Getting from Amsterdam to Copenhagen (and return)

Two of Europe's finest cities are quite far apart, but since there aren't many major highlights between them, Amsterdam and Copenhagen often end up back to back on the same itinerary. Hamburg sits roughly halfway, it's worth a day or two if you have the time, and it breaks up the ground journey nicely.

This page used to be built around an overnight train and a Eurolines bus. Neither exists anymore. The night train between the two cities was dropped years ago, and the Dutch Eurolines business was bought by FlixBus in April 2019. Here's how the trip works now.

Quick summary

A nonstop flight takes about 80 to 90 minutes and is usually the fastest option by a wide margin. The train is a long but comfortable day with two changes, around 11 hours 40 minutes, from 49.99 euros if you book early. FlixBus runs the cheapest option, about 12 hours, with overnight departures if you want to save a night's accommodation.

Flights from Amsterdam (AMS) to Copenhagen (CPH)

This is a busy route. KLM and SAS fly it several times a day, and Norwegian and easyJet also run nonstops, according to FlightConnections' September 2026 schedule data. Norwegian and easyJet are usually where the cheap fares turn up, while KLM and SAS have the most departures.

Airfares change daily, so the old advice still holds: if you know your dates, search early and keep an eye on prices. Once you add the train out to Schiphol (about 15 minutes from Centraal Station) and the Metro from Copenhagen airport into town, a flight is still door to door in roughly four hours, which beats every ground option.

If you're weighing up airlines, our page on budget airlines that fly to Amsterdam covers the low-cost carriers at Schiphol.

Trains from Amsterdam to Copenhagen

There's no direct train and no night train on this route anymore. What you get instead is a long but easy daytime ride with two changes, at Osnabrück and Hamburg. According to Seat61's Amsterdam page, the standard departures are:

• Leave Amsterdam Centraal 06:00, arrive Copenhagen 17:38
• Leave Amsterdam Centraal 08:00, arrive Copenhagen 19:38
• Leave Amsterdam Centraal 10:00, arrive Copenhagen 21:38

The first leg to Osnabrück is on a German ICE, then another ICE to Hamburg, then a Danish or German EuroCity train to Copenhagen. All of them have power sockets and free WiFi, and the ICEs have restaurant cars. In the other direction, trains leave Copenhagen at 06:22, 08:22 and 10:22 and reach Amsterdam at 18:00, 20:01 and 22:01 (Seat61). Exact times shift with each timetable, so check before you book.

Fares start at 49.99 euros in second class and 79.99 euros in first class (as of 2026). They work like airfares, so the cheap ones go first. Book through Deutsche Bahn at int.bahn.de, which sells one through ticket from Amsterdam to Copenhagen. Booking opens up to six months ahead.

What happened to the ferry?

Older versions of this page warned that your train carriage would be loaded onto a ferry, which made it hard to sleep. That ended in December 2019. Since then, Hamburg to Copenhagen trains run the long way round through Flensburg, Jutland and Odense, crossing the Great Belt on a bridge, while the Fehmarn Belt tunnel is built. The route calls at Kolding (for Legoland) and Odense, if you want a Danish stop on the way.

Break it in Hamburg

The most enjoyable way to do this by rail is to turn it into two days. Take an afternoon train from Amsterdam (the 12:00 gets to Hamburg at 17:15 with one change at Osnabrück), spend the evening in Hamburg, and catch the 08:53 the next morning to arrive in Copenhagen at 13:38. On int.bahn.de you can add Hamburg as a stopover and still get one ticket.

Buses from Amsterdam to Copenhagen

FlixBus runs this route with several departures a day, including late-night buses, and the fastest trip takes just under 12 hours. When we checked in September 2026, fares started from about $44 (roughly 40 euros), though prices climb as the bus fills up.

In Amsterdam, FlixBus uses stops at Sloterdijk, Schiphol Airport's coach terminal, Centraal Station (De Ruijterkade, platform H) and Bijlmer Arena, so the old Amstel Station departure point no longer applies. Check which stop your bus uses when you book. In Copenhagen, buses arrive at the bus terminal on Carsten Niebuhrs Gade, a short walk from the central station.

The bus is the budget pick, and an overnight departure saves you a night's accommodation. Expect rest stops along the way and not much sleep. If you can book the train a few weeks out, the price gap often shrinks to the point where the train is the better deal.

Which one should you pick?

• Short on time: fly. Nothing else comes close.
• Want to see something on the way: take the train and stop a night in Hamburg.
• Tightest budget: FlixBus, especially booked at the last minute when train fares have gone up.

Going further north? See our guide to getting from Amsterdam to Stockholm. And if Copenhagen is one stop on a bigger trip, AirTreks, BootsnAll's sister company, has been putting together multi-stop and round-the-world tickets since 1987. A sample route that pairs Amsterdam with the Nordics: