Trains to Hamburg Hbf

Hamburg train station

With around 450,000 passengers passing through Hamburg train station daily, this is Germany’s busiest railway station and, after Paris’s Gare du Nord, the second busiest in Europe. Being such an active and important hub, it’s no wonder the station itself is impressive! The building, dating back to 1906, has Germany’s largest unsupported station hall roof. Travellers will find a huge range of amenities here — 75 shops, cafes and restaurants, to be exact. Hamburg is connected to Germany’s major cities via high-speed, high-tech ICE trains. Berlin is under 2h00mins away, Frankfurt-Hamburg is about 3h30mins, and the journey from Cologne is just over 4h00mins. The city is a gateway to both the North Sea and Baltic Sea. Lübeck, the major Baltic ferry port, is a 30-minute train ride from Hamburg. A direct route from Copenhagen takes 4h45mins, with services from Basel and Zurich daily too. As well as the eight mainlines, there are four urban ‘S-Bahn’ trains, six ‘U-Bahn’, and underground services. The S1 goes direct from the station to Hamburg Airport, taking 20 minutes, and also stopping in the city centre.

Main attractions near Hamburg train station

With an illustrious history based on maritime prowess, Hamburg is a vibrant city on the banks of the Elbe. Hamburg train station’s central location allows visitors to easily walk to many of its attractions. Culture vultures can be at the art museum, the station’s neighbour, within just a few minutes of stepping off the train. Or, strolling towards the Alster Lakes, they can be at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe (Museum of Arts and Crafts), housed in an 18th-century palace, in around 5 minutes. From here, they can take the waterside Ballindamm street towards the centre. To sample the city’s shopping, Mönckebergstraße is the best choice. Either way, the Renaissance city hall is under a 15-minute walk away. This beautiful sandstone edifice dominates the grand open square of Rathausmarkt. The surrounding streets are full of restaurants and cafes offering local seafood-based cuisine and more.

From this area, or straight from the station, it’s less than a 30-minute walk to HafenCity — a contemporary project to renew the port front. The route leads past Chilehaus, a unique example of Brick Expressionism from the 1920s, and the Speicherstadt district, also known as the ‘City of Warehouses’, with tall, red-bricked buildings lining a series of canals. The oldest warehouse is now home to the Internationales Maritimes Museum. From here, the station is just a 15-minute walk away. Elbphilharmonie, a futuristic concert hall, is a further 15 minutes along the river to the west, and it’s 30 minutes on foot back to catch a train, or a quick trip on the U3 from Elbphilharmonie station.