Bremen/Hamburg to Copenhagen via Lübeck or Flensburg?

My vote goes for Lübeck - the queen of the German Hanseatic League cities.

There are certainly things to see in both of them, but if there is a choice between the two, Lübeck is the winner without a doubt.

And while you can't travel by train on the ferry, you can do it by bus. Or as a foot passenger. Or if you wait a few years you'll be able to use the tunnel…

Flensburg is a quieter city, with fewer long haul tourists.

It is still a domestic tourist destination, so offerings of sights, restaurants and shopping is not bad at all.

Maybe Flensburg price is more modest.

In terms of international reputation, Lübeck is well ahead.

If you like to learn more about Hanseatic history and Nobel prize laureate, only Lübeck can offer that.

It is more likely you can experience local daily lives in Flensburg.

It was quite remarkable the border dispute between the 2 neighbours were eventually resolved quite peacefully.

https://www.britannica.com/event/Schleswig-Holstein-question

My vote goes for Lübeck - the queen of the German Hanseatic League cities.

We really enjoyed Lubeck in 2018 as part of our Hanseatic themed holiday.

We’re disappointed there is no longer the option to take the train onto the ferry!

We did it in 2018 and it wasn't as exciting as we expected. The way the railway line approached the ferry you couldn't see much and then you were just right next to a giant truck and had to get off the train and go to the passenger lounge. The ferry trip itself was quite nice though.

You can't go wrong with any of these 4 cities. Hamburg is the cultural center of North Germany, the second largest city in Germany.

If you prefer a smaller city, then I heartily recommend Lübeck, which was my first city visited in Germany.

I like Flensburg too, very interesting, was spared the Allied bombing in the war.

My choices here: Lübeck and Flensburg.

I asked my German teacher about Lubeck. Boy, did his eyes light up ! I would go via Lubeck

stephen- : ) what better recommendation than that?!
Thank you everyone!

I will have to look it up, but just a few years ago, I believe we traveled by train from Lubeck to Copenhagen. The entire train went directly onto the ferry, as well as a deck of tractor-trailers and cars. The ferry ride was under two hours. Unlike a similar 1987 trip (maybe that was from Hamburg) where we had to stay in the cars because it was a bare "float" barge, we were ordered to empty the train on the giant steel ferry - maybe to spend money on food, booze, and "duty-free".

Edit: 7 September 2017, DB EC 35 14:06-18:19. 119.80 Euros First Class. Stops: Oldenburg, Puttgarden, Roedby, Nykoebing, Vordingborg, Naestved, Roskilde, Hoeje Taastrup.

We walked to the train station from the Radisson Blu Senator, Lubeck.

I will have to look it up, but just a few years ago, I believe we
traveled by train from Lubeck to Copenhagen. The entire train went
directly onto the ferry, as well as a deck of tractor-trailers and
cars.

That was the case a couple of years ago. But in 2019, the trains between Hamburg and Copenhagen were rerouted via Jutland and Funen to allow for construction of the tunnel and upgrading of the connecting railway lines.

When the tunnel opens, the Copenhagen-Hamburg trains will once again stop in Lübeck.

Yup - I did the train via Jutland and Funen last summer as they do the enormous building project of constructing the tunnel. Quite a feat of engineering !!

I even stopped and spent a couple of nights in Kolding on the way back. I guess that is a good point that once the tunnel gets built, you will no longer be heading that far north to be able to head east.