New direct trains from Germany to Copenhagen to launch this spring

Known for its iconic waterfront, relaxed hygge atmosphere and world-class food scene, Copenhagen is one of Europe’s most appealing city-break destinations. 

From late spring this year, reaching the Danish capital from Germany is set to become even easier, with a new international rail service to bring same-day, direct trains linking the Czech Republic, Germany and Denmark – for the first time in over a decade.

For passengers in Germany, this means new direct connections from cities such as Dresden, Berlin or Hamburg to Copenhagen – something that didn’t previously exist on this rail corridor.

The full journey from Prague to Copenhagen is scheduled to take around 11 hours, with Dresden–Copenhagen expected to take around nine hours.

Trains will also call at Berlin and Hamburg en route.

Originally due to launch in early May, full service has now been pushed back to June 14th – a delay which Czech Railways has linked to ongoing construction works on the heavily used Berlin–Hamburg rail corridor.

But that doesn’t mean passengers have to wait until mid‑June. From May 1st, one train per day in each direction is expected to operate between Prague and Copenhagen using a diverted route around the construction zone.

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During this interim phase, journeys are expected to take between 90 minutes and two hours extra, and include an extended stop at Hamburg‑Altona station and possibly also a change of trains.

The service is a joint project between Czech Railways (ČD), Deutsche Bahn (DB) and Danish State Railways (DSB). Once fully operational, there will be two year‑round daily trains in each direction, with a third seasonal service during busier periods.

At the time of writing, Deutsche Bahn are advertising one-way second class tickets from Dresden to Copenhagen for about €70.  

Passengers will travel on ČD’s modern ComfortJet trains, offering air‑conditioning, Wi‑Fi, power sockets, bicycle storage and a restaurant or bistro car.

All of which means that getting to Copenhagen by train from the eastern side of Germany is about to become faster, more comfortable and more convenient than it has been for years.

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