How to Get to Malmö & Get Around: CPH Trains, City Tunnel & Bikes

Thanks to the Öresund Bridge and the underground City Tunnel rail link, Malmö is one of the fastest cities in Northern Europe to reach from a major intercontinental airport. Once you arrive, three underground and open-cut rail stations, green bi-articulated buses, and 410 kilometres of flat cycle tracks connect every district without a car.

Because the railway line runs directly beneath the terminal building at Copenhagen Airport and crosses the strait into the heart of Malmö, international travellers step off their flight in Denmark and emerge beside the canals of Gamla Staden or the cultural venues of Triangeln in about twenty minutes. Inside the municipality, flat coastal terrain and cashless mobile ticketing make moving between waterfront parks, museums, and historic squares effortless in every season.

Arriving via Copenhagen Airport (CPH)

For international travellers, Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup (CPH), the largest airport in the Nordic countries, handling nearly 30 million passengers in 2024, is the main air gateway to Malmö. Located on the Danish island of Amager just 24 kilometres (15 miles) west of central Malmö, the airport has a railway station directly beneath Terminal 3. Cross-border Öresundståg regional trains run every 15 minutes during the day (up to six times per hour at peak periods, and hourly overnight), crossing the Öresund Bridge to reach Hyllie, Triangeln, and Malmö Central Station in approximately 20 minutes.

Purchase your cross-border rail ticket before boarding using the Skånetrafiken mobile app or the ticket machines in Terminal 3; a single cross-border ticket covers both the train ride over the bridge and onward local buses or trains within your destination zone in Malmö. Note that since 12 November 2015, Swedish police conduct ID checks on incoming trains at Hyllie, so carry a valid passport or national identity card in your hand luggage whenever you cross between Denmark and Sweden. Escalators and lifts lead straight from the baggage claim hall in Terminal 3 down to the eastbound platform for Sweden, and low-floor train carriages make rolling suitcases on board simple and step-free.

Domestic and Charter Flights via Malmö Airport (MMX)

For domestic routes to Stockholm and charter or low-cost European flights, Malmö Airport (MMX), opened on 3 December 1972 as Sturup Airport to replace the older 1923 Bulltofta Airport, has a 2,800-metre runway, handled 905,000 passengers in 2024, and lies 28 kilometres (17 miles) east in Svedala Municipality. Flygbussarna airport coaches link the terminal with Triangeln and Malmö Central Station in synchronization with flight arrivals and departures, while taxis and rental cars follow the E65 motorway into the city centre. Tickets for the airport coach can be bought online, via mobile app, or with a contactless card at the bus stop outside the terminal building, and coaches stop directly outside both Triangeln and Malmö C for easy hotel connections.

Malmö Central Station and Long-Distance Rail

Opened in 1856 along the Southern Main Line to Lund and serving roughly 17 million passengers annually across four underground through-tracks and six above-ground terminus tracks, Malmö Central Station (Malmö C) receives SJ high-speed X 2000 trains from Stockholm and Gothenburg, Vy trains from Oslo, and SJ EuroNight and Snälltåget sleeper trains from Hamburg and Berlin. Inside the historic 19th-century brick station halls, luggage lockers, waiting lounges, ticket assistance counters, and the glass-roofed food hall make transfers between domestic and international trains straightforward. Pedestrian bridges outside the southern exit lead directly across the canal to Stortorget and Lilla Torg, while the northern exit opens onto the bus terminal at Centralplan and the canal quays of Universitetsholmen. Overnight rail passengers arriving from Germany wake up in southern Sweden after crossing Denmark by night train and can leave their bags in the station lockers before heading out for morning coffee in Gamla Staden.

The 2010 City Tunnel: Malmö C, Triangeln, and Hyllie

On 12 December 2010, the 11-kilometre City Tunnel (Citytunneln), including 5.8 kilometres of twin-bore tunnels beneath the city centre, turned Malmö C from a dead-end terminus into a through-station, adding two major city stations: underground Triangeln (with northern and southern portals beside Sankt Johannes kyrka, Malmö Konsthall, Pildammsparken, and Möllevången) and Hyllie in the southwest beside Malmö Arena and Emporia. Check our accommodation guide to see which of the three City Tunnel stations sits closest to your hotel, as all regional Öresundståg and local Pågatågen trains stop at all three stations before crossing the bridge or continuing north toward Lund. Having three urban rail stations along the north-to-south axis means you rarely need to backtrack to Malmö C when arriving from Denmark or heading out on day trips across Scania, and the high-ceilinged underground cavern at Triangeln puts you within steps of both the southern shopping streets and Södra Innerstaden.

Skånetrafiken Buses, MalmöExpressen, and Cycling

Regional transit authority Skånetrafiken manages all local trains (including the purple Pågatågen commuter trains to Lund, Ystad, and Trelleborg and the circular Malmöpendeln route) and Malmö's green city buses, led by the bi-articulated electric MalmöExpressen buses. Single and 24-hour tickets are valid across both buses and trains within your chosen zone via the Skånetrafiken app or contactless bank cards; paper cash is not accepted on board any bus or train. Travelling together as a pair or small group in the Skånetrafiken app also activates automatic group discounts across regional fares, including cross-border tickets over the bridge and day trips to Lund or Skanör-Falsterbo. Because 410 kilometres of flat cycle lanes criss-cross the municipality from Västra Hamnen to Ribersborgsstranden and Malmöhus Castle, renting a bicycle from your hotel or using the municipal bike-share system is often the quickest and most scenic way to move between coastal sights on our three-day Malmö itinerary. Dedicated cycle traffic lights, bridges, and tyre-air pumps along main bike corridors make two-wheeled travel safe and intuitive for visitors.

Beyond the three underground and surface stations of the City Tunnel at Malmö Central, Triangeln, and Hyllie, local Pågatågen trains and the circular Malmöpendeln service (launched in December 2018) also call at Svågertorp, Persborg, Rosengård, and Östervärn on the city outskirts, while drivers connect directly with European routes E20, E6, and E65.