Flying from Hamburg to Copenhagen wasn’t really an option. I saw that there was a bus for EUR13 which took 5 hours, centre to centre. So I figured that it wasn’t that much longer than flying since I didn’t need to check-in, or travel to and from major airports.
I did rock up half an hour before the bus left, and I was one of the early ones! I did need to “check in” at the bus counter, and get confirmed, and given a boarding pass.
It’s been many, many years since I’ve taken a bus and with a price of EUR13 I was a little nervous about what the experience might be like.
And my nervousness was justified!
Some people catching buses these days really do not prioritise personal hygiene. Yikes! And they push you out of the way to get onto the bus. The bus driver looked exasperated and I felt sorry for him. He did a good job though.
All that aside, there was a comfortable leather-type seat with a folding tray table and a big clean window to enjoy the view.
And there were some beautiful views along the way…
The Ferry to Denmark
I had heard from a fellow traveler that we might have to board a ferry half way through the journey, and they were right!
2 hours into the journey, we arrived at the coastline, and queued to board a massive ferry. We waited about 20 minutes, and it was amazing to watch that when the ferry pulled in, a train disembarked and continued on its journey!
Once on the ferry, we were parked in the bottom level, and we were told that all passengers had to go upstairs. So we got off the bus, and walked up many levels of stairs. When we arrived at the communal deck, it was like arriving in a shopping centre.
There were shops, cafes, a buffet restaurant, lots of seating and multiple viewing decks. I was pleasantly surprised, and it was a nice break in the journey to get some sea breeze (brrrrrrrr) and stretch my legs.
I did not buy a Starbucks coffee, which was about EUR5 (AUD8) as I was already warned and prepared for the higher prices in Northern Europe.
Also it was pretty obvious now just how much these guys like sausage…
And scary to see gambling opportunities…
The journey was about 40 minutes, and then they announced it was time to head downstairs and get back on the bus.
Shortly after the ship door opened and we drove out onto the road. We stopped briefly at what I expected was Denmark immigration. It didn’t take long, and it was as simple as an Immigration official getting on the bus and looking at everyone’s passport.
Then it was another 2 hours to Denmark’s capital Copenhagen.
We passed a lot of wind turbines (go renewable energy!)
Welcome to Copenhagen
It was a scenic drive into the centre, and luckily with it being August, we had mostly good weather on our side.
Arrival was quick and straight forward and fairly close to the main Train Station.
I did some investigation to find out the local transport prices, and ouch, it was as pricey as London.
It was 24 DKK (nearly AUD5) for a single journey on the metro or bus, and 260 DKK (nearly AUD52) for a weekly unlimited pass. I decided to just go for the single journey to get me to my Airbnb, and then think about the other transport options later.
Good decision.