Hamburg airport to city centre: S-Bahn, taxi

Hamburg Airport (Helmut Schmidt) lies in Fuhlsbüttel, in the north of the city and only about 11 km by road from the town hall. The S-Bahn station sits directly below the Airport Plaza between the two terminals, and you reach it from arrivals by lift, escalator or stairs. The short answer: take the S-Bahn S1 to the main station (Hauptbahnhof) – it is quick, frequent and cheap. Take a taxi if you arrive late with small children, have a lot of luggage or are a group.

Hamburg Airport to the city centre: the options

Times: S1 to the main station according to Hamburg Airport, taxi as pure driving time to the town hall (Rathausmarkt) based on OpenStreetMap, without traffic. At rush hour in the city, allow about a third more for the taxi.

S-Bahn S1: the standard way

The station Hamburg Airport (Flughafen) is the end of a branch of the S-Bahn line S1. According to the airport, a train leaves every 10 minutes and reaches the main station in 25 minutes. On the way it stops at Ohlsdorf, where you can change to the U-Bahn U1, and in Barmbek. After the main station the S1 continues through the city tunnel to Jungfernstieg, the Inner Alster, Stadthausbrücke and Landungsbrücken at the harbour, so many hotels in the centre are reachable without changing.

• Which stop: for the Speicherstadt and HafenCity get off at the main station or Jungfernstieg and change, for St. Pauli and the harbour stay on to Landungsbrücken.
• Way back: at Ohlsdorf the trains to the airport and the trains to Poppenbüttel separate. On the way to the airport, check the display on the platform and on the train that your part of the train is going to the airport.

Tickets: Hamburg AB

The airport lies inside the Hamburg AB fare area of the HVV, the Hamburg transport network, so you need the same ticket as for any trip within the city. According to the HVV (as of October 2026):

• Single ticket Hamburg AB: €4.10.
• Day ticket Hamburg AB: €8.20; it is valid for one adult and up to three children aged 6 to 14 until 6:00 the next morning – worth it if you travel on by bus, U-Bahn or harbour ferry the same day.
• Group day ticket Hamburg AB: €16.40.
• Hamburg CARD: according to Hamburg's tourist board from €12.90; it includes travel on buses, trains and harbour ferries in the HVV area AB and can be collected at the Hamburg Welcome Center at the airport.
• Deutschlandticket: if you have one, it is valid on the S-Bahn.

Tickets are sold at the machines in the station and in the HVV app. Buy your ticket before you board.

Buses: to the U-Bahn and at night

Several city buses leave from outside Terminal 1 (arrivals level): line 274 goes to U Ohlsdorf (U1) and line 292 to U Langenhorn Markt and U Ochsenzoll. They are useful if your hotel is in the north of Hamburg.

At night, when the S-Bahn runs less often, the night bus 606 connects the airport with the Hauptbahnhof/ZOB and the Rathausmarkt, according to the airport. Check the HVV journey planner for the times.

Taxi and transfer

Taxis wait outside Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 on the arrivals level, and you can pay in cash or by card. Without traffic the drive to the Rathausmarkt is about 11 km and takes about 20 minutes; at rush hour it often takes longer. The airport recommends booking a taxi in advance at busy times to avoid a long wait.

Because the S-Bahn is so quick, a pre-booked transfer rarely pays off in Hamburg – except with small children who need car seats, a lot of luggage or a group arriving late. Airport transfers^* can be booked with Kiwitaxi, with the price fixed in advance. Our article on when an airport transfer pays off compares the options for ten airports.

Which option suits whom?

• Hotel near the main station, Jungfernstieg or the Alster: the S1.
• Hotel near Landungsbrücken, St. Pauli or the harbour: the S1 without changing.
• Hotel in the north of Hamburg, along the U1: the S1 to Ohlsdorf, or bus 274.
• Night arrival: the night bus 606, or a taxi.
• Small children, a lot of luggage, group: a taxi or a pre-booked transfer.

If you come from outside the EU, for example from the UK, set up mobile data before you land so you can buy the ticket in the app straight away – a travel eSIM for Germany^* (Airalo) is usually cheaper than roaming; our eSIM price index compares the prices per gigabyte.

On the day you leave

The S1 runs to the airport from Landungsbrücken, Jungfernstieg and the main station. Plan the 25 minutes plus a buffer and look out for the train split at Ohlsdorf. Check the HVV journey planner for construction work, which can change the S-Bahn timetable at short notice. If you have already checked out and fly in the evening, you can use luggage storage in the centre^* (Radical Storage).

How long to stay and what to see is in our article how many days in Hamburg.

Hamburg trip planDay by day, with map and tips

How YesTrip helps you plan

In YesTrip you add your flight and hotel to your trip and plan each day around them, with a map of your places in Hamburg and the weather for your travel days. The ready-made plans for Hamburg can be copied into your trip with one tap. With the offline package you have the map without a connection, also on the S-Bahn from the airport. YesTrip is free.

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