A trip from Munich to Hamburg is a journey through almost all of Germany from south to north, which provides tourists with an excellent opportunity to see different parts of the country. If you want to do it comfortably and at no extra cost - find out how to get from Munich to Hamburg in a convenient way.
Travel through Germany
The distance from Munich to Hamburg is 780 kilometers by ground transport. You can get from one city to another in different ways: by plane, train, bus or car. Each of these options has its own characteristics and advantages.
Bus tour: long but cheap
Traveling from Munich to Hamburg by bus is not very expensive, but it takes a lot of time - from 12 hours on a day flight to 15 hours on a night trip. Direct Flixbus flights depart from Munich Central Bus Station on Hackerbrücke 4 from 7.10 to 10.00 in the morning and in the evening at 20.00.
If you buy tickets on the eve of the trip, their cost will be 30-36 €, but if you book in advance, you can go to Hamburg for only 19-25 €. Flixbus does not provide discounts on children's tickets.
You can find out the flight schedule and book a ticket on the Flixbus website.
There are also connecting flights in Berlin, Hanover and Frankfurt am Main.
- Buses arrive in Berlin at the Central Bus Station and you wait 1 hour and 30 minutes for a transfer.
- At the bus station in Hanover, the time between flights will be 2 hours 30 minutes.
- In Frankfurt, buses stop at Central Station, waiting time 1 hour 55 minutes.
Routes with transfers will cost you a little more - 33-56 €. There is only one daytime flight through Berlin, the rest of the buses leave in the evening or at night.
There are two more bus stations in Munich. From München Messe to Messegelände you can go to Hamburg with a change in Nuremberg (waiting time 1 hour 20 minutes).
The flight via Prague also departs from here. Passengers arrive in the Czech capital at 18.55 and have 2 hours 45 minutes to walk around the city before the bus leaves for Hamburg. The total travel time stretches up to 20 hours, but adventure lovers may like this travel option. The cost of the flight through Prague is 45 €.
From the bus station München Fröttmaning (Werner-Heisenberg-Allee, 21, Fröttmaning underground station) there is one direct flight to Hamburg and two with transfers in Nuremberg and Dresden. Their cost is from 26 to 41 €.
Traveling by train: fast and comfortable
The high-speed train Intercity-Express can travel from Munich to Hamburg relatively quickly: in just 5 hours 35 minutes. There are direct trains and connections to Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe or Nürnberg, which take about 6 hours.
Train tickets can be bought at railway ticket offices, ticket machines and on the German railway website Deutsche Bahn.
If you buy tickets on the eve of the trip, their cost will be from 80 to 150 €. Ticket prices vary depending on the day of the week. If you take advantage of the special offers, you can make the trip for 54 €.
Direct flights to Hamburg leave from Munich Central Station every hour.
Munich's main railway station (München Hauptbahnhof) is located at Bayerstraße, 10a.
You can get to it:
- by metro on lines U1, U2, U4, U5, U7, U8 to the München Hauptbahnhof stop;
- by buses No. 58, 100 to the Hauptbahnhof stop;
- by trams 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, N16, N19, N20, stop Hauptbahnhof;
- on urban electric trains (S-bahn) - lines S1, S2, S3, S4, S6, S7, S8 to Hauptbahnhof;
The train from Munich arrives at Hamburg Central Station (Hamburg Hbf), which is located at Heidi-Kabel-Platz, 16.
By plane
Direct flights from Munich to Hamburg are operated by aircraft of Lufthansa, Eurowings Europe. The flight time for Lufthansa is 1 hour 15 minutes, 1 hour 25 minutes for other airlines. During the day, Eurowings' direct flights to Hamburg depart at 6:45, 10:45, 14:45 and at 19:00.
Ticket prices depend on the day of the week. The cheapest air tickets can be purchased for departures on Monday and Tuesday (from 130 € in economy class without luggage). Fridays are the most expensive to fly - you will pay 170 €. If you book tickets for a week or two, then the cost can be from 70 €. These are prices for one adult passenger inclusive of all taxes and fees.
There are also Lufthansa flights with a transfer in Frankfurt am Main, but the duration of such a trip will be from 3 hours 35 minutes to 9 hours 35 minutes. Munich-Hamburg flights from KLM, British Airways, SAS, Icelandair, Austrian also have connections and are quite long.
Lufthansa has separate fares for young travelers:
- Toddlers between the ages of 0 and 2 years old who do not occupy a separate seat are admitted free of charge on flights within Germany.
- Children between the ages of 2 and 12 can travel for 75% of the normal passenger fare for that flight.
During the flight, children receive toys and special Lufthansa apps for children, as well as an onboard entertainment program.
Munich Franz Josef Strauss Airport is one of the largest in Europe. It is located 30 km northeast of the city.
The airport can be reached from the Central Station (Hauptbahnhof) or from Marienplatz by the S-bahn electric trains S1 and S8. The train interval is about 20 minutes.
The fare to the airport is 12 €, for a company of up to 5 people you can buy a ticket for 22.30 €. The airport can be reached in 40 minutes by electric train.
There is a Lufthansa bus stop near the train station and the Norfridhof metro station. Buses leave for the airport every 15 minutes. The fare is € 10.50 for an adult and € 5.5 for children from 6 to 14 years old.
You can order a transfer from the city to the airport. Taxi services will cost 69 €.
The planes land at Hamburg Fülsbüttel Airport, which is located 8 km from the city. The S-bahn station of the S1 line is located directly in front of the terminals. Trains leave every 10 minutes and the journey to the city center takes 25 minutes. You can also get to different parts of Hamburg by regular buses No. 114, 23, 26, 39, 606.
You will pay about 40 € for a taxi ride. Airport transfers can also be booked. On Kiwitaxi, depending on the class of the car, it will cost from 69 to 94 €.
Travel by car
The road distance between Munich and Hamburg is 776 kilometers. The journey from south to north of Germany passes through Bavaria, Thuringia, Lower Saxony and ends in Hamburg.
Drive your own or rented car
The shortest route to Hamburg is via Würzburg and Kassel via the A7 motorway. The journey by car will take about 8 hours.
On the trip, you will spend about 65 liters of gasoline costing 1.2-1.4 € per 1 liter, fuel costs will be 78-91 €. Refueling may be needed along the way.
There are many gas stations, cafes and eateries along the highway, so restocking gasoline and food on the road will not be a problem. A budget lunch will cost 8-15 €, a cheeseburger costs 7 €.
If you don't have your own car, you can rent one. Branches of large international car rental companies Avis, Europcar, Hertz, Sixt and many others operate in Munich. You can find out where they are located on the Rentalcars service.
The rental price starts from 70 € per day, the security deposit is from 300 to 1200 €, depending on the class of the car. The conditions for car rental in Munich are quite loyal: it is allowed to rent economy-class cars from the age of 19.
Due to the long distance, traveling from Munich to Hamburg by taxi is not very advisable - it takes quite a long time and is very expensive. If you have a desire or an objective need to use the services of this particular type of transport, you can find suitable options in transfer companies in Munich, but the cost of the trip will be about 1000 €.
Travel by passing car
Traveling with fellow travelers in Germany is very popular. On the information site Blablacar, it is easy to find a driver, with whom you can get to any city in the country for a small fee.
Traveling with a fellow traveler over long distances is especially beneficial - this allows you to significantly save on transportation costs. Many drivers take not only one, but also two or three people as travel companions, so you have the opportunity to go on a trip with your friends. The cost of a passing trip from Munich to Hamburg will be 33-42 euros. You will spend about 8 hours on the way.
Conclusion
Despite the long distance, it is convenient to get from Munich to Hamburg, because there are direct flights of all types of transport between these cities. If you need to cover the path between two cities as quickly as possible, this can be done by plane.
If you are not in a hurry and do not like to fly, comfortable rail express trains are at your service.
For students and tourists with limited funds, a trip to Hamburg by bus or passing car is quite accessible. Even a driver who is in Germany for the first time will not get lost on a comfortable, well-maintained highway.
Prices are for April 2021.
