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Draft data. Times, fares and step counts are desk estimates awaiting field checks. Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Major city · Germany

Hamburg

Give Hamburg 2–3 nights: one day for the harbour and Speicherstadt, one for the Elbphilharmonie and Alster, one for St Pauli at night.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
EUR
Best months
May–Sep
avoid Nov–Feb (dark, wet, windy)
Airport
HAM
Nights
2–3
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Central Europe ↗Six of the nine countries here — Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia — charge a time-based motorway vignette, mostly digital and linked to the number plate; buy it before the first motorway past the border, because cameras, not toll booths, do the checking.
  • Central Europe ↗Temporary police checks at internal Schengen borders are common in this region in 2026 (Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovenia among others — check): keep your passport on you on every cross-border train, bus and road even though there is no fixed control post.
  • Germany ↗Germany is in the EU and the Schengen area: check entry rules, the EU Entry/Exit System and any travel authorisation requirement for your passport on official sources.
  • Germany ↗Nazi symbols and gestures are criminal offences, including as jokes or souvenirs.
  • Germany ↗Many city centres are low-emission zones: a car needs the right sticker (Umweltplakette) to enter.

Hamburg is Germany's second city and its biggest port, built around the Elbe and the Alster lakes. The centre is walkable and the U-Bahn and S-Bahn reach everything else in 20–30 minutes. Two nights covers the core; three lets you add a harbour day trip or a full evening in St Pauli.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Hamburg, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • Coffee€3–5 (≈ US$4–6)
  • Street or quick mealCurrywurst or fish sandwich€4–8 (≈ US$5–10)
  • Beer0.5 l in a bar€5–7 (≈ US$6–9)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week€10–20 (≈ US$12–25)
  • Museum or sight ticketMuseum entry€8–16 (≈ US$10–19)
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per person€30 (≈ US$35)
  • Mid-range bedDouble room, mid hotel, a night, per room€140 (≈ US$170)
  • High-end bedDouble room, mid hotel, a night, per room€260 (≈ US$350)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget €60 (≈ US$70) · Mid €110 (≈ US$130) · High €200 (≈ US$250)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Speicherstadt and HafenCityElbphilharmonieReeperbahn and St PauliAlster lakesFish market
Airports
HAM Hamburg Airport (Fuhlsbüttel) (S1 S-Bahn to Hauptbahnhof, about 25 min)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Hamburg: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

4°C

−1°C

12 rd

Feb

5°C

−1°C

10 rd

Mar

9°C

1°C

11 rd

Apr

14°C

4°C

9 rd

May

18°C

8°C

10 rd

Jun

21°C

11°C

11 rd

Jul

23°C

13°C

12 rd

Aug

23°C

13°C

11 rd

Sep

19°C

10°C

11 rd

Oct

14°C

6°C

11 rd

Nov

8°C

3°C

12 rd

Dec

5°C

0°C

12 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

U-Bahn and S-Bahn cover the city; the HVV day ticket pays off from three rides. Buses and ferries are on the same ticket, and the Elbe ferries are a cheap harbour tour. Most of the centre is flat and walkable.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Lübeck

go

Door to door: About 1 h 15 min

Regional or IC train from Hamburg Hbf, about 45–50 min

Old town on an island; half a day is enough.

Bremen

go

Door to door: About 1 h 30 min

IC train from Hamburg Hbf, about 1 h

See the /bremen guide; easy half-day or full day.

Berlin

overnight

Door to door: About 2 h 30 min

ICE train from Hamburg Hbf, about 1 h 45 min–2 h

Too far for a comfortable return day; sleep there.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Altstadt and Neustadt

Central, walkable to the harbour and the Alster; quietest for early nights.

St Georg

East of the Hauptbahnhof; hotels, cheap food, 10 min walk to the centre.

St Pauli and Altona

Nightlife and the Reeperbahn; louder at weekends, good S-Bahn links.

HafenCity

New waterfront district; modern hotels, few restaurants, 15 min walk to the Altstadt.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
€60–95 (≈ US$70–120) excl. bed
Mid
€95–170 (≈ US$120–200) excl. bed
High
€170 (≈ US$200)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Double room, mid hotel1 × 2 nights × €140€280
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × €110€440
S1 airport to Hauptbahnhof, one way2 × €4 · check€8
HVV day ticket, one day2 × €10 · check€20
eSIM, about a week of data2 × €15€30
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge€78
Trip total≈ €214 per person per day, bed included€856≈ US$1,000

2026 estimate in euro; flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee€3–5 (≈ US$4–6)
Currywurst or fish sandwich€4–8 (≈ US$5–10)
Beer, 0.5 l in a bar€5–7 (≈ US$6–9)
Museum entry€8–16 (≈ US$10–19)
HVV single ride in the centre€2.10–4.20 (≈ US$3–5) (check)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week€10–20 (≈ US$12–25)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Hamburg is a safe big city by day. At night the Reeperbahn and the Hauptbahnhof area bring pickpockets and bar scams: keep your phone out of sight and agree prices before ordering.
  • Pickpockets on the Reeperbahn and in the Hauptbahnhof area at night.
  • Some Reeperbahn bars and clubs have no posted prices: ask the total before you order.
  • The S1 splits at Ohlsdorf: only the front cars go to the airport.
  • No S-Bahn between about midnight and 04:00; bus 606 covers the airport route.

Emergency numbers

Fire and ambulance
112
Police
110

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

HamburgHamburg

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Zu dieser Adresse, bitteTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Fire and ambulance112
  • Police110

Embassy

The US has a consulate-general in Hamburg; most other countries keep embassies in Berlin (check addresses).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • HAM airport → Hauptbahnhof, S1: about €4.10 (≈ US$5), about 25 min (check)
  • HVV day ticket (Zone A/B): about €10 (≈ US$12) (check)
  • ICE Hamburg → Berlin: about €40–80 (≈ US$50–95), 1 h 45 min–2 h (check)

Say or show

  • Moin — Hello (moyn)
  • Danke — Thank you (dahn-kuh)
  • Die Rechnung, bitte — The bill, please (dee rekh-noong, bit-tuh)
  • Kann ich mit Karte zahlen? — Can I pay by card? (kahn ikh mit kar-tuh tsah-len)
  • Wo ist der Bahnhof? — Where is the station? (voh ist dair bahn-hohf)
  • Entschuldigung — Excuse me (ent-shool-dee-goong)

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Hamburg. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep · avoid Nov–Feb (dark, wet, windy) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 3 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for HAM: last S1 departures, bus 606 fallback, taxi rung.

Meanwhile

Back to Germany

Sources