Hamburg metro map – Timetable, Tickets & Prices

The subway network in Hamburg was put into operation in 1912, making it the second oldest in Germany after Berlin. Compared to typical subway networks in other major cities, the Hamburg variant differs in one key respect: the majority of the 104.9-kilometer network runs 61 kilometers above ground on embankments and viaducts. Furthermore, only 45 of the 91 stations are tunnel stations. This is why the subway network operated by the Hamburg Transport Association (HVV) is also known as the elevated and subway rail system.

The current four lines are marked with the capital letter “U” so that the subway lines can be easily distinguished from other means of transport. The route network extends radially from the city center, through the districts of Hamburg and into neighboring communities. Over 200 million passengers were transported on the subway in 2016 alone. The U3 line between Barmbek and Wandsbek-Gartenstadt, which runs in a ring around the city center, is particularly busy.

The Hamburg subway lines at a glance

• U1 (Norderstedt Mitte – Ohlstedt / Großhansdorf)
• U2 (Niendorf Nord – Mümmelmannsberg)
• U3 (Barmbek – Wandsbek-Gartenstadt)
• U4 (HafenCity – Mümmelmannsberg)

The Hanseatic city of Hamburg has always been Germany’s gateway to the world. Today, however, it is no longer just sea dogs that arrive at the Landungsbrücken, as Hamburg is becoming a magnet for tourists thanks to its sights such as the Elbphilharmonie concert hall. Between 2006 and 2016 alone, the number of overnight stays in hotels and vacation accommodation climbed from around 7.7 million to well over 13 million annually.

As the majority of overnight guests travel around Hamburg by subway, the number of passengers is also increasing. No trend reversal is expected here in the future. Due to the radial alignment of the subway network, the sights outside the city center can also be easily reached by subway. However, travelers must first familiarize themselves with the subway map in Hamburg and the fare structures that determine the price of a subway ticket.

Similar to other major German cities, Hamburg also relies on a standardized ticket system for all local public transport. In practice, this means that a one-way ticket entitles the holder to use buses and the S-Bahn as well as the subway. The subway map in Hamburg consists of a total of five fare zones, which are numbered from A to E starting from the center near the Alster. This means that the price of a subway ticket in Hamburg depends on the number of fare zones that are traveled through to the terminus.

For example, if you only want to use the subway in the inner city area, you can buy a ticket for the two inner fare rings (Hamburg AB). If, on the other hand, you want to travel from your destination station to neighboring communities such as Lüneburg by other means of transport, you have to buy a ticket for the entire ABCDE area as soon as you board the subway.

The typical one-way tickets entitle the holder to travel directly to the destination station as well as to change trains in the same direction, as long as this is done on the direct route to the destination. However, round trips or return trips in the direction of the departure station are not permitted. In addition to one-way tickets and discounted subway tickets for children between the ages of 6 and 14, day tickets and group tickets are also available in the Hamburg Transport Association’s ticket system. Group tickets are always valid until 6 a.m. on the following day.

Visitors to concerts, theaters, musicals and other events should take a look at their ticket before buying a subway ticket. If the HVV logo is printed on it, it is a so-called combined ticket. This is also a ticket for return journeys in the entire ABCDE area. However, the Hamburg CARD is particularly interesting for tourists. This is an individually customizable ticket and it also offers attractive discounts on over 150 tourist offers.

Tickets for travel on the Hamburg subway can be purchased online on a computer, via the Hamburg Transport Association (HVV) smartphone app or directly from one of over 800 ticket machines. These machines are usually located on every platform in Hamburg.

Unlike in cities such as Berlin, a subway ticket in Hamburg does not have to be validated separately, as they are issued by the machine already validated. Print and mobile tickets, on the other hand, are only valid in conjunction with a passport, ID card or driver’s license.

In Hamburg, the subway timetable (the Berlin text is missing a hyphen) is very tightly timed during the day. The basic frequency for all four subway lines is 10 minutes. On the particularly busy sections of the U1, U2 and U3 lines in the city center, the interval between trains is reduced to every 5 minutes until 9 pm. At rush hour, the frequency is even reduced to 2 to 3 minutes on some sections of the route. From 11 p.m., however, there is a 20-minute interval on all lines.

To the timetables of the Hamburg subway lines:

U1, U2, U3, U4

In contrast to other cities, the subway schedule in Hamburg is designed in such a way that there is a continuous night service both on the nights before public holidays and on Saturday and Sunday nights. However, some of the routes have been shortened. On the other days, the trains stand still between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. If you want to be mobile in the Hanseatic city at night during the week, you can use Hamburg’s night buses. They run every half hour or hour and cover almost all parts of Hamburg.

Although the subway network in Hamburg is comparatively small, it still holds one or two interesting secrets. For example, few people know that the first sections of the Hamburg subway were built in 1890. If construction had progressed a little faster, it would even have been the oldest subway train in Germany. The first sod was not turned in Berlin until 1895.

The subway also proves that Hamburg is still a modern city today. Since July 2017, the stations Mönckebergstraße, Rathaus, Rödingsmarkt, Baumwall, Landungsbrücken, St. Pauli, Feldstraße and Sternschanze along the U3 line have been equipped with free WiFi. In addition to the expansion of free internet to all lines, the construction of a further line (U5) between Bramfeld and Osdorf is also planned for the future. Construction is scheduled to start in 2021 and be completed in 2026.