Know Before You Go: Hamburg

The city center, which is about 11 kilometers (7 miles) from the airport, can be reached quickly and easily on the S-Bahn. Line S1 departs from underneath the terminals and connects the airport with the city. The journey takes about 25 minutes, with trains running every 10 minutes. For your return flight, it's important to remember that only the front three carriages in the direction of travel go to the airport – be sure to get on at the front! By taxi, Uber, or Bolt you can reach the city center in about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on traffic. Allow more time during peak hours. It will cost around 40 euros.

Hamburg offers a very well-networked local transport system consisting of subway, S-Bahn, buses, and harbor ferries – one ticket is valid for everything. Day tickets cost 8.20 euros and are worthwhile for three or more trips. Tickets can be conveniently purchased via the HVV app, which also offers route planning and real-time information. A unique local transport option is MOIA, a ridepooling service in which passengers share an electric taxi with others traveling in a similar direction. This can make the journey cheaper, but also a little slower. Booking and payment are made via an app.

In Hamburg, many shops open around 10 a.m. and close between 7 and 8 p.m. Larger supermarkets are often open much longer. By law, sales outlets in Hamburg are generally allowed to open between 6 a.m. and 12 a.m. from Monday to Saturday, but most shops remain closed on Sundays and public holidays.

In Hamburg, Low German is still spoken here and there. Many terms have long since found their way into everyday life, even among newcomers. You will hear a few typical phrases:

"Dor nich för" (door nich föhr) – "You're welcome"; this is used when thanking someone for something.

"Sabbel nich’, dat geit!" (sab-bel nich, dat geit) – Talk less, do more, and trust that it will work; this is used when someone makes long speeches before doing anything.

"Das ist Tüddelkram" (das is tüddel-kraam) – This means something like triviality, unimportant, or nonsensical – in short: that's nonsense.

If you don't want to come across as a non-local right away, don't say "Moin, Moin" as a greeting. Among real Hamburgers, this is considered more conversational and touristy and is rarely used. A simple "Moin" is all you need – at any time of day. So if you want to mingle inconspicuously with the Hamburgers, it's better to stick to a short, North German casual "Moin."

Did you know? With around 2,500 bridges, the city of Hamburg has the most in the world, topping even Venice. This is mainly due to its location in the inland delta of the Elbe with its many tributaries, canals, and "Fleeten" (older, narrower tidal waterways typical of Hamburg). Even railway lines and parts of the subway run over bridges. This creates an impressive mix – from small, hidden crossings in parks to the large Elbe bridges for long-distance traffic.