Copenhagen to Stockholm: train or plane?
 

Hello,
Trying to decide what's the overall best option. The cost is roughly the same, but we'd have to take into consideration cost of getting to and from the airport for the plane option. 
We probably have to check in 2 hours ahead of time for the flight.  How does it work for the train? Can we board 30 mins. before?
Train takes just over 5 hours.  The flight itself is about 1 hour.  But if we factor getting to/from and customs on a plane while train takes you from city centre to city centre, wondering exactly whether we'll save that much time.
We checked fares on Norwegian Airlines.  Anyone fly with them before? Are they reliable?
If we go with the train option, can we buy tickets online on the Swedish rail site?  We're from Canada.  Have seen older posts that indicate that they've had problems making bookings with their credit cards.  If we can make a purchase, can we print the tickets at home or do we need to pick them up at the train station?
We find train travel relaxing but if taking the plane will save us a lot more time, then that's the way we'll go.
Your advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

We took the train from Copenhagen to Goteborg [where we spent several days] and then another train from Goteborg to Stockholm. It was easy to do and booking 90 days out gets the lowest prices. We went 2nd class on the first train and then 1st class on the second train.

We got our tickets here:

http://www.sj.se/start/startpage/index.form?l=en

We were able to book one set of tickets online, but had to call for the second set for some odd reason. Make sure your credit card company knows you are going to be buying the tickets, before you try to make the purchase!

"Can we board 30 mins. before?"

You may board every train in Western Europe up to a minute before departure - and up to a second before in most cases. Trains using the Channel Tunnel require checkin, depending on class, up to 30 mins earlier - but no other scheduled train in Western Europe requires checkin.

How far before departure it's possible to board depends on where the train's come from and how intensively the platforms are used. For the overwhelming majority of departures, it's simply not possible to board more than 2 mins beforehand. Even if you board a train at its originating station it's rare these days, except on a few overnight sleepers, to be allowed to board more than 20 mins before leaving.

There's no check-in whatsoever for the train.

You just walz into the city centre station any time before departure and board the train. They'll close the train doors 1 minute before departure. As long as you're on board then, you go with the train.

Similarly, Stockholm station is right in the centre of Stockholm, and you just get off the train and walk out.

The train journey will take you across the impressive 'fixed link' tunnel/bridge between Denmark and Sweden, like flying across the water, and the train journey is a chance to put your feet up and relax with a glass of wine, unlike the disjointed taxi/rail-air-train journey, which won't be much quicker.

Book at either www.sj.se (which sometimes struggles to accept all credit cards) or try www.bokatag.se. Any payment problems, just call SJ telesales.

Prices are really cheap if you pre-book, max 90 days ahead, as they operate a budget-airline-style pricng structure.

Thank you so much for the replies. Looks like train option is winning.:)

Have done this trip many, many times (by train and plane) and I vote for the train!

Hello,
Thanks for all the replies.
Have another question: when booking with Swedish rail, is this the right field selection from Copenhagen to Stockholm?

Koebenhavn H - Stockholm C

Will this allow us to board at Copenhagen city centre stn. and arrive at Stockholm's city centre?
Thanks again or all the help.

Hi,

Yes it is. Köbenhavn H and Stockholm C are the main train stations.

I did this coming the other way (Stockholm C to Kobenhavn H) a couple of weeks ago! It's very easy and I didn't have any problems. Depending on when you are going, just be aware that the area surrounding Kobenhavn H (Copenhagen Central Station) is very heavily under construction at the moment. They are putting in a new metro link and half of Copenhagen is being dug up. It's not really an issue, but it does mean that you have to allow a little more time for getting to and from the station if you are taking taxis or buses. If you use the metro/rail to get there, be aware that the current metro link doesn't go to central station, you must switch at Norreport (or one of the other major hubs) to a train (NOT metro) that will take you direct to the central station. It may be a pain if you have heavy luggage, because the main access to the correct platforms is by stairs (the elevators are tiny, and you have to wait for ages). By all means do the train though, it's a pleasant journey and far more interesting than flying...:)

Thanks again for all the help!

Hi,
Sorry, another question. When booking seats on the train, the site asks for seat preferences.
Is there really a difference between the lounge and the so-called quiet zone? When we don't specify anything, it puts us together, one aisle and one window in the lounge area.
But if the quiet zone's selected, we're not seated together. We're placed in separate window seats. Do they only have window seats in the quiet zone?
Is there a preferred area or seats on the train similar to the plane?
Thanks again.

No, the quiet zone has the same seat arrangement as the lounge area. On these trains, most seats (2 x 2 in 2nd class, 1 x 2 in 1st class) are in a row like on a plane. But there are some seats facing each other with a table in between, making a group of four seats. Probably you get the two window seats in a group of four seats in the quiet zone, so you will face each other having a table between you.

Oh... I guess you do realize that you are not supposed (= allowed) to talk to each other in the quiet zone, not even with low voices. Is that what you really want?

Hi again,

I found a seat map for the "SJ Snabbtåg/X2000" on the internet. The locations of the quiet zones (Tyst avdelning) are:
Car #1 (1st class), seats 36 - 46, 49.
Car #3 (2nd class), seats 1 - 16.

Link to seat map (in Swedish): http://www.sj.se/content/1/c6/08/76/...sser_X2000.pdf

The first seat map shows cars #1 and #2, the second seat map shows cars #3 and #5, the third seat map shows car #4 and the fourth seat map shows car #6.

For some peculiar reason, the only area where pets are allowed is in the quiet zone in 2nd class.

Ooops... I was wrong about travelling with pets. Seats 1 - 16 are the quiet zone in car #3 and the pet zone in car #5! So no pets in the quiet zone! :-)

Thanks so much! We're taking the early train so probably taking a nap most of the time. But it'd be nice if we could talk to each other:)
So sitting in the lounge might be better if we can't quietly chat in the quiet room.
Thank you.

Train.

In all of the decades of being in Copenhagen, I never flew from Copenhagen to Stockholm.

Happy Travels!

Thanks again for your help. Hoxa61 sent a link to the train seating chart. I think this is basically the same one for the train we'll be on: http://www.sj.se/content/1/c6/06/95/..._Juni12_UK.pdf
WC are the onboard washrooms. Does anyone know what B stands for?
We're probably going to be in car 3 or 4. Someone recommended that we keep our bags away from exit points and put them where we can keep an eye on them.
Are the exit/entrance to the cars basically at the beginning and end of each car diagram? So basically that section in the diagram beside the washrooms?
Thanks!

We flew as it was much cheaper. Airport trains are easy, direct and bought tickets from a machine.
Seniors are half price in Sweden.

<i>In all of the decades of being in Copenhagen, I never flew from Copenhagen to Stockholm.</i>

And in all of the time I spent in Copenhagen, I never checked in 2 hours in advance for an intra-Europe itinerary, nor did I ever spend more than 20-30 minutes getting from the airport to a destination in the city center.

The math doesn't really play out on this route. The time from the station to the airport is 12 minutes. Add in 45 minutes for a safe check-in. And 1:10 for flight time. Rounding up and accounting for weird timing, that is 2:30 to get from central station to ARN. Given that the nonstop train takes 5:13, that leaves you with over 2:30 to get from ARN to the center of Stockholm. Even if you wanted to give yourself too much time at CPH, you would still have 2 hours or so to get to the center of Stockholm.

Taking the train will not be faster. My guess is that the plane will also be cheaper. Hopefully, the scenery meets all of your expectations.

Yes, one doesn't get the scenery flying! Smiles. And yes, it doesn't take that long to get to the airport from most locations in Copenhagen. However, I'm one who tends to leave for the airport way in advance. And I'm also used to the possibility of flights being delayed.

When I lived in Copenhagen, I lived at Enghave station, two short S-train stops from Hovedbanegaard (main train station for those reading who don't know). So, it was easy to take the train. I'd arrive into Hovedbanegaard about 20 minutes before the train left and get off the S-train and then go to the track of the other train.

It was nice to just pack a lunch, then board the train and sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery and also not have to deal with baggage claim at the other end and more transportation at the arrival end as airports are usually not located very central whereas train stations usually are. I traveled, from Copenhagen, to all over both Sweden and Norway by train and also to Finland by way of Stockholm and the overnight boat. I found it very relaxing. I don't find airports very relaxing. Therefore, I didn't mind the extra time. Smiles.

Happy Travels!

"Maria_T on Jul 2, 12 at 10:36pm
Thanks so much! We're taking the early train so probably taking a nap most of the time. But it'd be nice if we could talk to each other
So sitting in the lounge might be better if we can't quietly chat in the quiet room.
Thank you."

Have fun on the train. I loved taking the trains in Scandinavia as they were so nice compared to trains south of Scandinavia. Pick up some food items and pack a nice lunch. I'd always drop by the bakery and I would also make some sandwiches before I left for the train station. There's a nice bakery inside of Hovedbanegaard (main train station). I filled up on items, at that bakery, back in the summer of 2009. Enjoy! Happy Travels!

Thanks for all your comments and suggestions!
Resubmitting this part of the question again to bump it up:)
Thanks again for your help. Hoxa61 sent a link to the train seating chart. I think this is basically the same one for the train we'll be on: http://www.sj.se/content/1/c6/06/95/..._Juni12_UK.pdf
WC are the onboard washrooms. Does anyone know what B stands for?
We're probably going to be in car 3 or 4. Someone recommended that we keep our bags away from exit points and put them where we can keep an eye on them.
Are the exit/entrance to the cars basically at the beginning and end of each car diagram? So basically that section in the diagram beside the washrooms?
Are the seats with tables (2 seats facing 2) have less legroom than the ones side be side (just 2seats facing the back of the seats in front of it)?
Thanks!

The table seats have more legroom, I find. And also, there is the table that you can lean on, put your food/computer on, lie on (many people lie their face and arms down on those tables and drift into slumber), etc. One thing I'd look out for is whether or not you want to be facing the "right" way while travelling. Some people feel uncomfortable travelling "backwards", and when I booked tickets it just gave me backwards facing table seats (one window, one aisle) and I couldn't change it to make it give me forward facing seats. So, I didn't look out the window too much....I was asleep most of the time anyway.

<i>There's a nice bakery inside of Hovedbanegaard (main train station).</i>

Andersen, across the street at the Nimb hotel is even better...

Thanks Irishwhistler90. How do you ensure that you're facing 'forwards' on the train?

Just wanted to thank everyone again for all their help. We've booked our train seats. All the best. Happy travels!