Denmark
Useful apps for Denmark: transport, maps, translation
Install four apps before you land: DSB for trains and Copenhagen metro tickets, Rejseplanen for door-to-door journey planning, Google Maps for walking and cycling, and your bank or card app with travel notifications switched on. Add a taxi app only if you will travel late or outside cities; everything else is optional.
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GuideDenmark
Key facts
- Core four
- DSB, Rejseplanen, Google Maps, a card or banking app
- Rejseplanencheck
- Free nationwide journey planner covering train, metro, bus, light rail and walking legs
- DSB appcheck
- Buy and hold train and Copenhagen metro tickets; no paper needed
- Ubercheck
- Operating status varies by city; check in the app before relying on it
- MobilePay
- The app locals use to pay; needs a Nordic bank account, so most visitors cannot use it
- Payment cardscheck
- Contactless cards work almost everywhere, including on buses and metros
- Languagecheck
- English is widely spoken; translation apps are a convenience, not a necessity
Details
Denmark runs on a small set of public apps, and they overlap less than you would expect. Rejseplanen is the journey planner: you enter a start and end point and it returns a full itinerary across DSB trains, the Copenhagen metro, regional and city buses, the Odense light rail and walking legs, with platform and track numbers. It is the app to open when you are standing at a station wondering which platform and which change.
The DSB app is the operator's own: buy a ticket, hold it on your phone, and use it for Copenhagen metro and S-train travel as well as intercity trains. For a first trip, DSB plus Rejseplanen covers almost every journey in the country. If you plan to ride a lot in one region, check whether a local commuter card or a Rejsekort-style card is worth it; the apps will show the single-ticket price so you can compare.
Google Maps handles walking, cycling and driving well, and its transit directions are usable, but for exact platform and connection information Rejseplanen is the safer source. Cycling directions matter in Copenhagen and Aarhus, where bikes are the fastest way across the centre. Download an offline map of your city before you arrive so you are not stuck without data.
For taxis, Denmark has app-based options and traditional companies, but availability and which app operates where changes; check the app store and the app itself once you are on the ground rather than assuming Uber works in every city. At Copenhagen Airport the taxi rank and the metro are both straightforward, and the metro runs through the night.
Translation apps are rarely needed. English is spoken almost everywhere, including by staff at ticket counters, supermarkets and pharmacies. Keep a translation app installed for menus and signs, but do not plan your trip around a language barrier that mostly is not there.
Two more worth having: your bank or card app, with travel notifications enabled so a Danish transaction does not trigger a block, and a weather app, because Danish weather changes within a day and decides whether you cycle or take the metro.
| App | What it does | Cost | Needed? |
|---|---|---|---|
| DSB | Train and Copenhagen metro tickets, live departures | Free; you pay for tickets | Yes |
| Rejseplanen | Nationwide journey planner, all operators | Free | Yes |
| Google Maps | Walking, cycling, driving, offline maps | Free | Yes |
| Bank or card app | Travel notifications, card controls | Free | Yes |
| Taxi app | Book a car in larger cities | Free; fare varies | Only if needed |
| Translation app | Menus, signs, occasional phrases | Free tier | Optional |
| Weather app | Rain and wind, decides your day | Free | Useful |
Prices are 2026 estimates; app availability can change, so confirm in the store before you travel.
Tips
Set up the apps and log in before you fly, while you still have your home connection and can receive verification texts. Ticket apps that need a card or a login are painful to configure at a station with weak Wi-Fi.
Screenshots beat signal. Save your ticket, your hotel address and a screenshot of your first journey before you leave the airport. Danish mobile coverage is strong, but a dead battery or a locked phone is the usual failure, not the network.
Contactless bank cards work for most everyday payments, including transport in many cases, so you may not need to buy a physical travel card at all. Carry a second card from a different network as backup, and see the cards and ATMs page for fees.
If you are staying a week or more, a local prepaid SIM or eSIM is cheap and removes roaming worries for non-EU visitors; EU and EEA SIMs already roam at home prices. See the SIM and eSIM page for where to buy.
Do not count on MobilePay. It is the payment app Danes use daily, but it requires a Nordic bank account, so for most visitors it is not an option.
- Install and log in before departure
- Screenshot your first ticket and hotel address
- Enable card travel notifications
- Download an offline map of your city
- Keep a second payment card as backup
FAQ
Questions people ask
Which apps do I need in Denmark?
Four cover almost everything: DSB for train and Copenhagen metro tickets, Rejseplanen for nationwide journey planning, Google Maps for walking and cycling, and your bank or card app with travel notifications on. Add a taxi app only if you will travel late or outside the main cities.
Does Uber or a local taxi app work in Denmark?
App-based taxis exist in the larger cities, but which app operates where changes, so check the app store and the app itself once you arrive rather than assuming Uber covers every city. At Copenhagen Airport the metro and the taxi rank are both easy alternatives.
Does Google Maps work well in Denmark?
Yes for walking, cycling and driving, and its transit directions are usable. For exact platforms and tight connections, Rejseplanen is the more reliable source. Download an offline map of your city before you arrive.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialVisitDenmark
- officialDSB
- officialRejseplanen
- secondaryWikivoyage – Denmark