denmark to hamburg
 

Hello!
Can anyone help us with information about how to get from Copenhagen to Hamburg?
We will be disembarking from a ship in Copenhagen & would like to tour Copenhagen for several hours before traveling to Hamburg, Germany.
It seems there is a train, a ferry & of course, rental of a car.
What do you think is best for weary travelers?
Thank you!
Rei

You will need a ferry for any type of travel between Copenhagen and Hamburg, other than air. From Copenhagen to the mainland you must cross water at some point.

The best travel time between the two cities by train and ferry is 4 hours and 52 minutes.

The route that requires the least amount of time goes to Hamburg via Lübeck, which has an old sight or two to see.

The connections via Flensburg take a lot longer, 6 hours plus.

If the shorter transit time is your priority, then you may leave Copenhagen at 11:24, 15:24 or 17:24.

The 17:24 departure is the latest one you can take and make the trip in under 5 hours by train.

That is the one I would take were I the traveler.

You will love Copenhagen. The food there is A+ in my opinion. Best I found in Europe, which includes Paris!!

I, personally, would opt for the train. The reason the trip takes over four hours is because there is a ferry segment taking about 45 minutes. The entire train is rolled onto the ferry at Rodby and roled off again at Puttgarden. It is a pleasant trip; not spectacularly scenic but certainly a lot more relaxing than renting a car.

København is on the island of Sjælland, but bridges and tunnels link it to both the European mainland and Sweden. However, the direct daytime trains to Hamburg travel on the ferry from Rødby to Puttgarden, which is a faster route. You need to reserve a seat on the train. During the ferry crossing, most people leave the train to get something to eat or drink, or some fresh air, but you leave your luggage on the train and must return to your seat before the ferry reaches the German port of Puttgarden.

I agree that the train is a good option. I usually like driving better - and the route can be driven in about 4 hours including the 45 minute ferry passage between Rödby and Puttgarden (the same as for the trains), but I am not so sure that you could do a one-way rental, should you require that - and the ferry passage is fairly expensive at € 52.- for the one-way passage.

Apart from that, you could also look into flying. There is a low-cost carrier operated by SAS called "snowflake" that offers a one-way trip at around € 100.-.
Check
http://www.flysnowflake.com/

Enjoy two beautiful cities of the North - and should you need any info on Hamburg I shall be happy to help

hsv

Forgot to add:

Tastes may differ, of course, but to me the trip by ferry is very scenic indeed. Before getting on the ferry, you'd be passing through some quaint and orderly Danish villages and small towns on the island of Lolland. Then there is that ferry crossing that lets you slow down, breathe and enjoy the calm of the sea (which you, of course, will have experienced before anyway) along with some passing ship traffic - gorgeous for me!

Again, have fun!
hsv