© Nick Karvounis・Unsplash License

Denmark

Copenhagen

One zone-based ticket covers the metro, trains, buses and harbour boats. With no gates and no contactless, buy it in an app or at a machine before you set off.

S-tog (S-train), regional and local trains

No gates, no tap-to-ride: trains are buy-before-you-board, never on board. A ticket from the app or a machine is valid from that moment - nothing to stamp - and it also covers the metro, buses and harbour buses.

Updated on August 26, 2026

How to ride

  1. 1
    Buy before you board
    Trains are buy-before-you-board: use the Rejsebillet app or a station machine. A ticket is valid at once - nothing to stamp.
  2. 2
    Count your zones
    All these trains share one zone system. Your starting zone is the first; the price follows how many you pass, minimum two.
  3. 3
    Go straight to the platform
    There are no gates, so anyone can walk onto the platform.
  4. 4
    Check in with a Basiskort or app
    With a Basiskort or a check-in app, you check in before boarding and must check out again when you get off.
  5. 5
    Keep the original ready
    Inspections happen at random, on trains and on platforms. Copies and photos of a ticket are not valid.
  6. 6
    Stay on the same ticket to transfer
    Inside the time and zones on your ticket, you can switch to the metro, a bus or a harbour bus without buying anything new.

Fares

Single fares3

Single ticket, 2-8 zones
Zones set both price and validity - 1 h 15 min for 2 zones up to 2 h 45 min for 8
24〜60 DKK ≈ $4–9
Single ticket, 9+ zones
Bought for a date and a route, not a departure; the ticket day runs 4:00 to 3:59
66〜172 DKK ≈ $10–26
Øresundsbillet (across to Skåne)
From Copenhagen/the airport - Malmö 96, Helsingborg 160, Gothenburg 338
96〜338 DKK ≈ $14–51

Passes & multi-ride3

City Pass Small (24-120 hours)
Zones 1-4, covering the city and the airport; two under-12s ride free with an adult
100〜340 DKK ≈ $15–51
City Pass Large (24-120 hours)
All of zones 1-99, so S-tog, regional and local trains are all included
200〜680 DKK ≈ $30–100
Copenhagen Card DISCOVER (24-120 hours)
Unlimited transport in zones 1-99 plus entry to 80+ attractions; children 3-11 pay DKK 100-260
589〜1,419 DKK ≈ $88–210

Card itself1

Anonymous Basiskort (card price)
Bought and topped up at a sales outlet in cash or by card; local travel needs DKK 70 on it
80 DKK ≈ $12

Add-ons & fees1

Bicycle space reservation (cykelpladsbillet)
Needed on InterCity; free on the S-tog, and on regional trains 9-15 and 18-06 weekdays plus all weekend
20 DKK ≈ $3

Estimates use exchange rates as of November 4, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride
There is no tap-to-ride at the gates; cards are for buying tickets
IC card
Physical cards are gone; the anonymous Basiskort costs DKK 80 - tap in and out
App tickets
DSBRejsebillet (DOT)Rejseplanen
Rejsebillet sells tickets in advance; Rejsekort works as a check-in app
Paper tickets
From station machines and staffed outlets - never from staff on the train
Cash
Machines take coins and cards; some are card-only. No on-board sale

Quick facts

Hours
05:00-00:30; all night Fri/Sat
Frequency
Every 10 min by day (line F: 5)
Fares from
24 DKK+
The bicycle space on an S-train, shared with wheelchairs and prams. Taken Jun 2024 © Leif Jørgensen・CC BY-SA 4.0

Heads-up

  • Showing the ticket later will not cancel the fine

    If you cannot show a valid ticket during an inspection you are fined, and producing the right ticket afterwards will not get it cancelled. Screenshots and photos of tickets are not accepted, and a phone that is out of battery or broken counts as travelling without a ticket.

  • Quiet zones ban talking and phone calls

    Quiet zones (stillezone) exist only on trains. Talking is not allowed there, phone calls are out, and anything with sound needs headphones - check the signs before you sit down.

  • Engineering work brings closures and replacement buses

    DSB publishes planned engineering work with the exact dates. Evenings and weekends can mean replacement buses on parts of the network, and some days have fewer rush-hour trains - check "Planlagte ændringer" before you travel.

Timetable

Operating hours 05:00-00:30; all night Fri/Sat
Typical duration The traffic-proof way out to the suburbs and the towns beyond - and the same network reaches the airport and Malmö
Check the official site for the latest times and service status
S-train departures; the panel on the right announces track work and replacement buses. Taken May 2025 © Leif Jørgensen・CC BY-SA 4.0
Editor Naotaka