Copenhagen Airport – Travel guide at Wikivoyage (2024)

Copenhagen's international connections are mainly provided by two competing Scandinavian carriers, which have long-haul bases at the airport:

• SAS Scandinavian Airlines flies to Boston, Newark, Chicago (O'Hare), Beijing, Shanghai (Pudong), and Tokyo (Narita).
• Norwegian Air Shuttle flies to London Gatwick, Tel Aviv, Marrakech, and most major European cities.

SAS is a member of Star Alliance, meaning that many of their flights are code-shared or can be interlined with local Star Alliance partners. Therefore, you can take advantage of a one-ticket flight to, from, or via Copenhagen even if your origin or destination is not directly served by SAS. Norwegian is not a member of any alliance, but they offer connecting flights from Copenhagen to their European destinations on one ticket with an intercontinental flight.

Other airlines offering intercontinental connections to Copenhagen are SAS's Star Alliance partners Singapore Airlines (to Singapore), Air Canada (to Toronto) and Thai Airways (to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi and phu*ket), as well as competing SkyTeam carrier Delta with a seasonal connection to JFK and Pakistan International Airlines to Islamabad and Lahore.

Apart from that, Emirates and Qatar Airways fly between Copenhagen and their hubs in the Persian Gulf region, where you can take advantage of their dense network of connections to Asia, Africa and Australia.

Copenhagen Airport is also the only airport with year-round, direct, regularly scheduled passenger service to Greenland, operated by Air Greenland.

Both SAS and Norwegian offer a dense network of connections between Copenhagen and other Scandinavian destinations. In particular, they both offer frequent flights between the triangle of capitals — Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm — with an approximately hourly frequency, and very competitive pricing.

Apart from that, both carriers have extensive networks within Europe and the Mediterranean (including North Africa and the Middle East). SAS flies to most European capitals, and has a particularly dense network of connections across the Baltic Sea, to Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, as well as to Poland, where it serves the majority of even small airports. There is also a fairly good network of connections to the United Kingdom and, perhaps surprisingly, to Italy, where even smaller airports like Bologna are served.

Outside Scandinavia, Norwegian has bases at London Gatwick and across Spain, meaning frequent service between Copenhagen and those destinations. They also serve a number of other European cities from Copenhagen, and in the summer they fly to most of the popular tourist destinations around the Mediterranean.

Almost all major European carriers have a connection to Copenhagen from their main hubs. As Denmark holds sizable immigrant communities from various European countries, even smaller carriers have frequent connections to the likes of Sarajevo or Belgrade. Copenhagen Airport has been seeing increased traffic from low-fare carriers since the launch of the dedicated CPH Go section of the airport (with common check-in and security with other airlines, but separate gates and waiting area). Airlines using CPH Go include EasyJet, Ryanair, Transavia, and WizzAir, although the latter only for selected destinations, with the majority of its flights to the Øresund area landing at Malmö Sturup Airport instead.

For check-in, Copenhagen Airport has two terminals:

The airport's only security facility on the first floor serves both terminals. In 2013, Copenhagen Airport was awarded World’s Best Airport Security Processing by Skytrax.

After passing security or arriving for a connecting flight, you will find yourself in one large departure area, with access for all gates. The gates can be separated in the following sections, sorted from west to east:

• 1 A29-A34 - The "Domestic Yard", previously used for small flights for domestic departures. The gates are used for international destinations inside the Schengen area.
• 2 A18-A28 - Used for domestic departures and international destinations inside the Schengen area.
• 3 A2-A17 ("Finger A") - Used for domestic departures and international destinations inside the Schengen area.
• 4 B2-B19 ("Finger B") - Used for domestic departures and international destinations inside the Schengen area.
• 5 C2-C10 - Bus-boarding gates used for domestic departures and international destinations inside the Schengen area. You must go down the escalator to ground level for those gates and cannot go up to shopping and service facilities once you do so.
• 6 C15-C40 ("Finger C") - Used for international destinations outside the Schengen area.
• 7 D1-D4 - Used for domestic departures and international destinations inside the Schengen area.
• 8 D101-D104 - Bus-boarding gates used for international destinations outside the Schengen area.
• 9 F1-F6 ("CPH Go") - Used for low-cost departures for international destinations outside the Schengen area.
• 10 F7-F10 ("CPH Go") - Used for low-cost departures for international destinations inside the Schengen area.

No gate is more than 33 minutes' walk from any other.

All arrivals exit to Terminal 3, right onto the escalators, elevators and stairs leading to the train and metro stations. You can find ticket booths and machines for both there as well. Taxis will be on your right once you pass the check-in booths.

Copenhagen Airport is adjacent to the Øresund Motorway (route E20), which connects Copenhagen with Malmö via the tolled Øresund Bridge. The price for crossing in a car is €52 (€47 if purchased online, Nov 2018). The rest of Sweden is accessible by motorway via Malmö. Most parts of Denmark are also connected to the motorway network.

Parking capacity at Copenhagen Airport was greatly expanded in 2015. There are several lots: those near the terminals are very expensive, while the further-flung ones are cheaper (but have free shuttle bus service to the terminals).

The railway station, 1 Københavns Lufthavn, Kastrup Station (sometimes called CPH Airport Station and wrongly Kastrup Station), is in Terminal 3. The station has frequent connections to Copenhagen and Malmö, InterCity trains for the rest of Denmark, and a few daily SJ 2000 express trains for Stockholm. The frequent Øresund trains between Copenhagen and Malmö continue in Denmark to Helsingør and in Sweden to a number of destinations in Scania and other parts of Götaland. The travel time to Copenhagen Central Station is 12 minutes, and 20 minutes to Malmö Central Station.

In Terminal 3 you'll find the terminus of Line M2 of the 2 Copenhagen Metro (Lufthavnen Station). Service is very frequent and runs to Vanløse via the central Copenhagen interchange station (Nørreport Station). The travel time to Nørreport Station is 15 minutes. For prices, see Copenhagen#Get around.

The bus terminal is outside of Terminal 2. The airport is only served by a few local buses (lines 5A, 35 and 36), which are charged in the same way as the metro and local trains. The airport also has coach connections to Aarhus (operated by Abildskou), Malmö (Gråhundbus), Oslo and Gothenburg (Nettbuss) and Uppsala and Stockholm (Swebus^{[dead link]}).

Taxis wait outside Terminal 3. A ride to central Copenhagen costs around DKK 300.

• 1 Aspire Lounge, Terminal 2 (Between Pier A and B, 1st floor, opposite La Place restaurant). Drinks, snacks, Scandinavian newspapers, free Wi-Fi. Available for Priority Pass holders. (updated Sep 2015)
• 2 Aviator Lounge, Terminal 2 (between Pier A and B). Drinks, snacks, free Wi-Fi. More like a cafe. Available for Priority Pass holders. (updated Sep 2015)
• 3 SAS Lounge (Terminal 3, Pier C). For SAS frequent flyers. Fast Internet, salad bar, office spaces. (updated Sep 2015)
• 4 SAS Gold Lounge (Terminal 3, Pier C). For SAS Gold members, otherwise the same as the SAS Lounge. (updated Sep 2015)
• Eventyr Lounge, Terminal 3, Pier C, Non-Schengen area (next to gate C26). 07:30-20:00. For Priority Pass holders. (updated Feb 2024)

• Regus Express Arrivals Lounge. Meeting rooms, refreshments, bathrooms, private work rooms (updated Mar 2021)

• Burger King (before security in Terminal 3). 07:00-24:00. (updated Sep 2015)
• Ciao (before security in Terminal 3). 07:00-21:00. A healthy self-service fast food place. (updated Sep 2015)
• Foodmarket (after security in the international departure area and in the domestic departure area). 04:30-22:00. Serves pre-made sandwiches, wraps and salads. (updated Sep 2015)
• Grab and Fly (two locations after security in the international departure area). Su-F 06:00-21:00, Sa 06:00-20:00. Sandwiches and salads to go. They also have delicious and relatively inexpensive hot dogs. (updated Sep 2015)
• McDonald's (outside the airport). Su-Th 10:00-23:00, F Sa 10:00-00:00. (updated Sep 2015)
• 7-Eleven (before security in Terminal 2 and in Terminal 3). 24 hours. Convenience store. (updated Sep 2015)
• Steff's Place (before security in Terminal 2, two places after security in the international departure area and at the baggage claim for international arrivals). Various hours. A traditional Danish pølsevogn (hot dog stand). (updated Sep 2015)
• YamYam ToGo (after security in the international departure area). Su-F 10:00-21:30, Sa 10:00-20:30. Rice and noodle stand. (updated Sep 2015)

• Horizon All Day Restaurant (Located at the adjacent Hilton Hotel). M-F 05:30-22:30, Sa Su 06:30-22:30. A buffet restaurant with Danish and international dishes. (updated Sep 2015)
• København (after security in the international departure area). 06:00-21:00. Classic Danish dishes with a modern twist. (updated Sep 2015)
• Le Sommelier Bar & Bistro (after security in the international departure area). 05:00-23:00. Serves French-inspired light dishes. (updated Sep 2015)
• MASH (after security in the international departure area). Su-F 11:30-21:30, Sa 11:30-20:30. A modern American steakhouse. (updated Sep 2015)
• O'Learys (after security in the international departure area). Su-F 07:00-23:00, Sa 07:00-22:00. An American style sports bar, serving burgers, ribs etc. (updated Sep 2015)
• Prego (after security in the international departure area). Su-F 05:00-22:00, Sa 05:00-21:30. Italian food — pizza and pasta. (updated Sep 2015)

• Caviar House & Prunier Seafood Bar (after security in the international departure area). Su-F 08:00-22:00, Sa 10:00-20:00. Caviar, smoked salmon and seafood. (updated Sep 2015)
• Hamlet Nordic Dining (Located at the adjacent Hilton Hotel). 18:00-22:30. "New Nordic" á la carte cuisine. (updated Sep 2015)

• Baresso Coffee (before security in Terminal 3, and after security in the international departure area). 04:30-21:00. A coffee house. (updated Sep 2015)
• Caffé Ritazza (before security in Terminal 2). 05:00-21:30. A coffee house. (updated Sep 2015)
• Joe & The Juice (two places after security in the international departure area). Su-F 05:00-21:00, Sa 05:00-20:00. A juice bar, also serving sandwiches and coffee. (updated Sep 2015)
• Kaffekværnen (after security in the international departure area). 07:00-00:00. More coffee. (updated Sep 2015)
• Lagkagehuset (before security in Terminal 2, and two places after security in the international departure area). 05:00-20:30. A high-quality bakery. (updated Sep 2015)
• Segafredo (after security in the international departure area). Various hours. Coffee to go. (updated Sep 2015)
• Starbucks (before security in Terminal 3, and two places after security in the international departure area). Various hours. (updated Sep 2015)