At Copenhagen Airport, the cleanest move is to sort your data before you land. Kastrup does sell SIMs, but only as prepaid cards on the racks of its 7-Eleven stores, which means picking a plan, paying, and often registering the card with your passport while jet-lagged. A travel eSIM sidesteps all of that: you add it at home, switch it on at the gate, and you are online in time to buy your Metro or train ticket in an app before you even reach the platform under Terminal 3. Because Denmark is a full EU member, a Europe regional plan covers Kastrup and the whole country on one profile, then keeps working if your trip runs on across the Oresund to Sweden or anywhere else in the EU. The airport has good free WiFi as a backup, but neither that nor the 7-Eleven racks beats arriving already connected.
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SIM and eSIM Options at Copenhagen Airport
Copenhagen Airport has three terminals, though most international travelers only ever use Terminal 2 and Terminal 3. Unlike some hubs, there is no dedicated carrier counter here, so buying a local SIM on arrival means a trip to a convenience store rather than a phone shop. Here is what you will actually find once you are through to the arrivals area.
The Short Version
The 7-Eleven stores in Terminals 2 and 3 sell prepaid Lycamobile and Lebara SIM cards, and the 7-Eleven in the arrivals hall just past baggage claim is open 24 hours. There is also a 7-Eleven Go self-service vending machine that runs 24/7, takes card only, and sells Lyca SIMs. There is no TDC, Telia, or 3 counter and no carrier-run desk, so the convenience stores are the entire on-airport SIM offering.
The 7-Eleven Stores
The 7-Eleven shops are the main place to buy a SIM at Kastrup, stocking Lycamobile and Lebara starter packs. Staff can help you activate a Lyca card, which needs your passport to register the line, and a typical Lyca tourist SIM runs about 29 kroner for a small data bundle up to 199 kroner for a large 30-day plan. The catch with Lebara is that its Denmark data bundles are valid only inside Denmark and not across the rest of the EU, so it is a poor choice if your trip continues to another European country.
The 24-Hour Vending Machine
For a red-eye arrival when you would rather not queue, the 7-Eleven Go self-service machine dispenses Lyca SIMs around the clock and accepts cards only, no cash. It is genuinely handy, but you still configure the card yourself with no one to troubleshoot if your phone does not cooperate, which is exactly the friction a pre-installed eSIM removes.
eSIM Instead
No one sells eSIMs from a rack here, but you do not need them to. You can buy and activate a Denmark or Europe eSIM online over the airport WiFi the moment you land, which is the same purchase you could make from your sofa the night before. Doing it in advance means you walk off the plane already connected, with no store visit and no passport registration.
Free Airport WiFi at Kastrup (CPH Airport Free WiFi)
Copenhagen Airport offers free, unlimited WiFi across the terminals with no registration, which is the tool that lets you activate an eSIM or buy a plan online the moment you arrive.
Open your WiFi settings
On your phone's WiFi screen, select the network named CPH Airport Free WiFi. No password or sign-up is needed to join.
Open a page to start
Open your browser and a welcome page loads; from there you are online. When the WiFi icon shows a connection you can finish activating your eSIM or buy a plan.
Use it across the terminals
The free WiFi reaches the departure and arrival areas throughout the airport and runs without a fixed time limit, which is ample for setup, buying a Metro ticket, and a first message home.
What the airport WiFi cannot do for you
The signal ends at the terminal walls, so it is no help the instant you board the Metro or step into a taxi, which is exactly when you want a map and your accommodation details. It is also a shared open network, weaker for anything involving a password or a payment. Use CPH Airport Free WiFi to confirm your eSIM is live, then let your own mobile data carry the trip from the platform onward.
Kastrup to Copenhagen: Metro, Train, and Data En Route
Copenhagen Airport sits just 8 km southeast of the city centre, so the ride in is short, but it is precisely where you want working data to buy a ticket, follow the stops, and message ahead. The station and Metro platform are both right under Terminal 3, and you have two fast rail options plus buses and taxis.
| Option | Destination | Time | Fare (one way) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regional train (DSB) | Copenhagen Central (Kobenhavn H) | About 13 to 15 min | ~36 kroner (3 zones, ~5 USD) |
| Metro M2 (driverless) | Kongens Nytorv, Norreport and the centre | About 14 to 15 min to Kongens Nytorv | ~36 kroner (3 zones, ~5 USD) |
| Airport bus / taxi | City hotels and hubs | 20 to 40+ min (traffic dependent) | Bus a few kroner more; taxi far higher |
The regional train runs from the station beneath Terminal 3 to Copenhagen Central in about 13 to 15 minutes, every 10 minutes through the day, and is the quickest way to the main station. The driverless M2 Metro leaves from the same terminal every few minutes around the clock and drops you right in the centre at Kongens Nytorv or Norreport, which is often closer to the hotels than the Central Station. Either way the fare is the same three-zone ticket, bought in an app, and having a live eSIM lets you buy it before you reach the platform.
Signal on the ride in
Cellular coverage into the city is excellent the whole way. The Metro tunnels carry a signal, and the regional-train route is fully covered, so your own eSIM data keeps maps, tickets, and messages working from the moment you leave Terminal 3. That is more dependable than hunting for onboard WiFi, and it means you can plan your first stop while the train or Metro is still moving.
Why Sort Your eSIM Before You Reach Copenhagen
Because the only on-airport SIMs at Kastrup are convenience-store prepaid cards, arranging your connection ahead of time is an easy win here.
Pre-loaded eSIM
Waiting to buy at CPH
The clean way to do it
Buy a Denmark or Europe eSIM online a day ahead and add the profile while you still have home internet. Once your plane reaches the gate at Kastrup, set that line as your data and you are connected, no CPH Airport Free WiFi login required. If you are weighing which plan fits your route, our Denmark eSIM guide lays out the coverage and the EU-roaming picture.
CPH SIM Prices vs an eSIM
The convenience-store SIMs at Kastrup are cheap for the data, but they come with the registration step and the EU-roaming catch. Here is how the numbers tend to stack up in 2026.
| Where | Typical plan | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 7-Eleven (CPH), Lyca | Small tourist SIM, a few GB | From about 29 kroner (~4 USD) |
| 7-Eleven (CPH), Lyca | Large 30-day data plan | Up to about 199 kroner (~29 USD) |
| Online eSIM (Denmark) | Short stay, capped data | From about $4 to $5 |
| Online eSIM (Europe) | 10 GB covering Denmark and the EU | Around $23 |
The Danish airport SIMs are actually well priced for pure Denmark data, which is worth being honest about: a Lyca card is cheap. The real reason to still favour an eSIM here is not headline price but the whole package. An eSIM skips the store, skips the passport registration, and, if you pick a Europe plan, keeps roaming across the Oresund to Sweden or on to any EU country, which the Denmark-locked Lebara data simply cannot do. For a data-only traveler whose trip touches a neighbour, the eSIM wins on convenience and flexibility even where the local card wins on raw price.
The bottom line
Load a Denmark or Europe eSIM before you fly and use the free CPH Airport Free WiFi only to confirm it is live. Keep the 7-Eleven Lyca card in mind purely as a backup, for example if your phone does not support eSIM or you want a Danish number, and skip Lebara if your trip leaves Denmark. To match a plan to your trip length, run the eSIM Finder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy a SIM card when I land at Copenhagen Airport?
Yes, but only from the convenience stores. The 7-Eleven shops in Terminals 2 and 3 sell prepaid Lycamobile and Lebara cards, and the arrivals-hall 7-Eleven is open 24 hours, backed by a self-service 7-Eleven Go vending machine that sells Lyca SIMs around the clock on card only. There is no TDC, Telia, or 3 counter at the airport. A Lyca card needs your passport to register, so an eSIM installed before you fly still saves the queue and the paperwork.
How do I connect to the free WiFi at Copenhagen Airport?
Open your WiFi settings and join the network named CPH Airport Free WiFi, which needs no password or registration, then open your browser to start. It reaches the departure and arrival areas across the terminals and runs without a fixed time limit, so it is plenty to activate an eSIM, buy a Metro or train ticket, and message home. It does not reach past the terminal walls, so plan to use your own mobile data once you head into the city.
Should I take the Metro or the train from the airport into Copenhagen?
Both leave from under Terminal 3 and cost the same three-zone fare of about 36 kroner. The regional train reaches Copenhagen Central in roughly 13 to 15 minutes and runs every 10 minutes, while the driverless M2 Metro leaves every few minutes around the clock and drops you at Kongens Nytorv or Norreport in the heart of the city, often closer to the hotels. Coverage is strong on both, so your eSIM keeps maps and tickets working the whole short ride in.
Is a Europe eSIM enough for Denmark, or do I need a Denmark-specific one?
A Europe eSIM is enough and usually the better choice, as long as Denmark appears on the plan, which it almost always does. Denmark is a full EU member, so a Europe plan roams here without a surcharge and covers Kastrup the moment you land, then keeps working across the Oresund to Sweden and anywhere else in the EU. A Denmark-only eSIM is the alternative for a single-country trip, but many Copenhagen visits include a Swedish day trip where the Europe plan pulls ahead.
Is buying a SIM at Copenhagen Airport cheaper than an eSIM?
For pure Denmark data, the airport Lyca cards are genuinely cheap, from around 29 kroner for a small bundle up to about 199 kroner for a large 30-day plan, so this is one airport where the local SIM is not a rip-off. The eSIM still wins on convenience: it skips the store visit and the passport registration, and a Europe eSIM keeps roaming beyond Denmark, which the Denmark-locked Lebara data cannot. For a trip that touches a neighbour, the eSIM is worth the small premium.