Bus Transportation

In Copenhagen, buses crisscross the city, making it easy to get from most places. The buses also connect with the train stations helping you get about quicker.

They even have water buses which take you along the harbour and drop you off at such popular spots as the Opera House and Black Diamond Library. Very convenient!

Remember riding the bus costs money. You must have a ticket to ride the bus. Riding any public transport without a ticket will get you a fine of 750 kroner.

The bus transportation system works the same as the trains, tickets depend on the number of zones you travel through. You can learn more about zones at Understanding the Zone Map.

The ticket system for trains, buses and metro are the same and can be used on any transportation system. One ticket gives you access to all public transport; trains, buses and metro.

To understand about tickets and klippekort, check out Tickets , where you can learn all about klippekort, other tickets and pricing information.

On the bus, you can buy your ticket from the bus driver. Please note that drivers prefer change and not bills. If you pay with notes/bills, the driver may not accept the payment, since it is a security issue with the bus lines. Also it is better to have a klippekort, especially during peak hours, when the buses have tight schedules to keep and selling tickets delays the bus.

Riding the Bus

Bus stops are marked by signs with the route numbers on them. The signs are yellow. Underneath, you will see the timetable for each bus that stops at that bus stop. You do not have to signal for a bus to stop. If you are standing next to the sign, the bus will stop. If there are several buses stopping at the stop, stand near the sign, so the driver knows you are waiting for that bus. If you are standing up on the sidewalk against a wall and the bus is coming by, the driver may not realize that you are waiting for that particular bus and drive on by.

Buses are not like trains, they do not stop at all stops. They only stop at a bus stop if someone has hit the stop button on the bus or if someone is waiting to get on the bus. Occaisionally, buses will stop at a stop because they are ahead of schedule and need to wait a few minutes to get back on schedule.

When the bus stops, you enter by the front door – not the back or middle doors, which are used for exiting. The exception is if you are taking a baby stroller with you on the bus. Then you can enter through the doors in the middle of the bus and, once on and situated, go down the aisle to the front to buy your ticket or show the driver you have a valid pass/ticket. When you enter the bus, enter on the right side if you need to buy a ticket. Enter on the left side if you have a pass or need to stamp your card.

There is a small rail by the front doors. At the top of the rail there is a ticket machine, which you use to stamp your klippekort.

If you have a valid ticket or pass, show it to the driver as you walk by. Make sure he/she sees the ticket. They will usually say “tak” or nod their heads in acknowledgement.

There are no reserved seats on buses, but some buses do have signs showing seats available for the disabled or elderly. You can sit there, but if an elderly person or handicapped person needs the seat, you need to relinquish it. It's best to choose another seat if it is available. .

Also, you can stand in the aisle when the bus is full. There are handles or straps above you, which you can hold on to. During peak hours the buses will be packed, and it will be necessary to keep moving towards the back of the bus at each stop. People get off and others are getting on, so you NEED to move towards the back.

In the middle of the bus, there is usually a wide space to stand. The problem with standing there is that people with strollers have first right to those places. If you are standing there, you have to move and give them the spot for their stroller or baby carriage. This can be a real pain when the bus is packed and 2 people with strollers try to get on. You just have to move. This is always fun during rush hour.

You exit the bus from either the middle doors or the back door. Along the bus you will see lots of little red buttons. These are mounted on the bars along the seats or sometimes above your head. Just take a look around and you will see plenty of them within easy reach.

When you are ready to get off, you just push the red button and there will be a little "ding". Near the front of the bus you will see a light that says “Standser”, meaning the driver will be stopping at the next bus stop. If you see the light lit up, you don't have to push the button again.

The driver won't stop between official bus stops. Press your button as soon as you know your stop is next. If you wait to push it right before the stop, the driver may assume you are pushing it for the following stop.

Get up and stand near the door before you reach your stop. Sometimes it can be hard to get through the mass of people if it is rush hour. Bus drivers try to keep to a tight schedule, so if they have to wait for you to get out of your seat and get to the exit after they stop, this will cause problems. Be ready and help keep the system working.

A few things to remember:

1. Even though there are regular bus stops, buses do not have to stop at them unless there is someone to pick up or someone has pushed the button to get off.

2. During peak travel times, a bus may not stop at your bus stop if no one is planning to get off, even if someone is waiting at the stop. This is very common during rush hour. Basically, the bus is so packed with people that the driver cannot take any more passengers. If that is case, he/she will just drive by. Don’t worry -- another bus will be by shortly.

3. In the city, there are so many buses that if you miss one, another one will be by shortly. Also, many bus lines travel similar routes, so plan alternatives if one bus is late or full.

4. If you are furthur out in the country on a bus and the stops are farther apart, it is usually okay to ask the driver to make an unscheduled stop. Don’t ask him to drop you off 100 feet from the regular stop, but often you may need to get off a mile earlier, for example. You can also wave a bus down when in the country. Don’t try this in the city – they won't do it unless you are a regular customer and even then it might not happen.

5. There are several different types of buses. The yellow buses are regular buses and stop at more stops than some of the other lines.

6. A Buses: The A buses are very efficient and reliable city buses, which run on a high frequency. They stop at all stop points, so you can be sure that they will stop for you. The A-Busses have good connection to the train stations and major traffic junctions, so you can quickly and easily switch to other buslines, trains and/or Metro.

The A Busses have a A in back of the line number, for example 6A

S Busses: S-buses are fast and direct bus routes with few stops. They serve a number of S-train stations and bus terminals. They connect the suburbs with the city. Since they make fewer stops you may take the same route as another bus line but they will skip 3 or 4 stops that the other line makes. Make sure the S bus you take stops near where you want to get off. The S busses usually have numbers like 100S, 200S, 300S, 250S 150S.

E Busses: E-buses are express bus lines running only during rush hour. They run mostly from the suburbs and into the city including major work place areas or major transportation hubs. A good example of that is the 173E bus.

P Buses: These are local buses, which run in the daytime and always end and start at the same train station. They are basically shuttle buses between stations and residential or work places. For example in Lygnby the 591P leaves the station travels through the Lyngby suburbs and returns to the station. These buses always end in the letter P.

N Bus: These are night buses and are only in use late at night and the early morning hours. Remember when using these buses you will need double the normal clips. If you normally use a 2 klipkort and klip it once, on the night bus you will have to use 2 klips for the same journey.

It's best to make sure you take the right bus, so check the schedule or ask the driver if in doubt.

Riding the Metro

Just wait for the metro to arrive, make sure you have your ticket and get on and off at your stops. The best place to sit is up front, where you can look out the window and see the tunnel.

Havnbus

The Havnbus travels along the harbor and makes 6 regular stops including the Opera House, Nyhavn and Kgl. Bibliotek.

Tip: If you are planning on going to the Opera House, this is the best way. There are very limited parking spaces at the Opera House, so it's very inconvenient to try and park. The Havnbus transports opera goers back and forth to Nyhavn until everyone is back. Basically, it operates as a shuttle between those two points when the opera is over.

I hope this will help you enjoy the public transportation system that Denmark has to offer. Most of the rest of Denmark's transport system works on a similiar system. You may experience a few differences in different parts of the country.

For example, in Aarhus, you board the yellow buses from the back and depart from the front. You don't show your ticket to the driver; you are on the honor system - similar to riding the trains in Copenhagen.

Now if you take a blue bus (Rutebus), it is like taking a yellow bus in Copenhagen: you enter from the front, exit from the middle, show your ticket to the driver, etc.

This also applies to other cities. The best way to be sure is watch others who are boarding or just ask the driver. Most bus drivers speak Danish, English and, often, German. If you cannot speak with them, there will be people on the bus who can help. Just relax and follow the rules above and you should have an enjoyable experience.