Train from Hamburg to Berlin

[3dogmom]

After our MSC cruise that ends in Hamburg, we are planning to take the train to Berlin for a 3 night stay before flying home.

 

Hoping someone can point me to the right site to book tickets, which train and station, etc. I'll take any helpful hints!

 

Thanks so much!

[gnome12]

36 minutes ago, 3dogmom said:

After our MSC cruise that ends in Hamburg, we are planning to take the train to Berlin for a 3 night stay before flying home.

 

Hoping someone can point me to the right site to book tickets, which train and station, etc. I'll take any helpful hints!

 

Thanks so much!

bahn.com is the German rail site in English. I will let the locals suggest the best station routings, noting that HBF is the central station in any place that has more than one, and that there are lots of direct trains from Hamburg HBF to Berlin HBF.

[3dogmom]

Thank you! This is a great starting point.

[Globaliser]

For more advice, try that which you can get starting on this page: https://www.seat61.com/Germany.htm - the second section is "Train travel within Germany".

 

When I booked Frankfurt to Munich a few years ago, there was no reason to book anywhere other than bahn.de (and I think that you will now end up on a bahn.de page even if you start with bahn.com).

 

Where are you starting from in Hamburg, and where are you going in Berlin? That might point you to whether there's a good reason to get the train from or to any station other than the Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) in either city.

 

One thing you may want to bear in mind is that the historical reputation that German railways have for efficiency is, to put it politely, under a bit of strain. So do be prepared for the possibility of disruption to your journey. Fortunately, it sounds like your trip will not be time-critical. For some further non-paywall reading, try:

• Your next excuse is on platform 5 – German train travel has become an experience worthy of Kafka
• ‘It’s the same daily misery’: Germany’s terrible trains are no joke for a nation built on efficiency

[3dogmom]

1 hour ago, Globaliser said:

Where are you starting from in Hamburg, and where are you going in Berlin? That might point you to whether there's a good reason to get the train from or to any station other than the Hauptbahnhof (Hbf) in either city.

 

We will be disembarking from Hamburg Cruise Center - Steinwerder. It looks like Hamburg Central Station, which I believe is next to, or the same as Hamburg Hbf is a 15 minute car ride from the cruise port.  We're staying in the MItte area of Berlin. 

I looked at bahn.de page and they have ICE trains that take approximately 2 1/2 hours with 3 stops from Hamburg Hbf to Berlin Hbf. From the train station, it's a 5 minute car ride to the Airbnb.

 

I'm thinking this won't be as complicated as I thought....*crosses fingers* 

[gnome12]

33 minutes ago, 3dogmom said:

 

We will be disembarking from Hamburg Cruise Center - Steinwerder. It looks like Hamburg Central Station, which I believe is next to, or the same as Hamburg Hbf is a 15 minute car ride from the cruise port.  We're staying in the MItte area of Berlin. 

I looked at bahn.de page and they have ICE trains that take approximately 2 1/2 hours with 3 stops from Hamburg Hbf to Berlin Hbf. From the train station, it's a 5 minute car ride to the Airbnb.

 

I'm thinking this won't be as complicated as I thought....*crosses fingers* 

Central Station is the same as Hbf. If you are prepared to taxi at each end it is very simple. 

[3dogmom]

16 hours ago, gnome12 said:

Central Station is the same as Hbf. If you are prepared to taxi at each end it is very simple. 

Thank you, yes we will taxi or Uber (if available?) to/from the stations.

[markeb]

The Deustche Bahn has an app on iOS and probably Google as well. You can do pretty much everything in the app, including downloading your tickets.

 

I'd do a little checking to see if there are any passes available that include public transportation in Berlin. There was a great off peak/weekend day pass in Bavaria that included the Munich public transportation (S-Bahn, U-Bahn, and buses) as well as travel on regional trains. We actually found that on a Google hit/blog page on visiting Salzburg. It was on the DB web page, but you almost had to know it was there to find it. If you're taking the ICE that wouldn't work (and Berlin isn't in Bavaria...). 

 

I haven't looked, but odds are that Berlin has an app for public transport as well. In Munich you downloaded the QR code and just needed to pull it up if asked. Most German public transit is gateless and essentially on the honor system. Fines are very high if you try to ride without a ticket, though...

[Scottishclover]

It really is a very good idea to get the DB app and buy your tickets on it. That way you get up to date information about your journey. This is really useful as the German rail system is not what it was. Currently strikes are happening and trains don’t run on time like they used to. 
 

A lot of the sights in Berlin are quite far apart so using the underground/S Bahn is the quickest and most efficient way to get around. Verkehrsverbund Berlin has a variety of multi-use tickets. Again there is an app to download which will help with journey planning.  Day or weekly passes work well for tourists.

[onyx007]

www.bahn.de is the right homepage to do it (as it is the official homepage of the State Railway) and something goes wrong, you get hope for help at the customer center / ticket counter at Hamburg Main Train Station....

 

the earlier you book and the fewer people have already bought their ticket, the cheaper your ticket will be BUT such "Super Saver" - Tickets will not be changeable or refundable, so don't book a train too early in the morning. If your ship is late you might loose your ticket if you miss your booked train...

[3dogmom]

Thank you all for the information!  

 

Our ship; MSC Preziosa is scheduled to arrive in Hamburg at 7:00 AM. I'm thinking the earliest I should book my ticket to Berlin is 10:00 or 11:00?