The first try at the European Entry/Exit System and wandering into Hamburg
TRIP REPORT: More Innovations in Hamburg
Time to enter Europe and Germany and get through the fun that is the European Entry/Exit System. And try to find a way to my hotel for this trip. Of course, the S-Bahn would be running… wouldn’t it?
In this week of passenger experience fun:
- Back to Hamburg Again. And yes, keeping it simple
- To Heathrow Airport with FlixBus and Terminal 5
- British Airways Galleries South, Terminal 5
- BA964 London Heathrow to Hamburg (Club Europe – New Configuration)
- The joy of the European Entry/Exit System and into Hamburg
- The Ibis Budget St Pauli (Refurbished)
- A walk through the Hamburg Dom Fair (Spring Fair)
- What you might have missed from Aircraft Interiors Expo 2026
- Off the Camera Roll – Exploring Hamburg during the quiet moments
- Escape from the Messe and Return to Hamburg Airport
- Hamburg Airport Lounge and European Entry/Exit System queues
- BA969 Hamburg to London Heathrow (Club Europe – Old Configuration)
- A Luggage Mess and a Messier Coach Ride Home
- Continued Innovation
Arriving at Hamburg Airport, I was in the first batch of people to leave the aircraft. That would work to my advantage, as there was paperwork to be done when I approached the border.
Resting Neo Face.
Up we go
Windows 10-based display system… that’s borked. Looks like the welcome app needs a restart…
Following the signs and heading downstairs, I was presented with the European Entry/Exit System registration booths.
Down to immigration
Some people skipped past them – I took the two minutes to register my details. It required:
- A passport scan
- A photo
- Four fingers from the right hand
No further questions were asked by the booth. I would have documented the process – except when I completed it in front of the booth, the software showed off all my identifiable information. I love you all, but there’s some stuff I want to keep to myself.
After all, aren’t we allowed some secrets in this world?
At that point, I proceeded to the immigration line.
Thankfully, it seemed that Hamburg Airport had learned its lesson the day before, with three agents in the non-EU queue, whilst two agents were manning the EU queue (whereas the day before, one agent was meeting a lot of people and processing passengers slowly).
With the EU queue dissipating fast, the agents manning the EU booths started processing the rest of the passengers, making it a total of five minutes to cross the border. Those who didn’t do the booth registration had to do their EES registration at the agent’s booth.
The agent didn’t even bother asking about my intentions. He asked if I was attending the “Aviation Exhibition”. I responded positively, and he stamped my passport, sending me on my way.
So it seems in Hamburg, EES is being layered with traditional passport stamping still.
There’s no escaping these operators’ ATMs. Here is the biggest hint I can give you to save money: Exit into the public area of the airport. There are plenty of lower-cost and bank-operated ATMs around the airport’s public area.
Exiting into the arrivals area, there was a 25-minute wait for my bag to pop out of the aircraft and onto the luggage belt. I wasn’t moaning… To be honest, all I had on my agenda was getting the hotel room and sleeping off a few hours, given I had had a few hours’ sleep the night before.
Java Errors. Delightful
Windows 10 log-on screen.
I used the time effectively whilst waiting for my bags – as I chose to buy a transit ticket on the phone and get a few things set up for the week (such as downloading the HVV app and installing Freenow back on the phone).
There’s a good reason to do this, as the HVV app (the regional transit coordinator in the region) offers a discount when buying tickets through the app as opposed to buying them in person.
7% is7 7% – it adds up during the week.
I skipped the National Train ticket – mainly as I could not extract €53 of value in four days. Looking back, that was a good move – I was mainly buying single tickets (at €3.86) or short hop tickets within the Hamburg inner ring for €1.95 for 90 minutes. That’s a deal I can’t pass up – heck, my local buses are £3 a pop.
Eventually, the suitcase popped out of the luggage chute and worked its way around the belt.
Ok team. Let’s rock
More bags to come
With my bag and me reunited, I proceeded through customs and the exit, following the signs to the S-Bahn and to the city.
Zum Ausgang!
Passing through German customs, there was no one interested in me, so I continued onwards into the public area of the terminal and towards the S-Bahn station.
Thankfully, S-Bahn trains are regular, even on a Sunday from the airport. By the time I had descended downstairs, there was a train departing in three minutes.
No need to stop here, as I had my ticket on my phone.
That was the good news. The bad news? It was going as far as Barmbek – nowhere near the city centre, with a bus replacement to Berliner Tor.
Oh, backside.
The waiting trains.
I did have to move a little, given that now there were two trains at the station; one was about to depart. I boarded the first carriage and found a spot to sit with the bag. From the airport, it’s a short run to Barmbek as the train accelerates out of the station – with a few local stops for good measure.
Wir fahr’n fahr’n fahr’n mit der Bahn…
S-Bahn Seating
Arriving at Barmbek, it’s not the end of the world. Rather than switch to a bus, this station is connected with the U3 Circular Hochbahn line, which drops me across the road and a bit from the hotel.
That would do for the onward shuffle around Hamburg.
Inbound U3 for the city loop (Westbound).
U Bahn interior.
Of course, the U Bahn service was filling up with passengers on its journey, so as it approached Schlump, it was approaching capacity – both seated and standing.
At least I had room to squeeze out of the train at St Pauli station.
Exiting the station, I’m in more than familiar territory. I passed the Spring Dom Fair.
From here, my brain went into autopilot mode, knowing the routes to my lodging for the next four nights – the Ibis Budget St. Pauli.
Next:
The Ibis Budget St. Pauli (Refurbished). Refurbishments can sometimes go one of two ways. Which one did this hotel get?
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