Interesting short rail journeys around Hamburg.

[alex17595]

After the success of my last day trips to Germany I have planned another one to Hamburg with my cousin.

We have 12 hours in Hamburg but I'm willing to spend a few hours travelling around lower saxony with a Neidersachsen ticket. Looking for scenic rail trips but it is the wrong part of the country, currently I have come up with Hamburg - Uelzen - Soltau - Hamburg.

Does anyone have any suggestions for other places?


Thanks.

 

[30907]

Uelzen for the station presumably?

Bremen is worth a visit, so are Lüneburg and Celle, but you don't want to miss Buchholz-soltau by all accounts.

 

[Bletchleyite]

After the success of my last day trips to Germany I have planned another one to Hamburg with my cousin.

We have 12 hours in Hamburg but I'm willing to spend a few hours travelling around lower saxony with a Neidersachsen ticket. Looking for scenic rail trips but it is the wrong part of the country, currently I have come up with Hamburg - Uelzen - Soltau - Hamburg.

I used to enjoy doing that in the days (1990s) when Bremen-Uelzen was operated by a D-Lok with two ancient compartment coaches that were too old to even have UIC autoclosers on the doors. I bet it's some posh DMUs these days. Though the Hundertwasser-Bahnhof at Uelzen is still a lovely curiosity.

Those were the days:

DB 218 183 with an ageing train from Bremen to Uelzen

This appears to be what you get now

Modern DMU, probably a Desiro of some kind on said route

One nice run out from Hamburg is to Schleswig-Holstein rather than south - go for a ride over the Rendsburger Hochbruecke, it puts the Forth Bridge somewhat to shame.

 

[30907]

In terms of railway interest, the Schleswig-Holstein Ticket is worth investigating, even though it's a bit more expensive.
Loco hauled on the Westerland route (you can only photograph the 218-hauled ICs not ride them), with another high-level bridge.
Lake scenery on Kiel-luebeck.
The Vogelfluglinie to Puttgarden.

Hamburg-Husum-Kiel-Luebeck-Puttgarden-Hamburg might work?
But then towns like Friedrichstadt, Flensburg and Schleswig are worth a visit - and obviously Luebeck.

 

[alex17595]

Thanks for the recommendations. I like the idea of doing Hamburg- rendsburg- Kiel - lubeck - Hamburg.

The bridge looks very interesting.

 

[DaiGog]

I would second the suggestion above for Hamburg - Rendsburg - Schleswig - Husum - Hamburg (or vice versa) taking in both of the major bridges over the Kiel Canal - the Rendsburg and Hochdonn bridges. Worth considering if you don;t have time to visit Lübeck or Kiel.

While you cannot use the Westerland ICs with a local Lãnder ticket, there is an hourly diesel-hauled RE service between Westerland and Hamburg Altona, which serves Husum. It's new-ish class 245 diesels, which aren't remotely interesting, but still loco-hauled.

 

[CC 72100]

After the success of my last day trips to Germany I have planned another one to Hamburg with my cousin.

We have 12 hours in Hamburg but I'm willing to spend a few hours travelling around lower saxony with a Neidersachsen ticket. Looking for scenic rail trips but it is the wrong part of the country, currently I have come up with Hamburg - Uelzen - Soltau - Hamburg.

Does anyone have any suggestions for other places?


Thanks.

Here's what I did with a day on the rails in my Hamburg trip 18 months ago - may give some inspiration: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/hamburg-loco-hauled-a-day-exploring-schleswig-holstein.138372/

Also, ensure you got to Miniatur Wunderland if you haven't been before. If you have, go again. Amazing place

 

[alex17595]

Here's what I did with a day on the rails in my Hamburg trip 18 months ago - may give some inspiration: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/hamburg-loco-hauled-a-day-exploring-schleswig-holstein.138372/

Also, ensure you got to Miniatur Wunderland if you haven't been before. If you have, go again. Amazing place

Here's what I did with a day on the rails in my Hamburg trip 18 months ago - may give some inspiration: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/hamburg-loco-hauled-a-day-exploring-schleswig-holstein.138372/

Also, ensure you got to Miniatur Wunderland if you haven't been before. If you have, go again. Amazing place

Thanks for the post, I plan on doing a trip like yours but going up the Rendsburg. I think that would be enough trains for my cousin who isn't really in to travelling around that much. Hopefully there is enough there to keep him entertained as well with some scenery.
Miniatur Wunderland is definitely on the list but not on this trip due to trying to keep the budget down.

What is the scenery like on the Plon line? Google maps is not very helpful without streetview.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Most of northern Germany is as flat as a pancake to be honest...you need man-made items of interest (like the Hochbruecke) really.

 

[alex17595]

It's a pain to find either flights that allow for a long day trip or getting time off work, so I have to make do with what I can. I have found some decent flight times to Stuttgart though, so that may be next later in the year.

I love bridges so any interesting ones are welcome, I also plan on a trip down the old elbe tunnel.

 

[CC 72100]

Thanks for the post, I plan on doing a trip like yours but going up the Rendsburg. I think that would be enough trains for my cousin who isn't really in to travelling around that much. Hopefully there is enough there to keep him entertained as well with some scenery.
Miniatur Wunderland is definitely on the list but not on this trip due to trying to keep the budget down.

What is the scenery like on the Plon line? Google maps is not very helpful without streetview.

The Plon line was relatively scenic - more so than Lubeck or Kiel to Hamburg but only relatively keeping in mind Bletchleyite's comments on Northern Germany. The lake bit was nice.

MW is around 12 euros per person I think; I was in the for 4 hours, could have easily spent longer. The closer you look, the more you see and the richer the experience is. Fascinating place.

 

[superalbs]

Modern DMU, probably a Desiro of some kind on said route

Alstom Coradia LINT