Hamburg--which tours are best??

[tennessee sailor]

We get to spend a full day in Hamburg--arriving early in AM and departing at 2 AM next day. There are tours for Hamburg/ Lubeck, one to Luneburg and one called Hamburg shopping treasures. Not interested in Berlin. Have any of you been on any of these tours and which did you enjoy the most?? With the time we have in port, perhaps we could do a tour in the morning and then explore Hamburg on our own the rest of the day.

Can we get to the shopping treasures on our own for just a brief time? Don't want to spend 5 hours on just shopping. Would love your input. Leaving next week on Jewel of Seas out of London.

[carlmm]

Just one tip form a German: You do not necessarily need a tour. Public transportation is very good in Germany. Within Hamburg buses and metro provide easy access to all sights, shopping is abundant in the city centre. Other cities like Lübeck can be reached by train.

[gsb]

have been turned into museums, etc?

Close to port?

[carlmm]

have been turned into museums, etc?

Close to port?

 

There are several museums less than maybe 700 metres from the cruise terminal.

See a map at

http://www.hafencity.com/upload/files/plaene/z_de_plaene_15_Stadtplan_PDF.pdf

[HeinBloed]

Regarding your shopping tour:

 

Do not forget:

 

No shops (besides some souvenir shops in the port area and around central station) are open on Sundays.

 

Your shore excursion sounds like the CUNARD catalogue which I got for North Europe.

 

 

Here you have an impression of the distance between the Hamburg Cruise Center and the Downtown district.

 

 

Lübeck is always nice to go! It's very easy to go by yourself.

 

Just take Metrobus 6 which stops at the SAP-Building to Central Station and take the commuter train R10 to Lübeck Central Station. The day pass (Schleswig-Holstein-Ticket) costs 29 EUR (for a group of 5 - valid after 9 am incl. public transport in Hamburg).

 

 

This picture is taken from the cruiseship. The bus stop is just behind the dark building opposite (left = SAP-Building).

 

Here is a guide which might be helfpul for you:

 

http://home.arcor.de/yao/Luebeck.pdf

 

Lüneburg is something also nice. For my personal taste Lübeck is nicer... especially you'll find at the moment a lot of day tourists to see the sets of a German Daily Soap Opera...

 

But this is also easy to do yourself: take the Metronom trains which goes min. once per hour. A one day pass is available for 13.20 EUR (single = "9-Uhr-Tageskarte Gesamtbereich").

 

Hamburg has 50 state-owned and private museums. So the best is to check this link to find the museum you would like to see.

 

The best is to have a Hamburg Card which allow you to use the pubic transport and you have (mostly) free or discounted admission to the museums. The card is available for 8 EUR (single) or 11.80 EUR (group of 5)

 

Just at the exit of the Terminal 1 (looks like a container yard...) there is a stand of the Hamburg Tourist Info. There you can get all maps etc..

 

 

Have fun in Hamburg!

Willkommen in Deutschland!

Welcome to Germany!

 

HeinBloed