Copenhagen to Malmö is one of the shortest international trips in Europe. By road it is about 40 km (25 mi) from Kongens Nytorv to Malmö Central Station, roughly 44 minutes on a clear road by our routed estimate, and the drive crosses the Øresund Bridge into Sweden. From Copenhagen Airport it is shorter still, about 37 km (23 mi) and 42 minutes, because the airport sits on Amager right where the fixed link begins.
The train is quick and simple for light travellers, and we say so below. A car makes sense when you are moving hotels with luggage, travelling as a family or a team, combining Malmö with Lund or the coast, or arriving at CPH and going straight to Sweden. Elly8.net quotes the one-way transfer at a fixed price in the web booker; a three-hour as-directed booking, enough for a Malmö half-day, costs from US$270 in a business sedan, and a full day from US$665.
How long is the drive from Copenhagen to Malmö?
About 44 minutes on a clear road from Kongens Nytorv to Malmö Central Station, a routed distance of about 40 km (25 mi). From Copenhagen Airport it is about 37 km (23 mi) and 42 minutes. Visit Sweden puts the drive from central Copenhagen at around 50 minutes, which allows for normal traffic and the toll plaza.
Our distances are routed estimates from the public OSRM router for a clear road. Visit Sweden, the official Swedish tourism site, gives around 50 minutes for the drive from central Copenhagen and says trains from Copenhagen Airport reach Malmö's central station in less than 30 minutes. On a weekday morning, the approach roads on the Danish side add time; build in a margin if you are heading to a meeting.
See Copenhagen prices and reserve
| Leg | Routed distance | Clear-road drive |
|---|---|---|
| Kongens Nytorv to Malmö Central Station | 40 km / 25 mi | about 44 min |
| Kongens Nytorv to the Turning Torso, Västra Hamnen | 39 km / 25 mi | about 43 min |
| Copenhagen Airport (CPH) to Malmö Central Station | 37 km / 23 mi | about 42 min |
| Kongens Nytorv to Lund | 61 km / 38 mi | about 56 min |
| Malmö to Lund | 20 km / 12 mi | about 23 min |
| Kongens Nytorv to Dragør | 13 km / 8 mi | about 21 min |
The route over the Øresund Bridge
From central Copenhagen the drive heads south onto Amager, past the airport, and out across the water on the fixed link to Sweden. Visit Sweden describes the Øresund Bridge as an 8-kilometre railway and motorway bridge running from Malmö to Copenhagen across the Øresund strait, and calls it the longest bridge of its kind in Europe. On a clear day the view across the sound is the highlight of the trip; on a grey one, it is still a remarkable piece of engineering to cross.
Once over the water and through the toll, the motorway leads into Malmö, and the Västra Hamnen waterfront, the old town and the central station are close together at the end of the drive.
What the bridge toll costs
Øresundsbron sets the toll by the type and length of vehicle. Its published prices, valid from 14 September 2026 and including 25% VAT, are per single trip:
| Vehicle | ØresundGO contract | Online ticket | At the toll station |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger car, up to 6 m | DKK 182 | DKK 420 | DKK 470 |
| Minibus, 6 to 10 m | DKK 364 | DKK 840 | DKK 940 |
| Van, 6 to 9 m | DKK 364 | DKK 840 | DKK 940 |
On an Elly8.net booking the toll is billed at cost on top of the fixed fare, never marked up, so a sedan pays the car rate and a longer van pays the band its length falls into. Copenhagen taxis pass the toll on too: TAXA 4x35's price list adds DKK 410 for an Øresund Bridge trip, charged for both directions. If you are comparing a taxi with a pre-booked car for this trip, compare like with like and include the bridge in both.
The border: bring your passport
Denmark and Sweden are both in the Schengen area, but checks happen. Öresundståg, the regional train operator, explains that ordinary Schengen entry rules apply, that since 2015 the Swedish police can carry out border controls at an internal border, and that travellers therefore need to carry valid ID. For trains the check usually takes place at Hyllie, the first station in Sweden. In the other direction, it says Danish police can carry out periodic random checks on people entering Denmark.
For North American visitors the practical rule is simple: everyone in the car carries a passport, children included, and the chauffeur follows any instruction at a checkpoint. Allow a little time if a check is running.
The best stops on the way and in Malmö
Dragør, before you leave Denmark. The old harbour village on Amager is about 13 km (8 mi) from Kongens Nytorv and close to the airport, so it makes an easy first stop before the bridge.
Västra Hamnen and the Turning Torso. Malmö's western harbour is the modern face of the city. Visit Sweden describes the Turning Torso as one of the tallest buildings in Scandinavia, with 54 floors twisting 190 metres into the sky. It is about 39 km (25 mi) from Kongens Nytorv.
Ribersborg beach and the cold bath house. Visit Sweden lists Ribersborgsstranden, a 1.5-kilometre city beach about ten minutes from the old town, and the historic open-air Ribersborgs Kallbadhus for a swim and a sauna. It is a Malmö institution in every season.
Malmöhus Castle. Visit Sweden calls Malmö Castle the oldest preserved Renaissance castle in Scandinavia; today it houses museums including the Natural History Museum of Malmö and Malmö Art Museum.
Moderna Museet Malmö. Visit Sweden lists the Malmö branch of Sweden's museum of modern art among the city's highlights. Old-town streets are partly pedestrian, so the chauffeur sets you down at the nearest street the car can use.
Lund. The university city is about 20 km (12 mi) beyond Malmö, roughly 23 minutes on a clear road, and its Lund Cathedral is the reason many visitors add it. Malmö and Lund together make a good full day.
Train or car: a fair comparison
The regional Øresund trains link Copenhagen Central Station and Copenhagen Airport with Malmö, and Visit Sweden says the airport to Malmö central station takes less than 30 minutes. Öresundståg notes that seat tickets have not been bookable on its trains since 4 June 2024, that ticket machines are at every Swedish station it serves as well as at Copenhagen Central Station and Copenhagen Airport, and that tickets are not sold on board.
| Option | Time | Price | Luggage and comfort | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Øresund train from CPH | under 30 min to Malmö central station | Per person, bought before boarding | Unreserved seats; carry your own bags | Solo travellers and couples, light luggage |
| Copenhagen taxi | about 40 to 50 min | Meter or app price, plus the bridge charge | A standard car for up to four | Short-notice one-way trips |
| Elly8.net one-way transfer | about 40 to 50 min, door to door | Fixed per vehicle, quoted in the web booker, toll at cost | You choose the vehicle by bags | Families, teams, hotel-to-hotel moves |
| Elly8.net 3-hour as-directed | Malmö half-day with stops | From US$270 in a business sedan | Car waits between stops | Malmö sightseeing or meetings |
The fair verdict: a couple with carry-on bags going from the airport to central Malmö should take the train; it is quicker than the car. The car wins on a hotel-to-hotel move with checked luggage, a family who would otherwise drag cases through two stations, a team with a meeting in Västra Hamnen and a flight that evening, or a day that strings together Dragør, Malmö and Lund. It also wins late at night, when nobody wants a platform and a border check after a long day.
What a driver costs
Elly8.net prices are per vehicle, all-in, and charged in US dollars. They include the chauffeur, vehicle, taxes, standard gratuity and airport meet and greet; the Øresund toll, parking and waiting beyond the included time are billed at cost.
One-way transfer. Copenhagen hotel or CPH to a Malmö address is quoted at a fixed price in the web booker before you pay. For scale, the published CPH to Kongens Nytorv transfer costs from US$115 in a business sedan to US$300 in an Executive Sprinter.
A Malmö half-day. Book the hourly chauffeur service as directed: US$90 an hour in a business sedan, US$115 in a business SUV, US$135 in a First Class SUV, US$145 in a First Class Sedan and US$180 in an Executive Sprinter, with a 3-hour minimum. Three hours costs from US$270 in a business sedan to US$540 in a Sprinter, enough for the bridge, the Turning Torso, the old town and the drive back.
Malmö and Lund in a day. The full-day chauffeur costs from US$665 in a business sedan, US$850 in a business SUV and US$995 in a First Class SUV to US$1,325 in an Executive Sprinter.
Meetings. The corporate roadshow day, from US$810 in a business sedan to US$1,620 in a Sprinter, keeps a car with the team across both cities; see corporate car service.
| Vehicle class | Passengers | Bags | 3 hours as directed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business Sedan | 3 | 2 | US$270 |
| First Class Sedan | 3 | 2 | US$435 |
| Business SUV / Van | 6 | 6 | US$345 |
| First Class SUV | 6 | 6 | US$405 |
| Executive Sprinter | 12 | 12 | US$540 |
Why not rent a car for the day?
It is a fair question for such a short drive, and for confident drivers it can work. Before you book one, check three things. First, whether the rental agreement allows the car to be taken from Denmark into Sweden, and on what terms. Second, the toll: a rental car pays the same Øresundsbron rate as any other car, DKK 470 at the toll station for a car up to 6 m, each way. Third, parking at both ends, which is paid in central Copenhagen and central Malmö alike.
With a chauffeur, those questions disappear. The toll is billed at cost on the same invoice, the car waits or returns at the agreed time, and nobody in the group has to drive home over the bridge after a long dinner in Malmö. Our chauffeur vs car rental guide sets out the general trade-offs. For larger parties, an Executive Sprinter keeps a group of up to 12 together in one vehicle; see group transportation. Companies sending staff across the bridge regularly can open a corporate account with monthly invoicing.
Going on from Malmö
Many travellers use Malmö as the first stop of a longer Swedish trip. Stockholm is a long drive and most people fly or take the train; if you want to go by road, the web booker quotes it, and our Stockholm chauffeur meets you at the other end. For other long drives, see city to city car service.
Planning tips for North American travellers
- Passports for everyone, including children, even on a day trip.
- Swedish kronor or a card. Sweden uses its own currency; cards are widely used.
- Book the return with the outbound. A round trip planned in one booking means the car is waiting when you are ready to leave Malmö.
- Arriving at CPH and going straight to Sweden? Give us the flight number. The chauffeur tracks the landing, meets you in arrivals with a name board, and waiting after a tracked landing is complimentary. See airport transfers.
- Combining with Danish sights? Kronborg Castle and the Danish Riviera are north of Copenhagen, the opposite direction; our Copenhagen day tours guide covers them. For getting around the city itself, read the Copenhagen taxi guide.
How booking works
- Pickup and drop-off. Enter your Copenhagen hotel or CPH with the flight number, and the Malmö or Lund address.
- Vehicle. Choose by passengers and bags, and add child seats.
- Reserve. Use the web booker for the one-way fare, or choose hourly or full day on the Copenhagen page. Confirmation arrives by email.
Rides in Copenhagen are operated by licensed, commercially insured local chauffeur partners vetted through the Limousine Worldwide network; Elly8.net takes the booking, fixes the price and runs the 24/7 desk. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup, 10% at 72 hours or less, 50% at 48 hours or less, and 100% at 24 hours or less or for a no-show, refunded to the original card. Elly8.net books the car only; BookingWorldwide.net handles flights and hotels. Elly8.net is a member of LimousineWorldwide.Directory, LimousineAssociation.International, HotelsWorldwide.Directory and VacationsWorldwide.Directory.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Malmö from Copenhagen by car?
About 40 km (25 mi) from Kongens Nytorv to Malmö Central Station, roughly 44 minutes on a clear road by our routed estimate, and about 37 km (23 mi) from Copenhagen Airport. Visit Sweden gives around 50 minutes for the drive from central Copenhagen.
How much is the Øresund Bridge toll?
Øresundsbron lists DKK 470 for a passenger car up to 6 m at the toll station, DKK 420 online, and DKK 940 at the toll station for vans of 6 to 9 m or minibuses of 6 to 10 m, per single trip. On Elly8.net bookings the toll is billed at cost.
Is a passport needed to drive from Copenhagen to Malmö?
Yes, carry one. Öresundståg explains that the Swedish police can carry out border controls at the internal border and that travellers need valid ID; Danish police can also make random checks on people entering Denmark. Every passenger, including children, should carry a passport.
Is the train faster than a car to Malmö?
From the airport, usually yes: Visit Sweden says the train reaches Malmö's central station in less than 30 minutes. A car takes about 40 to 50 minutes but goes door to door, which matters with checked luggage, children or a hotel away from the station.
How much does a private driver to Malmö cost?
The one-way transfer is a fixed price per vehicle quoted in the web booker. A three-hour as-directed booking costs from US$270 in a business sedan to US$540 in an Executive Sprinter, and a full day from US$665 to US$1,325. The bridge toll is billed at cost.
Can we visit Malmö and Lund in one day?
Yes. Lund is about 20 km (12 mi) beyond Malmö, roughly 23 minutes on a clear road. A full-day chauffeur covers the bridge, Malmö's waterfront and old town, Lund Cathedral and the drive back to Copenhagen, with the bridge toll billed at cost on the same booking.
