The ferry crossing from Puttgarden to Rodby takes about 45 minutes and the vessels are fairly large. They are designed to accommodate both vehicular and rail traffic (the trains actually roll right onto the ferry and are transported as a unit).

The several times I have taken this there were plenty of vehicles to include tour busses, large trucks, etc.

If you are really concerned about taking your car then you can park at Puttgarden (I'm not sure whether you'd have to pay for parking or not) and take the train from there.

Forgot to mention..you can take the train all the way to Copenhagen from there.

Thank you, singletail. Very helpful. Any idea what the fare from Puttgarden to Copenhagen might be, or how I might find out? We're trying to calculate costs, of course, and realize Denmark is a rather expensive place to travel.

Forgot to ask if tickets can (or should) be purchased now, in advance of our travels, or better acquired at the time of crossing?

The ferries from Puttgarden to Rødby run every half hour but the trains are less frequent. Both ports are just ferry terminals and railway stations - they are not towns so you don't want to be waiting there. The trains run from Hamburg via Lübeck, Puttgarden and Rødby to København. Seating capacity is limited so seats should be reserved. The train schedules are on www.bahn.de.

If you go to the Bahn site you may be able to calculate the rail fare...I honestly cannot remember who runs the ferries themselves.

I would recommend getting seat reservations in advance if you are going to take the train if only because the trains are small in terms of length (about four coaches) and could easily fill up depending on the time you are taking them.

The entire rail trip from Hamburg to Copenhagen takes four hours or so. The ferries are big enough to have food services and some "duty free" shopping.

I am sorry, but I don't get this.

If you have rented a car already, why would you want to leave it parked in Puttgarden and continue to travel by train to Copenhagen? Seems not only like a waste of money on the rental car but also even double-spending as you will have to buy the train tickets.

The ferries between Puttgarden indeed run every half hour for 45 min. to the Danish island of Lolland with its small town of Roedby. They take cars and trains.

But: trains are not that frequent and I believe that no longer every train headed to Copenhagen out of Hamburg goes via Puttgarden. A few of them might be routed via the Danish mainland and the island of Fyn and thus not passing Puttgarden any longer.

Plus, you ought to be aware that Copenhagen is still some 160 km from Roedby. So it isn't practical to just make this a day's excursion, picking your car up in the evening again.

What it comes down to is that I would advise you to take your car on the ferry and drive into Copenhagen. You will enjoy the freedom of movement and be much more flexible. Driving in Denmark is completely stress- free and gas is no longer more expensive than in Germany (sometimes even the contrary is true).

Enjoy your trip.
hsv

The ferries are operated by German/Danish Joint Venture Scandlines. There are two German and two Danish ships operative (of which I prefer the Danish ones as they have slightly better service and food).

Prices are 48 € for a single crossing including the car and its passengers.

Check
http://www.scandlines.de/de/main.htm
for details.

Thank you for the great information! Our only hesitation in taking the car is AutoEurope's statement (the actual rental agency is EuropCar) that we would not be covered for liability/fire (we declined CDW) while on a ferry or on an island accessed by a ferry. They seemed to think that included Copenhagen. Just a concern we had should anything happen.

You might want to verify that policy with Europcar.
Frankly I cannot imagine that they treat Copenhagen as being on an island accessed by a ferry. While Copenhagen is situated on the (rather big) island of Sjaelland, it can actually be accessed without using a ferry by driving up to the Danish border at Flensburg continue on into the Danish mainland, cross by bridge to the island of Fyn and then continue on to Sjaelland. (Don't know if this would be an option for you, too. It is a long drive, though).
In general I find it is advisable to accept CDW anyway, as there have been several reports about incidents where people having rejected CDW were held liable for damages that actually had been there before their rental - even by reputable rental companies.

No matter what you decide on, have a lovely trip (even though it might appear that I just have rained a bit on your parade, which certainly was not my intention). The North during summers is absolutely lovely!
hsv

As a follow-on, as much as I have enjoyed the rail ride to Copenhagen from Hamburg on several occasions, I, too, would recommend you re-check the "issue" with the rental folks...the ferry is made for vehicular traffic more than anything and not being able to take full advantage of that and your flexibility with an automobile seems like a waste.

How much was that CDW going to cost you and is it really worth it after all?

Enjoy your trip.