Note: This guide was written in 2005. The prices are out of date. If anyone would like to inform me what the current prices are, I will update them. (Too lazy to do it myself.)
Important Links are below.
From the airport Lübeck - Hamburg City:
Thanks to Carpathian Wolf for extra info!
For passengers of Ryanair an airport bus will take you from Lübeck Airport to Hamburg ZOB (large busstation located right next to the Main Trainstation, you can't miss it) This bus will be there specifically timed to your arrival. Try not to miss it. The journey lasts 1:15h and costs (more than) 8.00 euros.
IMPORTANT: As Carpathian Wolf can tell you, on both arrival and departure it is important to get to the RyanAir buses EARLY. You DO NOT want to miss them as they do not run often.
If you are not going to take the Ryanair bus to Hamburg, then you will need to get a bus (the no.6) to the railway station. It lasts about 30min. Then the train station is about two minutes away (there should be signs pointing to where it is). Then take a train from Lubeck to Hamburg Hauptbahnhof which is the main station in Hamburg. Should be about under 10 euros if Carpathian Wolf remembers correctly.
From Hamburg Airport to Hamburg City
SIMPLE BUT EXPENSIVE ROUTE:
Take the Airport Express bus from outside the Terminals (it stops at all of them) to the Hamburg Main Station (Haubtbahnhof). Costs roughly 5-6 Euros and takes half an hour.
UPDATE (2009):
There is an S-Bahn going from the airport to the Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (Hbf/main station) and Hamburg Altona! (there is a list of stops on the platform). Get off at the Hauptbahnhof too
The whole trip costs
€2,80. You need to get a ticket before you go. There is a ticket machine at the station. Choose the number 3 (grossbereich) and pay the 2,80.
From Hamburg Mainstation to Itzehoe
Get a ticket and then a train to Itzehoe. Unfortunately, these do not seem to run all day, so....you go to Altona. Read on..
(update: it is possible to go from the Hauptbahnhof to Itzehoe once in a while, as stated, but you can also take the Regionalexpress (regional train) to Kiel Hbf, and change in ELMSHORN. The train after that train is the train to Itzehoe! (Nord-Ost-See-Bahn to Westerland (Sylt) )
But you can also go to Altona. Read on.
First you need to get to the trainstation ALTONA. You can take either the S1, S31 or the S2, remember, the stops are listed on the platform, so it's easy to get the one going in the right direction. The whereabouts of these trains are listed around the station. (in colour, too
) If you haven't already gotten a HVV ticket from the trip to Hamburg station, then you need one. It costs
€1,80 (number 2 on the machines) (the 5 euro Airport Express ticket will not take you to Altona)
When in ALTONA, you must find where the Regional trains go (not hard, there are symbols I believe leading the way). Get a ticket from the machines (they have options in english) or go to the booths (called Reisezentrum). (They should speak english).
Then get on the train and BAM! you're there. The trip takes about an 45 mins.
Price from Hamburg (Hbf/Altona) to Itzehoe is €12,55.
From Itzehoe to Wacken
This parts easy. You just take the bus. There is a special shuttle bus. Remember it costs 8 euros, and you need to keep your ticket for the return!!! SIngle trips are also 8 euros. (only on Wed-Thu-Fri etc, not on Sun)
Timetable here:
http://www.wacken.com/uploads/media/woa_shuttlebusplan_englisch_110505.pdf (color)
http://www.wacken.com/uploads/media/woa_shuttlebusplan_englisch_sw_110505.pdf (b/w)
if you arrive at Itzehoe earlier than the shuttlebus (eg monday blabla) there is a normal bus route as well. I believe the number 14.
but there will be people walking around and most of them are happy to help. Some even offered me a lift.
PLEASE NOTE FOR RETURN TRIP: The last bus on Sunday is at 15:00/3:00pm. If you miss it I am not quite sure how you make it back to Itzehoe. Hitch a ride, i guess. (Thanks Quark)
From Wacken to Campsite
Follow the smell.
(just kidding, the busstops right at the campsite entrance)
Getting to Wacken Via Remedy Records
(thanks to Lucretia)
Remedy Records is organizing shuttle busses. They are going from Subway Holstenstrasse (one station before Altona - again, check
www.hvv.de for schedules) directly to Wacken festival area. Those shuttle busses make sense if you are staying in Hamburg for some days before Wacken. Its better to book the ticket in advance, and you might want to stop by at Remedy anyway and buy CDs and stuff. Booking the ticket one or two days before the festival should be OK. For details and reservation, check out
www.remedy-records.de
Some Important Links (all are available in english)
http://www.bahn.de (German Trains)
http://www.hvv.de (The Hamburg Public Transport)
http://www.flughafen-luebeck.de/800/800.htm (lübeck airport)
http://www.flex.ag (the times of the Ryanair busses for getting back to lübeck airport)
www.jasper-hamburg.de (airport express busses)
PS. I am in no way responsible if you lose your way to wacken, miss a connection or get beaten up on the way. I am in no way responsible if this information is suddenly out of date when you arrive, the companies involved have an annoying way of changing things slightly every few months.
