Public transport in Hamburg: How to get around

How to use the public transport in Hamburg? Learn about Hamburg's public transport, from ticket costs to the best ways to get around the city.

Marle

3 minute read

·

Updated on 31 Oct 2024

·

Living

While you're exploring homes for rent in Hamburg it's good to know what transport you can use to reach your new house. This is why we've created this comprehensive guide of Hamburg's public transport to give you the run down of the network and what costs you can expect to have.

There are several ways you can pay for public transport in Hamburg. You can buy your ticket through the hvv App (available in English), from the ticket machines at the metro stations, on the buses, by getting an hvv card (public transport card) or contactless at the entrance of the stations or on board of the buses.

To pay for public transport in Hamburg you can purchase a single ticket for €3.80. But this can drive up your cost of living in Hamburg if you're a frequent traveller. In that case, it's better to get a public transport pass, with the most popular for expats being:

• 24/7 monthly ticket: costs €69 per month and is valid for the whole HVV network
• hvv Deutschlandticket: costs €49 monthly and is valid for the whole HVV network, and regional trains in Germany

Your employer can partially cover the Deutschlandticket if you need to commute to work. In that case you'll have to pay only €34.30 monthly. Students from participating universities, can apply for the SemesterTicket and get free public transport during their studies.

With Hamburg's public transport network (HVV) you won't need to worry about driving. The city's buses, metros (U-Bahn) and suburban trains (S-Bahn) can take you virtually anywhere. So, no matter which of Hamburg's neighborhoods you pick, you can travel seamlessly. Let's learn a bit more about each of them.

Metro in Hamburg (U-Bahn)

104 kilometres of network, 4 railway lines and 9 stations make the metro the best means of public transport in Hamburg. The U-Bahn ca take you to any point of the city in just a few minutes. Its fast and dense system picks you up every 5 minutes, so you’re at your destination in a blink of an eye! You'll be able to spot the U-Bahn lines easy, just look for the lines marked in yellow (U3), blue (U1), red (U2) and teal (U4) colours on the map.

• Works between 4:30 AM and 0:30 AM during the week
• Runs 24 hours during the weekends

Download the HVV App to find the fastest routes - and prevent public networks from becoming a challenge for you.

Suburban railway in Hamburg (S-Bahn)

For those commuting from the suburbs, the suburban railway (S-Bahn) is your best friend. The S-Bahn offers 4 different lines that take you outside the city as opposed to the U-Bahn. The trains run every 10 to 20 minutes depending on the time of day. You can recognize them on the map by their colors: S1 in green, S2 in burgundy, S3 in purple, and S5 in light blue.

• Works between 4:30 AM and 0:30 AM during the week
• Runs 24 hours during the weekends

Bus in Hamburg

The dense bus network will take you home almost all day from Monday to Friday. Count on the night buses with the line 600 to 688 at night. There are 4 types of buses in Hamburg: sprinter, express, metro and regional buses, which can get to you to any point within Hamburg and beyond. Working times very depending on the line but generally follow the same schedule as U-Bahn and S-Bhan

There are night buses running between 0:30 AM and 4:30 AM during the week

Other means of public transport in Hamburg

Water Bus (Fähre)

Hamburg is a port city and as such one of its means on transport is the water bus (Fahre). There are a total of 6 different routes along with the port and the river Elbe. Water busses take you to the Landungsbrücken (Reeperbahn), Altona, the fish market, Fischreihafen and Neumühlen.

You're starting your new job at Airbus in Finkenwerder? Then catch the water bus 62 in the direction of Finkenwerder for a bit of sightseeing on your daily travels to work!

“StadtRAD” shared bike service

With StadtRAD you can rent bikes and cycle through the streets of Hamburg. You'll find bike stations all over the city where you can easily rent a bike via the StadtRad app. For a one-time fee of €5 per year, you can ride 30 minutes per ride for free.

The best way to get around Hamburg is the metro (U-Bahn). It has the most extensive coverage and highest number of stops so you can get to virtually any point of the city. If you're living in the suburbs, the S-Bahn is the best means of public transport in Hamburg for you. Buses are the best if you live on a smaller street or for night travel since they run throughout the night during the week. With the Water bus you get gorgeous waterfront views of Hamburg.

So, now you're ready to discover rental homes in Hamburg with great public transport connections.

Want to know more about Moving to Germany? Download the free e-book by filling out the form below.