Public transport in Hamburg: hvv tickets, lines and night service

• U-Bahn: four lines, U1 to U4, with 93 stops, run by the Hamburger Hochbahn. The U3 is a ring line around the Alster and through the harbour area; the U4 serves HafenCity. An extension of the U4 to the Horner Geest is due to open at the end of 2027, and a new line, the U5, is planned.
• S-Bahn: lines S1, S2, S3, S5 and S7, run by Deutsche Bahn. Since 14 December 2025, trains between Bergedorf/Aumühle and Altona through the city tunnel run as the S7. The S-Bahn connects the centre with the airport (S1), Altona, Harburg and the south (S3, S5) and Bergedorf (S2, S7). A further line, the S4 towards Bad Oldesloe, is planned.
• Buses: MetroBus lines form the backbone, with many other city and express lines.
• Ferries: HADAG ferries leave from the Landungsbrücken and connect, for example, Finkenwerder and Wilhelmsburg; hvv tickets and the Deutschlandticket are valid.

Since summer 2025, the S-Bahn line between Holstenstraße and Altona has been closed for bridge inspections, so some S-Bahn routes in the west are diverted. Always check the journey planner.

• Short journey (Kurzstrecke, Hamburg AB): €2.10, unchanged in 2026. The journey planner tells you whether a trip counts as a short journey.
• Local journey (Nahbereich, Hamburg AB): €3.50.
• Single ticket Hamburg AB (the two inner fare rings): €4.10; child (6 to 14) €1.50.
• Single ticket, whole network (rings A to F): €12.60.
• Day ticket Hamburg AB: €8.20, valid for one adult plus up to three children aged 6 to 14 until 6:00 the next morning.
• Group ticket Hamburg AB: €16.40 for up to five people of any age.

All single and day tickets are 7% cheaper in the hvv apps and online shop (for example €3.81 instead of €4.10 for a single Hamburg AB ticket in 2026). Children under 6 travel free.

A single ticket covers your trip on the most direct route with any number of changes; round trips and return journeys are not included.

• Deutschlandticket: €63 a month in 2026, a subscription you can cancel by the 10th of a month. In Hamburg, you only pay for the days you hold it in the first month. Order it in the hvv switch app (as a digital ticket) or as a chip card online or at a service centre; the chip card arrives by post within about 10 days.
• Seniors: residents of Hamburg aged 67 and over pay €49 a month (2026).
• Social discount: Hamburg residents receiving certain benefits pay €27.50 a month for the Deutschlandticket (2026).
• Pupils: more than 210,000 pupils living in Hamburg get the Deutschlandticket free of charge; from 2027 an annual service fee of €19 is due.
• Students, apprentices and job tickets: semester tickets and the apprentice ticket cost €37.80 a month in 2026; many employers offer a subsidised job ticket, with an employee share of at most €44.10 for the employer bulk subscription. Ask your employer or university.

From 2027 the Deutschlandticket price is adjusted annually under a price index agreed by the federal and state transport ministers; check the current price before subscribing.

• hvv switch app: tickets, the Deutschlandticket, and bookings for car sharing, e-scooters and, since summer 2026, StadtRAD bikes.
• Online shop on hvv.de, with the same 7% discount.
• Ticket machines and buses: inside Hamburg, the hvv says you need its prepaid card to buy at machines or on the bus; cash is still accepted on buses in the surrounding region.
• Service centres for subscriptions and advice.

Have your ticket ready before you board the U-Bahn or S-Bahn; ticket checks happen on board and in station areas.

• Weekend and holiday nights: U-Bahn and S-Bahn run through the night with supplementary buses (the hvv calls this its usual continuous night service); outside the city boundary some lines run less often.
• Weekday nights: a night bus network (NachtBus lines) and, since 14 December 2025, MetroBus lines 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11 and 17 that run around the clock; in total 19 lines operate 24/7.

Use the journey planner to check the exact connection for your address.

• Bikes in U-Bahn, S-Bahn and AKN trains are allowed free of charge Monday to Friday before 6:00, between 9:00 and 16:00 and from 18:00, and all day at weekends, on public holidays and on 24 and 31 December. During Hamburg's summer school holidays there are no time restrictions. Bikes are allowed at any time on buses, regional trains and ferries; on regional trains (RB/RE) you need a bike ticket (€3.50 for a day in 2026). Each passenger may take one bike, and staff can refuse bikes when space is needed for prams or wheelchairs.
• Dogs must be supervised and always kept on a lead. Certain breeds classed as dangerous under Hamburg's dog law are not allowed, and some other dogs must wear a muzzle.
• Bike sharing: StadtRAD has about 4,300 bikes at nearly 360 stations; the first 30 minutes of each trip are free with an annual fee of €8.90 (2026).

If you are caught without a valid ticket, you pay an increased fare of €60 under the hvv conditions of carriage (valid from 1 October 2026). If you have a valid personal season ticket but forgot it, the charge is reduced to €7 if you show the ticket at the transport company's office between 3 and 7 working days after the check. Taking a bike on a regional train without a bike ticket costs €20. Criminal proceedings for fare evasion remain possible.