🇩🇪 Same-country drive · Germany
Driving from Berlin to Hamburg
Drive from Berlin to Hamburg via the A10 and A24 motorways. Get tips on speed limits, rest stops, and the quickest way to reach Germany's northern port city.
- Drive time
- 2h 57m
- Distance
- 288 km
- Same day?
- Yes, half day
- under 4 h
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €45
- petrol · diesel ≈ €36
- Tolls
- Toll-free
- no charges en route
- EV charging
- Unknown
- not yet surveyed
On this page
Route map
Route options
Other paths OSRM found between the two cities — handy when traffic, tolls, or scenery matter more than raw speed.
Avoids motorways
+2h 6m- Distance:
- 288 km (+0 km)
- Duration:
- 5h 3m
Via: B 5 · B 2; B 5 · L 072
How else can you make this trip?
Driving is the focus of this guide; here's how cycling, coach, and (soon) train and plane stack up for the same pair.
What the drive is like
Drafted from the route's computed data on April 24, 2026 and reviewed against the route summary card. Read our methodology.
You'll pick up the A114 autobahn heading north out of Berlin, quickly merging onto the Berliner Ring, the A10 orbital motorway. Stick with the A10 heading west for about 30 kilometers before taking the junction for the A24 autobahn towards Hamburg. This is your main artery for the rest of the journey. The A24 is a well-maintained autobahn with variable speed limits, so pay attention to the signs, especially as you approach built-up areas. The road is generally flat and straight, cutting through the Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern countryside.
Expect few significant towns directly on the route once you're on the A24, meaning fewer immediate slowdowns. However, there are ample Raststätten (service areas) equipped with fuel stations, restrooms, and places to grab a quick bite. These are good spots to stretch your legs and break up the drive. Remember that while the autobahn is generally free of charge for passenger cars in Germany, you'll need to be mindful of the 0.3% average CO2 emissions tax on fuel prices, which can vary slightly across the country.
As you get closer to Hamburg, the traffic volume will naturally increase. Keep an eye out for the signs directing you into the city, which can be a bit complex. The A24 eventually feeds into other autobahns and city expressways that will lead you into the heart of Hamburg. Plan your final approach based on your specific destination within the city to avoid unnecessary urban traffic jams. This is a straightforward, efficient drive, largely on autobahns designed for high-speed transit.
Route highlights
- A114 entry from Berlin
- The Berliner Ring (A10) orbital
- Transition to the A24 autobahn
- Brandenburg and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern countryside
- Numerous Raststätten for breaks
- Approaching Hamburg's urban sprawl
Trip plan
How to think about the drive: one day, split, or overnight.
Easy one-day drive
Comfortable as a single day for one driver. Leave after breakfast, arrive with time to settle in.
- Distance:
- 288 km
- Duration:
- 2h 57m (free-flow, no traffic)
Where to stop
Places along the route that make natural breaks for coffee, lunch, or a night.
-
Wittstock 🇩🇪 de
≈96 km≈ 16 km detour from the main route
-
Ludwigslust 🇩🇪 de
≈192 km≈ 18.9 km detour from the main route
Must-know before you go
The things a driver from another country wouldn't think to ask about — fines, stickers, payment cards, opening hours.
City access & emission zones
Berlin Umweltzone covers everything inside the S-Bahn ring
Must knowBerlin
Green sticker required, no exceptions. The zone runs 24/7. Old diesels (Euro 4 and below) are banned outright. Foreign plates can order the sticker online at umwelt-plakette.de — about €13 plus shipping. Allow 7–10 days. Without it you're looking at a €100 fine even for parked cars.
Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart need a green Umweltplakette
Must knowGermany's low-emission zones (Umweltzone) are simpler than the French system but stricter on entry. You need a colour-coded sticker physically on your windscreen before entering. The vast majority of zones today require a green sticker (Euro 4+ petrol, Euro 6+ diesel). Order via TÜV / DEKRA / certified workshops — about €6–13, ships in days. Driving without one costs €100 even if your car would qualify.
Two streets in Altona ban older diesels — Max-Brauer-Allee and Stresemannstrasse
Must knowHamburg
Hamburg doesn't run a citywide LEZ but has Germany's only **street-level** diesel ban: Max-Brauer-Allee (Euro 6 only) and Stresemannstrasse (trucks Euro 6+ only) since 2018. Cameras enforce both. Sat-nav usually routes around them automatically; check your route if you've set "shortest" mode.
What your car must carry
Triangle, first-aid kit, hi-vis vest — all three
Must knowGermany requires a warning triangle, a first-aid kit (compliant with DIN 13164, with a "use by" date — €10 at any pharmacy), and a reflective vest in every passenger car. Roadside checks do happen at borders. The first-aid kit is the one foreign drivers most commonly miss.
Driving rules & habits
Left lane is for overtaking only — return immediately
UsefulOn unrestricted Autobahn sections (where you'll see no speed-limit-end signs), faster cars expect to use the left lane unobstructed. Drift into it without checking the mirror and a 911 closing at 250 km/h becomes your problem. Indicate, overtake, return right — every time. Slowing in the left lane to "make space" is more dangerous than predictable speed.
Phone-mounted radar warnings are illegal
UsefulActive radar-detector apps (and the "police nearby" feature on Waze / Google Maps) are technically banned in Germany — fines hit €75. Most drivers leave them on without consequence, but if you're stopped for any reason, the officer can ask to see your phone. Switch the warning layer off when crossing into DE if you want to play it strict.
Elbtunnel queue 17:00–19:00 weekdays
UsefulHamburg
The A7 Elbtunnel under the river is the only continuous north-south route through Hamburg. Weekday 17:00–19:00 it backs up to 30 minutes both directions; Sunday evening returning from coastal weekends adds the same. The Köhlbrandbrücke is a 12 km detour but flows reliably.
Fuel stations
Contactless cards work at virtually every motorway pump
TipMajor brand stations (Shell, Total, BP, Repsol, Cepsa, OMV, Eni, Esso) take Visa and Mastercard contactless without an issue. American Express and Diners are spotty south of the Alps. A €100 pre-authorisation hold is normal — it releases within 5 days. Carry €50 cash for the rare independent station.
Money & connectivity
EU roaming covers calls, texts and data at no extra cost
TipYour home EU SIM works at home rates across every EU member, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The "fair use" cap on data only applies if you're abroad more than four months. For a 2-week road trip, just use your phone normally — but switch off "data roaming" if you're leaving the EU into UK / CH for any segment.
Emergency & breakdown
112 works everywhere in the EU and continental neighbours
TipSingle number for police, ambulance, fire — works from any phone, any network, any country. On motorways, the orange SOS pillars every 2km connect direct to the regional traffic control centre and pinpoint your location. Use them over your phone if you can — it speeds the response.
Rules, fees, and thresholds change. Always verify against the official source the day before you drive — this page is a checklist, not a legal reference.
Main roads
The highways this route spends the most kilometres on.
-
A 24 —238 km
-
A 10 —29 km
-
A 114 —8 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Motorway drive — fast, predictable, uneventful.
- Motorway
- 96%
- Secondary
- 0%
- Other / rural
- 4%
Drive difficulty
At-a-glance feel: how demanding is this drive for one driver?
Overall
Easy
Straightforward drive. One driver, one day, little to worry about beyond fuel and a toilet stop.
- No major complicating factors — motorway-heavy, single country, comfortable length.
Fuel & tolls
Rough cost expectation for a typical EU passenger car. Treat as an estimate — pump prices change weekly.
Petrol (RON 95)
≈ €45
21.6 L × €2.06 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €36
17.3 L × €2.09 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €31
50 kWh × €0.62 / kWh · 17.5 kWh/100 km
Public DC fast charging — slower AC charging at home or hotels typically costs about half.
Prices last refreshed 2026-05-04.
Weather by month
Average daytime high / overnight low and typical monthly rainfall, over the past five years.
🇩🇪 Berlin
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
5°
0°
|
7°
0°
|
11°
2°
|
15°
6°
|
20°
10°
|
24°
14°
|
25°
15°
|
25°
15°
|
22°
13°
|
15°
8°
|
8°
3°
|
5°
2°
|
| 69mm | 52mm | 45mm | 36mm | 45mm | 65mm | 112mm | 49mm | 37mm | 65mm | 61mm | 61mm |
hot mild cold
🇩🇪 Hamburg
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
5°
1°
|
7°
2°
|
11°
3°
|
14°
5°
|
19°
10°
|
22°
13°
|
22°
15°
|
23°
14°
|
21°
13°
|
14°
9°
|
8°
4°
|
6°
3°
|
| 92mm | 58mm | 51mm | 64mm | 56mm | 87mm | 128mm | 72mm | 57mm | 118mm | 83mm | 68mm |
hot mild cold
Next 5 days at Hamburg
Live forecast — refreshes every few hours.
-
Sat 16
🌧️
14° / 9°
8.8mm
-
Sun 17
⛅
17° / 8°
—
-
Mon 18
🌧️
18° / 12°
6.9mm
-
Tue 19
⛅
19° / 12°
—
-
Wed 20
🌧️
20° / 14°
3.3mm
Forecast: MET Norway
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 10 manoeuvres
- —
- Prenzlauer Allee 3 km
- Prenzlauer Promenade 3 km
- (A 114) 8 km
- (A 10) 29 km
- (A 24) 63 km
- (A 24) 174 km
- Sievekingsallee
- Adenauerallee
- Rathausmarkt
Cycling from Berlin to Hamburg
Touring-pace bicycle route generated by BRouter, with elevation gain and matched against the EuroVelo cycle network.
- Distance
- 311 km
- vs 288 km driving
- Riding time
- 14h 50m
- Touring pace; experienced riders cut this 20–30%.
- Total climb
- ↑ 304 m
Routed on the BRouter trekking profile — balanced for paved leisure tourers; gravel and fast-bike profiles produce different lines.
On the EuroVelo network
Sections of this route follow signed EuroVelo cycle routes — well-maintained, signposted, and bike-friendly:
- EV13 Iron Curtain Trail · 33.5 km
- EV2 Capitals Route · 5.5 km
- EV7 Sun Route · 2.5 km
Total: 41,0 km on EuroVelo (13% of the route).
Show route on map
By coach from Berlin to Hamburg
Indicative duration of the fastest direct long-distance coach found in the FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus EU schedules.
- Travel time
- 1h 50m
- Direct
- Operator
- FlixBus-eu
- + 1 more
- Departures / day
- ~4
- Approximate based on the published schedule.
All operators on this route
- FlixBus-eu
- FlixTrain-eu
Show coach corridor on map
Schedules sourced from the FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus GTFS feeds via transport.data.gouv.fr. Times are indicative; verify on the operator's site before booking.
Booking link coming soon.
By train from Berlin to Hamburg
Fastest cross-border rail itinerary from the public Transitous planner. Times reflect a typical Monday-morning departure on the next available service-day.
- Fastest journey
- 2h 29m
- 2 changes
- Lead operator
- FlixTrain-de
- + 1 more
- Alternatives
- 5
- Itineraries returned by the planner.
Trains on the fastest itinerary
- FLX10
All operators across alternatives
- FlixTrain-de
- DB Fernverkehr AG
Show route on map
Routing via the public Transitous OTP planner (community-run MOTIS instance). Cached 24 hours; verify on the operator's site before booking.
Frequently asked
Are there tolls on the A10 or A24 between Berlin and Hamburg?
No, passenger cars do not pay tolls on German autobahns like the A10 and A24. Fuel is the primary cost.
What are the typical speed limits on the A24?
While some sections have recommended limits or no limits, always adhere to posted speed limit signs, especially near junctions and service areas. Expect limits around 120-130 km/h in many areas.
Are there many service areas (Raststätten) on this route?
Yes, the A10 and A24 are well-equipped with Raststätten offering fuel, food, and facilities at regular intervals.
Do I need a vignette for this drive?
No, a vignette is only required for motorways in countries like Austria or Switzerland. This route is entirely within Germany.
Can I drive this route with winter tires?
Winter tire mandates in Germany are based on specific weather conditions (ice, snow, slush), not a fixed calendar date. Ensure your tires are appropriate for the season you are driving.
How this page is built
Compiled by COD Solutions Oy from open European data — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for the route geometry, BRouter for the bicycle route, EuroVelo GPX (ODbL) by the European Cyclists' Federation for the cycle-network overlay, Open-Meteo for monthly climate normals, and Google Gemini drafts the narrative and FAQ from the computed route data. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.