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Voykit pocket guide · Germany
Travemünde
Go for one night, or as a day trip from Lübeck (20 min by train): beach, old lighthouse and the Passat ship, not a full holiday.
Travemünde is the Baltic seaside borough of Lübeck, at the mouth of the Trave, with a 1.7 km white-sand beach, a 1539 lighthouse and a ferry port for Sweden, Finland and Latvia. It has been a licensed Seebad since 1802. The old town is small and walkable; most visitors come for a beach day or a single night, and use Lübeck as the base.
- Country
- Germany
- Best months
- Jun–Aug for beach weather; May and Sep for quieter walks
- Avoid
- Nov–Mar (cold, many places closed); July if you want quiet — Travemünder Woche fills the town
- Stay
- 1 night
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 €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ 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 and cake | €4–8 |
| Fish sandwich at the fishing port | €4–7 |
| Main course, mid-range restaurant | €14–24 |
| Beer, 0.5 l | €4–6 |
| Harbour cruise, 60 min | from €7 |
| Old lighthouse entry | €2 adults, €1 children |
| Train Lübeck–Travemünde | about €3 single |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- HAM · Hamburg
- About 1 h by car; train via Lübeck, roughly 1.5–2 h (check)
Typical fares
- Train Lübeck Hbf → Travemünde Strand
- about €3, 20 min
- Priwall ferry, single
- about €1.20 adults, €0.80 children
- Bus 30/31/40 Lübeck → Travemünde
- about €3 single
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The centre is walkable: Vorderreihe and the promenade are for pedestrians and cyclists. Trains from Lübeck run to Travemünde Hafen, Strand and Skandinavienkai. The Priwall ferry crosses the channel (about €1.20 adults), and buses 30, 31 and 40 link the town with Lübeck. A car is a liability in summer — parking is tight and the port area is fenced off.
See and do
Known for
- 1.7 km Baltic beach and promenade
- Old lighthouse (1539) and maritime museum
- Sailing ship Passat on the Priwall
- Ferries to Scandinavia and the Baltics
- Travemünder Woche sailing festival in July
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Lübeck | Regional train from Travemünde Strand or Hafen, about 20 min | About 30–40 min |
| Timmendorfer Strand | Train to Lübeck then onward, or car along the coast (check) | About 1 h (check) |
| Grömitz | Car via the A1 (check) | 1.5–2 h (check) |
| Ratzeburg | Train to Lübeck, then onward by train or bus | About 1.5 h |
Sleep
- Old town / Vorderreihe
- Shops, cafés and the promenade on foot; best for a short stay without a car.
- Strandpromenade and Kaiserallee
- Beachfront hotels and apartments; the quietest mornings, busiest in July–August.
- Priwall peninsula
- Across the channel by ferry; calmer beach and the Passat, fewer restaurants.
- Lübeck (as a base)
- Cheaper and more choice; 20 min by train to Travemünde Strand.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Moinmoyn |
| Thank you | DankeDAN-kuh |
| Please | BitteBIT-tuh |
| How much is it? | Wie viel kostet das?vee feel KOS-tet das |
| Can I pay by card? | Kann ich mit Karte zahlen?kan ikh mit KAR-tuh TSAH-len |
| Where is the beach? | Wo ist der Strand?voh ist dair shtrant |
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
- Resort tax (Kurabgabe) applies to beach days between 15 May and 14 September: about €2.60 for the town beach, €1 for Priwall.
- You cannot walk into the Skandinavienkai ferry terminal from the station — take bus 30 or 40 one stop.
- Many restaurants and bars close outside the summer season; check before you plan an evening out.
- Ferries to Sweden are heavily booked in summer and on public holidays — reserve ahead.
- Nightlife is limited; for clubs and late bars, go to Lübeck or Hamburg.
Very safe for a beach town. The Baltic is cold even in August and currents vary by wind — check local flags before swimming. Watch for bicycles on the promenade, and expect crowds during Travemünder Woche in July.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Travemünde yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- 1.7 km Baltic beach and promenade
- Old lighthouse (1539) and maritime museum
- Sailing ship Passat on the Priwall
- Ferries to Scandinavia and the Baltics
- Travemünder Woche sailing festival in July
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Travemünde, revision 5243286 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5243286
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Travemünde
Bitte zu dieser Adresse
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassy in Travemünde; most countries have embassies in Berlin and consulates in Hamburg. US citizens: consulate general in Hamburg (check).
Resort tax is collected by hotels; day visitors are meant to pay at the tourist office.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/travemunde). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.