Getting around Sonderborg with public transport

If you are staying in Sonderborg for a longer time, you might want to explore more of the region than you can cover on foot.

Public transport in Denmark is in general fairly comprehensive and you will most likely be able to find a way to get from A to B with public transport. However if the two points are not along major traffic arteries the journey might take you a long time.

In Sønderborg there are town busses, local busses, regional busses and intercity trains.

Small town but two stations

Sønderborg is mainly located on the island of Als, but the train only goes to the Jutland side. So if you are arriving by train you are not getting dropped off in the center of town but by Alsion, the main campus area.

 

 

The train station is called typically called “Sønderborg St.” and the bus station “Sønderborg Bus Station”. They are 1,1km apart or a 20min walk.

Finding your connection

In order to plan your route from A to B I would suggest you use the website Rejseplanen if you know the address or names of your origin and destination.

Use Google Maps if you are more map oriented and want to see your options.

If you have a smartphone both Rejseplanen and Google Maps have good apps.

City buses/Town buses

There are five bus lines that loop within the city limit of Sonderborg. They all depart from the bus station in Sønderborg and make loops.

(Map above is from june 2025 – check Sydtrafik website for the newest)

Local and Regional buses

There are about 30 bus routes that cover the municipality of Sonderborg. Most of them are local routes but there are also regional buses in the direction of Aabenraa-Toftlund-Ribe-Esbjerg and Aabenraa-Haderslev-Kolding-Vejle.

For the list of lines check Sydtrafik’s website. In order to find which route will take you to your destination check Rejseplanen or Google maps.

Night Buses

Fridays and Saturdays there are two night bus lines departing from Sonderborg at 3am in the direction of East (Nordborg-Kegnæs), West (Broager-Gråsten).

Flextrafik & Plustur

If you’re headed somewhere a bit off the beaten path or outside regular bus hours Flextrafik and Plustur are great options to know about.

These are part of Sydtrafik’s on-demand transport services, and they work a bit like shared taxis that connect you to the public transport network.

What is Flextrafik?

Flextrafik is a door-to-door service for people who live in rural areas, have mobility issues, or just need to get somewhere not served by regular buses. It needs to be booked in advance, and pricing depends on the type of trip. We often use it to go to the airport ad odd hours.

You either tell them when you want to leave or when you want to arrive and then they calculate and get back to you with when you will be picked up. They might pool the trips so you could drive with other passengers.

For Flextrafik, head to Sydtrafik’s website or call them to book. You’ll need to reserve your ride in advance, usually a few hours before you want to go.

Prices are cheaper than a taxi but more expensive than a bus. Once you book you can see the price.

What is Plustur?

Plustur is a special service that connects people from their home (or nearby) to a public transport stop—perfect if the bus doesn’t come close enough to you.

• You book it directly in Rejseplanen, just like a regular trip
• It shows up as part of your full journey (e.g., home → Plustur → bus/train)
• It’s available in many rural parts of Sønderborg Municipality

Plustur usually costs around 22 DKK per ride (fixed price), and you’ll often be picked up by a small van or taxi.

Trains

Trains arrive and departs on an hourly basis towards Copenhagen. The train stops in Gråsten-Kliplev-Tinglev-Rødekro-Vojens-etc. In order to go south you need to change train in either Tinglev or Rødekro.

Train tickets must be bought before you enter the train. There is no ticket office but a machine at the train station that takes cash and credit cards.

Bus tickets and prices

Ticket prices in Sønderborg depend on how many zones you’re traveling through. You can easily check the cost of your trip using Rejseplanen. For example, a bus ride from Sønderborg to Gråsten Castle is 4 zones.

So how much does that cost?

• With a single ticket (Rejsebillet) bought as a tourist, it’s 46 DKK
• With a Rejsekort (the Danish travel card), that trip would be 36 DKK

You can still pay with cash directly on the bus (DKK only—no cards accepted). But if you’re planning to use public transport more than once or twice, it might be worth looking into a Rejsekort.

Rejsekort – whats that?

One of the easiest ways to pay for public transport in Sønderborg—and across Denmark—is with the Rejsekort app.

The app lets you:

• Check in and out of buses and trains with your phone
• See how many zones you’re travelling
• Keep track of your trips and balance
• Top up your account directly in the app

It works for both locals and visitors, and you don’t need a Danish CPR number to use it. Just download the app, set up an account, and you’re good to go.

Prices are typically cheaper than buying single paper tickets, and the app works on most public transport all across Denmark.

You can read more and download it here: rejsekort.dk

Bonus info: Track your bus

In general buses are on time in Denmark but when you are running late and it starts to rain it will always be 5 minutes delayed. Sydtrafik has an online map where you can see all their buses. Ironically the map does not work great on a phone but is is usable.