General Information

Airport

Hamburg Airport is located in the north of the city, around 11 kilometres away from Hamburg’s central railway station. There is a direct S-Bahn service to Hamburg‘s city centre from the airport. In addition, air travellers will find many taxi ranks at Hamburg Airport.
 

Banks

General banking hours in Hamburg are Monday to Friday from 9 am to 4 pm.
 

Business Hours - Shops

Shops in the city centre and shopping malls are open Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 8 pm. Shops outside the city centre usually close earlier. Supermarkets often open at 7 am and close at 10 pm. All shops are closed on Sundays.
 

Climate

All of Germany is in the temperate zone. At around 15°C (59°F), average temperatures in Hamburg in June are spring-like.
 

Conference Venue 

Consulates

There are very few cities in the world with as many consulates as Hamburg. Contact Senatskanzlei (Staatsamt), Rieke Marxen, Rathausmarkt 1, 20095 Hamburg, Tel: +49 40 42831-1834 to check where you can find your country’s diplomatic representation.
 

Currency

Like in all EU Member States the currency in Germany is the euro. The current exchange rate is about US$ 1.1354 per euro (as of 15 May 2015).
 

Emergency Phone Numbers

Police: 110
Fire brigade: 112
Emergency doctor / emergency pharmacy service: +49 40 228 022
Emergency dental care service: +49 1805 05 05 18
 

Health

Doctor’s offices are usually open Monday to Thursday from 9 am to 6 pm and Wednesdays from 9 am to 1 pm. Many surgeries are closed on Fridays. In addition 80 hospitals in and around Hamburg offer emergency services around the clock.
 

Public Transport

The public transport system, Hamburger Verkehrsverband (HVV), is an excellent way to get around the city of Hamburg and the surrounding area. Hamburg has four underground train lines [U-Bahn] and six overground lines [S-Bahn] that serve the entire greater Hamburg area. The S-Bahn services S1 and S11 run from the southwest of Hamburg via the central railway station straight to Hamburg Airport in the north of the city. Various bus services provide links between the U-Bahn and S-Bahn stations. Included in the city’s public transport network are the Elbe ferries that carry passengers across the Elbe. For more information about the public transport network and ticket prices go to http://www.hvv.de/en/index.php.
 

Tax

The VAT currently applicable in Germany is 19 per cent. It is payable on all goods and services. Certain services are charged at 7 per cent VAT or are exempted from VAT. The lower tax rate applies, for example, to cultural offers, public transport or taxis as well as to hotel accommodation or stays in B&Bs.
 

Taxis

Taxi Hamburg: +49 40 666 666
Hansa Funktaxi: +49 40 211 211/ +49 40 311 311
Das Taxi: +49 40 221 122
A-Z JUMBO TAXI (jumbo taxis for up to 8 persons): +49 800 333 999 0
 

Time

Central European Summer Time (MESZ/CEST/CEDT) in Germany is from the end of March to the end of October. Hamburg is one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and two hours ahead of Universal Time Coordinated (UTC).
 

Tipping

Tips are not usually included in the price of a service. There are no rules as to how much a guest should tip. The general guideline is 10 per cent of the invoice value.
 

Tourist Information Offices

Hamburg Tourismus GmbH: +49 40 300 51 300,  www.hamburg-tourism.de
Tourist Office, central railway station: U/S-Bahn Hauptbahnhof, Hauptausgang Kirchenallee, Mon-Sat 9am - 7pm, Sun 10am - 6pm
Tourist Office, harbour: St. Pauli Landungsbrücken, between bridge 4 and 5, Sun-Wed 9am -6pm, Thu-Sat 9am - 7pm
Tourist Office, airport: Flughafen Fuhlsbüttel, Terminal 1+2 (arrival), 6am - 11pm