A couple of weeks ago, I set off on my annual holiday, choosing to spend a week in Hamburg! Originally I thought about going to Frankfurt, but flights were an issue, and so when I changed destination, I said Hamburg, and stayed with it.
I had been to Hamburg (briefly) before, on a cruise, so I sort of knew stuff about it. I didn’t do a lot of research though. I sort of liked the idea of being breezy about it, see what was on offer, and go from there. I had a few ideas of stuff I wanted to try, like:
- Having a ride on the Intercity Express trains,
- Visiting a board game shop (as Germany is the world capital for board gaming),
- Maybe visit a zoo or a theme park.
So I had a few ideas, but made no concrete plans. My focus to begin with was just getting there. Last year I flew on a plane for the first time in my life, on a trip to Rotterdam, so I had some knowledge of the checking-in process, but this time it was still a little stressful, as the flight was at 8am, and I was travelling by myself, unlike last time where my friend Matt came with me.
So I woke up at 4am and reached check-in just after 5am. Thankfully the queue’s were small, so I was through both check-in, and security (despite the fact that they wanted to search my legs) very quickly. After that, a quick browse through Duty Free, breakfast from Burger King, waiting to board, boarding, and flying. Done! An hour and a half-ish later, I landed in Hamburg, immigration was quick, I was one of the first in the queue, baggage collected, and then looked for my transfer, which took me straight to the hotel. So far, pretty plain sailing…and then!
After I arrived at my hotel at midday-ish, I was told I couldn’t check-in to my room, until 3pm. They did allow me to drop off my bags in a very unsecure location, and then I had 3 hours to kill. So I went for a preliminary wander around Hamburg, not sure what to do, or where to go. I just pottered around basically, and got something to eat. But I was knackered, I had been up since 4am, and had to go through airport check-in, security, and make sure I got my flight, and processed being in a different country. I just wanted to rest!
So, I wandered back to the hotel, and at about half 2, I could go into my room, as it was ready, but was also told that the building was also being renovated, so there might be some noise. Within 5 minutes of getting into my room, I had to listen to the deafening sound of someone drilling into the wall…for about 15 minutes!
Eventually it stopped, and I heard no more, but I was frazzled. And then were some issues with the plugs, and only one English speaking TV channel: BBC World News. Not the great positive start I was hoping for. I stayed in the room all evening, watching repeats of things on Prime Video on my phone, before going to sleep. And then in the morning, I discovered how limiting the breakfast options were. Throughout my entire stay there, I ate the same thing in that breakfast room, every morning I visited it. Two slices of Toast, with slices of Salami, and Swiss Cheese (and occasionally, something that looked like cubed Brie).
By this point, I was lost, and alone. I was indeed a Stranger in a Strange Land (just without the comforting sound of an Adrian Smith guitar solo). I had no idea what to do, or where to go. My confidence had taken a big hit, and I almost resigned myself to staying in the hotel all week, as I felt too scared to leave.
The night before, I told my Mam about some of the issues, and she suggested I get a Hamburg Card. A Hamburg card is a travel card, which grants the holder access to all forms of public transport (and could also be used to get discounts on some activities). So the following day, I bought one for the week, and went on my first ride on the Hamburg U-Bahn. For the rest of that day I didn’t really do much. I just went on a general explore, took photographs, walked back and forth down a really long tunnel, and rode the rails.
But, by the end of the day, Hamburg didn’t look so scary. I was no longer afraid to leave the hotel, or take a ride on the trains. I basically went for another potter, and by the end of the day I was feeling a whole lot better, a lot more comfortable with my surroundings, and most importantly; a lot more confident about the rest of my holiday!
Things I Like 
Leave a comment