London to Hamburg by train

Q: Is there a direct train from London to Hamburg?

The journey between London and Hamburg usually involves 17 changes of train.We usually find around 26 departures on this route every weekday, counting only those that leave enough time to change trains without waiting around for longer than necessary.Trains usually run with a similar frequency on weekends.

Q: How long does it take to travel from London to Hamburg?

The London to Hamburg train travel takes about 8 hours and 37 minutes, no matter when you leave.

Cheapest Price £71.60
30 days in advance £170.51
7 days in advance £267.94

First train

06:04
Last train

20:31

Avg changes

2
Fastest journey

8hr 37m

Distance

718 kilometres
Trains per day

25

Avg. journey time

14hr 33m
Train operators

Prices updated on May 07, 2026

London to Hamburg train travel explained

Want to know how to get from London to Hamburg by train? We have gathered for you all the useful information about this trip!

The fastest trains from London to Hamburg take around 8 hours and 37 minutes, covering a distance of approximately 718 kilometres.

On weekdays, the first train leaving London is scheduled to depart at around 06:04. The last departure is usually at around 20:01 . On Saturdays and Sundays, trains leave London at around 06:31, with the last train leaving at around 20:31. There are frequent services on this particular rail route. On average, there are about 25 trains per day travelling between the two cities. They leave approximately every 26 minutes.

Prices for a single ticket between the two cities start from £71.60.

We think any time is a great time to visit Hamburg, as each season has its own unique charm. Nevertheless, please make sure you check the local weather and average seasonal temperatures at destination before deciding on your holiday.

For more tips to help you plan your journey, check out our help articles, or read our guide to Hamburg.

Is there a direct train from London to Hamburg?

The journey between London and Hamburg usually involves changes of train.

We usually find around departures on this route every weekday, counting only those that leave enough time to change trains without waiting around for longer than necessary.

Trains are typically more frequent on weekends, when we found around departures.

How long does it take to travel from London to Hamburg?

The London to Hamburg train travel takes about 8 hours and 37 minutes, no matter when you leave.

What are the London to Hamburg train times and schedule?

If you're travelling on a weekday, you'll find the earliest train to Hamburg leaving London at around 06:04 and the last train leaving at around 20:01 . At weekends, the first train of the day leaves London at around 06:31, with the final departure at 20:31.

Hamburg to London by train

Other journeys to Hamburg View all journeys to Hamburg

From Cologne to Hamburg From £15.50
From Berlin to Hamburg From £15.13
From Brussels to Hamburg From £18.08
From Amsterdam to Hamburg From £23.25
From Frankfurt am Main to Hamburg From £15.87
From Copenhagen to Hamburg From £22.88
From Munich to Hamburg From £16.24
From Bremen Hbf to Hamburg From £6.64
From Hanover to Hamburg From £9.23
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From Flensburg to Hamburg From £22.51
From Neumünster to Hamburg From £12.55

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From Hamburg to Munich From £15.87
From Hamburg to Bremen Hbf From £6.27
From Hamburg to Hanover From £9.23
From Hamburg to Cologne From £16.24
From Hamburg to Berlin From £13.66
From Hamburg to Brussels From £17.71
From Hamburg to Amsterdam From £31.37
From Hamburg to Frankfurt am Main From £16.24
From Hamburg to Münster Hbf (Westfalen) From £31.00
From Hamburg to Fredericia From £31.00
From Hamburg to Flensburg From £145.04

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From London to Nice From £83.41
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From London to Florence From £68.79
From London to Turin From £59.05
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From London to Milan From £58.68
From London to Paris From £36.17
From London to Brussels From £31.74
From London to Berlin From £50.19
From London to Frankfurt am Main From £62.74
From London to Munich From £49.82

Eurostar & ICE

The train journey from London to Hamburg is very easy. Eurostar trains from London connect very efficiently at Brussels Midi station with Deutsche Bahn ICE high-speed trains bound for Frankfurt-am-Main. Passengers for Hamburg take this train as far as Cologne Hauptbahnhof, changing there onto a direct train to Hamburg.

There are many other options for travelling by train from London to Hamburg. Some passengers trim the Cologne to Hamburg journey time by travelling via Hannover, but that requires an extra change of train. There are routes via Paris and yet others which use Thalys trains for the Brussels to Cologne leg, but these are invariably more expensive than itineraries which rely on Deutsche Bahn services from Brussels to Cologne.

On your journey from London to Hamburg by train, you’ll speed across the territory of four countries: England, France, Belgium and Germany. As the latter three countries are all members of Schengen, there is little by way of border formalities.

London to Brussels

Board a Eurostar service from London St Pancras to Brussels. Little more than an hour after leaving London you’ll already be in northern France, speeding through Flanders fields towards Lille Europe, where many but not all Brussels-bound Eurostar trains make an intermediate stop. Some trains make up to three additional stops – at Ebbsfleet, Ashford and Calais.

Eurostar trains from London terminate at Brussels Midi station. Trains run every five minutes from Brussels Midi to Brussels Central (for the city centre). Your Eurostar ticket is valid for this short onward hop within Brussels. At Brussels Midi, there are good onward connections with a choice of Thalys or German ICE trains for direct links to Germany, as well as Belgian (or sometimes Dutch) Intercity trains to cities across the wider BeNeLux region.

Remember to factor in at least half an hour for Eurostar’s airline-style baggage check prior to boarding your train. This is a light-touch security scan, and there are no restrictions on taking liquids on board Eurostar trains.

Eurostar train guide

Brussels to Cologne

From Brussels-Midi there are up to nine high-speed trains to Cologne each day – a mix of Thalys and ICE services. The journey takes just under two hours and most trains make just a couple of stops along the way.

The first part of the journey from Brussels traverses the flat lands of Brabant to reach Liège-Guillemins station. East from Liège, the train joins a new high-speed line which cuts in tunnels through hilly country to reach the German border just before Aachen. Beyond Aachen, the train traverses flat terrain to reach the Rhineland city of Cologne, where you arrive at the city’s main station (the Hauptbahnhof), located on the west bank of the Rhine right by Cologne Cathedral.

Cologne to Hamburg

The four-hour journey from Cologne to Hamburg wins no prizes for exceptional scenery. Hourly trains on this route cross the Ruhr industrial region and then track north-east across the North German Plain, pausing in Bremen before heading east to Hamburg. Most trains make about eight intermediate stops on the run from Cologne Hauptbahnhof to Hamburg Hauptbahnhof. Several types of train serve this route. There are German ICE and IC services, the occasional Swiss EuroCity and also trains run by private operator HKX.

At certain times, Loco2 will show additional options from Cologne to Hamburg via Hannover. Distance-wise this route is longer, but the journey via Hannover fills occasional gaps in the timetable and takes no longer than the direct trains.