Hamburg Life and Visitor Travel Tips

(Hamburg, Germany)

A truly enormous, spreading city with many grand boulevards and modern shopping malls, Hamburg successfully combines the past with the present. Life in Hamburg is fairly relaxed and locals here have plenty to be proud about, including its numerous parks and gardens, which have made this the greenest city in the whole of the country. Located within the very centre of Hamburg, the Alster Lake provides an important recreational space.

The city of Hamburg has gained much of its wealth from its thriving harbour and meandering network of canals. Hamburg's modern Hafencity development clearly shows that this forward-looking city has a foot firmly in the future. For tourists, a number of travel agencies, banks, currency exchange outlets and ATMs can be found throughout the city and in particular, at the Hauptbahnhof (train station). Useful travel tips about life in Hamburg are shown below.

Tourism and Tourist Information

The tourist offices within Hamburg are always worth a visit, for the extensive selection of leaflets and guides alone. However, these offices also sell two main discount cards for use around the city. The 'Hamburg Card' provides completely unlimited use of the public transport and also discounted admission to a number of popular sights and museums, being valid for either one day or more. For those aged under 30 years, the 'Power Pass Card' offers the best deal and as well as free use of public transport, this card also offers savings for both food and drink, together with discounts at Hamburg's nightspots and cinemas.

Hamburg (Hamburg Tourismus GmbH)
Address: Steinstrasse 7, Hamburg, 20095, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 040 300 51 300
Fax: +49 040 300 51 333
Email address: info@hamburg-tourismus.de
Website: www.hamburg-tourismus.de

Hamburg Tourist Information Office at the Main Station
Address: Hauptbahnhof, Kirchenallee Main Entrance, Hamburg, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 040 3005 1200
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 08:00 to 21:00, Sunday - 10:00 to 18:00

Tourist Information at the Port of Hamburg / Hamburger Hafen
Address: St. Pauli Landungsbrücken, between piers 4 and 5, Hamburg, Germany, DE
Open hours: daily, November to March - 10:00 to 18:00; April to October - 08:00 to 18:00

Hamburg Tourist Information Booths at Dammtor Train Station
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 08:00 to 20:00, Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00

Hamburg Tourist Information Booths at the Alster Ferry Departure Point
Open hours: daily, April to October - 09:00 to 18:30; November to March - 10:00 to 18:00

Currency

Launched in 2002 and replacing the unified German Deutsche Mark (DEM), the Euro (EUR) is now widely accepted around Hamburg and prices are generally easy to understand. If you do need to exchange your local currency out of hours, ATMs are especially convenient are offer a reasonable rate of exchange at many central locations.

Language, Dialect and German Phrases

Native English speakers should not be put off trying to converse with Hamburg locals in their native tongue, since many German words are either identical or similar to those in the English language. Whilst it is true to say that the different noun genders add a certain level of complication, just a basic German phrasebook can truly enhance your visit to Hamburg and at times, prove indispensable. The following German phrases can prove useful at times.

Able you able to recommend a good restaurant? - können sie mir ein gutes restaurant empfehlen?
How? - wie?
Where? - wo?
Where is...? - wo ist...?
Where are the toilets? - wo ist die toilette?
How do I get to the town centre - wie komme ich zur stadtmitte
I am sorry - es tut mir leid
I do not speak German - ich spreche kein Deutsch
Please would you help me? - können sie mir bitte helfen?
Do you have any English-language newspapers? - haben sie zeitungen in Englisch?