Today I took the train over the new bridge from Malmo, Sweden to Copenhagen, Denmark for the first time. It was very nice and the bridge has a nice view. The first stop on the other side of the bridge is Copenhagen Kastrup airport (CPH), and the station is under the terminal. I also noticed SAS check-in machines (for those with only carry-ons I think) at Malmo central train station and other stations to get boarding passes quickly for your flight out of CPH. This will be very convenient for me. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by lance (edited 07-11-2000).]

[This message has been edited by lance (edited 07-11-2000).]

In 1985 I took a hoovercraft from Copenhagen to Malmö. I wasn't even aware that a bridge was in the works. Seems to me that's quite a span. How long is it?

The ferry was a great diversion and nice trip when I had extra free time on the weekends. Additionally one could save more than the cost of the trip by buying duty-free goods in both countries (I know it aint kosher).

Read all about the Oresund Fixed Link at:

http://www.oresundskonsortiet.com/

It is a truely amazing structure! (You got a great view of the bridge from the Catamaran before that service ceased!)

I'm looking forward to using the new bridge during next month's Scandinavian sojourn!

If the bridge was there back in mid 1999 (and also open) then I would have been spared from crashing into an unfriendly and extremely negligent moose on a dark Swedish highway in the middle of the night. At least the hospital experience was nice http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif. But the ferry ride was nice nevertheless.

I drove the tunnel/bridge round-trip on Monday. The tunnel is on the Denmark side of the Oresund. The bridge is on the Sweden side. An artificial island in the middle links the tunnel and bridge. The Oresund Fixed Link carries two lanes of traffic in either direction. I believe the toll translates to about USD25 each way. Traffic was VERY light in both directions.

I rode the train across it about a year ago. I think it's maybe 15 - 20 kilometers total. A nice ride, and folks there are very proud of it, as well they should be.
I was a bit amazed to not be asked for my passport or any i.d. when I entered Sweden. This E.U. thing is interesting!

I remember the CNN video when it opened, showing the leaders from each country meeting in middle, shaking hands, and sitting down for tea (or did I dream this?).

They let people walk and ride on it on opening day. The lady running the Copenhagen bed and breakfast I stayed at rode her bike across it!

There are no passport control, customs or immigration at either end of the Oresund Fixed Link highway either. How refreshing!

For many years no bordercontrolls existed in between the Nordic countries for Scandinavian citizens.

Now both Sweden and Denmark are part of the so called `Schengen` countries. It means simply said that in between Sweden and Denmark and in between the Schengen member countries (all EU member states except for the UK and Ireland, plus Norway and Iceland) there are NO interior border controlls anymore. Controlls from now on only take place -reinforced- on the exterior borders of the Schengen countries, thus when entering the zone. Once you´re in you don´t have to show your passport/id anymore when crossing borders.

I don't know if the passport controls have changed in the last few months but the last time I travelled by car (taking ferry between Sweden and Denmark) the border guards pulled over all cars not having Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish numberplates and asked for all relevant documents including passports. This despite the fact that I had German, which is also an EU country, numberplates.