When is the Cheapest Time to Fly to Hamburg?
Cheap flights to Hamburg can be found throughout most of the year, but the best deals on Hamburg flights are often found outside of the peak summer season (May to October) when the weather is at its best, and the peak holiday season (November to December) when people travel from all over the world to visit the Christmas markets.
When is the Best Time to Book your Flight to Hamburg?
If you want to visit the city for Christmas or during the summer, then book flights to Hamburg at least four months in advance to find the best deals. You are likely to find last-minute flights to Hamburg in the low season and occasionally in the peak season, too. In order to secure cheap flights to Hamburg, be flexible with your travel dates.
Flying to Hamburg Airport (HAM)
HAM lies about eight kilometres from the city centre. It serves more than 17 million passengers a year.
There are many direct flights to Hamburg from the United Kingdom (UK) each week. Flights to Hamburg leave the UK from Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, London Stansted, Manchester and Newcastle. Airlines offering direct flights to Frankfurt include BMI Regional, British Airways, easyJet, Eurowings, Flybe and Ryanair. If you choose to fly from other regional airports in the UK, you will be able to take an indirect flight to Frankfurt, stopping in cities like Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris. You may need to change airline, but this is not always necessary.
On Arrival and Getting Around the Airport
There are two terminals at HAM that are connected via the Airport Plaza in the centre of the two buildings; they are within walking distance of each other. Upon arrival, there are a number of shops, places to buy food and drink and duty-free stores. ATMs are available in both terminals and the plaza as well as banks and currency exchange kiosks. Free Wi-Fi is available. Computers with printers are located in the arrivals area. Business and VIP lounges are also available at HAM airport. In the arrivals hall, you will also find the Hamburg Welcome Centre for more information about the airport and city.
Getting to the City from Hamburg Airport (HAM)
It has never been easier to get from HAM to the city centre. In the arrivals hall, you can purchase tickets for the train network. From the airport, you can take the S1 S-Bahn to the central station, which takes 25 minutes. Trains depart every ten minutes. You can also take the U1 U-Bahn (underground), which connects with the larger metro network. Taxi stands can be found outside the arrivals area; taxis are metered, and you can pay by cash or card. For longer journeys, you can negotiate a price with the driver. In the arrivals area of Terminal 2, you will find seven or so car hire companies.
Why Visit Hamburg?
Germany’s second city has the mighty nickname, the ‘gateway to the world’. In the modern world, this might be a bit of a reach, but the port city’s nickname stretches back to the Middle Ages when it joined the Hanseatic League, and it has always been a centre for international trade. Now one of the Germany’s wealthiest cities, it has a cosmopolitan feel, more in touch with other river-based cities, such as Amsterdam and Copenhagen, than its fellow German metropolises.
This city is where the Beatles nurtured their talents in the early 1960s, playing dingy clubs in the red-light district Reeperbahn, and you will still find great nightlife and live music in the city. There is plenty to see; the Kunsthalle houses artworks from some of the country’s most famous impressionist and romantic artists, and Miniatur Wonderland is a colossal ever-expanding model railway. Food is excellent, and an evening strolling the many waterways and across the bridges (there are more than Venice) is pleasant at any time of the year.
Don't Forget Before you Fly
British passport holders don’t need a visa to travel to any country in the EU – you can stay for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. You just need to make sure that your passport has at least six months validity left, on the day you travel. Germany uses the euro as its currency. ATMs and currency exchange offices are widely available and accept most international credit cards.
