Purchasing rail tickets for Scandinavia
 

Looking for your go-to websites/apps for train ticket purchases for travel in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. I have played around a bit with apps Omio, Rail Ninja, and Rome2Rio, with mixed success (and some conflicting results). I’d go directly to websites, such as www.dsb.dk but I don’t know all of the rail company names. www.seat61.com has been somewhat helpful but want to narrow it down to Scandinavian rail lines.

First of all, before I answer your question, I shall warn everyone to STAY AWAY from Rail Ninja. They pay browser services heavily to make sure their listings go to the top of search results so they can gouge you on the tickets. Heck, I swear even though I know better, I've found myself landing there. Exit speedily.

Here are your dedicated websites:
Denmark: https://www.dsb.dk/en/
Norway: https://www.vy.no/en
Sweden: https://www.sj.se/en

Tip: Even before you purchase tickets, establish an account on each site. I had the best luck with a MasterCard, but on one of these, that card was denied. I had to use PayPal (even though the actual end payment on the PayPal was the same MasterCard that was denied). It's a known glitch because some MC banks don't use the same verification system. Often the same sites that turned your card down will accept Google or Apple Pay, too. Play around with it until you succeed. You eventually shall.

Next: I anticipate you will become frustrated with an inability to buy tickets on the train that you want. The fact is that Vy and SJ often don't load their fares until 90 days before--or less. Some of it has to do with Summer vs Winter schedules. A lot of that timing has to do with line repairs--winters are hard in Scandinavia and upgrades have to be done in reliably good weather. I still think it's worthwhile to keep checking from 120 days out.

Enjoy!
AZ

There are more rail companies in Sweden I believe, but on restricted routes. A friend of mine lives on the Inlandsbanan for instance. Would love to get it to visit her but can't see it happening.

Did you know you can get a train from Sweden to Austria now? Snalltaget runs one.

Visit Sweden website has links to the companies: https://visitsweden.com/about-sweden...-sweden-train/

Thanks AZ. We’re just over 100 days from our first train travel (23 June w DSB), and it looks like the wait will still be a couple of weeks.

Hi,
Swedish SJ announced last week that they now have released the tickets for departures until August 31, 2025. You usually get a better price if you book early.

We are getting closer to the time (60 days off) when our Denmark train tickets may be purchased online through DSB. When choosing seats, is the front of the train at the top of the screen, and are the 4-seat configurations indicating seats facing a table between with backward and forward seating? eg. seats 61, 63, 62, 68. This is an image for an IC-Lyntog train.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8991ac85e1.jpg

Well, the day finally came. Actually, the tickets became available the night before I expected, as the 60-day window already opened up at midnight GMT+2. Here's what I bought:

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6aae078e2.jpeg

Based on photo searches and a seating diagram from Attachment 9421 , I am fairly confident that these are backward and forward window seats facing each other with a table between. We shall see. I must say that I much prefer the SJ app which shows more detailed seat icons to indicate direction facing, seat table outlines, and a tentative 'direction of travel' arrow.

It's a big hurdle done and dusted, isn't it? Hope everything else works like a charm, too.
AZ

Hey! I recently did a Scandinavia trip and ran into the same confusion — so I totally get where you're coming from. After some trial and error, here are the platforms that worked best for me:

• Denmark: dsb.dk – this is the official site for Danish trains. Super reliable and works well for domestic routes like Copenhagen to Aarhus or Odense.
  
• Sweden: SJ – SJ is the main Swedish rail operator. Their website and app were both easy to use.
  
• Norway: vy.no – this is Norway’s primary train operator (formerly NSB). Great for Oslo–Bergen or Flam journeys.
  

I’d skip Rail Ninja — I found their prices were inflated. Omio is decent for quick comparisons, but I still booked directly through the operator sites.

Also, if you’re traveling into Copenhagen by train, check outCopenPay. It’s a sustainable tourism initiative where you get perks like free bike rentals or attraction discounts just for making eco-conscious choices like arriving by train. I used it during my trip and thought it was a smart way to explore the city greener (and cheaper!).

Avoid rail ninja
 

I just ran across this thread. DO NOT USE RAIL NINJA. There are horror stories on TripAdvisor forums about them. They are third party agents based in China and are reported to charge hefty fees so you may end up paying 3 times the price you should have.

Yeah, thanks. Those three apps mentioned in my OP never really got much play, and Ninja was safely trashed long ago. Finally got the hang of apps DSB, SJ, Vy, SL, et al and feeling good. We leave in 5 days and our travel has all been buttoned up.