A Danish IC train on an EC service to Denmark at Hamburg Hbf

København / Copenhagen to Hamburg by train

How to take the rail journey from Copenhagen / København to Hamburg

These trains provide the only year round service from the Danish capital to northern Germany.
So for most of the year if you want to travel entirely by train from Norway or Sweden to continental Europe, this is the route to take.
Though early booking is recommended, particularly during June to September, when some departures can sell out days in advance!
Though there is now a direct overnight train from Stockholm and on to Berlin via Hamburg.
It will also call at a station in the Kobenhavn suburbs, so will provide an overnight alternative to these IC trains.

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Routes

From København H /Copenhagen H to Hamburg Hbf

Travel Information

Final Destination: Hamburg

All trains also call at: Ringtsted and Odense (they do not call at Roskilde)

Until June 17th and from Aug 22nd:
The train to Hamburg are scheduled to depart from Kobenhavn at 07:26; 11:26 and 15:26.

June 18th to Aug 21st:
The number of trains will be doubled with departures at 05:17, 07:39; 09:17; 11:17; 13:17 and 17:17.

Onward connections from Hamburg:

The 07:26 train is typically due into Hamburg at 12:04 and these connections are usually available:

  • 12:24 to Frankfurt (Main) - Freiburg - Basel - Zurich (it's probably a good idea to avoid purchasing separate tickets for this train)
  • 12:34 to Berlin and Leipzig
  • 12:46 to Dusselsdorf - Koln/Cologne (connect for Bruxelles) - Bonn - Koblenz - Mainz
  • 12:51 to Berlin - Dresden - Praha/Prague
  • 13:01 to Wurzburg - Nurnberg - Munchen/Munich (connect in Munchen for the overnight trains to Milano, Firenze and Roma)
  • 13:24 to Frankfurt (Main) - Stuttgart

The 11:26 train is typically due into Hamburg at 16:02 and these connections are usually available:

  • 16:24 to Frankfurt (Main) - Freiburg - Basel (it's probably a good idea to avoid purchasing separate tickets for this train)
  • 16:34 to Berlin and Leipzig
  • 16:46 to Dusselsdorf - Koln/Cologne - Bonn - Koblenz - Mainz
  • 17:01 to Wurzburg - Nurnberg - Munchen/Munich (connect in Munchen for the overnight trains to Budapest, Venezia, Ljubljana, Wien and Zagreb)
  • 17:24 to Frankfurt (Main) - Stuttgart

The 15:26 train is typically due into Hamburg at 20:02 and these connections are usually available:

  • 20:34 to Berlin
  • 20:46 to Dusselsdorf - Koln/Cologne
  • 20:50 the night train to Basel and Zurich
    The Nightjet train to Innsbruck, Munchen and Wien/Vienna is typically scheduled to leave Hamburg at 20:29, but making the 27min connection will allow little contingency time in the event of the train from Kobenhavn being delayed; so if you'll want to take this Nightjet service, departing Kobenhavn at 11:26 is recommended.

3 - 6 x trains per day

Tickets

Book early and save: Yes

Online bookings open: 3 months ahead of the travel date.

Seat Reservations:

Book 1st class ticket journey tickets  and your seat reservation is included - but they're usually optional* when booking 2nd class tickets, or if you will be travelling with a 1st or 2nd class rail pass.

If you won't be purchasing 1st class tickets, reservations are highly recommended; particularly on Friday and Sunday afternoons.

Travelling Between June 18tth and Aug 21st: which is when the summer timetable is operating.

During this time rail pass users will need to pay a reservation fee prior to boarding - €5.90 1st class, €4.50 2nd class; though reservations are recommended at any time, these can be popular trains.

Rail pass reservations can be booked through the DSB website (the tech is provided by the B-Europe reservation system); 30kr = approx €4.

When booking 1st AND 2nd class tickets between these dates, your seat(s) will be automatically assigned.

Finding Tickets

If you will be using DB  to book tickets, enter KOBENHAVN- in the 'from' box and look for journeys that have '0' in the Chg. column

Trains departing at different times can be cheaper than others leaving on the same day,

Where to book
Ticket Provider Approximate Cost
DB from €29.90

DB Guide

DB is the national railway operator in Germany, so its website can be used for booking journeys by German express trains; the ICE and IC trains and it doesn't charge booking fees.
It also sells tickets for journeys by direct trains on all international routes from Germany regardless of whether DB is operating the train service.

It also sells an extensive range of end-to-end journeys which involve making connections both within Germany and in neighboring countries, but journeys between Germany and Britain cannot be booked on DB.

A key feature of DB website worth keeping mind is that it offers 1st class ticket purchasers complimentary seat reservations on journeys both within and to/from Germany.
Seat reservations for daytime in both 1st and 2nd class can also be booked separately from tickets.

Two types of ticket have recently been made available;

  1. Cheaper 'Young' tickets which can only be booked by those aged 15-26 on the travel date.
  2. Flexi Plus tickets, which are now the most expensive type of ticket, but they're the only type of 2nd class tickets which DO include a seat reservation.
Trainline from €29

Trainline Guide

DSB from €29 (in kr.)

On this journey

Good to Know

The 'Stockholm - Berlin Night Express, is now departing from Høje Taastrup st at 23:06.
Local S-Tog trains on line B link multiple stations in central Copenhagen/Kobenhavn to Høje Taastrup st.

This train, which is direct to Berlin, will typically due to arrive in Hamburg at around 05:30, but it will usually offer these onward connections:

  • 06:07 an ICE-Sprinter service to Frankfurt (Main)
  • 06:11 an ICE-Sprinter service to Koln
  • 06:18 and ICE to Basel - Zurich - Landquart (connect for Davos and Klosters) and Chur (connect for St Moritz)
Crossing the Great Belt Link on a train heading to Copenhagen Crossing the Great Belt Link on a train heading to Copenhagen
Passing through Flensburg, there are some distant sea views to the north of here Passing through Flensburg, there are some distant sea views to the north of here
Passing through Ringsted, the train will spiral up to cross this viaduct Passing through Ringsted, the train will spiral up to cross this viaduct
Crossing the Kiel Canal in Ringsted Crossing the Kiel Canal in Ringsted
The train will then gradually descend from the bridge The train will then gradually descend from the bridge

These trains used to be shunted on to a ferry for a sea crossing between Denmark, but the Danish part of that route is being affected by engineering works in preparation for the opening of the Fehmarn Fixed Link tunnel in around 2028.

Hence this train service between the Danish capital and Hamburg has been re-routed to travel overland
via the Jutland peninsular.

So a less fascinating journey than the previous route and this route is scenically uninteresting too, but it does have three highlights, which you can't miss if you will be travelling when it's daylight.

(1) Around 15 mins after departing Ringsted, the train will cross the Great Belt Fixed Link between Zealand and the island of Funen.

(2) After departure from Odense he train will cross the Little Belt Bridge, which connects the island of Funen to Jutland.

(3) The spectacular crossing of the Kiel Canal on the Rendsburg High Bridge - the corkscrew ascent from the town and its station is quite something.

Though the video was filmed from a train travelling in the opposite direction.
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