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Voykit pocket guide · 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.
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.
- Country
- Germany
- Best months
- May–Sep
- Avoid
- Nov–Feb (dark, wet, windy)
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR). Card acceptance has improved but some bakeries, bars and small restaurants are still cash only.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–95 excl. bed · Mid €95–170 excl. bed · High €170+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Telekom, Vodafone and O2 are the networks; Aldi Talk, Lidl Connect and congstar resell them cheaply in supermarkets and electronics shops.
- Emergency
- Fire and ambulance 112 · Police 110
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin plugs; UK and US devices need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Round up or add 5–10%; say the total you want to pay as you hand over money or card.; Bar and café: Round up to the nearest euro.; Taxi: Round up by €1–2.; Hotel housekeeping: €1–2 a night, optional.; Free walking tour: €10–15 per person.
- Water
- Tap water is safe everywhere. Restaurants usually sell bottled water; fizzy (mit Kohlensäure) is the default, ask for 'still' or 'ohne'.
- Toilets
- Station toilets cost €0.50–1.50 (Rail&Fresh WC); restaurant toilets are for customers; the 'WC' at motorway rest stops takes coins and gives a voucher.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | €3–5 |
| Currywurst or fish sandwich | €4–8 |
| Beer, 0.5 l in a bar | €5–7 |
| Museum entry | €8–16 |
| HVV single ride in the centre | €2.10–4.20 (check) |
| eSIM or data SIM, about a week | €10–20 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HAM · Hamburg Airport (Fuhlsbüttel)
- S1 S-Bahn to Hauptbahnhof, about 25 min
Typical fares
- HAM airport → Hauptbahnhof, S1
- about €4.10, about 25 min (check)
- HVV day ticket (Zone A/B)
- about €10 (check)
- ICE Hamburg → Berlin
- about €40–80, 1 h 45 min–2 h (check)
Get 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 and do
Known for
- Speicherstadt and HafenCity
- Elbphilharmonie
- Reeperbahn and St Pauli
- Alster lakes
- Fish market
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lübeck | Regional or IC train from Hamburg Hbf, about 45–50 min | About 1 h 15 min |
| Bremen | IC train from Hamburg Hbf, about 1 h | About 1 h 30 min |
| Berlin | ICE train from Hamburg Hbf, about 1 h 45 min–2 h | About 2 h 30 min |
Sleep
- 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.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Moinmoyn |
| Thank you | Dankedahn-kuh |
| The bill, please | Die Rechnung, bittedee rekh-noong, bit-tuh |
| Can I pay by card? | Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kahn ikh mit kar-tuh tsah-len |
| Where is the station? | Wo ist der Bahnhof?voh ist dair bahn-hohf |
| Excuse me | Entschuldigungent-shool-dee-goong |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Firm handshake with eye contact; 'Guten Tag' or 'Hallo'; avoid: Hugs with people you have just met
- Names: Herr / Frau plus surname until invited to use first names; avoid: Using 'du' with officials or older strangers
- Punctuality: Arrive on time for tours, dinners and appointments; avoid: Being more than 5–10 minutes late without a message
- Queues and rules: Follow signs, wait at red lights, sort rubbish; avoid: Walking in cycle lanes
- Conversation: Direct and factual; people say what they mean; avoid: Taking directness as rudeness, or joking about the Nazi era
- Home visit: Bring flowers (odd number, not red roses) or wine; shoes off if the hosts do; avoid: Arriving early
- Paying: Say the total including tip as you pay; avoid: Leaving coins on the table and walking off
Scams and watch-outs
- 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.
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.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Hamburg yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Speicherstadt and HafenCity
- Elbphilharmonie
- Reeperbahn and St Pauli
- Alster lakes
- Fish market
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Hamburg official city site: www.hamburg.de/
- Hamburg Tourism: www.hamburg-travel.com/
- Hamburg Airport: www.hamburg-airport.de/
- Wikivoyage: Hamburg, revision 5334364 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5334364
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/hamburg). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.