Copenhagen metro map – Timetable, tickets & prices

Copenhagen’s metro was opened in 2002 and is one of the most modern metro systems in Europe. Together with the extensive suburban railroad system, the Copenhagen metro is the main carrier of the traffic load in Denmark’s capital and is popular with Copenhageners, not least because of the possibility of taking bicycles.

By 2030, up to 88 million passengers per year are expected to travel through Copenhagen on the metro. The Copenhagen metro, operated by Metro Services A/S, currently runs two lines on a total route network of 27.9 kilometers. The special design of the current 22 stations is typical of Copenhagen’s subway. The designs were created by Giugiaro Design and are characterized by the fact that the 9 underground stations manage without artificial light during the day.

Large shafts and specially designed prisms allow plenty of daylight to enter the metro stations, which are characterized on the surface by eye-catching glass pyramids and five-metre-high metro columns. Another special feature is the fully automatic, autonomous operation. This makes the Copenhagen metro one of the few completely driverless subway systems in Europe.

The Copenhagen Metro lines at a glance

• M1 (Vanløs ↔ Vestamager)
• M2 (Vanløs ↔ Lufthavnen)

Denmark’s capital is both classic and modern at the same time. The result of this popularity is an exploding number of visitors. In 2017 alone, Copenhagen recorded 52.6 billion overnight stays, which underlines its popularity as a tourist destination. The Copenhagen metro is therefore the number one means of transport in the center of the metropolis for the countless commuters and students as well as for holidaymakers. The metro on the M2 line is the means of transport of choice for quick transfers between the airport and the city center.

After all, sights such as the “Little Mermaid”, Amalienburg Castle and the Danish National Museum are just as easy to reach as the famous “Tivoli” amusement park. Thanks to the currently small number of lines, orientation on the subway map is also easy for non-local visitors. While the subway stations are clearly marked with a large white “M” on a blue background, the two currently active lines can be easily distinguished by their colors green (M1) and yellow (M2).

Tickets for the Copenhagen Metro can be purchased either at the ticket machines on the platforms or online via the operator’s website. Alternatively, mobile tickets can also be booked via the “DOT Mobilbilletter” app available in the App Store and Google Play Store. However, visitors should note that the ticket machines only accept credit cards and crown coins. Banknotes are not accepted. Metro ticket prices depend on how many of the four zones you travel through.

For example, if you want to travel from the airport (zone 4) to the city center (zone 1), you book a ticket for three zones. A two-zone ticket is sufficient for most journeys within the city. The validity of the tickets also depends on the number of zones booked. While tickets for two and three zones are valid for 60 minutes, the validity is extended to 90 minutes if more than three zones are selected. The time runs from the purchase of the ticket. Children under the age of 12 accompanied by an adult travel free of charge.

In addition to the directional one-way tickets, the operating company Metro Service A/S also offers the City Pass. This is a time-limited ticket for any number of journeys on the bus, S-Bahn and U-Bahn Copenhagen. The City Pass is available with a validity of 24, 48, 72 and 120 hours.

However, the Copenhagen Card is particularly worthwhile for visitors. This not only entitles the holder to unlimited travel in Copenhagen, but also offers free admission to 75 museums and sights as well as discounts at numerous restaurants and other service providers. The Copenhagen Card is also valid for a period of 24 to 120 hours.

In addition to the 24-hour operation, the Copenhagen metro plan has a special feature: the two lines M1 and M2 run on the same route between Vanløse station and Christianshavn station. As a result, the frequency on this section of the route is particularly tight. During rush hour between 7-10 a.m. and 3-6 p.m., a train runs every two minutes on the section between Vanløse and Christianshavn, otherwise every three minutes. On the individual lines, trains run every 4-6 minutes. While night owls elsewhere have to resort to night buses or cabs, in Copenhagen they can also take the metro between midnight and 5am. This runs every 15 minutes at night on both lines.

To the timetables of the Copenhagen Metro lines:

M1, M2

Exemplary: If the subway is delayed by at least half an hour, the subway operator partially compensates passengers for the cost of travel by other means of transport.

The success of the Copenhagen metro meant that the city quickly initiated an expansion. The “urban ring line” (Cityringen), an extension approved in 2007, is currently under construction. This is a 15.5 kilometer long tunnel section that runs in a ring around the city center.

After the planned opening in mid-2019, the new M3 (blue) and M4 (orange) lines will operate on the route, which has 19 stations. Among other things, the M4 line will connect the Nordhavn district to the Copenhagen metro. In addition, those responsible are already planning to extend the new lines to the north and south.