Making payments
You can usually use your debit card or smartphone to pay at most places in Hamburg, but there are some shops and other facilities where you will need cash (e.g. food stalls, farmers markets, bakeries, small shops, vending machines, etc.). Please be aware that many places do not take credit cards.
It is a good idea to always carry a small amount of euros in cash.
Getting around
When it comes to mobility, you are spoilt for choice in Hamburg.
We can definitely recommend public transport, which in Hamburg is operated by the HVV, the Hamburg Public Transport Association.
The HVV network of metro, urban railway, buses and ferries is extensive and can quickly get you anywhere in town.
We recommend downloading the HVV app, which you can use to plan your route and buy the correct ticket. You cannot pay for public transport tickets in cash.
There are also a number of companies and apps for carsharing and on-demand ride-pooling as well as for renting and sharing bikes and e-scooters. Please also read our information brochure on getting around in Hamburg, which you can find in our download section.
Municipal Bike Rental
Carsharing
Gesundheit
Hamburg has a dense network of doctors covering an extensive range of medical care with primary care doctors, specialists, hospitals and specialist clinics. The online portal of the Hamburg Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, while only available in German, lets you search for doctors in your area and filter for languages spoken:
Hamburg Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians: kvhh.net/de/physicianfinder.html.
The medical and fire emergency number in Germany is 112. Please dial this number in any acute, life-threatening emergency (e.g., heart attack, respiratory distress, loss of consciousness, signs of stroke such as sudden paralysis and/or disordered speech).
If you need non-emergency medical care but are unable to personally go to a doctor or cannot find an open practice, call 116117 for advice and information on your nearest doctor on duty.
In the event of a dental emergency, go to https://www.zahnaerzte-hh.de/patientenportal/services/notdienst to find an up-to-date list of emergency dental practices open on any given day. There is also a dedicated night-time dental emergency service that is open 7 pm – 1 am, 365 nights a year, at Stresemannstrasse 52, 22769 Hamburg. You do not need an appointment for this service.
Pharmacies / Medications
The law in Germany covers different classes of medications and where they can be sold, which may be very different to what you are used to. Supermarkets and health stores in Germany cannot legally sell most medications, but you may find vitamins, food supplements, herbal or natural remedies, first aid supplies such as plasters etc. there. For anything else, even over-the-counter medications such as aspirin, you will have to go to a pharmacy. If you need a prescription, you will have to see a doctor.
German pharmacies operate a system in which they take turns opening outside of regular hours. That way they ensure that there is always an emergency pharmacy open. The nearest pharmacy providing that service on any given day can be found at https://www.aponet.de/apotheke/notdienstsuche (English instructions on how to use the search are at the bottom of the page). This information is also posted at the door of every pharmacy.
Letzte Änderung: 30. July 2025