Northern Germany itinerary assistance

Bremen is an excellent day trip from Hamburg. It is absolutely lovely and definitely worth a trip, but it can be comfortably seen in a day. Schwerin is much smaller, and worth it if you have the time, but it is my lowest ranked of the three. I have a soft spot for Bremen over Lübeck, but most people would disagree with me; both have a ton to offer as great day trips. Hamburg itself is amazing, as is Copenhagen, so there is no wrong answer here. I can't give you as much detail on things worth seeing and doing in Copenhagen.

Depending on how much walking you want to do, you can see a ton in Hamburg in one or two days. You can really hit the highlights in two if you aren't doing a ton of museums or extras. I can give more details depending on your interests.

The other question is whether you want to see any of the countryside / smaller towns or if you are wanting to stick to cities.

The more I know, the better I can do at being specific and helping you set up an itinerary. Are you WWII buffs? Architecture or city planning? Quaint old streets? Walking along a dike in a sea breeze? I haven't looked yet at any events or anything, either, but I am confident I can set you up with more detailed itinerary suggestions once I know more of what your "dream trip" would be. Anything you send--photos, text, previous experiences--can be helpful.

Is there some reason you want to drive to Hamburg from Copenhagen? It's much easier to take the train and you won't have to deal with ferry crossings, which can add a lot of time to your drive. I enjoyed taking the train to and from Copenhagen and Hamburg, and found it very pleasant and so much easier (and cheaper) than driving. If you want the car for your day trips in Hamburg, just wait till you get there to rent one, then turn it in before you head back to Copenhagen.

I have visited those areas you are considering on a similar trip last year and a previous trip around 2018 or so.

There is a lot to see in Hamburg depending on interests. The Miniature Wonderland train is incredible - last trip, 2nd visit, we spent between 3 - 4 hours (probably more than most...), art museums, Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe, Maritime Museum. I was somewhat disappointed in the Balinstadt Immigration museum - the historical areas were fine, the exhibits on immigration worldwide were more for students (IMHO). Hamuburg has very interesting areas to walk - old dockyards, central city, Elbephilharmonie etc. I still haven't managed a river cruise despite spending multiple days on several trips. I'm just giving you a sense of what HolwlinMad suggests about Hamburg's offerings - trust the info in that post, always good advice.

We stayed at the Radisson Blu last summer in Hamburg - probably not an RS choice, but my kind of pick coming off years of business travel. Very comfortable, close to in-town transport and the botanic gardens, walkable to many other areas of Hamburg.

We visited Bremen as a day trip from Hamburg last summer. Cute areas like Schnoor, but Bremen can't hold a candle to Lubeck - in my opinion, of course. Personal preferences - we spent 3 nights in Lubeck back pre-covid trip using it as a base to see Schwerin.

Schwerin - I preferred to Bremen. Loved the castle, art museum was open then - I'm not checking now, but it may be closed still for renovations that were going on earlier in the year (or last year). Historic city center.

As regards those three towns - Bremen, Lubeck, Schwerin - I really think you can't go wrong with any choice. Everyone will have a favorite, but they are all delightful.

Re the car vs train - We had a car out of Hamburg to drive to Lubeck and Schwerin (pre-covid trip). Last summer, no car but trained to Bremen from Hamburg for the day trip, many trains, easy day. I'm thinking you might want to train from Copenhagen to Hamburg and pick up a car for your time there and the day trips. I looked into this a bit last summer - renting in Denmark vs German was more expensive. I don't know know if that is always the case or just what I found at the time.

One more thought that probably isn't helpful - but another option. Copenhagen - Odense - Hamburg. They are on one train line. Odense has all the Hans Christian Andersen sites and a compact historic center city. The HC Andersen Museum itself gets mixed reviews - we actually passed it up last summer, but we enjoyed the town center, Funen Village living history site, and the city museum. I should probably also indicate that my travel companion and I are museum buffs, not everyone is.

As far as laying out the itinerary, I again think you can't lose. There is so much to see in Copenhagen or in Hamburg with day trips that it may work best just to lay out your sightseeing preferences and see where the 4 vs 5 nights land you.

First of all thank you so much for all your answers. I am very excited to see this part of Germany. I just learned some information on the tripadvisor site concerning train versus car. "And while I'm usually all for going by train a car would actually make more sense on this occasion! The train now takes a huge detour, since they stopped the direct route via Puttgarden. By car it's a quick run down to Rødby, a short ferry crossing to Puttgarden and then just 90 minutes to Hamburg."

HowlinMad, both couples enjoy walking tours to learn about the history of the area. We are very interested in WWII history and spent four full days in Normandy last November. We are less Art people and museums but will absolutely see the minature city/train. That will be very interesting for all of us. Canal tours, castles, local flavor, learning what makes the region we are visiting unique, food, place in history all are very applealing. We love walking and exploring and can put in very full days. My friend's mother was born in Danzig when it was in Germany and was a German war bride, she does speak a little German. Based on my readings and your comments think we will drop Bremen and concentrate on Hamburg for two full days and another full day in Lubeck and Schwerin. If we do end up driving we might be able to hit Schwerin and the castle on the drive in or drive back which would free up time to see another town. In my opinion about an hour and a half each way is very doable for a day trip. Again thank you all so much, you are helping me tremendously and I am very appreciative.

I agree that renting a car in Copenhagen to drive to Hamburg sounds a bit odd, the train is in my opinion a much better option. It will save you both time and money, especially since you won't have to pay for a car to sit and gather dust in a parking lot in Hamburg.

If you should spend 4 days in Hamburg and 5 in Copenhagen or v.v. is a great question, and there is really no right or wrong answer. You'll be happy no matter what you go for. Just don't plan too many day trips, you'll wan't some time to explore Hamburg as well.

I just learned some information on the tripadvisor site concerning
train versus car. "And while I'm usually all for going by train a car
would actually make more sense on this occasion! The train now takes a
huge detour, since they stopped the direct route via Puttgarden. By
car it's a quick run down to Rødby, a short ferry crossing to
Puttgarden and then just 90 minutes to Hamburg."

I strongly disagree with that comment. Yes, it's true that the train now does a detour via Jutland. It used to go the direct way via the Puttgarden-Rødby ferry, but a tunnel is currently being built to replace the ferries and at the same time the rail lines on both sides are being upgraded, so the easiest way was to reroute the train. But it's still faster than driving. 90 minutes from Puttgarden to Hamburg sounds very optimistic.

Now I am even more confused. I guess I would have to price out each leg of the train travel since there are 4 of us. It means 4 round trips from Copenhagen to Hamburg and then four round trips from Hamburg to Schwerin and Lubeck. Per couple contribution for the car rental is around 220 Euros but having flexibility and not basing our travel around train teams seems to warrant some slight additional funds spent. I need to do some more homework on the train schedule and weigh out options.

With WWII interests, if you have time and are close enough, I can highly recommend the Laboe Naval Memorial near Kiel. Very, very moving. There is also a submarine on the site that can be visited. This article states things pretty well (IMHO): https://no-frills-sailing.com/kiel-laboe-war-memorial-u995/ the official website has opening info: https://deutscher-marinebund.de/marine-ehrenmal-u-995/preise-oeffnungszeiten/ The drive to the site and parking is easy.

Too much to see! Again, I think you can't go wrong with what you are considering.

Buy the Miniature Wonderland tickets in advance!!!!! They sell out, especially the more popular times.

I'm very confused by the TA info posted above. I am finding direct Copenhagen to Hamburg trains, no ferry required. Did I miss something??? No time to check - I'm late for an appointment!

Per couple contribution for the car rental is around 220 Euros but having flexibility and not basing our travel around train teams seems to warrant some slight additional funds spent.

Well, the day outings you propose from Hamburg would be very cheap AND flexible by train - there are day passes for small travel groups like yours that offer multiple, unscheduled, hop-off, hop-on train journeys to the tune of €50 or less for 4 adults to Bremen, Lübeck and Schwerin - and back, of course.

But this late in the train-fare game you will probably be up against some stiff fares for your two longer train trips... Copenhagen > Hamburg > Copenhagen.

I have driven a lot in Europe, but I hate it. Just a lot of work, responsibility, stress. Hopefully your driver will enjoy it.

If you now are skipping Bremen, you should stay in Lübeck instead. It's a pretty nice town. A day trip from Lübeck to Schwerin or to Hamburg will be very short, whether by train or by car. I'd much prefer taking the train into Hamburg, even if I had to drive. Lübeck will also be more forgiving than Hamburg if you are driving. And I am not sure but I think Lübeck might be closer to Copenhagen as well.

I don't mind driving here, but of course I am used to it.

It seems like this is another situation where there probably is no wrong decision; price, personal comfort, and, flexibility can all play a role, and the drive is not particularly difficult. You come through Lübeck so you could potentially drive there, spay the one night, then come on to Hamburg, though I would say that if you stay in Lübeck and only do a day trip or two to Hamburg, you do Hamburg more than a disservice.

For Schwerin, you can do it as a full day, but you could also combine it with Wismar if you are particularly ambitious. But I wouldn't. I would say it is a relaxing day to see a beautiful old town and a stunning castle and grounds. And if you want to see a bit more, stop along the Schaalsee (Pauls Hofküche in Zarrentin is good), which is at the edge of a UNESCO biosphere. You'll have seen a lot (also just on the drive there!) and not felt rushed.

For Hamburg, first things first: You will want a reservation at Miniatur Wunderland--book that ASAP. The dates of your trip are already tight. Getting the first thing in the morning tickets is the best option. It's less crowded for the start of your visit.

Brunch in the Coffee Roastery is a great option. It's a bit pricey, but the food is great and the coffee amazing! And it isn't insanely expensive.

Then walk across the bridges through the Speicherstadt to the Traditionsschiffhafen Sandtorkai. Enjoy the small pier with unusual ships and be sure to check out the brick work--the fish in the wall opposite the Sandtorkai, the tops of the houses along the Speicherstadt--the brickwork is really what makes the Speicherstadt special. From there, you're pretty much at the Elphi. Grab a ticket, go up to the viewing platform, and see Hamburg from above. Then grab the ferry #72 to Landungsbrücken, the landing bridges. The far end of the Landungsbrücken (LB) is the starting point for the Maritime Circle Line harbor tour. This tour is German and English, and it will take you into the harbor pas the big container ships (complete with explanation), to the Ballinnstadt museum, (I would skip this unless you have a family interest or tons of time--it's great, but not an absolute must), the Maritime museum (again, I would skip it--I absolutely loved it, but your time is too short), and back to LB. It is a hop-on, hop-off, so that is an option if you have other thoughts. Back at LB, you are pretty much at the Alter Elbtunnel, so go down and look at the tunnel, taking the car elevator back up. It's a quick thing and you'll be glad you bothered.

From here I have two recommendations, and of course it will depend on how you are feeling. The first and probably what I would recommend is to continue along the waterfront past the UBoat Musuem (Soviet post WWII submarine--fun, quick, but probably too much) to the Fischmarkt. This takes you past Park Fiction (on the other side of the road you are following) and its hippie / leftist culture. Überquell Brewery there is a great place for a beer and a meal or just a beer. You could also continue and eat at the square at the Fischmarkt if you haven't eaten already. Or if you are up for walking just a bit further (a few hundred meters), you end up at the Altonaer Fischmarkt, where you can eat at a number of great seafood places. We love Rive for its Jewels of the Sea seafood platter for two, but I can also recommend Henssler Henssler, am kai, and Fischereihafen. All four are Michelin listed ("good cooking"), but there are also other great seafood places in that area, including Asian fusion.

My other option in the next post.

Option 2 is to go back up the Landungsbrücken and towards the Swedish church. Then walk along the Portuguese Quarter, maybe stopping to eat tapas--any place that looks good works--towards the rest of the Scandinavian churches. Each one has a little market of food from their country and is a proper functioning church with services in that language. You wind up on the Michelwiese, where you walk past the recreation of the Easter Island statues (it looks real, but it isn't) up to the Michel (church St. Michaelis). Duck in here, then come around the back of the church and into the little alley--easy to miss! at the Krameramtstuben. You can duck into the little museum and see how the widows lived, and the architecture here is stunning (be sure to check out the chimneys!). Eat at the Restaurant Krameramtstuben for both the neat view and the very much traditional Hamburg food. Or cross the main road and end up at Großneumarkt, a very pretty square where you can eat Italian, Bavarian, Burgers, or an Irish pub among other things. On this square is the easy-to-miss Pelikan Apotheke, in operation since 1696 and with beautiful architecture (even stained glass) and is worth popping inside. Lots of Stumbling Stones on this square. This would be a full day as well.

Obviously you will not do all of these things in one day, so I will simply keep the walking tour going. A look at Google Maps will give you an idea of how much walking it is, where things are, and where you might want to stay. A location I particularly like is Steinberger Hotel, a very short walk from the aforementioned Großneumarkt. I can't speak to the hotel, but the location is great.

From Großneumarkt, you can walk past the hotel I mentioned (food options on the little square below), through more modern areas to the Hauptkirche St. Nikolai. This is a MUST for your interests. It is the ruin of a Gothic church, bombed out during WWII (after first being heavily damaged in the Great Fire of 1842 and then rebuilt). The tower stands (you can go to the top) and inside the open footprint of the ruins are memorials to WWII. Underneath is a museum about both the horrors of Operation Gomorrah and of course why it happened--a memorial to the victims of German aggression. A fantastic little museum underneath this urban ruin might suit your interests. Cross the main road and stay right, and you are at the Deichstraße, a cobbled street. It is where the 1842 fire started, but much of the old architecture survived. Squeeze in between the buildings and walk down onto the little dock to see the Nikolaifleet and the houses from the water. Note how they lean and are propped up. The end of the Deichstraße pops you out back by Miniatur Wunderland, so you would have completed a circle. Again, use Google Maps to determine which routes from the tour I am suggesting works best for you and your pace, your hotel, etc.

From the back of the Nikolai church, you angle across the Trostbrücke bridge (look up at the poodle on the house to your right) and then past the Old Rathaus. You wind up at the back side of Hamburg's impressive city hall (Rathaus). Definitely read up on these sites in advance as there is little information and they are great but frequently missed! Read up on our Rathaus as well as it is REALLY impressive, and see if there are any exhibitions in the entrance. There are frequently demonstrations here--sometimes 15 people, sometimes 15,000 (you'd know about these!), so don't be surprised to see some sort of local protest.

Facing the Rathaus you look to your right and see the Alster. I will start here on the next post.

Okay, you're looking at the Alster and you see the Colonnades. As you cross the little bridge, you might note the fish ladder and the swans. It is an archaic law that it is illegal to insult or harass the swans, so no name calling! Coming through the columns you are in the main shopping and modern district of Hamburg and on the Binnenalster. The Alster is actually a small river that flows into the Elbe. It was dammed hundreds of years ago to create a mill pond and is now a massive lake with locks that control the flow into the Elbe. The inner Alster is just a lake in the center of a shopping area, but the outer Alster (Außenalster) across the bridge is surrounded by green, great for jogging and recreating, full of sailboats and canoes and so on. To enjoy it as a local (if you have the time, but you probably don't), take the U Bahn to Klosterstern and walk over to Bobby Reich, where you can rent canoes or paddleboats and see the backyards of the wealthy by being on the Alster. A lovely way to spend a summer afternoon if you have the time. Food options are all around.

More likely your speed is to head from the Jungfernstieg / Binnenalster / Rathaus by train to St. Pauli. You have two options here, and I suggest the second for your group. The first option is to walk along the Reeperbahn. Yes, it is red light, but it is also dance club, food, comedy club, and musical / theater district (lots of small theatres like the Schmidts Tivoli). Hamburg is a huge theater and musical city, so catching a musical might be your speed. You can get anything from well-known stories (The Lion King sells out almost every performance for years and years) at large theatres to local, two-man shows in cosy little theatres. I have enjoyed all kinds, but of course I speak German. The ever-popular Heiße Ecke is my favorite, very local, about life on the Reeperbahn. But I digress. Walk down the Reeperbahn. On the left side are the theatres, then the Davidwache (the big police station with the smallest jurisdiction in Germany) past the Hans-Albers-Platz to the Reeperbahn station. On the right are sports pubs, clubs, and eventually some interesting historic sites. Peppered along both sides are tourist tschotchkis and sex shops and industry-adjacent buildings. ;)

The right side takes you to the Nobistor (an easy to miss streetlight pole outside a sex shop marks the spot) where the city of Hamburg once had its boundary ("Tor" means gate). Why does this matter? Religious freedom! Hamburg was Protestant, but the neighbouring Duchy of Holstein had religious freedom. Just a few steps past this streetlight is the Beatles Platz. From there you can turn right onto the Große Freiheit (Great Freedom Street). At first glance, freedom might refer to sexual freedom. But it actually refers to religious freedom. Altona (now part of Hamburg, but formerly part of the Duchy of Holstein) allowed Catholicism, so if you walk past the clubs (including the iconic number 36, where the Beatles got their start), you come to a catholic church. You can imagine why there was a church right on the border of a city where only Lutherans were allowed to practice. From the Beatles Platz you can either hop in the SBahn or walk down the hill to the aforementioned Fischautionshalle. From the slightly further down Altonaer Fischmarkt (with the good seafood), you can walk up the stairs to the park Altonaer Balkon, which offers amazing views of the river all the way to the Airbus facility / airport across the river. They offer tours, but I would skip it.

Dang, this post length limit is really limiting me! On to the next post!

But this late in the train-fare game you will probably be up against
some stiff fares for your two longer train trips... Copenhagen >
Hamburg > Copenhagen.

Looking at bahn.de there are still tickets available for €40-45 most days in late August.

I guess Heather is somehow confused now?

The reason why I did not post something is that I still do not know any interests of the traveler(s).

Some good advices already given, some others on the way between Copenhagen and Hamburg (by car) I would have on top but why the effort without knowing interests?

I fully respect the involvement and passion of HowlinMad to make Hamburg an interesting place but I am not sure that some of the places will be seen as attractions by all kind of travelers. And I like Hamburg.

Since Schwerin was mentioned a few times by Heather: I like to strengthen that it is a great place. The castle gets some fascade "polishing" currently to be in best shape for national anniversary celebration on Oct 3rd which will happen in Schwerin. A walk from main station south around Pfaffenteich to Schelfmarkt is a good start - do a phote with sculpture Schirmkinder near the lake. From Schelfmarkt a walk to the dome will give some lovely impressions of old town parts. Lunch at restaurant Lukas on the way from dome via impressive Marstal to Schwerin castle is a really delicious experience. Back with the bus or a taxi, getting a good coffee and a sweet something at bakery Junge at main station and a happy day is done.

Option 2 from St. Pauli, the one I said you might prefer, is to walk through the park. It may look like an average park, but look closely. Parts of it are raised. The park is called Wallanlagen because the Wall was the berm on which the city defenses were built. Historic maps of Hamburg show these outlines. You come past a justice building (little information placards are worth a quick read) and even a jail (you'd hardly know it) before ending up at Planten un Blomen, with its botanical garden, Japanese garden, amazing playgrounds, and beautiful flowers. You can either come out at Dammtor or at the TV Tower (this route takes you through lovely flower gardens). Dammtor is a great place to catch a train to any number of places.

The TV tower is closed, but cross the main road and come through the Schanzenpark into the Sternschanze neighborhood. This is a leftist / hipster / radicals / brunch crowd neighborhood. Right at the Sternschanze station is the Ratsherrn Brewery (offers a tour), but walk down Susannestraße to the Rote Flora, once a theater and now a leftist commune thanks to squatters rights. Great food options in the whole area--not fine dining style, but eclectic and varied and plentiful. Keep in mind that Altona and Hamburg have alwas been fairly progressive areas, and this part of our culture is not traditional German a la Rick Steves sites, but very much part of our local fabric. We are a highly political city, taking great pride in our activism. This is reflected in the colourful graffiti of neighborhoods like Sternschanze rather than the old buildings. From the Rote Flora you can backtrack to the train or walk down the Schulterblatt back to the Pferdemarkt and turn left past the WWII Bunker (also called the Green Bunker, very interesting history). This area is the Karolinenviertel, with great food options and the Russian Orthodox church. They will be taking down the Dom (carnival) on the big Heiligengeistfeld when you are there, so nothing exciting there I think. Cross over the bridge over the previously mentioned Wallanlagen and past the Laeiszhalle, a pretty concert hall. On the right side of the road is the Gängeviertel, a super small remainder of a former working district. Now hipster, student, tiny, and eclectic, these little alleys are tucked into the modern areas. Pop through and you come out at Gänsemarkt, not far from the Binnenalster and Jungfernstieg.

Okay, pretty much everything I have described so far has U- and S-Bahn stations peppered throughout. If at any point you get tired, you are never more than a few blocks from a train station.

Now for the parts that are only reached by the trains:
Blankenese Treppenviertel: Train to Blankenese, walk a few blocks (there are signs) and you come to the top of the Treppenviertel, a little hillside neighborhood of old reed-roofed homes with only cobbled walkways and stairways for streets. Unaffordable for most of us, but you get an almost Mediterranean feel even as it is traditional north German as you head down the hill toward the beach along the Elbe. At low tide there are shipwrecks to which you can wade out. There are buses in that area as well.

Museumshafen Övelgönne: Reached best by bus or, better yet, by ferry from Landungsbrücken. Little Museum harbor below the Altonaer Balkon.

Hagenbeck's Tierpark: One of the first zoos to develop natural looking environments for the animals, a leader in animal research, and while spendy, a really top notch zoo. You can even feed the elephants. Has its own UBahn station.

For Hamburg I like to add one very special event at travel dates of Heather:
Rathausmarkt (classic) Open Air on Aug 31st.

I could go on and on, but that will easily fill your time. In the Speicherstadt, be sure to get photos of the iconic Wasserschloss. For a beach bar, maybe check out Strand Pauli. Between Großneumarkt and the Wallanlagen park is the Composers Quarter. For a trip to a nearby village, check out Glückstadt, once seat of the aforementioned Duchy of Holstein. A bit easier of a trip closer in is the immediate suburb (directly on the S-Bahn) of Wedel, a very pretty old town. For a place to picnic and enjoy sand dunes in the city, try the Boberger Düne or, with a car, the Holmer Sandberge just outside of town or maybe Schloss Ahrensburg is your speed. I really could just keep going.

A group day ticket for public transport (which includes the ferries, U- and S-Bahn, and HVV buses) is about 13 Euros, so getting around is easy. Everything is close and walkable, something cute or interesting is everywhere, and while it is not a traditional European city with a main square like Brussels or with lots of historic buildings, it is a really interesting city.

A quick timeline of history of which you might see traces:
--ca. 800: The Hammaburg, a small trading village, was founded on the confluence of Elbe and Alster.
--ca. 845: The Hammaburg was sacked by Vikings, and the Bishop Ansgar fled to Bremen. "Hamburg" was rebuilt.
--May 1149: The city receives its Freibrief, the letter from Friedrich Barbarossa, entitling it to special tax-exempt status and making it a wealthy city. It is speculated that this letter was a forgery created by Hamburg merchants, but the rights and privileges it contained allowed Hamburg to thrive.
--Middle Ages--the Hanseatic league was founded and Hamburg quickly joined and became a major player.
--1401: the pirate Klaus Störtebeker was captured and beheaded in Hamburg. The legends around this guy are pretty epic, and his ghost still haunts the city. Worth reading up on. Also, drink a Störtebeker beer while in town!
--Early 1600s--The Wallanlagen and defenses designed by Valckenburgh are built. Names around town reflect this history (--tor and --wall are common names--Dammtor, Steintor, Gorch-Fock-Wall)
--1842: A fire destroys most of central Hamburg. Hamburg was rebuilt.
--1943: Operation Gomorrah destroys much of Hamburg. Hamburg was rebuilt.
--1962: The dikes break, and the flooding south of the Elbe kills hundreds and destroys large portions of the city. Hamburg was rebuilt.

You can see signs of Hamburg's Hanseatic / free trade past, statues of Bishop Ansgar, signs of destruction and rebuilding through eclectic architectural mixes, and constant elements of progressive or radical thinking around every corner of Hamburg. You just have to understand what you are seeing.

HowlinMad, I do not know what to say other than WOW!! And a huge thank you. You are unbelievable to take the time to do this for me, much gratitude. Your enthusiasm for Hamburg convinced me that it was a must not miss. I think I am more excited to experience Germany than Denmark thanks to all of you.

MarkK Yes I am confused but in a very good way. Thank you so much for the open air concert info sounds beautiful and I would never have known about it.

Here is what I have decided so far based on all your input. I cut back our days in Copenhagen to 4 nights to add the extra night in Germany. Will rent a car when leaving Copenhagen and drive to Hamburg via the ferry. As we are literally driving through Lubeck on our way to Copenhagen decided to do a one night stop at the Radisson Blu (hate to do one night at hotel) but makes sense to me in this case as depending on when we actually arrive in Lubeck can enjoy the town, see some sights and then finish off the next day and head to Hamburg for our check in at the Hotel St Annen. That gives us some time on Wednesday and Thursday/Friday to enjoy Hamburg. Saturday in Schwerin and since we are typically ambitious the other town that was mentioned to do in tandem that is escaping me. Sunday is our departure day but can meander back to Copenhagen. The only time we will have to deal with Hamburg traffic is if we drive to Schwerin but might just take the train as suggested for the day trip. The r/t train per person was almost $100 and our car rental will be less than $400. I do realize there will be a ferry fee but like the convenience of the car if needed and since cost a wash. My friend ( the driver) is very comfortable driving in Europe and has lots of experience. Obviously I have to fill in the days but what do you think of timeline and choices?

If you are departing on Sunday and maybe make Schwerin an easy day and skip Wismar (save it for next time!), you can consider going to the Fischmarkt on Sunday morning. The bars and clubs of the Reeperbahn close at 5 am, so the young partiers all head down the hill to the Fischauktionshalle. Outside the hall, a fish and flower and other things market sells to locals. Inside, live rock music and beer accompany the eggs and bacon. The market opens at 5, and if you go at 6 you will see bachelorettes with their crews still dancing, partiers falling asleep in their eggs, and early birds getting good deals at the market. It is an absolute MUST if you are in Hamburg on a Sunday in the summer.

The r/t train per person was almost $100 and our car rental will be
less than $400. I do realize there will be a ferry fee but like the
convenience of the car if needed and since cost a wash.

Just keep in mind that apart from the rental cost and ferry (around €50 one way) you also need to include the cost of fuel and parking in the budget.

Heather - since Copenhagen has been somewhat "shorted" with suggestions for you, I will give just one in town and one day trip idea. Since you mentioned WWII interests, you might all find the Danish Resistance Museum worth your time. It gives the stories of several real people with different experiences of the time as you walk through exhibits and timelines. I found it incredibly moving. Any of the guidebooks for Copenhagen will give you great suggestions for the rest of the city. (RS promotes Christiania which I found a depressing throwback to the dream of the best of Hippie thought from the 1960's. I know others that agree with me, but to each his own decision making.)

My favorite day trip last summer (not my first visit to Copenhagen) was to Helsingnor - a lot of options there: the castle, interesting historic city center, Maritime Museum which was a surprise hit for me, ferry to Helsingborg, Sweden. The latter is a 20 or so minute ferry, we walked around the central part of town for maybe an hour and returned. Pleasant time. Bring passport if you go - they checked everyone's before allowing us into Sweden in July 2023. Not sure if that has changed.

If you are wondering if the Copenhagen canal trips are worthwhile - I had avoided them thinking they would be "tourist trap-py" until last summer. We really enjoyed the outing! There are a couple companies with similar routes.

HowlinMad - thank you!! I have had several visits of multiple days to Hamburg, but you gave me new ideas. I'll keep your post for future reference!!!

I should add that I in no way mean to shortchange Copenhagen. I have been and loved it! I just don't know it as well and certainly have my biases. And as I said, there is very rarely a "wrong" answer. You can make choice A or B, and both are right most of the time. The few truly wrong choices tend to be the ones with the funny stories.

Bring passport if you go - they checked everyone's before allowing us
into Sweden in July 2023. Not sure if that has changed.

It doesn't matter if it has changed or not, you need to have a passport when you're crossing an international border!!!

Completely forgot to mention: In Planten un Blomen park at 10pm the fountains to a light-and-music show (Wasserlichtkonzerte) that is completely free. If you're up for staying up late, this is a nice way to spend a summer evening.

Hello Everyone,

Thanks to everyone's ideas I have finalized our travel plans. We will have 4 full days in Copenhagen and then driving to Lubeck via the ferry, will just stay one night as we are literally driving by it. Will continue onto Hamburg where we are staying in the St. Pauli district at the Hotel St. Annen. We can buy the Hamburg City Card for a group of 4 that gives us free transporation throughout the city. We will have two and 1/2 days for Hamburg alone and a third day for Schwerin. Our city card might give us free train transport as well but debating whether to take our rental car and then include Wismar. Any thoughts on train vs driving. I know there were some earlier recommendations for restaurants and bakery in town but if anyone has any other "must dos" in Schwerin would love to hear them.