Trying to figure out the Copenhagen metro
 

I have given up trying to figure out by myself if the day and multiday transit passes (or the Copenhagen Card) are worth it. How does the metro/bus fare system work? What is a Rejsekort, it looks like a chip card simliar to an Oyster card, and the fares appear to be halved, but can a tourist use them? All the info and directions are in Danish. And the klippekort is phased out as of tomorrow, so that is the end of discounts on the metro, or is the rejsekort replacing the klippekort? It appears to me that when looking at the Copenhagen metro website I should be ignoring the large blue cheap price and read the tiny black typeface full priced fares? I am using the English pages but the critical words are not translated. http://www.rejseplanen.dk Need help here, it is mighty complicated. Right now thinking that neither pass is worth the price but would like to actually know.

This site for visitors seems to have salient info in English.

http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copen...tickets-prices

The Rejsekort is for people who can order a card ahead and have it sent to a local residence (so maybe not appropriate for your visit). The klippekort is the 10 trip ticket you correctly note is being phased out.

Even they (the tourist bureau) admit the fares system is complicated. Maybe a Copenhagen resident can give more detailed assistance. The Copenhagen card strikes me as pricey, but if you are going to many museums it might be worth it. I'd either pay by the ride or get a Flexcard if I were there (if I expected to ride a lot).

I was able to find this link

http://www.rejsekort.dk/koeb-rejseko...rejsekort.aspx

Which denotes the 3 types of chip cards and who is eligible to buy them. I was beginning to give up on the idea (80 DKK is not a small amount, about $10) but I see that group travel is allowed so only one card would be necessary, I think?

Surprised no one was able to offer first hand experience using the Rejsekort, from gleaning various websites this seems to be true:

1. Rejsekort is not set up for tourists, but there is an anonymous version that does not require presenting identity documents that a tourist can purchase. It requires a non-refundable purchase price of 80 DKK (about $10) and an initial purchase of fare value of at least 170 DKK, and a minimum balance of 50 DKK in order to work.

2. Rejsekort can be purchased from machines at all metro stations (assume chip and pin requirement here?).

3. Rejsekorte offers a minimum 50% discount on fares at all times, and a higher discount than that off peak (how much?). So a single trip from the airport into town for 3 adults and 2 children saves 80 DKK exactly and the purchase price is paid for on the very first trip.

4. Unlike say the Oyster Card or SmarTrip Card (Washington DC), but like my home transit smartcard, the Rejsekort allows group travel on one card. This is critical for a family because if you are a party of 5, all the start up and operating costs of the Rejsekort are split 5 ways. Purchasing, "tanking op" (curiously the Danish expression) and keeping track of 5 cards would probably not be worth the bother for a short visit, esp. since the 80 DKK purchase fee is not refundable.

5. It is listed that unused card balance can be cashed out at the airport station. Not sure if you have to surrender the card at this time.

<i>All the info and directions are in Danish.</i>

Here they are in English...

https://www.rejsekort.dk/?sc_lang=en

<i>Rejsekorte offers a minimum 50% discount on fares at all times</i>

Only the Personal card offers discounts.

<i>assume chip and pin requirement here?</i>

I believe so, but not certain. If you are arriving at the airport, there is a manned desk where you should be able to pay with a US card.

<i>Surprised no one was able to offer first hand experience using the Rejsekort</i>

It is quite new and likely would have had limited appeal to a tourist prior to the phase-out of the klippekort.

>>no discounts

That is not what this website is cacluating:

http://www.rejseplanen.dk/bin/query....ntLevel=0,0,0&

It is showing either the personal or anonymous rejsekort fares as being the same. Only personal qualifies for "maximum" or "special" discounts whatever they are.

Are you sure that you are correct? Why would they sell a $10 card that offers no value?

Considering that the Danes have the best spoken English on the continent, I am surprised how fuzzy some of the website English is.

<i>Are you sure that you are correct?</i>

It is entirely possible I misread.

<i>Considering that the Danes have the best spoken English on the continent, I am surprised how fuzzy some of the website English is.</i>

No guarantees the website was done by a Dane. And I find that the Danes' written English isn't always as clear as their spoken English. But yes it is a bit fuzzy.

In case anyone else has a similar need, the results of crunching the numbers is that there is only a $4 savings to not buying the Copenhagen Card so not worth all the extra queues and tickets to save such a small sum. So the rejsekort is out. Based on:

-4 night stay so buying the 72 hour card
-2 major sites per day
-Needing to commute on metro every day since staying in a nearby suburb
-seeing 4 major sites covered by the Copenhagen card (Kronenborg, Frederiksborg, Rosenborg, Tivoli)
-paying for the Viking ship museum in either case since it is not covered by the card
-seeing the national museum which is free

Note that the calculator on the Copenhagen card site is useless since it calculates using full transit fares assuming tourist does not buy the rejsekort.

I used the Copenhagen Card last year. I calculated almost 50% more value than buying one at a time as well as better value than the transit pass plus entrances. In addition to 4 major sites listed, I also went to Karen Blixen and Louisiana Museums in addition to numerous other smaller museums in Copenhagen I have not visited before. I bought my Copenhagen Card at Kastrup Airport TI. When I tried to buy them using my mag strip only card, it asked for a PIN, which I didn't know. So I used a Chip and PIN card which was processed as a Chip and signature card.

Good to know, I have a chip and signature card my wife has chip & pin. How is it activated? Would like the 72 hours to start the next day.

The Copenhagen card starts the clock the first time you use the card. At museums, you still to to the ticket booth. The agent inserts the Copenhagen card into a card slot and prints out 0.00DKK tickets with barcodes needed for the scanners.