Danish Visitors: Flying vs Train, and the Arrival

Flying between two Schengen countries normally means no passport control at Arlanda on a Copenhagen route — though temporary internal checks can be reintroduced, so carry your passport or national ID card — you land, collect any checked luggage, and you're through, generally faster than the equivalent step would be on a non-Schengen route. It's one of the more painless airport arrivals available in Europe, which does make the flight option genuinely competitive with the train once you factor in how quick that exit is.

For a solo traveller landing in daylight hours with one bag, the airport train or coach into central Stockholm works fine, much as it does for any short-haul European route. Where a booked car earns its place is with a group, heavier luggage, or a destination that isn't directly on the public transport line into the centre — a booked car goes to your actual address, not to a station you then need to navigate from.

It's also worth considering for a late arrival, when public transport options thin out and a car at a fixed price and a set time removes any uncertainty about the last leg of the day.

The same logic applies coming back — a short Schengen hop back to Copenhagen has the same quick, passport-free exit process, and if you're travelling to Arlanda for your return flight, a booked car for the departure leg removes the need to time a train connection precisely against your check-in window. For a departure you choose the pickup time yourself, so set it with a comfortable margin before your check-in closes, rather than cutting it close against a train that has its own schedule to keep.

Whichever direction you're travelling, the price is fixed and shown before you book, so there's no surprise cost either way — just a car at the time you choose, going where you actually need to be.