Travelling between Copenhagen and Stockholm by rail gives you two clear choices: a direct daytime train or a frequent route changing at Malmö. Most departures involve taking a regional train across the strait to Malmö Central and boarding a high-speed service onwards to the Swedish capital. The journey takes just over six hours in total, running multiple times a day in both directions.
Direct train or change in Malmö
Most travellers making this trip will change trains along the way. DSB sells several daily connections from Copenhagen to Stockholm via Malmö, where you change to SJ's X2000 high-speed train. According to DSB, there are normally more than 10 departures a day in each direction between Copenhagen Central and Stockholm, and the entire journey from Copenhagen takes just over 6 hours.
To make this connection, you board one of the many Øresund regional trains crossing the bridge to Malmö Central. From there, you change to the X2000, which reaches Stockholm Central in just under 5 hours. This route operates in reverse for travel from Stockholm to Copenhagen.
If you prefer not to change carriages, Snälltåget runs daytime trains between Copenhagen and Stockholm every day, all year round. These daily trains between Stockholm, Malmö, Copenhagen, and Hamburg have run since 4 May 2026. However, they call at Copenhagen Syd rather than Copenhagen Central. Snälltåget's Copenhagen–Stockholm trains usually also stop in Malmö, Lund, Eslöv, Hässleholm, Alvesta, Nässjö, Linköping, Norrköping, and Södertälje.
The direct Snälltåget train
Taking the direct Snälltåget daytime service allows you to remain on the same train for the entire journey, though it stops for an extended period across the border. In Snälltåget's preliminary 2026 timetable, the northbound train leaves Copenhagen Syd at 14:57, waits in Malmö from 15:35 to 16:18, and reaches Stockholm C at 21:17. Southbound, the train leaves Stockholm C at 10:43 and reaches Copenhagen Syd at 16:46. These times may change due to track work. If you plan a winter crossing, bear in mind how quickly the sun sets by checking daylight in Copenhagen before leaving, as well as the remaining daylight in Stockholm when you arrive in the evening.
On the daytime Snälltåget service, you will find specific seating and dining options:
- Dining: Snälltåget's restaurant car, Krogen (the pub or eatery), serves hot meals, breakfast, and drinks. You must book a table in advance to guarantee one.
- Compartments: On some departures between Stockholm and Malmö, you can book a private compartment for up to six people.
- Luggage rules: You may bring two pieces of hand luggage measuring at most 55x45x25 cm, plus one small personal item.
- Bicycles: Snälltåget only takes bikes on its summer and autumn trains to Jämtland; bikes are not allowed on its other trains.
The night train through Copenhagen
In addition to the daytime options, Snälltåget's night train runs from Berlin via Hamburg and Copenhagen to Malmö and Stockholm. You can book either a seat or a private compartment for this overnight crossing.
From Sweden, the night train runs from Wednesday to Friday and on Sundays from 2 November to 11 December 2026. Bookings are open until 7 January 2027, after which the Berlin night train pauses until after Easter.
Because this service operates international long-distance carriages, specific identity documents are mandatory. On the night train between Berlin and Malmö, every passenger, including children, requires a passport or EU/EEA national ID card with an MRZ code or chip, which must be shown at check-in and on board.
Tickets and what they cost
Fares depend on the operator you choose and how early you secure your ticket. If you travel on the direct daytime route, Snälltåget's cheapest tickets start from SEK 299 one way between Stockholm and Copenhagen (and SEK 149 between Stockholm and Malmö) on quieter departures. To find these prices, book 2–3 weeks in advance and avoid Fridays and Sundays.
For the frequent connection via Malmö, DSB sells the SJ Orange Sverige ticket. When booked well in advance, this ticket is 40% cheaper than the normal fare, and an adult can bring up to 2 children or grandchildren under 16 for up to 85% off. Travelling on the X2000 leg gives you free 4G internet, a bistro, and comfortable seats. If you are planning broader travel across the region, you can read more about other trips in the Nordics or continuing onwards with the Stockholm–Helsinki ferry.
Booking methods vary by operator:
- Snälltåget tickets are sold on its website, through its customer service (which carries a 100 SEK fee if the ticket could have been booked online), and via togrejse.dk.
- DSB's international customer centre can be reached on 70 13 14 18 for help booking a train to Sweden.
- Note that DSB's Øresund ticket (Øresundsbillet) from Copenhagen to Skåne is not valid on SJ's trains, so it does not cover the onward SJ train from Malmö.
Rail passes
If you are using an Interrail pass, specific conditions apply depending on your pass type and operator.
Interrail passes are valid on Snälltåget, but you must book and pay for a reservation, one way at a time. In Snälltåget's 2026 low-season periods, which include 2 November to 17 December, an Interrail seat reservation between Copenhagen and Stockholm costs 49 SEK, or 149 SEK in 1st class.
Pass holders must also be aware of regional pass limitations:
- Interrail One Country Pass Sweden: This pass is valid on Snälltåget across the border to and from Copenhagen during 2026. Snälltåget states that from 2027 it will only be valid within Sweden.
- Interrail One Country Pass Nordic: This pass is valid on Snälltåget in Denmark and Sweden, but not for travel within the holder's own country of residence.
ID and the border into Sweden
Every passenger entering Sweden from Denmark crosses a formal checkpoint. Border checks on passengers entering Sweden are currently in place and affect every train crossing the Öresund Bridge. Sweden's government extended its reintroduced internal border control by six months, from 12 May 2026 to 11 November 2026.
You must have valid identification ready for inspection on board the train. Because these checks are mandatory, Snälltåget tickets are issued to a named passenger, and passenger lists on cross-border trains are passed directly to the police and customs.