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HAM → Hamburg · head to head

S-Bahn S1orNight bus 606?

The short answer

For one traveler they cost the same. That does not change up to 8 travelers.

The S-Bahn S1 is quicker: 25 min against 51 min.

S-Bahn S1: 04:32–00:12. Night bus 606: 00:04–03:34, Sunday to Thursday nights.

Priced against each other

Whole-party totals · adult fares
What each costs for the whole party, in EUR. The cheaper of the two is marked on every row.
TravelersS-Bahn S1Night bus 606Difference
1€4.10€4.10same
2€8.20€8.20same
3€12.30€12.30same
4€16.40€16.40same
5€16.40€16.40same
6€20.50€20.50same
7€24.60€24.60same
8€28.70€28.70same

Side by side

Where each one leaves you
regional · S-Bahn Hamburg, hvv tariffS-Bahn S1
From
Station "Hamburg Airport (Flughafen)" directly beneath the terminals, reached from the arrivals level of Terminals 1 and 2 by lift, escalator or stairs
To
Hamburg Hauptbahnhof in 25 minutes, Jungfernstieg in 29, Altona in 38
Luggage
A commuter train with standing room by the doors; busy at rush hour.
Runs
04:32–00:12
Journey
25 min

Buy the Tagesticket Gruppe if there are five or more of you, or four of you who will ride again today: EUR 16.40 whether you are four or five, against EUR 4.10 each in singles.

Buy before you step onto the platform. The machines are by the baggage belts and between the arrivals level and the platform; an app ticket bought after entering the paid area counts as no ticket, and the penalty is EUR 60.

The 7 % app discount is real and applies to every ticket here: EUR 3.81 a single, EUR 15.25 the group ticket.

Leaving the airport, any car will do. Going back, board one of the FRONT three cars from the city: the train splits at Ohlsdorf and only the front part reaches the airport.

Do not count on the weekend night trains: on Friday and Saturday nights the S1 runs all night from Poppenbüttel and not from the airport. From the airport the last train is 00:32 those nights and 00:12 otherwise, and the first is 04:32.

Do not buy the EUR 2.10 Kurzstrecke or the EUR 3.50 Nahbereich single: from the airport they reach Ohlsdorf and Rübenkamp, not the center.

No engineering closures touch the airport-to-Hauptbahnhof leg through October 2026; the S1 works listed are Altona–Bahrenfeld on 26–27 September and Ohlsdorf–Poppenbüttel on the evenings of 12–13 October.

S-Bahn S1: price for every party size →

Check fares with hvv
bus · HOCHBAHN, hvv tariffNight bus 606
From
Stop "S Hamburg Airport", bus area A in front of Terminal 1, level 0 (arrivals)
To
Hauptbahnhof/ZOB, the coach station beside the main station, via Dammtor, Jungfernstieg (40 minutes) and Rathausmarkt
Luggage
A city bus; luggage rides in the aisle or the pram bay.
Runs
00:04–03:34
Journey
51 min

It does not run on Friday or Saturday nights, or before public holidays. Those nights the way in is bus 274 to Ohlsdorf and the all-night S1.

The last bus that reaches the center leaves at 03:34; the next thing from the airport is the S1 at 04:32.

No cash on board: HOCHBAHN buses sell tickets only cashlessly at the on-board terminal. Buy in the app or at the machines by the baggage belts first.

It is a 51-minute ride through Alsterdorf, Winterhude and Eppendorf. It reaches Jungfernstieg after 40 minutes if you are staying nearer the Alster.

The timetable read here is valid to 27 September 2026; check the current 606 sheet after that.

Night bus 606: price for every party size →

Check fares with hvv

This compares two of 3 options. See all of them ranked for your party size →

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