How do students get around Copenhagen?

Denmark is often considered one of the most expensive countries in Europe for public transportation, with an average day pass in Copenhagen costing approximately 100 DKK (13.39 euros). This is due to several factors, including high operation costs driven by inflation, energy costs and high wage levels. 

It is due to these high costs that many Danes opt to walk or cycle when travelling throughout the inner city area and drive if commuting from outside the city. Copenhagen is also home to a large number of students, over 150,000 from within Denmark and across the world.

For students living in the city, having a car is unlikely due to extremely high registration taxes. Meaning for many young people, daily use of buses or metro is most common, particularly during Denmark’s famously harsh Winters when cycling and walking aren’t practical options. 

Purchasing weekly or monthly metro passes is a good option for students who want to avoid spending upwards of 50 euros a week on travel. University of Copenhagen student Christian says, “I pay for a two-month metro pass, that's around 525 DKK.” (Approximately 70 euros).

“In our programme they bought us the commuter pass, so we don't actually have to pay, which is really convenient”, says Hannah, a student at the University of Copenhagen on exchange from New Jersey. 

For those who do not have commuter passes covered by their host institutions, purchasing monthly or 2-monthly travel passes through the DSB app or the Rejsekort self-service site may be the most cost-effective option for exchange students staying in Copenhagen.

 This article is intended for an international student audience that reads the Guardian.