How To Get from Hamburg Airport to Hamburg City Centre

Hamburg International Airport is located just 8km from the city centre. As a result, there are a number of quick and easy ways to get into the city and begin exploring!

The best way to get from Hamburg Airport to Hamburg city centre is by train. The journey takes just 25 minutes and costs €3.20 for a single adult ticket. However, you could also take the bus, a taxi or hire a car to complete the journey.

If you’re travelling with young children or a lot of luggage then a taxi may be more convenient since you won’t have to walk from the train station in the city centre to your accommodation and instead can be dropped off at the door.

However, this convenience comes at a cost of around €30 to €50 depending on the time of day and where specifically in Hamburg city centre you’re travelling to.

Transport	Cost	Time
Train	€3.20	25 mins
Taxi	€30 – €50	25 mins
Bus	€2.95	40 mins
Hire Car	€35 – €75 (per day)	25 mins

If you’re planning on exploring more of north Germany during your trip to Hamburg then we’d highly recommend hiring a car. However, if you plan to remain in the city of Hamburg then the stress and associated cost aren’t worthwhile in our opinion.

Train

Hamburg International Airport has a train station situated below it which can easily be accessed from both terminal one and terminal two.

The station is well signposted (with icons) and can be accessed using either the stairs, lift or escalators.

Trains depart Hamburg airport station towards Hamburg Central Station (Hauptbahnhof) every 10 minutes during the daytime and every 20 minutes in the evening.

The journey takes 25 minutes and tickets cost just €3.20 (with a return available for just €6.20) for adults and €1.20 for children (aged between 6 and 14). While children under the age of 6 travel on the train for free with an adult.

Tickets for the train can be purchased from the ticket machines inside the airport which can be easily navigated to display all the ticket details in an extensive number of languages including; English, Spanish, German, French, Italian and Mandarin to name a few.

The only real drawback to using the train service is that once you have arrived at the Hamburg Central Station (Hauptbahnhof) you will then have to find your way to your accommodation.

If you’re a solo traveller or a couple, then this may not be much of an issue. However, if you have young children or are travelling with a lot of luggage then you may want to take a taxi or an Uber from the station to your accommodation, if not from the airport itself.

Taxi

Taking a taxi from Hamburg airport to Hamburg city centre is one of the most expensive options (often costing between €30 and €50 for a single journey) however, it’s also the most convenient.

The taxi will take you from directly outside the terminal building directly to the door of your accommodation.

Personally, now that we travel with a child we often opt to take a taxi over public transport (especially after a long flight) as it takes the added stress out of travelling.

There are four main taxi companies that serve the Hamburg airport taxi stands outside the terminal, they are;

• Taxi Stambula
• Hansa-Taxi
• Taxi Hamburg
• Taxiruf-Hamburg

However, personally, we choose to use Uber instead. Uber drivers serve Hamburg International Airport in the same way traditional taxis do, and drivers are required to be certified and trained to the same level as traditional taxi drivers.

Complimentary Wi-Fi is available inside Hamburg International Airport which would allow you to order an Uber to take you to your accommodation.

However, be sure not to order the Uber prior to passing immigration and collecting your luggage as drivers often arrive in a couple of minutes and will leave and bill you if they are unable to locate you within ten minutes of their arrival.

Bus

Since several bus routes connect Hamburg airport with different parts of the city you may find that the bus has a stop closer to your accommodation than the train.

The Hamburg bus terminal is located outside of arrivals and is well-signposted within the airport itself.

Tickets for the bus can be purchased from the driver as you board the bus or from the ticket machine inside the airport.

The ticket machines can be easily navigated to display all the ticket details in an extensive number of languages including; English, Spanish, German, French, Italian and Mandarin to name a few and take Euros, debit cards and credit cards.

The bus routes that serve Hamburg airport are;

Bus #	Route	Frequency	Operating Times
28	Airport – Wandsbek Markt and Hebebrandstraße	Every 20 – 30 mins	12:05am – 11:45pm
292	Airport – U Lattenkamp	Every 20 – 30 mins	5:30am – midnight
392	Airport – Ohlsdorf and Teufelsbrück	Every 60 mins	6:00am – 10:30pm (Sundays only)
606	Airport – city centre	Every 60 mins	12:15am – 4:15am

There is also the Airport Express Bus which takes passengers directly from the airport to Hamburg Central Station (making no stops). The bus leaves every 20 to 30 minutes between the hours of 5am and 10:45pm with the journey taking roughly 30 minutes in total.

Hire Car

If you’re looking to have more freedom during your trip to Hamburg then you may want to consider hiring a car, collecting it from the airport and then driving to your accommodation in the city.

There are a number of rental car companies that serve Hamburg International Airport including;

• Alamo
• Avis
• Buchbinder
• Budget
• Enterprise
• Europcar
• Hertz
• Matrix Mobility
• National
• Sixt
• Thrifty
• Ufo Drive

While you can hire a car on your arrival at the airport, we highly recommend reserving your car online in advance for the best price and car options.

All hire car companies are located inside the arrivals area at terminal two. Once you’ve collected your car you’ll be able to make your way into the city.

This will generally be done using the B433 motorway, although the exact route may vary depending on where your accommodation is located within the city.

As such we highly recommend renting a car with a SatNav system or ensuring you have data on your phone to act as a SatNav as and when you require it.

Traffic in Hamburg is similar to most other European cities, while parking is often pay-and-display on the roadside in the city centre.

If you do not plan to explore outside the city of Hamburg during your trip then we would advise against hiring a car given the cost and stress involved.