Extra Streetwise
Extra Streetwise
Price of a cup of coffee
Around € 3
Payment
Payment in Germany may sometimes not be as advanced as you would expect. This means that foreigners can often only pay in cash. Our recommendation is therefore to withdraw sufficient cash whenever you’ve found a good ATM. Avoid Euronet machines, unless you were looking for a poor exhange rate.
Tipping
Not required. Still if you decide to tip, it is common to leave 10% of the bill.
Tap water
The tap water in Hamburg is drinkable.
Public transport
The Hamburg Transport Union (HVV) operates the city’s transport network which includes subways, trains, buses and ferries. HVV has a very good app for IOS and Android, or visit their official website to start checking your route right away.
The network consists of 5 tariff zones. Zones A and B make up the 'Big Zone' (or 'Großbereich') around the city centre. Zones C, D, E form the 'Common Zone' (or 'Gesamtbereich'), covering the surroundings of Hamburg and remote areas. Find here the official scheme of tariff zones.
A single ticket will entitle you to use all means of transport. Tickets can be purchased from vending machines at bus stops, at the entrance to the metro, or from bus drivers. The ticket price for the zones A and B is a little over € 3. Find here more information about the fares.
If you are planning to make intensive use of public transport, consider buying the 'Hamburg CARD'. This card provides unlimited travel by public transport, and gives discount on a large number of sights as well. You can purchase your Hamburg CARD here.
Metro
The Hamburg metro (U-Bahn) and the suburban train (S-Bahn) start working from 4:30h on and finish at 1:00h. On the night from Friday to Saturday and from Saturday to Sunday, as well as on holidays, trains even run at night, with 20-minute intervals.
Bus
Regular buses operate from 5:00h till 23:00h. Outside these hours you can make use of the nightbus ('Nachtbus'). Nightbuses typically depart from the Rathaus Square, around every 30 minutes.
Ferry
Passenger ferries form an integral part of Hamburg's public transport system. This means that regular tickets for public transport can be used for travel. Find here the map with ferry routes.
From the airport (HAM) to Hamburg
Hamburg Airport lies about 10 km North of the city centre. It consists of two interconnected terminals.
Metro
The S1 S-Bahn connects Hamburg Central Railway Station with the Airport. The journey will take around half an hour, with trains leaving every 10 minutes. You can reach the centre with a normal AB ticket.
On your way back, please note that at station Ohlsdorf your train may be split into a part heading for the Airport and a part in a different direction. Pay attention to the speakers, and make sure that you are in the right wagons!
Bus
You can take an Express Bus that drives you to the city in 30 minutes (to Ohlsdorf U-Bahn / S-Bahn station and to Altona Station). Express Bus stops can be found in front of each terminal. Note that the last departure is typically already before 23h. The fare is around € 3. You can purchase your ticket in the Airport Office, or from the bus driver.
In addition to Express Buses, regular buses No. 26 (to Bf Rahlstedt within an hour) and No. 39 (to Wandsbek Markt in 35 minutes) operate during the day.
Arriving at night
If you arrive at night on a weekday, you can decide to go for the nightbus 606 which delivers you at the Rathaus Square. Please note that the nightbus operates with intervals of one hour in the middle of the night.
In weekends and on holidays the S-Bahn and U-Bahn should provide 24-hours service. If you decide to take the S-Bahn at night, you will need to go with S-Bus 274 the first part till Ohlsdorf Station.
Taxi
White taxis can be found outside the airport terminals. A better option may be to order your taxi via the app FREE NOW or Uber.
Find more information about Hamburg Airport at the official website.
Events in Hamburg
Hamburger Dom
The Hamburger Dom is the country’s biggest fair, attracting millions of visitors every year. The streets decorated with rides and little shops, stretch for miles. The fair is held three times per year, in shifts of 30 days (during spring, summer and winter). Every Friday night at 22:30h there’s a fireworks show! Check the program and opening hours on the official citypage of Hamburg.
Hafengeburstag
The Hafengeburstag is the largest port festival in the world, celebrating the anniversary of the Port of Hamburg. It takes place every year in a weekend in May, most often the first weekend. During this weekend a large number of events is organized along the Elbe River shore, from the Fish Market Altona to the Elbphilharmonie and into the HafenCity. Visitors will get to see many interesting shows like ship parades, the unique 'tugboat ballet' and of course fireworks. The program can be found on the official citypage of Hamburg, shortly before the start of the event.
ELBJAZZ
Every year for two days around early June, the ELBJAZZ Festival takes place, attracting lots of people to the clubs, bars and restaurants of Hamburg. The biggest events are held in the beautiful new Elbphilharmonie. Among the participants are usually many famous jazz and bluesmen, like Paolo Nutini, Gregory Porter or Nina Attal. Learn more about the exact dates and the program on the official website.
Christmas markets
December is the month to see Hamburg in all its splendor, with Christmas markets all across the city. The main market can be found on the central square of Hamburg, the Rathausmarkt. Beautifully decorated enchanting wooden houses fill the square and offer you Glühwein, cotton candy, and all the other things you need on a cold winter night.
Local pages
Bicycle sharing
Across Hamburg you will find over 200 StadtRAD stations with bright red bikes, which can be rented and returned at any station in the city. The first half hour is free. From the 31st minute on it is 10ct/min, with a full day (24h) for only € 15. All you need to start hiring your bike is the official StadtRAD-app, find it here for IOS and Android.
City tours
To see the main highlights in a short amount of time, a bus tour around the city or a boat tour through the harbor can be an interesting option. Die Roten Doppeldecker offers a variety of tours, learn more on their official website.
Hamburg dungeon
In the catacombs stretching under the Hamburg quarter of warehouses, the Speicherstadt, guests can experience a truly frightening sight! In chambers stylized as prisons and dungeons you will find water falls from the ceiling, mysterious shadows sliding along the walls as the heart goes to the heels. The Hamburg Dungeon occupies an area of almost 3,000m2, filled with surprises. You can visit the place any day and purchase your tickets online. Get directions.
Taxi
Official taxis in Hamburg are white. A more convenient option though can be using an app, like FREE NOW or Uber.
The Lion King Musical
The Musical The Lion King (Der König der Löwen) is an enchanting show full of colors, sounds, music and real emotions that takes the audience into the atmosphere of the African savannah of the Serengeti, where the events take place according to the popular cartoon. For over 15 years already, The Lion King Musical is on display in the Theater im Hafen, located near the Elbe River (get directions). The musical has attracted more than 10 million visitors of all ages, from all across the country (please note that the musical is just in German!). Check out their official website for tickets.
Tourist office
The tourist office of Hamburg has several information points around the city, including at the airport and at the central railway station. Visit their official website for further information about the many things to do in Hamburg.
© 2016 - Streetwise World B.V.
All rights reserved