Hamburg
We wanted to get a bargain basement break away during the February half term. We were not sure exactly what we were looking for and as post Christmas funds are often limited - price was the deciding factor..
I sat down and looked on Ryanairs fare finder with the budget set to £20pp or less.. I was surprised to see a few options but with flights to Hamburg costing £12.99 per adult and £6.99 per child each way - I thought that seems reasonable!
With the flights booked from Edinburgh - the next thing was accomodation.. We decided to stay in a hostel in a private room with ensuite - £60per night.
Our flights didn’t have any luggage and Ryanairs luggage allowance is ridiculous but I was determined to not add on luggage as funds were limited. We were only going for 4 days - so I went about packing as much into the smallest bags we owned.
The check in was all done via phone and the flight itself was OK. 1.5hrs each way, decent amount of legroom - Ryan is 6’3 and he got in so it’s not too bad for short haul.
When we arrived in Hamburg - we got a train from the airport directly to Berliner Tor Station where the hostel was over the road.
Accomodation was clean, basic but adequate for £60per night.
Day 1: We got up early and headed into Hamburg, its Germanys 2nd largest city but the transport is frequent, cheap and reliable. We visited the maritime museum, walked around the city taking in the sights and architecture. The metro system is very good for getting around the city for those who would prefer to travel on transport rather than foot.
Day 2: We went via train from Hamburg HBF to Schwerin. A traditional German town which avoided bombing raids during WW2. Its got quaint buildings and a fairytale castle which is beautiful. Our weather was awful when we were there, foggy and wet but we didnt let it dampen our spirits. The train was a day ticket for the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern-Ticket which enables you to travel all day throughout that region. It was around £23 for 2a2c return - well worth it. The trains are clean and have wifi, double deckers so plenty of seats/tables available for family travel. Schwerin has a shopping centre which has a woolworths (bit of nostagia there). We grabbed some food there from a chinese cuisine stall - food is expensive there to eat out but there are supermarkets. We had a coffee in the cafe pictured below and it was very art deco, like something from the 1930s - I love finding hidden gems like that.
Day 3: We went back on the trains again and headed to lubeck, again we purchased a day ticket for that region which could be used all day. Its famed for its gothic architecture and its location on the Baltic coast. The train took around 45 minutes. When we arrived we had a short walk from the station to the museum holstentor which was the gateway to the town during medieval era. We also visited niederegger chocolate shop which was a lovely experience. It has a cafe too and sells some wonderful cakes. We wondered round the town looking at the beautiful buildings for an authentic german experience. It would be lovely to return at Christmas.
Day 4: Our last day and our flight leaves at 10pm. We decided to jump on the U-Bahn and go to Hagenbecks Tierparc. We had to check out at 10am so we were on the go all day. Berliner Tor U-Bahn station was 10 stops from Tierparc so it was easy to get to. It was 130e for the 4 of us for entry to the aquarium and zoo. At first I thought it was abit on the pricey side but it was total value for money. We had a fab day there and all the animals were very well cared for, had large enclosures. There was a cafe and various eateries/coffee shops available around the park too. The highlight for me was the ‘north pole’ area which had penguins/polar bears etc. If you are heading to Hamburg then its definately worth a visit.
Then it was our time to leave Germany and return home…
