Trains, Bites & Tiny Lights: A Family Rail Adventure to Hamburg

We planned Hamburg as a one-night stopover between Copenhagen and Paris—and it turned into one of our most unexpectedly joyful travel memories. With a scenic ride on Germany’s high-speed ICE trains (run by Deutsche Bahn), a stay directly across from the station at Reichshof Hamburg, and a night immersed in the glowing detail of Miniatur Wunderland, this was a perfectly executed layover turned highlight.

Riding Germany’s high-speed train felt like a rolling restaurant—full table service, wide windows, fries, fizzy apple juice, and train-themed activity kits for the kids.

Our day started aboard a sleek ICE (Intercity-Express) train, Germany’s modern high-speed rail system operated by Deutsche Bahn (DB). Tickets can be purchased through the DB Navigator app, on their website, or through a travel advisor. For families, I highly recommend reserving a four-person table in the Bordrestaurant. You don’t need a special class ticket to dine there—just walk in, sit down, and enjoy full table service from a seasonal menu.

The kids’ meals were surprisingly excellent: generous portions with real plates and silverware, plus a bundled activity kit that included a DB-themed coloring book, high-quality markers and colored pencils, a bar of chocolate, and custom train-themed UNO cards (yes, we kept them). If you’re lucky enough to be seated at the front of the train, there’s even a glass wall into the conductor’s cab, which completely captivated our kids for most of the ride.

After rolling into Hamburg Hauptbahnhof, we simply crossed the street to check into Reichshof Hamburg, a hotel that combines early-20th-century grandeur with modern ease. Our family room had space for everyone (including robe-ready rollaways), and the lobby bar had a touch of old-school Berlin glamour. Best of all, we could walk straight to Speicherstadt and the nearby Miniatur Wunderland.

Reichshof Hamburg’s family room was a dream for a one-night stop: bathrobes, comfy beds, and space to stretch out after the train ride.

Miniatur Wunderland is much more than a model train museum—it’s a multi-story interactive world of glowing cities, moving parts, and obsessive detail. The displays cycle through day and night, so tiny Vegas comes alive with neon, planes take off from a miniature airport, and buttons let kids trigger fire trucks, parades, and rock concerts. There’s even a NASA-style control room that you can view behind glass.

Miniatur Wunderland’s winter wonderland scene was full of glowing ice caves, ski lifts, and surprises hidden in the snow.

A peek behind the scenes: Miniatur Wunderland’s control room operates like a NASA command center. Yes, you can actually watch the staff work!

This experience is easy to build into a broader European rail itinerary—and it’s proof that sometimes the best moments happen between the destinations you planned.

One of the most fun displays: a full cutaway of a building, showing offices above ground and a hidden speakeasy underground.

More castle and countryside magic at Miniatur Wunderland—we spent over two hours and still didn’t see it all.

Final verdict:
Would ride the train again just for the kids’ meal and UNO deck.
Would 100% visit Miniatur Wunderland without kids, too.
Would live in tiny illuminated Monaco if allowed.

Monaco at night! This glowing cityscape and mini Formula 1 track had our whole family completely entranced.

• ICE trains are Germany’s high-speed rail, run by Deutsche Bahn (DB). Book directly through the DB website or app, or with a travel advisor.

• No first-class ticket is required to access the restaurant car—all passengers can dine there.

• Reserve a four-person table for families to make the ride more fun and functional.

• Miniatur Wunderland tickets should be booked in advance—evening entry is especially magical thanks to the day-to-night model lighting.

• Reichshof Hamburg is directly across the street from the train station—a perfect one-night stay with convenience, charm, and walkability.

• Don’t miss Mutterland Stammhaus, a local-favorite gourmet grocery and café, just around the corner from Reichshof.

For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our Germany page.