københavn har mange cykler.

bikecycles.

I was well prepared for the crazy bike culture here in Copenhagen. But for those of you us who cannot ride a bike (much to their embarrassment when they see a small child zipping down the street), there are other, equally convenient…ish alternatives.

The public transport works around a system of zones. The standard fare to journey between 2 zones is 23kr, however it is much more common to buy a klippekort which significantly reduces the cost of travel. Even more common is the travel card, a monthly (or however long) card that allows you as much travel within the specified zones. The most important thing is to know just which zone you are coming from, and which zone you are heading to. Why? Because if you do not have the right number of zones on your ticket, you are hit with a huge 600 kr fine. This is why I love this zoning map.

regional/øresund toget, s-toget, lokalbanen.

The first public transport that I took when I arrived here in Copenhagen was the regional/Øresund, from the airport to my place at Ørestad. Having that train makes the airport so much closer, so that’s just awesome. These trains are generally for longer distances, between various towns and cities in Denmark, while the Øresund trains travel from Helsingør in the north of Sjælland down to København H, through the airport, over the Øresund Bridge, and then on to Malmø in Sweden and often further north to Lund, Göthenburg and other Swedish cities. For me though, I only really catch it when I’m at København H and need to get home, or the other way.

I hardly use the S-tog at all, as it doesn’t really serve my area. The only time I will usually catch it is on the first Sunday of the month, when it is free! So I have used it to travel to Frederisborg Slot in Hillerød, the Frilandsmuseet at Lyngby and then tomorrow I’ll be going to Dyrehaven in Klampenborg. Oh, and I use it to go to Fisketorvet at Dybbølsbro. :)

Lastly, the Lokalbanen. That particular one I took from Hillerød to Fredensborg to visit the palace there. Lokalbanen services the local lines in the north of Sjælland, much like how the S-tog is more for the Copenhagen area.

However, by far the most used and abused method of public transport for me is the Metro.

jeg tager metroen hver dag.

I take the Metro every day. It comes so often that I rarely have to think about what time to leave to get to some place. I usually just get to the station and wait. There are usually minimal troubles with it, and it runs 24/7. It’s fast, and gets me to the main places that I need to get to.

Of course there are also buses, and there is one that I sometimes catch from København H home, but that is only if I am in the mood to get some readings done on the bus. They are hardly as frequent as catching the Metro and so I tend to avoid it, as much as I would usually prefer a bus back home.

I definitely do not miss the crazy M2 traffic during peak hour, or waiting in the queue on Bathurst Street. I do not miss standing on a packed 620X on the way home, or watching the 3rd empty 642 pass me as I’m waiting in the ridiculously long line on Clarence Street. I do not miss having to make sure that I leave the house early to make my bus, because Hillsbus has a funny way of gauging the time. I do not miss the fact that sometimes buses just do not come at all, or being left on the side of the M2 while smoke billows from one of the bus’ wheels…

The public transport here in Copenhagen is great and could not even begin to compare with back home. I love it. We even have a harbour bus! :)

misselty.

havnebus.

2010

11/07

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