 October 2026.

Start with where you need to travel

A visitor staying within Copenhagen may only need zones 1–4, the area covered by City Pass Small. That area includes Copenhagen Airport. Travelling farther into the region changes the comparison: City Pass Large covers zones 1–99, while neither name promises unlimited travel across Denmark or into Sweden.

Try RoadMe to work out a complete personal Copenhagen trip plan around your interests, available time and preferred pace. Planning the stay in the app is more convenient than assembling disconnected places, and makes it easier to choose transport that supports the visits you actually want.

Separate the area from the duration. A longer Small pass does not become a Large pass, and a wider Large pass does not include extra days. Check both fields before paying, especially when choosing accommodation outside the centre or adding a regional visit.

Zones: use the whole journey, not the numbers alone

Zone numbers identify areas. They are not prices, and subtracting the number at your destination from the number at your starting point does not calculate the fare. The minimum ordinary single ticket covers two zones, even for a short ride.

For a visitor, the practical method is to enter the actual starting stop and destination in Rejsebillet or a journey planner. Check the suggested journey and the ticket offered for it. An address near a familiar attraction can still involve a different starting zone or connection.

Include every transfer when checking coverage. A metro diagram shows lines and interchanges; it is not a substitute for the fare-zone information. If an accommodation booking says “Copenhagen area”, that description alone does not establish whether City Pass Small covers the final stop.

For the general principles behind these checks, see our guide to public transport tickets, zones and validation abroad. Here the decisive local distinction is between the shared network ticket and the method used to buy or register it.

Single tickets: current prices and time limits

The cheapest ordinary adult single ticket costs DKK 24 for two zones. The metro operator lists a validity of one hour and 15 minutes. The usual airport-to-centre three-zone single costs DKK 30 and is valid for one hour and 30 minutes.

These are different products from a 24-hour pass. A single ticket lets you use covered transport within its paid area and valid time; changing from a train to a bus does not automatically create a second fare. Check the displayed expiry and the complete connection rather than assuming every boarding needs a new purchase.

Conversely, a long museum visit may end after that ticket has expired. Keeping the original paper or seeing the old purchase in your phone does not make it valid for the evening. Count separate paid periods when comparing the day’s costs.

The airport price is a useful reference, not a universal fare for every hotel in the region. Select the real arrival and destination stops. A journey farther beyond the centre can require a different number of zones.

City Pass Small and Large: adult prices

The current official fare sheet gives the following adult prices. These are transport passes, without museum or attraction admission. Small covers zones 1–4 and Large covers zones 1–99; both offer the durations below.

A five-day stay does not necessarily need five days of unlimited transport. If you walk on some days, compare a shorter pass plus individual journeys. Equally, buying repeated 24-hour passes can cost more than the appropriate continuous product for the same covered period.

Other City Pass areas exist for western or southern Zealand and a broader X-Large area. Their names and durations differ. They are not upgrades you need simply because you are visiting Denmark: first establish which area your actual journeys require.

Does the pass save money? Count tickets, not stops

Here is a deliberately limited calculation for one adult. Four separate two-zone tickets cost DKK 96; five cost DKK 120. City Pass Small for the same 24-hour period costs DKK 100, so it is slightly dearer than four such tickets and cheaper than five.

This does not mean “take five vehicles”. Several vehicles can form one covered journey within a single ticket’s validity. Nor does it mean a pass is worthwhile after five short walks: only journeys you would actually pay for belong in the calculation.

An airport journey can change the total because its usual single fare differs from the two-zone fare. Write down arrival, departure and genuinely separate city journeys. Check whether they fit within the same pass period instead of averaging the cost across unrelated days.

The example compares full-price singles with Small. Rejsekort app fares and eligible discounts have their own calculation, so do not present this threshold as a universal break-even point. Convenience can also matter when rain or tiredness changes the number of journeys.

Buying a ticket is different from checking in

Rejsebillet sells a specified ticket, such as a single or City Pass. Once the purchased product is valid, keep it ready for inspection. You do not turn a City Pass into a pay-as-you-go journey by tapping it on a Rejsekort reader.

The Rejsekort app works differently: check in with a swipe before the journey and check out at its end. The metro operator says you only check in once for a connected journey, even when switching between bus, train, metro and light rail.

Basiskort is a separate physical alternative. Its official instructions require check-in each time you board and check-out each time you get off, including transfers. That differs from the app’s connected-journey procedure and from carrying an already valid City Pass.

For a short visit, choose one understandable method. Copying a friend’s gesture at a reader is unreliable if they use another product. The same platform can serve people travelling with completely different tickets.

Bank cards: pay at a machine, not directly for metro travel

You can use supported bank cards or mobile payments to buy a ticket at a station machine. However, Copenhagen’s metro operator explicitly says that tapping a bank card directly does not replace a ticket. Do not apply a London-style assumption to the reader.

Complete the purchase and retain the actual ticket, or use an appropriate app with a confirmed valid product or check-in. A bank notification shows a payment, but it is not the transport document an inspector needs.

Check with your issuer that the card works abroad and arrange another usable means of buying tickets if needed. A rejected purchase is not a reason to board first and try again later. Move away from the boarding flow and resolve the payment before travelling.

Rejsebillet: prepare the phone before the platform

The official getting-started instructions use a phone number and an SMS code. The app is available in Danish and English. Set it up while you have a reliable connection, then check that you can reach the ticket itself rather than only the purchase receipt.

Location permission can help calculate the starting zone for a quick ticket. If you prefer not to share location, the operator says you can still buy through a from-to search. Enter the correct stop instead of selecting a nearby-looking name without checking.

Watch the product’s actual start and end time before confirming. DOT describes the common visitor products as activating immediately after purchase. Do not buy several days ahead on the assumption that an unused ticket will wait indefinitely for the first boarding.

For City Pass, the app shows remaining validity; a machine-issued pass has the expiry printed on it. A 24-hour product is a continuous period, not automatically a calendar day ending at midnight. Use the actual ticket times for a late arrival or early flight.

Keep sufficient battery for inspection. DSB warns that a dead phone with a digital City Pass can lead to a penalty. A screenshot or payment email should not be assumed to replace the live ticket required by the operator.

Paper tickets and the discontinued physical Rejsekort

If you do not want to depend on a phone, City Pass Small and Large are available from station machines and specified DSB sales points, including DSB 7-Eleven. At the airport, machines are available in Terminal 3 and at metro and train platforms.

Read the printed area, passenger category and expiry before leaving the machine. Keep the paper accessible and protected from rain. A purchase for the wrong duration is easier to notice while you are still beside the machine than during an inspection.

The old physical Rejsekort has been discontinued, so older guides telling visitors to buy and load that card are outdated. Current alternatives include Rejsebillet, the Rejsekort app and Basiskort. These are distinct products, not interchangeable names for the same blue card.

A traveller who wants a physical pay-as-you-go card should check Basiskort’s current sales and payment conditions. For a short stay, a paper single or City Pass may be simpler than obtaining another card. Compare the extra setup with the journeys you actually need.

Getting from the airport to the right city stop

Metro and regional trains serve Copenhagen Airport by Terminal 3. M2 goes towards central stops such as Kongens Nytorv and Nørreport; regional trains are another option, including for Copenhagen Central Station. Choose according to the accommodation address and the complete connection.

City Pass Small includes airport travel within its covered zones. You do not need Large solely because your journey begins at the airport. If your destination lies beyond Small’s area, check the full journey before relying on that inclusion.

Keep time for baggage, the walk to the platform, waiting, transfers and the final approach to the hotel. On departure, add the airline’s check-in and security requirements. A quoted train or metro ride time is not the entire airport-to-door journey.

Check current service information on the travel date. The metro normally operates around the clock, but maintenance and disruptions can change a connection. Continuous operation does not mean the same frequency at every hour or a guaranteed step-free connection during an equipment fault.

Harbour buses, children and bicycles

Public harbour buses are part of the shared transport system when your ticket covers the relevant zones and time. They are not the same product as a sightseeing cruise. Check the departure point and actual service rather than expecting any boat to accept City Pass.

One adult with a valid ticket or City Pass can bring two children under 12 free. Children aged 12–15 use the applicable child fare; adult classification begins at 16. Check the group’s actual ages before buying identical adult products for everyone.

Bicycle rules differ by mode. A bicycle ticket is needed for the metro, and bicycles are restricted there during weekday rush hours. A passenger City Pass is not a blanket bicycle permit; check the current rule before arriving with a hired bike.

Keep luggage out of doors and circulation space. When travelling with a stroller or needing step-free access, check the actual station entrance and service notices. The closest entrance on a map is not necessarily the most suitable one for your needs.

City Pass is not Copenhagen Card

City Pass buys transport. Copenhagen Card combines selected attraction admission with the benefits of its particular version. If museums are a major part of your stay, use our separate Copenhagen Card DISCOVER and HOP comparison before buying overlapping products.

Do not add a transport pass automatically when you already hold an active product covering the same journeys. Equally, do not assume every attraction card includes ordinary metro travel. Establish the exact version, area and hours before deciding what remains to be paid for.

Fit transport to the visit you want

Copenhagen’s metro began operating in 2002, and M3 Cityringen opened in 2019. The newer network makes it easier to connect neighbourhoods without returning to one central hub, but a transport pass still needs to suit your interests and walking pace.

Use RoadMe to prepare the whole personal trip plan, with places, breaks and a pace that fits you. Organising the visit in the app is more effective than collecting isolated journeys, because the transport choices can serve the experiences you want throughout the stay.

Before travelling, confirm the destination zones, ticket times, passenger categories and method of presentation. Have the valid product or successful check-in before boarding, keep it available for inspection and check the return connection: those decisions matter more than buying the widest pass by default.