How to take a train journey from Paris to Hamburg

Look at a rail map of Europe and it will look as though the logical routing for a journey by train from Paris to Hamburg would be via Koln/Cologne
However, thanks to the expansion of the high speed rail network, this alternative routing via Mannheim has comparable journey times.

This route via Mannhiem also tends to be cheaper than travelling via Koln/Cologne; DB (German national railways) makes its discounted Europa-Spezial tickets available on this route, but not on the route via Koln.

Plus you will also have around an hour between trains to make the transfer in Mannheim, so making the connection into the train on to Hamburg is virtually guaranteed.

The other alternative journey option via Karlsruhe is faster, but it is dependent on making on more tightly timed connection between trains,

A potential negative of taking this route via Mannheim, is that both of these optimum connections involve departing from Paris before 09:30.
Note that this routing departs from Paris Est and not from Paris Nord.

Online bookings usually open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date

When travelling from by day Paris to Hamburg by train this route via Mannheim tends to be cheaper; the German national rail operator, DB, offers its discounted ‘Europa-Spezial’ tickets on this route, but they’re not available when travelling via Koln/Cologne.

When looking at journeys on DB Bahn this routing has a '1' in the chg. column and 'ICE' or 'TGV, ICE' in the Product column.

Rail Pass Users:

If you will be making this journey with a valid Interrail or Eurail Pass, the route via Koln is more expensive, as the rail pass reservation fees are more expensive on the Paris – Koln Thalys trains.

So when traveling with a rail pass, the best option is to book the reservation on a DB-SNCF train from Paris to Frankfurt (Main): you’ll need to do this before you board this train.
Frankfurt (Main) hbf is a more convenient station in which to change trains than Mannheim hbf.

And then on arrival in Frankfurt (Main) you can either:

(1) hop on the next ICE train to Hamburg – and hope that can find spare seats on the train (it’s more likely that you will, than you won’t).

(2) Use a DB ticket machine or stop by the Reisezentrum travel desk at Frankfurt (Main) and book reservations on the next ICE to Hamburg.

(3) Book the reservations on the Frankfurt to Hamburg ICE before you leave Paris; and then IF you miss the connection you are booked on to, because the train from Paris is delayed, you can then transfer your reservation to the next ICE train, free of charge at the Reisezentrum travel desk.

If you were looking at a European Rail Map, then Karlsruhe wouldn't be a seemingly logical location in which to change trains when making a Paris to Hamburg train journey.

Karlsruhe is somewhere south of the shortest straight line distance between the two cities; and one of the alternative routes sticks closer to that shortest distance.

However, thanks to the European high speed rail network, the fastest possible journey between Paris and Hamburg by train is usually to depart from the French capital at around 13:37 and change trains in Karlsruhe.

Though if you opt for this routing and the transfer time between trains at Karlsruhe will be around 26 mins; and it's that comparatively short connection between trains, which makes this the fastest journey overall.

So ideal IF the train from Paris arrives on time, but something of a gamble if the train happens to be late.
In that scenario, tickets can be transferred free of charge to a later departure, but the optimum connection will then involve making an additional change of trains at Frankfurt (Main).

Though you can remove the pressure of making that connection in Karlsruhe, by travelling via Mannheim (see above)

Note that this routing departs from Paris Est and not from Paris Nord.

Online bookings usually open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date

When travelling from by day Paris to Hamburg by train you can either take an alternative route via Koln/Cologne or travel on this route via Frankfurt (Main); changing trains in Karlsruhe (this connection) OR in Mannheim

This route tends to be the cheaper of the two, because the German national rail operator, DB, offers its discounted ‘Europa-Spezial’ tickets on this route, but they’re not available when travelling via Koln/Cologne.

When looking at journeys on DB this routing has a '1' in the chg. column and 'ICE' or 'TGV, ICE' in the Product column.

This routing via Koln/Cologne is the shortest in terms of kilometres travelled, but to somewhat the surprise of ShowMeTheJourney, it's not the only option when taking a train from Paris to Hamburg.

It is quicker (and usually cheaper too) to head off from Gare de l'Est in Paris and to travel alternative routes via Mannheim or Karlsruhe,

Book in advance and save: YES

Online bookings usually open: up to 3 months ahead of the travel date

When travelling from by day Paris to Hamburg by train you can either take this route via Koln/Cologne or travel on alternative routes which tend to be cheaper; as the German national rail operator, DB, offers its discounted ‘Europa-Spezial’ tickets on those routes which travel via Frankfurt, but they’re not available on this route via Koln/Cologne.

When looking up this journey on B-Europe, these optimum connections are those with the Thalys and IC logos and 'changes: 1'.

When making the journey from Paris to Hamburg by a combination of these Thalys and IC/ICE trains, two of these connections sold by B-Europe involve making connections in Dortmund.

However, the first connection of the day involves changing trains in Koln/Cologne, while the fastest connection of the day, on this route, actually involves making the transfer between trains at Dusseldorf Hbf.

(This is one of those scenarios that our unique software struggles to manage).

No matter where you will be making the connection between trains, the time to make the transfer will be around 45-55mins, so successfully connecting into the train on to Hamburg is virtually guaranteed.
This comparatively stress-free connection is the big plus for following this route.

In the very rare event of the Thalys from Paris being too late to make these connections, tickets can be transferred free of charge to a later departure.
Though not if you'll be making the final connection of the day which departs from Paris at around 15:55.

Reservations are optional on the train between Dortmund and Hamburg, but that is an exceptionally busy route, so opting to add them to a booking is highly recommended.

On the Eurostar train to Bruxelles

The ticket terms are:

*Exchanges

Book to travel in Standard and Eurostar Plus class:
The booked date and time can be exchanged to a different departure to the same destination up to one hour before departure time.

• If the cost of your new ticket is more than the cost of your original ticket, you will be required to pay the difference;
• If the cost of your new ticket is less than the cost of your original ticket, you will not receive a refund of the difference.

Book to travel in Eurostar Premier class:
The booked date and time can be exchanged to a different departure to the same destination up to 48hrs after departure time (from November 4th 2024).

• If the cost of your new ticket is more than the cost of your original ticket, you will be required to pay the difference;
• If the cost of your new ticket is less than the cost of your original ticket, you will not receive a refund of the difference.

The Eurostar ticket terms summary is here

Refunds

Book to travel in Standard and Eurostar Plus class:

• Up to seven days or more before the date of departure you will need to pay a fee of £25 per person for a one-way / single ticket and £50 per person for a two-way / return ticket - So you will only receive any sum you paid in excess of these sums.
• Less than seven days before the date of departure, tickets are non-refundable - Also applies if you exchanged a ticket to an alternative departure, under seven days ahead.

Book to travel in Premier class:
Up until 48hrs after departure time (from November 4th 2024), tickets can be refunded at no additional cost,

The Eurostar ticket terms summary is here

Child tickets
Children under the age of 12 travel at a flat rate price of €15 in Standard, €20 in Comfort and €30 in Premium Class.
Source = Eurostar

Bike Tickets

Tickets are not-required as non-folding bikes can only be taken on board as hand luggage - as both wheels must be removed and everything must be covered by a non-rigid cover with maximum dimensions of 135 x 85 x 30 cm.

Dog Tickets

Charged at a flat fee rate of €30, but the payment will be taken by the train conductor, as these tickets cannot be booked online.

Rail Pass Users:

If you will be making this journey with a valid Interrail or Eurail Pass, the route via Koln is more expensive, as the rail pass reservation fees are more expensive on the Paris – Koln Thalys trains.

Final Destination: Berlin

The train is typically scheduled to depart at 17:45 - note the comparatively early timing for a night train.

Arriving in Hamburg

The arrival time is typically scheduled to be shortly before 07:00am.

The train will NOT arrive at the main station in Hamburg, instead it uses a station named Hamburg-Harburg, which is located to the south of the city centre.

Both Regio and local S-Bahn trains link Hamburg-Harburg to Hamburg Hbf in 10 to 15 mins.
The Regio trains are faster as they are non-stop, but if a Regio service isn't due to depart, it will be quicker to take a S-Bahn train - line S3 heading to Pinneburg and line S5 heading to ElbgaustraBe.

Though the S-Bahn trains continue beyond Hamburg Hbf to make other calls in the city centre.

• the S3 calls at Jungfernstieg and Stadthausbrücke and Landungsbrücken and Reeperbahn
• the S5 calls at Dammtor and Sternschanze

Book early and save: Yes
Online Bookings Usually Open: up to 6 months ahead of the travel date

The ticketing options depend on the type of accommodation you wish to travel by on the train.
The seats are straightforward, the ticket(s) will include a reservation.

In the couchettes you can either book a place; or solo travellers can pay more and book the entire compartment in order to have sole occupancy.
If you will be travelling in groups of 4 or 6 people, you will be the only occupants of the compartment.
But if you will be travelling in a group of 5, the only method to ensure you won't be sharing the compartment with somebody else, is to book six tickets.
Similarly if you will be travelling in a group of 3 and don't want to share a four person compartment with anybody else, you will need to book four tickets.
Female only couchette compartments are available.

The sleeping cabins are priced according to how many people will be occupying them during the journey.
Solo travellers can either:

• Book a bed in a triple cabin and accept that you may share it with up to two other people (cheapest).
• Book a bed in a double cabin, accepting that you may be sharing it with another person.
• Book a single cabin, to ensure privacy (most expensive).

Pairs of travellers, who are happy to share a cabin, can either:

• Book two beds in a triple cabin, accepting that you may be sharing it with another person.
• Book a double cabin.

Groups of 3 travellers will have sole occupancy of a triple cabin, but groups of four or more will need to split the accommodation to whichever suits them; 2 x double cabins, or 1 x triple + 1 x single etc