The Europe CruiseFor the American voyager

Your voyage begins in Hamburg

From the airport to the gangway, every way there and back.

Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The short answer

Hamburg has three cruise terminals in very different places: Altona, Steinwerder and the new HafenCity terminal. Find out which one is yours before you plan the last step. The airport is a 25-minute train ride from the main station.

I · Arrive by airHAMHamburg Airport
II · Airport to shipS1 train to Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (main station) takes about 25 minutes (Hamburg Airport)
III · Ways to travel3compared below
IV · BoardHamburgcruise terminal
The timetable

Every way from the airport to the ship

Tap any way for step-by-step directions.

The wayFromTimeCost
TaxiHAMNot verifiedNot verified: Hamburg Airport says fixed prices can be agreed if you pre-book
S1 train to Hauptbahnhof, then on to your terminalHAM25 minutes to Hauptbahnhof (trains every 10 minutes), then 5-40 minutes depending on terminalNot verified, see hvv.de
Cruise line transferHAMVariesSet by your line
On the chart

Where Hamburg lies

Antique-style chart of Northern Home Ports with ports markedHamburgAmsterdamBergenCopenhagenDoverIJmuidenKielOsloRotterdamSouthamptonStockholmWarnemündeAarhusÅlesundCherbourgFlåmGdańskGeirangerGothenburgHaugesundHellesyltHelsinkiKirkwallKlaipėdaKristiansandLerwickLiverpoolMoldeNewcastleNordfjordeidOldenPortlandRigaSkagenSkjoldenStavangerTallinnVisbyZeebrugge
Step by step

From Hamburg Airport (HAM)

S1 train to Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (main station) takes about 25 minutes (Hamburg Airport)

Taxi

Time Not verifiedCost Not verified: Hamburg Airport says fixed prices can be agreed if you pre-book
  1. Taxi stands are in front of Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, arrivals level.
  2. Name your terminal: Cruise Center Altona, Steinwerder or HafenCity.
  3. Pay by cash or card.

The airport suggests booking ahead to avoid waits. The airport lists partner taxi companies with phone numbers on its arrival page.

S1 train to Hauptbahnhof, then on to your terminal

Time 25 minutes to Hauptbahnhof (trains every 10 minutes), then 5-40 minutes depending on terminalCost Not verified, see hvv.de
  1. Follow signs to the 'Hamburg Airport (Flughafen)' S-Bahn station (lifts and escalators from arrivals).
  2. Take the S1 to Hauptbahnhof.
  3. HafenCity: take the U4 two stops to Überseequartier; the terminal is inside the Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier complex.
  4. Altona: take S1/S3 or U3 to Landungsbrücken, then HVV ferry 62 toward Finkenwerder to 'Dockland'. The terminal is next to the pier.
  5. Steinwerder: a taxi is best. Buses 256/156 are timed to dock-worker shifts.

Fine for HafenCity. For Steinwerder and Altona, a taxi is much easier with bags.

Cruise line transfer

Time VariesCost Set by your line
  1. Book with your line.

Easiest on boarding day.

Already in town

From the city or your hotel

U4 subway to Überseequartier (HafenCity terminal)

Time Two stops from HauptbahnhofCost Not verified

The station is right inside the district, about 1 minute's walk.

Bus 111 from Altona station (Altona terminal)

Time Not verifiedCost Not verified

Get off at 'Große Elbstraße'.

Bus 256 from U/S Elbbrücken (Steinwerder terminal)

Time About 22 minutesCost Not verified

Cruise Gate Hamburg says buses follow port shift times. Check the HVV timetable, or take a taxi.

The night before

Where to stay

Arrive a day or two early. A delayed flight on sailing day is the most common way travelers miss the ship.

HafenCity or near the Landungsbrücken waterfront

Close to the HafenCity and Altona terminals and to sights.

Near Hauptbahnhof

Easy link to the airport and the U4 to HafenCity.

All aboard

Sailing day

Terminals & docks

Three terminals run by Cruise Gate Hamburg: Cruise Center Altona (Van-der-Smissen-Straße 5, west of the center); Cruise Center Steinwerder (Buchheisterstraße 16, across the Elbe, for the biggest ships); Cruise Center HafenCity (in the Westfield Hamburg-Überseequartier complex, opened September 2025, with a taxi drop-off on level -2). Note: the HafenCity address Chicagostraße 3 is for suppliers only. River cruise ships use separate city-center berths.

Check-in

  • Check your documents for the terminal name. The three are far apart.
  • Arrive in your assigned slot.

What trips people up

  • Three terminals in different districts. A taxi to the wrong one costs time.
  • Steinwerder has poor public transport on weekends and outside port shift times.

Do this

  • Use a taxi for Steinwerder.
  • HafenCity is the easiest terminal by public transport.
Homeward bound

Leaving the ship: back to the airport

The same routes run in reverse. On the last morning everyone leaves at once, so lines for taxis and buses are at their longest. Book flights home for the afternoon or later, and arrange your ride in advance if you can.

The wayToTimeCost
TaxiHAMNot verifiedNot verified: Hamburg Airport says fixed prices can be agreed if you pre-book
S1 train to Hauptbahnhof, then on to your terminalHAM25 minutes to Hauptbahnhof (trains every 10 minutes), then 5-40 minutes depending on terminalNot verified, see hvv.de
Cruise line transferHAMVariesSet by your line

Before you leave

  • Three terminals in different districts. A taxi to the wrong one costs time.
  • Use a taxi for Steinwerder.
Linger a while

Before or after your cruise

Arrivals & departures

Which ships are in port

See today's ships and every upcoming arrival at Hamburg, from the port's own schedule.

Open the Hamburg arrivals board →

Sources & what we could not confirm · 5 sources · checked 2026-11
Still being confirmed
  • Taxi fares from the airport to each terminal
  • HVV ticket prices
  • US nonstop flights: not verified for this page; check airline sites