Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany and stands in the centre of the north of the country. It’s about 30 miles from where the river Elbe meets the North Sea. If you pick up a hire car at Hamburg Airport you’ll find yourself five miles north of the city centre and well connected to the A7 motorway, which heads north towards Kiel and Denmark and south into the centre of Hamburg itself. A trip to Hamburg wouldn’t be complete without a walk down the waterfront promenade so ensure you make the time for this scenic treat.
If you get a hire car from Hamburg Airport you’ll be able to avoid the worst of the jams thanks to a series of loose orbital routes around the city. These inner and outer ring roads help drivers avoid the busy central streets and reach all parts of Hamburg. There’s plenty to see and do in this large commercial, cultural and tourist centre. The main sights include the Speicherstadt, a huge area of restored waterside warehouses on wooden foundations that’s honoured as a World Heritage Site. The inner city waterfront of the artificial lake Binnenalster is worth exploring and don’t miss the 19th-century St Nicholas’ Church, once the world’s tallest building.