Stockholm to Oslo and Copenhagen by Train

You can link all three Scandinavian capitals by train without flying. The catch is that the direct trains aren’t the ones most guides name: SJ’s X2000 to Copenhagen is still suspended, and the train that does run straight through usually stops at a different Copenhagen station.

When you need this

You’re weighing the train against a short flight between Stockholm and Oslo or Copenhagen. Maybe you’re planning a three-capital loop, or starting from Gothenburg or Malmö. Or you’ve read that there’s no direct Copenhagen train, or that SJ’s X2000 runs all the way, and you want to know which one is true this autumn. This page sets out the 2026 picture, route by route.

Which train on which route

Times are approximate. Operators mark their timetables as preliminary because of track work, so check your exact date.

Stockholm to Copenhagen: direct or via Malmö

The direct train is Snälltåget’s. It runs every day of the year between Stockholm, Malmö and Copenhagen, with a restaurant car (Krogen), and it has done so since the winter of 2024/25. In 2026 Snälltåget also runs a daily day train that carries on past Copenhagen to Hamburg.

Warning: Snälltåget usually stops at København Syd (Copenhagen South), not København H, the central station. The station for your train is printed on the ticket. Check it before you arrange to meet anyone.

SJ’s direct X2000 trains are still suspended. SJ stopped running them over the Öresund in June 2025. It said it would restart them in autumn 2026 with a couple of departures a day, adding more from December. When we checked on 3 October 2026, nothing confirmed they were running. Don’t plan on them until SJ’s own timetable shows them.

The Malmö change still works well. SJ’s X2000 takes about 4 hours 28 minutes from Stockholm to Malmö. From Malmö C, the Öresundståg regional train reaches København H in about 35–40 minutes and runs frequently all day. Buy that leg before you board, because nothing is sold on the train.

Stockholm to Oslo

SJ is the only operator, and every train is direct: five departures a day in each direction, via Karlstad and the Värmland line to Charlottenberg and into Norway. The fastest take about 5½ hours. That is roughly two and a half hours longer than Stockholm–Gothenburg over a similar distance, because much of the line is single track. It’s also why about nine travelers in ten on this route still fly.

There’s no night train between the two capitals. SJ plans eight departures a day from 2028, if the infrastructure allows.

From Gothenburg and Malmö, and Oslo to Copenhagen

• Gothenburg–Oslo: Vy runs daily trains taking about 3.5 hours. Snälltåget’s daily Malmö–Gothenburg–Oslo train has run since 15 June 2026, calling at Lund, Helsingborg, Halmstad, Varberg, Gothenburg, Trollhättan, Sarpsborg and Fredrikstad.
• Gothenburg–Copenhagen: Öresundståg runs straight through via Halmstad, Helsingborg and Malmö to Copenhagen Airport, København H and Østerport, in roughly 3½ hours.
• Oslo–Copenhagen: no through train. Take Snälltåget to Malmö and change to Öresundståg, or Vy to Gothenburg and Öresundståg from there. SJ has said it wants to run Oslo–Copenhagen trains from December 2026, subject to approval in Norway. That isn’t confirmed.

Night trains? None runs as a Stockholm–Copenhagen service of its own. Snälltåget’s Berlin sleeper calls at København Syd in the small hours, and RDC’s EuroNight adds a Copenhagen South stop from December 2026. Both are sold as Germany–Stockholm trains. See our guide to taking the train to Sweden from Germany.

How to book the trip, step by step

1. Pick the route and operator from the table above.
2. Plan the whole chain in Resrobot, Sweden’s national journey planner, then check each operator’s timetable for your date.
3. Check your date for track works and strikes: Skånetrafiken’s works list for Malmö–Copenhagen, Värmlandstrafik’s for the Oslo line in Sweden, and Vy’s traffic notices for Norway.
4. Book long-distance legs early, directly with the operator: SJ at sj.se, Snälltåget at snalltaget.se, Vy at vy.no or in the Vy app. Prices are dynamic.
5. Buy the Öresundståg leg before boarding: on oresundstag.se, in a regional authority’s app, at a station machine, or as a DSB Øresund ticket in Denmark.
6. Ask whether your tickets form a through-ticket. The seller has to tell you before you buy. If they don’t, leave a generous change in Malmö or Gothenburg.
7. Check which Copenhagen station your ticket names: København H or København Syd.
8. Keep a passport or national ID card on you, not in your luggage.
9. Going into Norway, check the customs quota and declare anything over it in Norway’s Kvoteappen before the train crosses.
10. If the train is late, keep evidence and claim from the operator.

More on booking in how to buy train tickets in Sweden.

Border checks and customs

Sweden has run temporary internal border controls under a decision valid from 12 May to 11 November 2026, covering all internal borders. Keeping them after that needs a new decision. The police decide where and how to check. Trains arriving from Denmark are checked at Hyllie, the first Swedish station. Norway’s own notified controls cover ferry ports, not the rail border with Sweden.

Norway, Denmark and Sweden are all in Schengen, so days in Oslo or Copenhagen count toward the same 90-in-180-day allowance. Norway is outside the EU customs union, though, and its alcohol and tobacco quotas apply on the train as on the road. See crossing the Sweden–Norway border for the quotas and the Öresund Bridge guide for the Denmark crossing.

Warning: The passport in your checked suitcase is the classic mistake. The check happens on the train or the platform, and without an accepted document you can be refused entry.

Track works and the Norway strike, autumn 2026

• Malmö–Copenhagen has repeated work periods: 6–7, 10–16, 18–23 and 25 October–1 November, 1–6 and 15–19 November, and Hyllie–Copenhagen on 7–8 December. Expect fewer trains or a longer trip on those dates.
• Norway’s rail strike: Vy’s locomotive drivers have been on strike since 18 September 2026, and the strike was still on on 1 October, cancelling many departures in eastern Norway. Vy’s Oslo–Gothenburg page carried a strike notice on 3 October. Check vy.no on the day.
• Stockholm–Oslo runs through single-track Värmland, where Värmlandstrafik lists short-notice replacement buses. Works on both sides of the border have long slowed the route.
• Stockholm–Gothenburg runs at reduced capacity until summer 2027 because of the Göteborg–Alingsås works. That matters if you route to Oslo via Gothenburg — see train travel in Sweden.

Delays, tickets and Interrail

EU Regulation 2021/782 governs these international routes, and it applies in Norway too: it was written into the EEA Agreement and has applied there since 7 June 2023. A delay of 60–119 minutes at your destination earns 25% of the ticket price, and 120 minutes or more earns 50%. Claim from the operator. Öresundståg delays are claimed under regional terms that start at 20 minutes — see the Öresundståg guide and train delay compensation in Sweden.

Separate tickets are the weak spot. Missed-connection rights apply only to a through-ticket. The railways’ voluntary Agreement on Journey Continuation (AJC) lets you take the next train of SJ, Snälltåget, DSB or Vy if a delay on an international journey made you miss theirs. It’s a commercial gesture, not a right, and VR, which runs Öresundståg, isn’t a member.

Interrail: SJ and Vy trains to Oslo are on Interrail’s list, and Öresundståg covers Malmö–Copenhagen. Snälltåget needs a paid reservation, and in 2026 it lets a Sweden-only pass cover its Copenhagen leg. Otherwise a one-country pass stops at the border — details in Interrail in Sweden.

Mistakes to avoid

• Believing there’s no direct Copenhagen–Stockholm train at all. Check Snälltåget’s daily direct train before booking a Malmö change.
• Going to København H for a Snälltåget train. Read the station on the ticket; it’s usually København Syd.
• Assuming a through-train from Oslo to Copenhagen. Change in Gothenburg or Malmö.
• Leaving 15 minutes between separate tickets in Malmö. Leave a reasonable margin, or buy a through-ticket.
• Carrying only a driving licence. Carry a passport or national ID card.
• Trying to buy the Öresundståg ticket on board. Buy it before boarding.

Practical information

FAQ

How long is the train from Stockholm to Oslo?

About five and a half hours on the fastest direct trains. SJ runs five direct departures a day in each direction, via Karlstad, and no change is needed. The trip takes roughly two and a half hours longer than Stockholm–Gothenburg over a similar distance, because the line through Värmland is largely single track. Check your date for replacement buses.

Is there a direct train from Stockholm to Copenhagen?

Yes, one operator runs one. Snälltåget runs direct trains every day of the year between Stockholm, Malmö and Copenhagen, usually stopping at København Syd rather than the central station. SJ’s direct high-speed trains have been suspended since June 2025; a restart was announced for autumn 2026 but not confirmed. Otherwise take SJ to Malmö and change to Öresundståg.

Is there a night train from Stockholm to Oslo or Copenhagen?

Not as a service of its own. No night train runs Stockholm–Oslo. Snälltåget’s Berlin sleeper calls at København Syd in the small hours, and RDC’s EuroNight adds a Copenhagen South stop from December 2026, but both are sold as Germany–Stockholm trains. For Copenhagen, the daytime direct train or the Malmö change is the practical choice.

Do I need a passport on the train between Sweden and Copenhagen or Oslo?

Carry one. Sweden runs temporary internal border control until 11 November 2026, and trains from Denmark are checked at Hyllie. EU/EEA citizens may use a national ID card; everyone else needs a passport. A Nordic driving licence usually works only for Nordic citizens. Keep the document on you, not in your luggage.

How do I get from Oslo to Copenhagen by train?

Change once. Take Snälltåget’s daily Oslo–Gothenburg–Malmö train, then Öresundståg from Malmö to Copenhagen, or take Vy to Gothenburg and Öresundståg straight through to Copenhagen. No through train was found for autumn 2026. SJ has said it wants to run Oslo–Copenhagen trains from December 2026, subject to approval, so check before booking.

What compensation do I get if my train to Oslo or Copenhagen is late?

EU Regulation 2021/782 applies on these international routes, in Norway too through the EEA Agreement: 25% of the ticket price for 60 to 119 minutes late at your destination and 50% from two hours. Claim from the operator. On separate tickets, a missed connection is not covered, though the AJC may let you take the next train.

Can I use Interrail on Stockholm–Oslo and Stockholm–Copenhagen?

Yes, with conditions. SJ and Vy trains to Oslo are on Interrail’s list, and Öresundståg covers Malmö–Copenhagen. Snälltåget accepts passes with a paid reservation, and in 2026 it lets a Sweden-only pass cover its Copenhagen leg. Otherwise a one-country pass stops at the border, so the Danish or Norwegian leg needs a wider pass.

Related guides

• Train travel in Sweden — operators, reliability and rights inside Sweden
• Öresundståg regional trains — the Malmö–Copenhagen leg in depth
• Crossing the Sweden–Norway border — customs quotas before your Oslo train
• Sweden vs the other Nordic countries — choosing what to combine
• Interrail in Sweden — reservations and the one-country border rule

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Facts verified 2026-10-03. Sources: SJ (via trade press), Snälltåget, Vy, Öresundståg, Skånetrafiken, Värmlandstrafik, DSB, Regeringen, the European Commission, EFTA, Polismyndigheten, Tolletaten, Trafikverket and the AJC railways — full register in this topic’s source file. This page is due for review after the border-control decision expires on 11 November 2026 and again at the 13 December 2026 timetable change. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.