Public transport in Hamburg

Hamburg has a number of public transport links which will help you to travel around the city while you’re studying with us. No matter what time it is, there’s always transport available.

BSBI Faculty of Creative Industry is located on the famous Otto von Bahrenpark areal, just a 5 min tube ride from railway station Altona. Hamburg has 4 railway stations - Hauptbahnhof, Dammtor, Altona & Harburg - as well as a long-distance bus terminal (ZOB)

Information about Hamburg public transport

Tickets

There are multiple ticket options to choose from. Single, daily and weekly tickets are valid for all buses and trains and you can purchase ferry tickets at HVV ticket machines. The cheapest option for frequent travellers is a monthly or annual ticket.
Additionally, day-passes are cheaper if you purchase them after 9:00 a.m.
Tickets can be purchased in vending machines located at the U-Bahn (subway and underground), S-Bahn (light rail) and tram stations. The machines accept cash and EC cards, though you cannot pay using credit cards. Remember you must validate your ticket by stamping it using the machines provided prior to boarding the U-Bahn and S-Bahn.

Buses

Hamburg boasts a reliable bus service with an extensive range of routes to complement the rail network. This includes: metro buses (frequent services), express buses, sprinter buses and regional buses (connecting to stations and surrounding towns).

Ferries

There are six ferry lines that serve the harbour and the River Elbe. The routes are given two-digit numbers, starting at 61. Your HVV ticket is valid for use on the ferry and you can even take a relaxing  trip around the harbour. Regardless of which number you take, all ferries will stop at Landungsbrücken.

Hamburg’s bus and tram system

All modes of transport are available and run efficiently throughout the day, including the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, buses and trams. The most popular methods of transport are the U-Bahn and S-Bahn due to their efficiency and reliability.

Operating hours

U-Bahn and S-Bahn trains run from 4:30 a.m. until 1:00 a.m. the next morning on weekdays and 24 hours on weekends. Bus services work on similar schedules and main-route night buses run after midnight.

You can also make use of buses from Sunday to Monday. These run along the U-Bahn routes from 12:30 am to 4 am at 30-minute intervals.

Zones

The public network is organised into five rings around the Alster Lakes. Rings A and B (known as Großbereich) incorporates the city and if you are travelling further, rings C, D and E will take you up to 60 km away from the city. Regional trains are also sometimes included in the fare (Gesamtbereich).