We arrived in Hamburg on Tuesday evening around 9pm. We had reservations at a nearby hotel,but because it was so close, the taxis didn't want to drive us there. They kept saying it was a short walk. It was raining a bit, and we really didn't want to walk, but we headed off in that direction. Finally, a gentleman called a friend to pick us up and take us to the hotel. We settled in and had a much needed sleep. After breakfast, we stored our bags at the front desk and walked back to the airport to pick up our rental car. We changed our minds once we got to the airport and decided to take the train to town and do a little sightseeing. On the return to the airport, we picked up the car, and attempted to return to the hotel to get our bags. Easier said than done. We made a wrong turn, and ended up in a dead-end street. WE COULDN'T GET THE CAR IN REVERSE!!!!! It's been a long time since Guenter drove a standard transmission car. I was afraid we were stuck there for the duration. After about 15 minutes, a gentleman parked close by...Guenter asked for help....there is a flange you have to lift to get the car in reverse. We got our bags and headed Southeast to Hitzacker.