Hamburg Card, Hamburg

On a recent trip. my ex-girlfriend and I were debating buying Hamburg Cards. After a bit of a stroll on the first evening (we were staying near the Hauptbanhof Sud) we decided that it was not really necessary. If you are reasonably active and staying near the centre, virtually eveything is within walking distance.

Obviously, if you are staying in the suburbs, or have to go there a lot, the card would make sense.

Update June 2012.

I should point out as I am updating all my tips that his was written after a 2005 trip and I am not sure of the current position regarding this subject. I have, however, appended an up to date website which will hopefully be kept up to date and be in a positon to assist the traveller.

Visitors to Hamburg must have the Hamburg card or the power pass for young people under 30 years.
This card enables you to explore Hamburg conveniently at low cost.
-Ride free on all trains and buses of the HVV system in the greater Hamburg area ( tariff zones A+B)
-Enjoy discounts an admission prices to various sites
-Get a 10% discount on souvenir articles at the Tourist Information Shop at the main station
Prices from April 1, 2006
- Single ticket - one day 7.80€, 3 days 17,40€
- Group ticket - one day 11,20€ , 3 days 28,30 €, 5 days 51 €

Hamburg-card is a great deal, especially when you intend to take cruises, plan to visit plenty of museums and will use the public transportation-system.
There is a Hamburg-card for 1 day for 7,50 Euros
and one for 3 consecutive days for 17,40 Euros.
A group-ticket for up to 5 people travelling togeather is just 11,20 Euros for 1 day and 25 Euros for 3 days.
All means of public transportation will be included in section A+B, that is good enough for Wedel and Pinneberg in the west and Bergedorf in the east of Hamburg.
day-tickets ONLY for the transportation are just about 2 euros cheaper every day.
There are even some shipping-lines inside the port of hamburg included in that ticket :
#62 is going from Landungsbruecken to Finkenwerder every 15 minutes.

Must be the bargain of the century. The card was purchased in our hotel and for a ludicrious sum took 4 of us around the city for three days, and entitled us to discounts at some attractions. From memory it was about 11 euros per person for the 4 of us!

We were in Hamburg for 3 days and had no clue what card we would buy in order to get around, when we arrived there. Then we learned about the Hamburg card on the train station. This card offers GREAT value for the money!!! We bought a group card (because there were 4 of us) and paid 24 € IN TOTAL for 3 days of public transport. That's not much if you divide it by four!! And above of that this card gives you the usual discounts that you would expect from a tourist card (museums,...).

You can take either the airplane or the train to Hamburg.
It would be very useful to buy the Hamburg card which will enable you to take the U-bahn and S-bahn trains and buses unlimited. It also provides the free admission or the price reduction to enter many museums and attractions in Hamburg. The Hamburg card is available at the airport, railway station and major hotels. The Hamburg card cannot be used on the airport express which goes between the airport and the central station but you can take the city bus from the airport to Ohlsdort and transfer to S-Bahn or U-Bahn instead.