Malmo / The verdict
Malmo or Copenhagen: which base?
For a first trip, base in Copenhagen and treat Malmö as the 40-minute day trip across the bridge: the Danish capital holds more marquee sights. Base in Malmö when a calmer, cheaper stay matters more than sight density.
By The Real Traveler Experiences team. We earn a commission if you book through our links. It never changes a verdict.
The Malmo story
Malmo is Sweden's most easygoing city: a medieval core around Lilla Torg, Calatrava's twisting Turning Torso on the redeveloped harbour, a proper city beach at Ribersborg with its 1898 cold baths, and one of the country's most international food scenes, all stitched together by bike lanes. Copenhagen sits thirty-five minutes away across the Oresund Bridge, which makes Malmo both a destination and a day-trip base.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Our pick: Copenhagen (runner-up: Malmö)
For a first trip, base in Copenhagen and treat Malmö as the 40-minute day trip across the bridge: the Danish capital holds more marquee sights. Base in Malmö when a calmer, cheaper stay matters more than sight density.
Go if
- First Nordic trips: Copenhagen's sight density and airport make it the default base
- Tight budgets and longer stays: one visitor found Malmö's prices a notch lower than Copenhagen's
- Repeat visitors: Malmö plus Lund, with Copenhagen as the day trip, gives a fresh angle on the region
Skip if
- Anyone who must see both cities' highlights in 48 hours: pick Copenhagen and do Malmö as a half-day rather than splitting the stay
- Travelers wanting capital-city buzz at night or in bad weather: one family found Malmö eerily quiet on a rainy day
- Drivers planning to commute across the bridge daily: the toll is DKK 470 for a car at the booth (checked 2026-10-09)
The options
Copenhagen Go
First-timers and short Nordic trips who want the densest pack of sights, dining and nightlife, with Malmö kept as the easy day trip.
Good
- The deeper attraction bench: Nyhavn, Tivoli, the royal palaces and the big museums fill three days without effort.
- The transport hub: the region's main airport is on its doorstep and the Øresund trains to Malmö leave from its central station.
- More capital-city buzz: one visitor found Malmö lazier and quieter by comparison.
Watch out
- Higher prices: one visitor who crossed found Malmö's prices a notch lower.
- Busier: a reporter found Copenhagen crowded and touristy around Nyhavn, while Malmö felt much more relaxed.
- The Copenhagen Card sets the pace of spending: 589 DKK for 24 hours as an adult on the official site.
Two-country guided day tourpartner site
Malmö Go
Value travelers, food-focused stays and repeat visitors who want a quieter Swedish base and Copenhagen as the day trip instead.
Good
- Lower costs: one visitor noticed prices a notch lower than in Copenhagen.
- Calmer and more local: visitors describe it as quieter, softer and unpretentious, with fewer people than Copenhagen.
- A strong day-trip shelf: Lund is 10 to 15 minutes further by train, and Copenhagen is about 40 minutes away.
Watch out
- Less to see and less buzz: one visitor called it less exciting and trendy than Copenhagen.
- Can feel too quiet: one family found it eerily quiet and industrial in feel on a rainy day before a festival.
- No big airport of its own, so most itineraries still route through Kastrup.
| Criterion | Copenhagen | Malmö |
|---|---|---|
| Headline sights | Nyhavn, Tivoli, palaces, national museums | Castle and old town, Turning Torso, Saluhall |
| Cost level | Higher, per visitors who crossed | A notch lower, per one visitor |
| Pace | Capital-city buzz | Lazier, more relaxing, fewer people |
| Feel | Polished, busy center | Quiet, soft, unpretentious |
| Easy day trips | Malmö about 40 min, Lund | Lund 10 to 15 min, Copenhagen about 40 min |
| Arrival | Scandinavia's biggest airport in the city | Via Copenhagen Airport by train |
What it costs
- Øresund train, Copenhagen to Malmö, adult single: kr 96 (Official DSB fare table, København/Kastrup to Malmö, 2nd class). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Øresund train, Copenhagen to Lund, adult single: kr 109 (Official DSB fare table, København/Kastrup to Lund/Kävlinge, 2nd class). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- Copenhagen Card Discover, 24 hours, adult: kr 589 (Covers attractions and public transport in the Capital Region; the official page does not list the train to Malmö). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 8 traveler reports (Apr 2025 to Feb 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 0 were negative.
What people like
- Two countries in one trip: couples and a reporter describe the 40-minute train and the bridge crossing as easy.
- Malmö is calmer and less crowded, per a Singapore food blogger, a reporter and a January 2026 guide.
- Prices run a notch lower in Malmö, per one visitor.
- Lund is a worthwhile extra: forum regulars say it has more charm, and a family enjoyed its quaint streets.
What people complain about
- Malmö can feel too quiet: one family found it eerily quiet and industrial in feel on a rainy day.
- One visitor found Malmö less exciting and trendy than Copenhagen.
- Copenhagen is busier: a reporter found the Nyhavn area crowded with tourists.
- The bridge makes cross-commuting by car expensive: DKK 470 at the booth when checked.
How to do it right
- Default to Copenhagen for a first trip: it holds the denser sight list and the region's main airport.
- Cross to Malmö as a day trip by Øresund train: the official DSB fare table lists DKK 96 to Malmö and DKK 109 to Lund, and a forum regular says there is no benefit to booking ahead.
- Flip it when price or pace matters: one visitor found Malmö's prices a notch lower and several describe the city as calmer.
- Carry a passport or national ID on every crossing, since the trip crosses an international border.
- Add Lund on the same ticket day: it is 10 to 15 minutes beyond Malmö, and forum regulars say it has more charm.
- Pick a dry day for Malmö: one family found it eerily quiet on a rainy day, and the old town and harbor are best on foot.
The trap to avoid
Splitting a short stay across two hotels. The cities are about 40 minutes apart by train, so a second hotel mostly burns packing time: pick one base and day-trip the other side.
What to do instead
Why this pick
Copenhagen is the better base for most first trips, with Malmö as the day trip. The two cities are about 40 minutes apart by train and feel different. Copenhagen is the capital, with Nyhavn, Tivoli, the palaces, the big museums and the region’s main airport. Malmö is a compact Swedish city that visitors describe as quieter, softer and unpretentious.
The reports back that split. A couple who day-tripped from Copenhagen found the train easy and the museums and old town worth the effort. A reporter who spent two nights in Copenhagen and one in Malmö found Copenhagen crowded around Nyhavn and Malmö much more relaxed, with plenty of good places to eat. A Singapore food blogger found Malmö less exciting and trendy but lazier and more relaxing, with prices a notch lower.
Malmö is not for everyone. One family found it industrial in feel and eerily quiet on a rainy day while the city set up for a festival. Of the eight reports in the log, six are positive and two are mixed; the mixed ones are about weather and atmosphere, not the trip itself.
When Malmö is the better base
Pick Malmö for a longer stay, a tighter budget or a second visit to the region. You trade sight density for calm streets and lower prices, and Copenhagen stays an easy day out. Lund sits 10 to 15 minutes further on, and forum regulars say it has more charm than Malmö, so a Malmö base covers both Swedish towns without long rides.
Getting between them
The Øresund trains run from Copenhagen Central and Copenhagen Airport across the bridge to Malmö C and on to Lund. The official DSB fare table lists a 2nd-class single at DKK 96 to Malmö and DKK 109 to Lund. A forum regular says there is no benefit to booking ahead and suggests the regional transport app. Carry a passport or national ID on every crossing, since the trip crosses an international border. Driving makes little sense for a day trip: the bridge toll was DKK 470 at the booth when checked.
How long to allow
A full day covers Malmö with time to spare: a family combined Lund and Malmö in one day, finding Lund sleepy and quaint and Malmö more vibrant. If Copenhagen is your base, add Malmö once its own highlights are covered.
What to combine
On the Malmö side, walk the old town and Lilla Torg, then the castle park and the Western Harbour around the Turning Torso. Add Lund’s cathedral if you have the afternoon. On the Copenhagen side, the Copenhagen Card covers attractions and Capital Region transport; the official page does not list the train to Malmö, so buy that ticket separately. Avoid splitting a short stay across two hotels.
Book or check times
DSB Øresund fares between the citiesVisit Malmö official guideVisit Copenhagen official guideCopenhagen Card prices
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Two-country guided day tourpartner site
Where to stay
Staying in Malmo?
Which area of Malmo to stay in, based on traveler reports. Search Malmo hotels on Expedia partner site
Questions
Is it better to stay in Malmö or Copenhagen?
Copenhagen for a first trip: it has more headline sights and the main airport, and Malmö is an easy day trip. Malmö suits longer or budget stays, since one visitor found prices a notch lower and several describe it as calmer.
How do you get from Copenhagen to Malmö?
Take the Øresund train from Copenhagen Central or the airport across the bridge. Visitors report about 40 minutes city center to city center, and the official DSB fare table lists a 2nd-class single at DKK 96. Carry a passport or national ID.
Is Malmö cheaper than Copenhagen?
Visitors say so. A Singapore food blogger noticed prices a notch lower in Malmö, and a reporter found it full of good places to eat. Check current menus and room rates for your dates.
Malmö or Lund: which is the better day trip?
Do both if you can. Lund is 10 to 15 minutes beyond Malmö by train, forum regulars say it has more charm, and one family found Lund sleepy and quaint but Malmö more vibrant and modern. The DSB fare to Lund is DKK 109.
Is Malmö worth visiting on a Copenhagen trip?
Yes for a spare day. A couple found the museums and old town worth the effort, and a January 2026 guide recommends the trip for the contrast in feel. One family found it eerily quiet on a rainy day, so pick decent weather.
Should I drive or take the train between them?
Take the train. The bridge toll for a car was DKK 470 at the booth when checked on 2026-10-09, against DKK 96 for a 2nd-class train single on the official DSB fare table.