Hamburg and Germany

Arriving in Hamburg

You will arrive in Hamburg either by train or by plane. Depending on your choice, you will need to use different routes to get to your hotel.

If you arrive via train, you can stop at Hamburg HBF, Hamburg Dammtor or Hamburg Altona, whichever is nearest to your destination. They are all connected via several local train, metro and bus lines, so just choose whichever is you like (Hamburg HBF might be quite crowded tough).

Arriving by plane puts you at the Hamburg Airport of course. The airport is conveniently connected to the city center via local train (line S1), which goes directly to the city center and passes some important transfer stations like "Ohlsdorf" and "Barmbek"

You need a ticket for all public transport! See the public transport section for more information.

The necessities

Travel documents

Thank you for making this trip to our wedding. We know many of you have taken holiday.

For a smooth trip, ensure you have checked the entry requirements for Germany and your passport validity.

See the links below for more specific information:
Visa required?
Identity Papers

Insurance

It is recommended to take out private travel and medical insurance, which would also cover return travel to your home country in the event of an emergency/accident.

Visitors who are European Economic Area country residents

Check if you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) card.

What is a European Health Insurance Card?

A free card that gives you access to medically necessary, state-provided healthcare during a temporary stay in any of the 27 EU countries, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland or the United Kingdom under the same conditions and at the same cost (free in some countries) as people insured in that country. Source

Visitors from the UK (UK residents only)

In addition to private travel and medical insurance, you are also able to order a GHIC card. (Previously called the EHIC card.)

Language

Most younger people speak adequate english, older people might have to use their hand and feet or will not respond at all.

Currency

The currency used in Germany is the Euro (EUR). Other currencies are not accepted.

The germans love their cash, so it is always handy to have some at hand. You can exchange currency at the airport and at the central station. If you intend to use ATM's, please check about their fee structure beforehand, so there will be no nasty surprises later on.

Please note, that credit cards are not very common in Germany, so smaller shops do not tend to accept them. More and more shops accept Apple Pay or Google Pay though.

Phone/Internet

Hamburg has okay'ish 4G and 5G coverage, so mobile internet should work fine. Please check your phone operator about roaming costs though.

Best SIM Cards for tourists

If you have an emergency whilst in Hamburg

Emergency numbers

Public Transport

In and around Hamburg

You can take the S1 from Hamburg Airport to our event location. Buy a ticket at the airport, and hop on the S-bahn. Download the HVV app so you can use that for directions, or to buy more tickets (Android + iOS)

The public transport in Hamburg is divided into local trains (S-Bahn), metro lines (U-Bahn), bus service and ferries on the river Elbe. Those can all be used with a HVV-Ticket.

The Germans have a thing for weird pricing structures and the HVV-Tickets are no exception. Usually, you will want to buy either a single ticket (fare zone "Hamburg AB"), which is valid for 2 hours on any means of public transport (excluding return trips, though I have no idea if anyone actually checks that).

If you have more than one trip on the same day, I recommend the 9am Day Ticket though, which is cheaper than 2 single tickets and gives you unlimited mobility after 9am.

Whenever you are more than one person, there is the option to buy the 9am Group Ticket, which is again cheaper than 2 individual 9am Day Tickets and allows up to 5 people to travel Hamburg (you have to travel together though).

We do not recommend a rental car as parking is limited and expensive. Public transport in and around Hamburg is affordable and reliable.

MOIA

Hamburg does not have Uber.

Alternatively, there is a ride-sharing service called MOIA. Download the app ahead of time. The MOIA vehicles are often equipped with car seats for children, but always enquire ahead of time. Ensure you give the correct number of passengers at the time of booking.

Accommodations

The wedding celebration will be in Hamburg-Barmbek (Barmbek-Süd), right next to the Barmbek station. The public transport lines U3 and S1 and diverse city buses stop at Barmbek.

Some hotels in the area:

Booking.com can be used to find an alternative option

AirBnB is also an option, and you can look at these areas of Hamburg:

  • Barmbek
  • Winterhude
  • Eilbek
  • Ohlsdorf
  • Eimsbüttel
  • Harvestehude

Tip: Look for a hotel on S1 line or on the U3 line. This way you can travel directly to the venue. You can use the public transport map to assist you with your search.

Shopping

Please note that all shops are closed on Sundays and public holidays. If you really need a supermarket on a Sunday, there are EDEKA supermarkets located at Hamburg Airport and Hamburg Central Station.

Supermarkets

Lidl, Aldi, REWE, EDEKA, Alnatura, Denns Biomarkt

Shopping areas/Malls

  • Mühlenkamp (Winterhude)
  • Ottensen (Altona)
  • Eppendorfer Weg (Eppendorf)
  • Osterstraße (Eimsbüttel)
  • Lange Reihe (St. Georg)
  • Susannenstraße, Schulterblatt (Schanzenviertel)
  • Shopping-Center Hamburger Meile (Wandsbek)
  • Wandsbeker Quarree (smaller mall) (Wandsbek)
  • Mönckebergstraße and Europa Passage (inner city)

Markets

Isemarkt (Tuesday and Friday, 8:30am - 2pm). See here for more.

Drugstores

  • DM (Elly's favorite)
  • Rossmann
  • Budni

Personal care items are a lot cheaper in Germany than in England and the US!

Drugstores in Germany do not sell medicine, pain killers, etc. You will need to go to a pharmacy (Apotheke) for this

Sights

Some starters

Blankenese

One of Elly’s favourite places in Hamburg, to go for a stroll and grab a coffee and a piece of cake, is Blankenese. It is worth spending an afternoon there strolling down the shopping street, then walking down to the River Elbe through the winding streets or the Treppenviertel. (You can take a bus back up.)

Getting there: Take the S1 Blankenese or S1 Wedel.

If you want to sit to have coffee and cake and marvel at the view of the River Elbe, then stop by Kaffeegarten Schuldt.

For a cozy English flair, you can pop into Lühmanns Teestube, which is closer to the train station.

More info on Blankenese: https://www.hamburg.de/blankenese/, https://www.hamburg-travel.com/see-explore/sightseeing/blankenese/

Gastronomy

We advise you to make reservations (if possible) if you are planning on eating at these places.

Hohenfelde/Winterhude/Uhlenhorst

Eilbek

  • Qasr: serves persian food (between U1U3 Lübecker Straße and U1 Wartenau)
  • Taverny Mykonos: Greek food (S1 Hasselbrook or U1 Ritterstraße)
  • Gute Stube: reshly prepared food and the menu changes every day (S1 Landwehr or U1 Wartenau)
  • Snoopkraam: Café for breakfast, cake, coffee, etc. (Hirschgraben 44, 22089 Hamburg)
  • Café Brooks: Café for breakfast, cake, coffee, etc. (Hasselbrookstraße 37, 22089 Hamburg)

Eimsbüttel

  • Cheeky Pies: British-vibe, where they serve savory pies

Eppendorf

  • Lowinskys: a café serving sandwiches and tea and coffee (U3 Eppendorfer Baum
  • Little Amsterdam: a nice place to sit outside in the evening and sip cocktails
  • Bar Celona: a restaurant serving a variety of food and alcoholic beverages. Their cocktails are good!

HafenCity

  • Neni: Israeli food

Grindelviertel

Inner City (Mitte)

  • Café Paris: on a side street by the city hall (U3 Rathaus)
  • Einstein CITY: we recommend going during happy hour
  • ALEX: The Alster pavillon directly at the Binnen Alster (U1 Jungfernstieg, U1 Stephansplatz, U2 Gänsemarkt)
  • Frittenwerk: french fries with choices of toppings – a quick and easy food to grab
  • L'Osteria: a chain restaurant serving Italian-style food
  • Bäckerei Junge: we recommend trying the schnitzelbrötchen – Elly’s favourite comfort food
  • Erste Liebe Bar: Elly's favourite coffee and lunch place (S1 Stadthausbrücke, U3 Rödingsmarkt)