Which London airport is best for Copenhagen?

It depends on where you start. Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton have all had direct services; pick the one with the shortest run from your door rather than the one with the cheapest headline fare.

Is there a direct train from London to Copenhagen?

No. Every rail journey involves changes, usually in Brussels or Amsterdam and in Hamburg. The route via Hamburg has been direct into Copenhagen since trains stopped using the Rødby ferry.

Launching autumn 2026 · you can plan a journey now · times are typical, not live departures · nothing is booked here

Route

London to Copenhagen

The most-flown pair between Britain and Denmark, and a surprisingly civilised journey by train if you have a day for it.

Every way we know of

Network last written 14 September 2026

3 ways we know of, about 956 km apart. Times are typical ranges, door to door, including airport time.

Option 1F
Fly
Direct flights operate between London and Copenhagen; airport time is included.
Time
4h 29m to 5h 40m
Changes
0
CO2e
~180 kg
Fare band
£££
- Fastest
- Fewest changes
1. F
  Flight London to Copenhagen
  1h 44m to 2h 5m · 956 km · scheduled airlines · direct services operate
  Airports: London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, London Luton, London City to Copenhagen Airport.
  - Visa: A stay in the Schengen area must be no more than 90 days in any 180 days for a British passport holder; check before booking, see source. Source
  - Documents: The EU Entry/Exit System started on 12 October 2025 and replaces the manual passport stamp; expect fingerprints and a photo on a first visit, see source. Source
  - Documents: The Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since 10 April 2026 in the 29 European countries using it; see source. Source
  Estimated · Indicative · last verified 9 September 2026 · about 180 kg CO2e
  How we know this
  Source
  Pro Travel Net curated network, version 1
  Kind
  estimate
  Checked
  9 September 2026
  Coverage
  United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, the Nordics, central and western Europe, Türkiye, the Gulf and Pakistan, valid from 9 September 2026
  Figure
  estimated: a model from distance or a hand estimate where nothing is published
  Booked on the operator’s own siteThis does not look right
Access, airport and connection time counted in the total: 2h 45m to 3h 35m. Derived by the engine from its own models.
Option 2TTTT
Train
4 legs, changing in Brussels and Cologne and Hamburg.
Time
14h 10m to 18h 5m
Changes
3
CO2e
~48 kg
Fare band
££
- No flying
- Train leg (Eurostar): checked luggage up to 30 kg at a fee, 3 cabin bags, see operator
- Train leg (Deutsche Bahn ICE): carry-on only, 2 cabin bags, see operator
- Train leg (Deutsche Bahn): carry-on only, 2 cabin bags, see operator
- Sending luggage ahead? Compare parcel prices at ShipPortal
1. T
  Train London to Brussels
  1h 55m to 2h 10m · 321 km · Eurostar · several trains a day
  St Pancras to Brussels Midi.
  Baggage rules on the operator site, read 11 September 2026
  Curated · Indicative · last verified 9 September 2026 · about 13 kg CO2e
  How we know this
  Source
  Pro Travel Net curated network, version 1
  Kind
  estimate
  Checked
  9 September 2026
  Coverage
  United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, the Nordics, central and western Europe, Türkiye, the Gulf and Pakistan, valid from 9 September 2026
  Figure
  curated: written by hand from a published timetable or an operator page
  Booked on the operator’s own siteThis does not look right
2. T
  Train Brussels to Cologne
  1h 50m to 2h 5m · 183 km · Deutsche Bahn ICE · several trains a day
  Baggage rules on the operator site, read 11 September 2026
  Curated · Indicative · last verified 9 September 2026 · about 8 kg CO2e
  How we know this
  Source
  Pro Travel Net curated network, version 1
  Kind
  estimate
  Checked
  9 September 2026
  Coverage
  United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, the Nordics, central and western Europe, Türkiye, the Gulf and Pakistan, valid from 9 September 2026
  Figure
  curated: written by hand from a published timetable or an operator page
  Booked on the operator’s own siteThis does not look right
3. T
  Train Cologne to Hamburg
  4h to 4h 20m · 356 km · Deutsche Bahn ICE · hourly
  Baggage rules on the operator site, read 11 September 2026
  Curated · Indicative · last verified 9 September 2026 · about 15 kg CO2e
  How we know this
  Source
  Pro Travel Net curated network, version 1
  Kind
  estimate
  Checked
  9 September 2026
  Coverage
  United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, the Nordics, central and western Europe, Türkiye, the Gulf and Pakistan, valid from 9 September 2026
  Figure
  curated: written by hand from a published timetable or an operator page
  Booked on the operator’s own siteThis does not look right
4. T
  Train Hamburg to Copenhagen
  4h 45m to 5h 10m · 289 km · DSB, Deutsche Bahn · several trains a day
  Direct via Jutland since the ferry route closed to trains.
  - Visa: A stay in the Schengen area must be no more than 90 days in any 180 days for a British passport holder; check before booking, see source. Source
  - Documents: The EU Entry/Exit System started on 12 October 2025 and replaces the manual passport stamp; expect fingerprints and a photo on a first visit, see source. Source
  - Documents: The Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since 10 April 2026 in the 29 European countries using it; see source. Source
  Baggage rules on the operator site, read 11 September 2026
  Curated · Indicative · last verified 9 September 2026 · about 12 kg CO2e
  How we know this
  Source
  Pro Travel Net curated network, version 1
  Kind
  estimate
  Checked
  9 September 2026
  Coverage
  United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, the Nordics, central and western Europe, Türkiye, the Gulf and Pakistan, valid from 9 September 2026
  Figure
  curated: written by hand from a published timetable or an operator page
  Booked on the operator’s own siteThis does not look right
Access, airport and connection time counted in the total: 1h 40m to 4h 20m. Derived by the engine from its own models.
Option 3CCC
Coach
3 legs, changing in Amsterdam and Hamburg.
Time
21h 55m to 28h 15m
Changes
2
CO2e
~33 kg
Fare band
£
- Risky connection
- Lowest emissions
- Lowest fare band
- Risky connection at Amsterdam: 2h window, 35m buffer. Derived by the engine from the spread of the leg before and the change time it counted.
- Tight connection at Hamburg: 1h window, 35m buffer. Derived by the engine from the spread of the leg before and the change time it counted.
- Coach leg (FlixBus): one checked bag up to 20 kg included, one cabin bag up to 7 kg, see operator
1. C
  Coach London to Amsterdam
  10h to 12h · 358 km · FlixBus · a few coaches a day
  Overnight services exist.
  Baggage rules on the operator site, read 11 September 2026
  Curated · Indicative · last verified 9 September 2026 · about 12 kg CO2e
  How we know this
  Source
  Pro Travel Net curated network, version 1
  Kind
  estimate
  Checked
  9 September 2026
  Coverage
  United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, the Nordics, central and western Europe, Türkiye, the Gulf and Pakistan, valid from 9 September 2026
  Figure
  curated: written by hand from a published timetable or an operator page
  Booked on the operator’s own siteThis does not look right
2. C
  Coach Amsterdam to Hamburg
  6h to 7h · 365 km · FlixBus · a few coaches a day
  Baggage rules on the operator site, read 11 September 2026
  Curated · Indicative · last verified 9 September 2026 · about 12 kg CO2e
  How we know this
  Source
  Pro Travel Net curated network, version 1
  Kind
  estimate
  Checked
  9 September 2026
  Coverage
  United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, the Nordics, central and western Europe, Türkiye, the Gulf and Pakistan, valid from 9 September 2026
  Figure
  curated: written by hand from a published timetable or an operator page
  Booked on the operator’s own siteThis does not look right
3. C
  Coach Hamburg to Copenhagen
  4h 30m to 6h · 289 km · FlixBus · several coaches a day
  - Visa: A stay in the Schengen area must be no more than 90 days in any 180 days for a British passport holder; check before booking, see source. Source
  - Documents: The EU Entry/Exit System started on 12 October 2025 and replaces the manual passport stamp; expect fingerprints and a photo on a first visit, see source. Source
  - Documents: The Entry/Exit System has been fully operational since 10 April 2026 in the 29 European countries using it; see source. Source
  Baggage rules on the operator site, read 11 September 2026
  Curated · Indicative · last verified 9 September 2026 · about 9 kg CO2e
  How we know this
  Source
  Pro Travel Net curated network, version 1
  Kind
  estimate
  Checked
  9 September 2026
  Coverage
  United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, the Nordics, central and western Europe, Türkiye, the Gulf and Pakistan, valid from 9 September 2026
  Figure
  curated: written by hand from a published timetable or an operator page
  Booked on the operator’s own siteThis does not look right
Access, airport and connection time counted in the total: 1h 25m to 3h 15m. Derived by the engine from its own models.

Times are typical ranges from published timetables and distance, not live departures. Nothing is booked here.

Engine: 1.0.0
Network: net-7dc478427c8498ef
Network written: 14 September 2026
Answer for: 16 September 2026

The fastest way, step by step

The fastest way in full, leg by leg. The time spent moving is separated from the time spent getting to it and away from it, because both are part of the journey and only one of them is a timetable.

London to Copenhagen

Flight

Moving: 1h 44m to 2h 5m
Getting there and waiting: 1h 55m to 2h 25m
Getting away: 50m to 1h 10m

Source: Pro Travel Net curated network, version 1. Estimated

What matters on this route

Flying is the practical choice for most people: direct services run from several London airports to Copenhagen and the airport metro reaches the city centre in about fifteen minutes. Allow the usual ninety minutes at the London end, and count the airport run into your comparison, because that is where a "two hour flight" becomes a five hour door-to-door trip.

By train the journey takes the better part of a day with three or four changes, typically London to Brussels or Amsterdam on Eurostar, then German intercity trains to Hamburg, then a Danish or German train across Jutland to Copenhagen. It is a long day, but a comfortable one, and it can be split with a night in Hamburg.

The coach is the cheapest way and the slowest, at roughly a day of travel with changes in Amsterdam and Hamburg. Overnight legs make it bearable; a daytime run does not.

Questions people ask

Which London airport is best for Copenhagen?: It depends on where you start. Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton have all had direct services; pick the one with the shortest run from your door rather than the one with the cheapest headline fare.
Is there a direct train from London to Copenhagen?: No. Every rail journey involves changes, usually in Brussels or Amsterdam and in Hamburg. The route via Hamburg has been direct into Copenhagen since trains stopped using the Rødby ferry.