✈️Late-night departures and early flights: should you stay at CPH Airport or in Ørestad?
The night in Copenhagen smells of the sea and kerosene. The board in T3 flips through flights, the lights of the runway are visible through the glass, and you count the minutes of sleep before your 06:30 departure. The city has a strange magic: just 12-15 minutes by metro and you're in the centre, but sometimes every step counts. When is it smarter to go to sleep right at the terminal, and when is it more logical to book a room in Ørestad (one stop on the regional train) or even stay in the city without losing sleep and money on taxis? Below are clear scenarios and addresses, without any fluff.
🧭 Three accommodation strategies for ‘inconvenient’ flights
🛫 1) Stay at Terminal T3 (Clarion / Comfort)
What this gives you: a covered walkway 5–7 minutes to the check-in desk, minimum risk and maximum sleep. In the morning, you are already ‘in place’, no night trips, rain/wind, ‘looking for a taxi at 4:40’.
When it's ideal: departure before 07:00, arrival after 23:00, travelling with children/large suitcases, transfers.
Pitfalls: the price is often higher (especially on ‘hot’ dates), less ‘city feel’, you will have to eat dinner in the airport ecosystem or at the hotel.
🚈 2) Ørestad — a compromise between ‘sleep + price’
The point: a modern area near Ørestad Station (regional trains to the airport — 1 stop) and M1 (to the centre). Hotels are usually cheaper than the terminal, logistics in the morning are predictable: 3–5 minutes by train to CPH, frequent flights; there are also flights at night/early in the morning, but the interval is wider.
When it's ideal: arrival between 23:00 and 00:30 and departure after 06:30, if you want to reduce the price by 10–20% compared to the terminal and not risk taking a taxi.
Pitfalls: do not confuse the M1 metro (with a transfer to the airport) and the regional train (direct, no transfer). Prices may fluctuate on concert dates at the Royal Arena.
🌆 3) Centre/M3 ‘ring’ — if you want to experience the city
The idea: live ‘as usual’ and take the metro/train to the airport early in the morning. In the evening — restaurants, bars, canals; at night/early in the morning — 24/7 metro and a short transfer.
When it's ideal: arrival before 22:30 and departure after 07:30, if it's more important to ‘feel the city’ and have time for an evening stroll.
Pitfalls: allow extra time for night-time intervals and ‘unlucky’ transfers; have a plan B taxi (budget 250–350 DKK within the city centre).
🧳 Two real-life situations (minute-by-minute breakdown)
🌙 Scenario A: arrival at 23:30 (with luggage), departure at 06:30 the next day
- Terminal (Clarion/Comfort): passport/luggage ~40–60 min → in your room 00:20–00:40 → wake up 04:45–05:00 → 5–7 min to the counter → coffee in the lounge/hotel → 06:30 boarding. Maximum sleep, minimum risk.
- Ørestad: passport/luggage → regional train 3–5 min to Ørestad (wait for interval) → hotel nearby. In the morning, back 3–5 min by train → check-in. Almost as much sleep, savings possible.
- Centre: passport/luggage → metro/train ~15–20 min + walk to hotel → check-in closer to 01:30. Wake up ~04:30, travel time ~15–20 min. Sleep is borderline, only makes sense if you need ‘one evening walk’.
🌅 Scenario B: departure at 06:30, but a whole day in the city the day before
- Ørestad wins with its balance: spend the whole day walking around the centre → in the evening, 10–15 min on the M1 (or by train) to Ørestad → get a good night's sleep → in the morning, 3–5 min by train to the airport.
- Terminal — if you are very tired, travelling with children, flying on a weekday and want zero risks.
- Centre — if dinner/atmosphere is important and you don't mind getting up at the crack of dawn.
🏨 Where to stay (specifics for T3 and Ørestad)
Near Terminal T3 (criterion — covered walkway):
- Clarion Hotel Copenhagen Airport — full service, fitness, seamless transition to T3.
- Comfort Hotel Copenhagen Airport — smart economy segment at the same walkway; convenient for the earliest start, many to-go options.
Ørestad (1 stop by train to the airport; near M1):
- Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers — 4–6 minutes' walk to Ørestad Station; comfort and predictability in the morning.
- AC Hotel Bella Sky Copenhagen — near Bella Center (M1); convenient access to the city centre and to the airport — by train from Ørestad (shorter and without transfers).
- Cabinn Metro — budget, 6–8 minutes to Ørestad; minimalist, but close and practical.
- Zleep Hotel Copenhagen Arena — 4–6 minutes to Ørestad; often more affordable than its neighbours, geared towards ‘late arrival/early departure’.
Explanation in the morning from Ørestad: the shortest route is the regional train (DSB/Øresundståg) directly to Copenhagen Airport (Kastrup), without changing trains, 1 stop. Metro M1 → M2 with a change — an alternative option if it is more convenient in terms of time.
🧩 Terminal vs Ørestad vs Centre (for your dates)
🧭 Your parameters
📌 Recommendation
🧩Quick reference guide: 5–10 minutes to the counter/station
📍 Hotel → T3 / Ørestad Station (on foot, approximate)
| Hotel | To | Min | Why choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clarion Copenhagen Airport | T3 (covered walkway) | 5–7 | maximum sleep and zero risk |
| Comfort Hotel Copenhagen Airport | T3 (covered walkway) | 6–8 | cheaper than terminal “luxury”, lots of to-go options |
| Crowne Plaza Copenhagen Towers | Ørestad Station | 4–6 | best sleep/price compromise |
| AC Hotel Bella Sky | Bella Center (M1) / Ørestad (train) | 2 / 12–15 | city centre via M1, airport by train from Ørestad |
| Cabinn Metro | Ørestad Station | 6–8 | minimum price, maximum practicality |
| Zleep Hotel Copenhagen Arena | Ørestad Station | 4–6 | often cheaper than neighbours during events |
Times are indicative for dry weather and a direct route. At night/in rain, allow extra time.
🧠 How not to get confused by the details (which are often overlooked)
- Regional train vs. metro from Ørestad. In the morning, it is faster to take the train to the airport (1 stop), while the metro on M1→M2 is a backup option (with a transfer). Keep both options in mind.
- Early breakfast/lunch box. For departures before 7 a.m., ask for ‘breakfast to go’ at the reception; this is standard at terminal hotels.
- Quiet side and height. In the airport area, windows facing platforms/roads provide background noise; in Ørestad, windows facing the motorway/train lines do too. Ask for a courtyard/upper floor, but avoid attics in summer.
- Events. In Ørestad, the Royal Arena can raise prices significantly on certain evenings; at the terminal, there are business conferences and waves of early flights on weekdays.
- Taxis — only as a backup plan. With 24/7 metro/trains, taxis are insurance, not the basis of your route. The exception is storms/force majeure.
- Suitcases and children. In any scenario, lifts and covered walkways are more valuable than ‘another 300 metres’. Check the entrance layout in advance.
❓FAQ
Not necessarily. Ørestad offers almost the same sleep: 1 stop by train to CPH. The terminal provides psychological comfort and ‘zero risk’ — choose it if peace of mind is more important than price/atmosphere.
Stay in Ørestad: you'll get there quickly at night, get a good night's sleep, and in the morning, it's 10–15 minutes on the M1 to the city centre. Take a walk, come back for your things, and take the train to the airport.
Outside of events, expect to pay +10–25% more than the price of Ørestad/the city centre for the same dates. On peak nights (conferences, large waves of early flights), the difference may be higher. However, the terminal ‘pays for itself’ with minutes of sleep and zero logistics.
Book Ørestad and set two routes for the morning: the Ørestad → CPH train and the backup M1→M2. Find out the intervals for your time in advance and add +15 minutes as a ‘safety margin’.
The terminal will win over your nervous system: a covered walkway, breakfast to go, and a minimum of booths in the wind. If budget is more important, Crowne/Zleep/Cabinn in Ørestad will also work, just set your departure 20 minutes earlier.
Yes, if your flight is after 07:30 and your hotel is near M2/M3 (e.g. Nørreport/Kongens Nytorv/the station). Set your alarm clock with a margin, have a plan B (taxi) and choose a short, well-lit route to the station.
If you have a tight schedule of 23:30 → 06:30, yes — it saves you up to an hour of sleep. In other cases, consider the price and your plans: sometimes it is more comfortable to spend the evening in the city and sleep in Ørestad.
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