Copenhagen metro with kids – tested with a toddler

My daughter and I have had plenty of practice taking the tube in London – at one point I was using it several times a day, while she’s been making journeys on it since she was a toddler. And creaking and overloaded though it might be, the underground is a pretty impressive creation – but at more than 150 years old, most of it just isn’t baby-friendly… unlike the Copenhagen metro with kids.

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In the Danish capital, travel by metro couldn’t have been easier – with the oldest parts of it just over two decades old, it makes getting around a breeze, even if the city is very walkable.

Before you board, here are my top 10 things to know about taking the Copenhagen Metro with kids – if you buy a Copenhagen card, you’ll get free transport included which also means not having to wrap your head around the various tickets straight away!

Check out my complete guide to Denmark with kids here

1. If you’re coming from the airport, buy your ticket at baggage reclaim

There are machines near the luggage carousel with barely any queues, plus you can select English if your Danish is rusty – much simpler than the busy platform by terminal 3.

2. There are lifts from street level

I found these heading down to every metro station I visited, reserved (fantastic!) for people with prams/buggies and bikes.

The latter are free, although you need a ticket for a bike, and you can’t take them on trains Monday to Friday from 7am-9am and 3.30-5.30pm – you’ll be fined if you do.

3. The ticket hall at most stations is on a different level to the platform

So you’ll need to stop off on the way down if you don’t already have a ticket.

4. Copenhagen metro prices vary

These range from 24 krone for a two-zone ticket (around £2.75) to 90 krone (around £10.25) for a 24-hour adult city pass for zones 1-4.

Tickets for the different zones are valid for different lengths of time – for 75 minutes for 2 zones, 90 minutes for 3 zones, or 1h 45 minutes for four zones and so on, and you can hop on and off as often as you want with single tickets valid for up to 8 zones.

You can also buy city passes for up to 120 hours, all ticket are also valid for buses plus you can add them to the DOT app on your phone. There are even Copenhagen city pass tickets covering a much wider area if you’re exploring beyond Copenhagen.

5. Two children under the age of 12 can travel free of charge

When accompanied by an adult with a valid ticket. If you do need to buy additional child tickets, they’re half the adult rate.

6. There are four metro lines

The Metro has been expanding over the past 10 years so there’s now the circular Cityringen M3 line, and the M4 line which runs alongside for most of the way but has an extension planned.

The original M1 and M2 lines run alongside each other for much of the way if you travel from the west, until they split at Christianshavn.

Coming from the airport in the east, you’ll take the yellow M2 line and if you do need to change, simply get off and cross the platform for the correct train coming the other way.

No traipsing down endless corridors to find the other line. 

7. The driverless trains run seven days a week

And 24 hours a day – you shouldn’t have to wait more than six minutes during rush hour (often as frequent as every 90 seconds), and between 15-20 minutes at night.

8. The network is currently being expanded

There are 5 new stations planned for the M4 extension from Copenhagen’s Central Station.

9. The metro lines connect with the S-trains

Although you’re unlikely to travel much on these if you’re based mostly in the centre. You’ll see the interchange stations marked with an S.

10. There are a LOT of tickets to choose from

I still have a feeling I got the wrong one before picking up my Copenhagen Card with its free travel – it’s all based on the number of zones, in the centre you usually only need two zones, but you’ll need a three zone ticket from the airport into the centre. 

For more information, check out Visit Copenhagen’s guide to transport in the city

*last updated 2024*

PIN FOR LATER: USING COPENHAGEN METRO WITH KIDS

Image: Adobe Stock

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