Traveling between Aarhus and Copenhagen, Denmark, is fairly easy. Similar to traveling between Copenhagen and Stockholm, Copenhagen to Malmö, or from Copenhagen center to the airport, here are a few options to choose from depending on your travel preferences.
You may already know about the best tourist sights and what else to get up to in Copenhagen, but there’s plenty to do in both Aarhus as well as the capital. In fact, Aarhus is the second biggest city of Denmark and was chosen as the European Capital of Culture in 2017 (the other being Paphos in Cyprus).
Here’s how to travel between Copenhagen and Aarhus, Denmark’s two largest cities:
Cheapest travel route
Flix Bus between Copenhagen and Aarhus
Flix Bus between Copenhagen and AarhusIf you are booking your trip last minute, the cheapest form of travel between Aarhus and Copenhagen is the bus, which can be as low as 84,15 DKK one way if you are a student. In fact, Flixbus offers student discount for all travel within Denmark. If you are not a student, the cheapest trip is 99 DKK. The bus trip takes about 4 hours.
FlixBus offers buses with additional legroom, private outlets, and onboard restrooms. The majority of these buses also provide complimentary Wi-Fi connectivity.
Book a Flixbus here.
Fastest travel route
Ferry between Copenhagen and Aarhus
Ferry between Copenhagen and AarhusWith your own car
The ferry crosses the tip of Sjælland Odde in Odden Port, just over an hour northwest of Copenhagen. The ferry trip takes 75 minutes and the total journey takes about 3 hours and 10 minutes by road and sea, from city centre to city centre.
The ferry fare for a standard-sized car (up to 6 meters) ranges from 199 DKK – 599 DKK depending on when you book and the departure times. You will park your car and go inside the ferry, where you can see enjoy the view looking out to the sea. They also have a cafetaria where you can buy food and drinks.
Book your ferry with Molslinjen here.
Without your own car (bus + ferry) between Sjællands Odde and Aarhus
If you want to travel by ferry but are not driving yourself, you can take the Kombardo Expressen bus (provided by Molslinjen). Kombardo Expressen leaves from Aarhus Rutebilstation (bus station in city centre). You will cross the ferry to Sjælland where the bus will take you to Ingerslevsgade, behind Copenhagen’s Central Station. You can also take your bike for free on Kombardo Expressen, but you have to let them know during the booking process. The average price is between 115 DKK – 180 DKK.
The ticket can drop as low as 49 DKK if you book far in advance, or 99 DKK if you book a few weeks in advance.
Book your bus + ferry ticket with Kombardo Expressen here.
Driving between Copenhagen and Aarhus
Driving between Copenhagen and AarhusIf you are driving from Aarhus to Copenhagen, you have two options: take the ferry (as seen above) or drive down through the eastern Jutland and cross the island of Funen. If you choose the latter, you’ll follow Route 501, follow E45 then E20 and exit in København. Along the way, you’ll have to cross two bridges; the little bridge between Funen and Jutland (free) and the Great Belt Bridge (245 DKK one way for a standard car).
This trip is approximately 300 kilometres and takes more or less 3 hours and 30 minutes, depending on traffic.
Buy a toll ticket across the Great Belt Bridge (Storebaelt) here.
Renting a car between Copenhagen and Aarhus
If you want to travel by car but don’t have your own and don’t want to rent, you can try carpooling instead. Aarhus to Copenhagen is a very common journey. You will know beforehand if you will be taking the ferry or the bridge(s). Most rides range from 120 DKK – 175 DKK.
Find a ride share with GoMore here. Use this link to get 200 DKK off your first ride!
Our team uses Rentalcars.com for finding the best rental car deals from Copenhagen. The platform provides a wide selection of car rental options at competitive prices, allowing us to easily compare offers from multiple providers.
Compare rental cars here!
Most beautiful travel between Aarhus and Copenhagen
Fortunately, travelling by ferry or road offers beautiful views. If you take the ferry, you can walk out to the decks and breathe in that sea air! Plus, with the ferry you will also be able to see the Danish landscape when you arrive in Sjælland Odde. If you cross the Great Belt Bridge with a car or bus, you will be suspended 65 meters above water for 1.6km making for an equally compelling view.
Want to double-check that the climate will allow you to enjoy the ferry trip? Check out the weather by month in Denmark.
If you really want to relax and enjoy the trip, however, we recommend the train:
Train between Copenhagen and Aarhus
Train between Copenhagen and AarhusYou will cross the over from Jutland to Funen, and from Funen to Sjælland over the Great Belt Bridge. It is the most comfortable option, as you will leave from Aarhus Central Station and arrive in Copenhagen Central Station without any transfers or having to get off your seat at all. It can, however, be on the expensive side, costing approximately 200 DKK – 400 DKK.
Book your train ticket here.
|
|
Can I fly between Aarhus and Copenhagen?
Yes. It is possible to fly between Aarhus and Copenhagen. There are direct flights from both Aarhus and Billund Airport to Copenhagen Airport and it only takes 40 and 50 minutes respectively. However, from Aarhus to Aarhus Airport takes about 1 hour and from Aarhus to Billund Airport takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes. So, we don’t recommend this mode of travel because not only is it the least environmental-friendly, it’s also not as convenient as it may seem.
If you want to travel on a more unconventional plane, you can take a seaplane. It’s extremely fast (only 45 minutes!) but more expensive at around 1.900 DKK one way. We tried it ourselves on a trip to Northside festival. The seaplane takes off from Aarhus harbour and lands near The Little Mermaid in Copenhagen. The views are stunning.
Book your sea plane with Nordic Seaplanes here.
Do I need a passport to travel between Aarhus and Copenhagen?
No, you usually don’t have to show anything else other than your ticket for the ferry, bus, or train. Sometimes the ticket agent will verify your student ID if you’ve booked a student ticket, and you may need to provide the credit card with which you purchased your ticket. Otherwise, there are no controls between cities within Denmark.
Need more travel tips? Find out how to travel between Copenhagen and Malmö or Copenhagen and Oslo.
Heads up! This post contains affiliate links. Don’t worry, the commission we make comes at no additional cost to you. For more information on our affiliate program, please see our Disclosure Policy.