Denver to Copenhagen Flights (DEN to CPH): Connections, Travel Time and Arrival Tips

No nonstop, but several good one-stops

There is no nonstop between Denver and Copenhagen as of recent schedules. Because Denver is a United hub with its own European nonstops, and because SAS flies to Copenhagen from many US cities, the trip is a straightforward one-stop with a choice of where to connect:

• Via Reykjavik: Icelandair flies Denver to Reykjavik and on to Copenhagen, with a short connection in a small airport. Often the quickest total journey and competitively priced.
• Via Frankfurt or Munich: Lufthansa flies Denver to both and connects to Copenhagen on a short hop; United sells the same itineraries.
• Via Newark or Chicago: United from Denver, then United or SAS nonstop to Copenhagen. Newark has both carriers; SAS also flies from Chicago, Washington, Boston, New York JFK, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami, all reachable from Denver.
• Via London, Paris or Amsterdam: British Airways, Air France and KLM each fly Denver to their hub with a short onward flight to Copenhagen. London adds a non-Schengen passport step; Paris and Amsterdam do not.

Travel time and distance

The great-circle distance from DEN to CPH is roughly 4,900 miles (about 7,900 km), arcing over Hudson Bay and Greenland. With one connection, plan on 12 to 15 hours of total travel. The transatlantic leg eastbound runs 7 to 9.5 hours depending on the hub, and the return is about an hour longer against the jet stream. Most itineraries leave Denver in the afternoon or evening and land in Copenhagen the following morning or early afternoon; the Reykjavik routing often lands in Copenhagen around midday.

Departing from Denver International

Denver has one terminal, the Jeppesen Terminal, with security on the main level and three concourses, A, B and C, reached by the underground train and, for Concourse A, a pedestrian bridge. United uses Concourse B; Lufthansa, Icelandair, British Airways, Air France and most foreign carriers use Concourse A. The walk from security to the far end of Concourse B is long, so check your gate before you linger.

The A Line commuter train runs from Union Station downtown to the terminal in about 37 minutes, every 15 minutes most of the day, and is the most predictable way to reach the airport. By road, allow 45 to 60 minutes from downtown on Pena Boulevard, more in snow. For an afternoon or evening international departure, arrive three hours ahead; Denver's security lines are long at midday and late afternoon.

Connecting in Europe or on the East Coast

If you connect in Reykjavik, Frankfurt, Munich, Paris or Amsterdam, you pass through Schengen passport control there and the Copenhagen leg is treated as an internal flight; you walk straight out on arrival in Denmark. Reykjavik and Munich are compact and an hour can work; Frankfurt and Paris need closer to two. London is outside Schengen, which means UK transit rules and Danish passport control on arrival, and as of recent rules a UK ETA may be required even to connect; check before choosing it.

If you connect at Newark or Chicago, the Denver flight is domestic and the risk is weather at the hub, especially in winter; 90 minutes is the sensible minimum.

Arriving at Copenhagen Airport and getting into the city

Copenhagen Airport is at Kastrup, about 8 km south-east of the centre, with Terminals 2 and 3 joined in one building for departures and a single arrivals hall in Terminal 3. The railway and metro station is directly beneath Terminal 3:

• Metro (line M2): to Kongens Nytorv and Norreport in about 15 minutes, running every few minutes around the clock. The easiest choice for most hotels.
• Regional train: to Copenhagen Central Station in about 15 minutes, and across the bridge to Malmo in Sweden in about 20.
• Bus: route 5C runs into the city for the same fare as the metro, slower but useful for stops the metro misses.
• Taxi: 20 to 30 minutes to the centre and expensive by US standards.

Buy a ticket at the machines or in the DOT app; the same zone ticket covers metro, train and bus. Copenhagen is close to cashless and cards are accepted everywhere.

When to fly and when to book

Summer is peak. From mid-June to mid-August the days are long, the harbour is warm enough to swim in and the city is full; fares are highest in July. Christmas is the other peak, with Tivoli's markets and lights drawing visitors through December. May and September are good shoulder months with mild weather and lower fares.

January to March is dark, cold and the cheapest time to fly, though the city's museums and restaurants make it a fair winter trip. For July and December, book four to five months ahead; for the shoulder and winter, two to three.

Entry requirements and documents

Denmark is in the Schengen area. As of recent rules, US passport holders can visit for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa, with a passport valid for at least three months beyond the planned departure from Schengen and six months recommended. The Entry/Exit System now records a photo and fingerprints at your first Schengen border, which adds a queue on a first visit. ETIAS pre-travel authorisation has been announced for visa-free visitors; check the official EU website for whether it is in force for your dates.

Rules change and other nationalities differ, so confirm with the Danish embassy or the EU's official pages before you book.

Time difference and jet lag

Copenhagen is eight hours ahead of Denver for most of the year. Both observe daylight saving on different dates, so the gap is seven hours for a few weeks in late March and again from late October into early November. Eastbound you land in the morning or midday after a short night, which is the harder direction; stay in daylight, which in summer lasts until late evening, and sleep at a local hour. The return lands in Denver in the afternoon or evening and most people adjust in two or three days.

What travellers on this route get wrong

The first mistake is a tight connection at Frankfurt or Paris. The second is overlooking the Reykjavik routing, which is often the shortest total trip. The third is renting a car in Copenhagen; the metro, trains and bikes cover the city better and parking is scarce and dear. A smaller one: forgetting that Denmark uses the krone rather than the euro, although cards are accepted almost everywhere.