Hamburg Airport: Cheap Flights, Transport and Terminals

Hamburg Airport Helmut Schmidt lies in the Fuhlsbüttel district about 9 kilometres north of the city centre and is the largest airport in northern Germany. Opened in 1911, it is one of the oldest airports in the world still operating at its original site, and since 2016 it has carried the name of former Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. Check-in is in Terminal 1 or Terminal 2 depending on the airline; both terminals are linked by the Airport Plaza, which houses the central security checkpoint.

To Turkey, Turkish Airlines flies to Istanbul Airport and Pegasus to Sabiha Gökçen, SunExpress serves Antalya, Izmir and other Turkish cities, and Corendon and Condor add Antalya flights, especially in summer. Hamburg is also an important Eurowings base, with flights to Athens and the Greek islands, to Hurghada in Egypt and to Tunisian holiday regions such as Monastir and Djerba; some of these routes are seasonal or involve a connection.

For the cheapest flights from Hamburg, compare the non-stop Pegasus and SunExpress services with Turkish Airlines connections via Istanbul; midweek dates, the off-season and early booking lower the price. Religious festivals and the Hamburg school holidays are the busiest periods, so adding Bremen and Hanover to your search and pricing outbound and return separately often helps. The prices on this page are the current lowest Hamburg fares found by our searches.

S-Bahn line S1 runs from the underground station right at the terminals to Hamburg Hauptbahnhof in about 25 minutes and continues to Jungfernstieg in the city centre. HVV buses serve the surrounding districts, and express coaches run to Kiel. Timetables and fares change, so check the airport website for current details.

• Taxi: ranks are in front of arrivals; the ride to the centre takes about 20 to 30 minutes depending on traffic.
• Car: the airport is signposted from the A7 motorway and from the city; car-hire desks are close to the terminals.
• Rail connections: from the Hauptbahnhof, ICE and regional trains continue to Berlin, Hanover, Bremen and Kiel.

The terminals and the Airport Plaza offer duty-free, shops, restaurants and cafés, currency exchange and ATMs; Wi-Fi is free. Besides the airline lounges there are lounges that can be used for a fee. The Radisson Blu hotel opposite the terminals is within walking distance, and a visitor terrace lets you watch the aircraft.

The multi-storey car parks directly opposite the terminals are for short stays, while car parks a little further away cover long-term parking. Booking online is considerably cheaper; current rates are listed on the airport website. Short-stay drop-off and pick-up areas are in front of the terminals.