Travel information

Hamburg is Germany’s second-largest city and sits astride the River Elbe in the north of the country. Flights from London take around two hours and the time is one hour ahead of GMT. Currency is the euro (EUR). In June, the average high temperature is 20C and the average low is 10C.

GETTING THERE

easyJet offers a number of daily direct flights to Hamburg Airport from London Gatwick. easyjet.com

Eurowings flies to Hamburg direct up to three times per day from London Heathrow. eurowings.com

GETTING AROUND

Hamburg has an extensive public transport system that’s easy to navigate, including the U-Bahn underground and elevated railway, buses and harbour ferries around the canals. Pick up a Hamburg Card from the tourist website for unlimited public transport travel and discounts at over 150 attractions. Day passes cost from £9pp. hamburg-travel.com

RESOURCES

Germany Inspires is the German tourist board. Its website is packed with useful information and highlights around the city, as well as news on upcoming cultural events in Hamburg and beyond. germany.travel

Hamburg Tourismus is the city’s official website and offers plenty of inspiration to help you get the most out of your trip. hamburg-travel.com

FURTHER READING

The Invention of Curried Sausage by Uwe Timm and Leila Vennewitz (New Directions, £11.99) became a bestseller in Germany when it was published in the late 1990s. Timm, as narrator, tracks down the origins of the popular German street food he enjoyed as a kid in his native Hamburg and describes what daily life was like in the post-war city.

CARBON COUNTING

To offset your carbon emissions when flying to Hamburg, visit

climatecare.org and make a donation. Return flights from London produce 0.25 tonnes of CO2, meaning a cost to offset of £1.85.