Copenhagen is the capital of Denmark , known for the good shopping, excellent nightlife an interesting sights.
Stockholm is the capital of Sweden, a city which spreads on 14 islands, offering history, nightlife and nature.
Many travelers choose to visit all of the Scandinavian countries during a single vacation, so traveling between their capitals is usually the easiest and cheapest way to tackle the transportation.
Summary
When you plan to travel between Copenhagen and Stockholm, the bus is the cheapest option but takes at least 10 h. The airplane ticket is cheaper (as listed on line) but you need to take into account the booking fees (which depend on the method of payment) and the money paid to get to/from the airport. Overall, the flight might be just as expensive as taking the slower train, which has the advantage of leaving you right in the city center.
Flights from Copenhagen to Stockholm
Copenhagen is served by Kastrup Airport (CPH), located 8 km from the city center. It is hub for Blue1, Jettime, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Novair, Primera Air, Scandinavian Airlines, Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia, TUIfly Nordic, Copenhagen Air Taxi and Star Air. The easiest way to get to/from the airport is by train.
Stockholm is served by four airports, but only 2 of them handle flights to/from Copenhagen:
- Arlanda Airport (ARN): is the main international airport serving Stockholm and is located 40 km from the city center. It is hub for Amapola Flyg, Nextjet, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Novair, Scandinavian Airlines, Skyways Express and TUIfly Nordic. To get from the airport to the city center, you can catch the express train, the regular train, the airport coaches or the regular bus. The flights to/from Copenhagen are operated by Norwegian Air Shuttle and Scandinavian Airlines.
- Bromma Airport (BMA): is a smaller airport located just 10 km from the city center. It is not hub for any airline and is mostly used for flights to/from other Scandinavian countries. The flights to/from Copenhagen are operated by Flybe Nordic.
In mid-August 2012, expect to pay from €43 one way on Flybe Nordic. Slightly higher fares – from €48 one way – are offered by Norwegian Air Shuttle. The flight time is 1h 30 min to BMA and 1 h 15 min to ARN.
A return flight in mid-August will set you back from €82 (Flybe Nordic) ; while in mid-October 2012, you’ll pay from €41 for a single flight (Flybe Nordic) and €82 for a return flight on the same airline.
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Trains from Copenhagen to Stockholm
SJ – the main train operator in Sweden – operates high-speed trains and regular trains from Copenhagen (Danish: Köbenhavn) to Stockholm Central. There are two direct high speed trains per day (11:37 a.m. and 2:29 p.m.) as well as 4 slower trains which require a stop in Malmo.
The cheapest fare (553SEK / €61.63) is on the train which departs Copenhagen at 1:12 pm. and takes 6 h 25 min to get to Stockholm. On the high speed train, the cheapest fare is 1074 SEK / €120 (at 11:37 a.m.) and the travel time is 5h 13 min. The return fares differ, because they also depend on when you purchase the ticket and when you travel.
Buses from Copenhagen to Stockholm
There are two companies which operate direct buses between the two capitals:
- Swebus : look for buses from Stockholm to Kopenhamn ; there’s one direct bus, which leaves Stockholm at 10:45 p.m. and there are two buses with a stop along the way which leave at 11:05 a.m. and 5:20 p.m. The direct one takes 9 h 20 min and the single fare starts at 529 SEK / €59. The bus which leaves at 5:20 pm. takes 14 h and the single fare starts at 449 SEK / €50. On the way back, catch the direct bus at 8:35 a.m. and the indirect ones at 10:10 am and 9:05 p.m. The fares are not always the same as they depend on when you travel and when you book the ticket.
- Eurolines : operates a bus per day between the two capitals, every other day and it leaves Stockholm at 1:45 p.m. The travel time is 9 h 45 min and the single fare is 385 DKK / €52.
Driving from Copenhagen to Stockholm
You can rent a car and drive between the two capitals without any problems. Both countries are members of the EU and Schengen so you won’t pay any surcharges for crossing the border. However, do ask the rental company if you are allowed to cross the border with the rental car.
The shortest route is on E4. The 658 km can be tackled in about 7 hours (of course, it depends on the traffic).
Photo credits : Stockholm Airport ; Stockholm train station