Understanding the Train Zones

Since the zone map to the right is a little small, you can either download the image by right clicking on Zone Map and saving as pdf file which you can open using Adobe Acrobat. It is the same as the picture on the left, but it is a much easier to follow. You can click on the picture, which will take you a larger version of the map.

The white lines are the dividing lines between each zone. The white numbers are the zone numbers. The black names are names of the various train stations. So by looking at the map, Zone 1 is in the central part of Copenhagen/ Kobenhavn. Zone 4 includes the airport and Tarnby. Each zone in Denmark has a corresponding number. The farther out you go from the city center the higher the numbers go. There are exceptions to that, but if you look at the map, you can see there is a sort of ring extending out from the city center.

Zone 1 incorporates the city center, Zone 2 goes from Amarken (along the southern coast) to Hellerup (on the northern coast).

When get past Zone 2, you get into the 30s. These zones are smaller than Zone 1 and Zone 2. You can see that Zone 30, 31, 32 and 33 are about a 1/10 the size of Zone 2.

There are 4 zones in the 30s, 4 in the 40s, 5 in the 50s and so forth.

The zones apply to both the trains, buses and the metro. (There is no metro beyond Zone 2 except on Amager which has zone 3 and 4).

You will have to learn where these train zones are on a regular city map in order to understand which zone you are in. You can also look at any bus sign, which has the zone number printed on the card attached to the sign.

What does it all mean?

So you look at the zone map and decide where you are starting from and where you plan to end up. Count the number of zones you will be in during your trip.

A ticket is good for either 2,3,4,5,6,7,8 or all zones. You can use a klip kort for the trips or buy individual tickets.

A Klip Kort is a discount card, where you get 10 klips per card and you klip the card once for each trip you take. A klipkort will save you money over buying an individual ticket. But if you don't plan to use all the klips it is not worth getting one. You can get a refund on unused klips. See photo to the right.

Planning Your Route

Another example To figure out your zones, you include the zones you begin in and end up in. Let's say you go from Friheden (Zone 33) to Ordrup (Zone 40). You would travel through 5 zones: 33,2,1,2,30 and 40. You don't count Zone 2 twice - just the unique zones.

You could also plan your route to go from Zone 33 into Zone 2, go across Zone 2 and then cross into 30 and 40 and only use a 4-zone ticket. There are buses that would take you that route; it will just mean a few changes of transport.

As a visitor you will probably only need a 2-zone ticket for most of your travel needs and a 3-zone ticket from the airport. From the airport to downtown Copenhagen you go through zones 4,3 and 1.

Tip: If you are traveling as a couple coming from the airport, try doing this. Buy a 2-zone klippekort at the airport. If you klip the 2-zone card 3 times - 3 klips - you have a total of 6 zones. This will be 3 zones per person. You can both travel on the same klip kort. You can now travel to Copenhagen for 37.5 kroner versus 2 normal tickets, which wold cost 60 kroner. Save three klips for your return trip to the airport when you are leaving. That still leaves 4 klips to use while in town. The card costs 125 kroner. That means each klip costs 12.5 kroner versus buying a normal ticket costing 20 kroner. Plan ahead and you can save a lot of money.

Now let's go from zones to learning about tickets / klippekorts and learn how to use them and some of the ticket options available to you.

Here are some other links you may wish to check out so that you can really master the public transportation system in Denmark. Learn how to read the Train and Bus Schedules, and figure out the train routes. It is all part of mastering the Danish public transportation system.

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