Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [605]
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SLEEPING
Booking ahead is a good idea any time of year, and is essential on weekends, during festivals and throughout summer.
If you’ll be in Hamburg for a while, try Bed & Breakfast ( 491 5666; www.bed-and-breakfast.de; Müggenkampstrasse 35) for rentals of up to one month, and HomeCompany (Map; 194 45; hamburg@homecompany.de; Schulterblatt 112) or City-Wohnen ( 194 30; www.city-wohnen.de; Fischersallee 70) for stays over one month.
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Budget
CITY CENTRE
A&O Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (Map; 030-809 475 110; www.aohostel.com; Amsinckstrasse 10; dm from €12, linen €3, s/d incl linen from €26/32, breakfast €6; ) A 300m suitcase drag from the Hauptbahnhof, this central branch of the institutional-style A&O chain has some 900 beds in rooms with private bathrooms. Those deep inside the labyrinthine building can feel claustrophobic; try for one overlooking the street. Prices can skyrocket depending on demand. Two other Hamburg branches, A&O Hamburg Reeperbahn (Map; Reeperbahn 154), and A&O Hamburg Hammer Kirche (Hammer Landstrasse 170) 2.8km east of St Georg, are contactable through the same central reservation number and website.
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SIGHTSEEING ON THE CHEAP
This maritime city offers a bewildering array of boat trips, but locals will tell you that you don’t have to book a cruise to see the port – the city’s harbour ferries will take you up the river on a cheap and ordinary public transport ticket.
One oft-recommended route is to catch ferry 62 from Landungsbrücken to Finkenwerder, then change for the 64 to Teufelsbrücke. From Teufelsbrücke you can wander along the Elbe eastwards to Neumühlen, from where you can catch bus 112 back to the Altona S-Bahn station or ferry 62 back to Landungsbrücken.
On land, the U3 U-Bahn line is particularly scenic, especially the elevated track between the St Pauli and Rathaus U-Bahn stations.
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ST GEORG
Superbude ( 380 8780; www.superbude.de; dm €16-22, d €59-89, breakfast €7; ; Berliner Tor) A games room (with Wii, table football and punching bags), large-screen cinema (and seat covers stitched from old jeans) and an open-plan kitchen and dining area (with bar stools made from recycled beer crates) are among the innovations at Hamburg’s hippest hostel–budget hotel. Rooms, all with private bathrooms, are painted in candy-coloured shades like pink, orange or red, and all have flat-screen TVs. Laundry facilities are free; bike rental costs €4 per day.
Hotel Pension Annenhof (Map; 243 426; www.hotelannenhof.de; Lange Reihe 23; s €40-50, d €70-80) Behind this place’s peeling facade lie 13 simple but attractive rooms, with polished floorboards and brightly painted walls. None have private toilets, though a few have shower cabins in the room. Breakfast isn’t served, but free coffee and tea is available, and there are dozens of cafes in this increasingly gentrified part of St Georg.
SCHANZENVIERTEL & ST PAULI
Instant Sleep Backpacker Hostel (Map; 4318 2310; www.instantsleep.de; Max-Brauer-Allee 277; dm/s/d €16.50/37/52; ) Artistic murals – from green stripes to golden Buddhas – adorn this chilled-out pad in the happening Schanzenviertel. Airy dorms and private rooms house 53 proper beds (no bunks), though all share bathrooms.
Schanzenstern (Map; 439 8441; www.schanzenstern.de; Bartelsstrasse 12; dm/s/d/tr €19/38/54/64, breakfast €4.50-6.50, mains €7-17; ) Unlike its Altona counterpart (opposite), accommodation here is worn, but it rates a mention for its handy location and on-site bio (organic) restaurant.
Backpackers St Pauli (Map; 2351 7043; www.backpackers-stpauli.de; Bernstorffstrasse 98; dm €19.50-24, d/tr from €60/75, linen €2, breakfast & snacks €2-4.30; ) Entered via a bright cafe, this is a great new addition to Hamburg’s hostel scene, which has a cool, subterranean maritime-themed lounge containing a small kitchenette, a sunny outdoor