edit Germany Travel Guide

• Munich and the Oktoberfest - This "Grossstadt mit Herz" ("Big city with a heart") as natives fondly call it, is home to the world-famous festival, where lively music is played and beer is served in one-liter mugs.
• Berchtesgaden - One of Bavaria's most picturesque towns. Visit this beautiful moutainous vilage, and you'll see why it is such a popular tourist destination.
• Berlin - The bustling nightlift and modern, metropolitan feel make Germany's capital a fascinating destination.
• The Alps - This breathtaking mountain range can be seen throughout southern Germany. Come gaze at nature's beauty, take in the fresh mountain air, or rent skis for the day if you're visiting in the winter!
• Neuschwanstein Castle - Disneyland modeled their castle after this 19th century Bavarian castle, which is the most photographed building in Germany. Take the "Romantic Route, " a 220-mile long road that takes you from North to South (and passes the castle).

There are a number of ways to get into Germany. From neighboring European countries, a drive with the car or a train ride are feasible; visitors from further away will probably be using air travel.

Visa Requirements

Citizens of many countries do not need a visa to visit Germany for stays up to 90 days. Examples of these countries are: Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, the UK, and the United Statesand. Countries belonging to the EU do not require a visa to travel within Europe.

Customs and Immigration

There are two lines for travelers at German airports: one for EU passport holders and one for all other nationalities. Customs are quite speedy, and officers will generally ask a few simple questions, like why you are visiting the country and how long you plan on staying.

By plane

Germany's major hubs include Frankfurt (FRA), Berlin (TXL), and Munich (MUC).

By boat

Some international ferry services exist, notably to Scandinavia.

By train

Regular train services connect Germany with all neighbouring countries. Almost all neighbouring countries and even some non-neighbouring countries (e. g. Italy) are quite well connected with "EuroCity" trains.

Economy

Banking

Currency

Credit Cards

Tax

Tipping

It's common in Germany to round up the bill in restaurants or pubs. Since the introduction of the Euro, a tip of about 5-10% is customary if you were satisfied with the service. Nonetheless, service charge is already included in an item's unit price so what you see is what you pay.

Taxi driver: 5%-10%
Housekeeping: €1-2 per day
Carrying luggage: €1 per piece

Shopping

Costs

Being one of Europe's most wealthiest economies, Germany is not cheap. It is, however, very possible to not burn a hole in your pocket. The superb and cost-efficient public transportation system, for example, enables travelers to get around quickly and rather cheap. Some cheap grocery stores include Edeka, Lidl, and Pennymarkt. Clothing is relatively expensive, especially American brand clothing.

Geography

Germany's climate is rather mild. Weather here ranges from cold and snowy to hot and humid. In other words, Germany has four easily distinguishable seasons.

Due to its size and location in central Europe, Germany boasts a large variety of different landscapes. In general, the country's climate is mild and humid, a large part of the rural areas is covered by forests.

Seacoast

Germany's north has coasts to the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The landscape, especially along the North Sea shore is very flat, the climate is rough with strong winds, lots of rain and mild, chilly temperatures. Due to the south-easterly winds that press water into the German Bight, tidal variations are exceptionally high, creating the "Wattenmeer": Vast areas of the seabed are uncovered twice a day, allowing one to walk from one of the numerous islands to another. The North Sea islands just off the coast are very picturesque, although mostly visited by the Germans themselves. Out in the German Bight lies the country's only off-shore island, Helgoland. Thanks to the strong winds, Wind-Surfing is possible all year round. Do not expect Hawaiian temperatures, though.

Forests

Germans are fanatic about their forests. While they are much smaller now than they used to be in medieval times, they are still huge compared to forests in other, especially western and southern European countries and only thinly populated. Among others, the Black Forest has been declared national heritage and will, over the course of the next centuries, slowly return into a wild state. Although Germans love to go for long walks and hikes in these dark and humid woods, there's space enough for everyone to get lost. If you take one of the smaller paths you may not meet another person for the rest of the day (this in a country of 230 people per square kilometer). Especially the more remote areas are of an almost mythical beauty. It is no wonder the brothers Grimm could collect all those fairytales among the dark canopies, and a large part of the German poetry circles around trees, fog and those lonely mountain tops. Even Goethe sent his Faust to the Brocken for his most fantastic scene. Today, wild animals, although abound, are mostly very shy, so you might not get to see many. No wolves or bears have been sighted.

Mountains

The southern half of Germany is a patchwork of the so-called "Mittelgebirge": Hilly rural areas where fields and forests intermix. In the very south, Germany borders on the Alps, Europe's highest elevation, rising as high as 4000m (12000 ft) above sea level. While only a small part of the Alps lie in Germany, a lot of people go there or to neighboring Austria and Switzerland for skiing in the winter and hiking and climbing in the summer.

Holidays and Celebrations

The majority of Germany is Christian, so typical holidays include Easter, Christmas, and Pentecost. Celebrations include

Language

Germany is a monolingual country, where German is spoken by almost everyone (with the exception of the significant immigrant populations, especially in the North). But since English is taught in the schools, one can get by with English (and possibly a small German dictionary - Germans do appreciate foreigners' efforts to speak the language).

Types of Restaurants

Germany has a wide range of restaurants (German, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Indian, Italian, French, Spanish, Greek, Turkish) and almost all styles of the world are represented.

Types of Food

Some typical dishes include:

Rinderroulade mit Rotkraut und Knödeln: this dish is quite unique to Germany. Very thin sliced beef rolled around a "pickled gherkin" until it looks like a mini barrel (5cm diameter) flavoured with tiny pieces of onion, German mustard, ground black pepper and salt. The meat is quick-fried and is then left to cook slowly for an hour, meanwhile red cabbage and potato dumplings are prepared and then the meat is removed from the frying pan and gravy is prepared in the frying pan. Knödel, Rotkraut and Rouladen are served together with the gravy in one dish.

Schnitzel mit Pommes frites: there are probably as many different variations of Schnitzel as there are restaurants in Germany. They have in common a thin slice of pork often covered in egg and bread crumbs that is fried for a short period of time and it is often served with fries (that's the Pommes frites part). Variations of this are usually served with different types of gravy: such as Zigeunerschnitzel, Zwiebelschnitzel, Holzfäller Schnitzel and Wiener Schnitzel (as the name suggests, an Austrian dish – the genuine article must be veal instead of pork, which is why most restaurants offer a Schnitzel Wiener Art, or Viennese-style schnitzel which is allowed to be pork). In the south you can often get Spätzle (pasta that Swabia is famous for) instead of fries with it. Spätzle are egg noodles typical of south Germany – most restaurants make them fresh. It is very common to find Schnitzel on the menu of a German restaurant, it might even be the most common dish in German restaurants.

Rehrücken mit Spätzle: Germany has maintained huge forests such as the famous Black Forest, Bayrischer Wald and Odenwald. In and around these areas you can enjoy the best game in Germany. Rehrücken means venison tenderloin and it is often served with freshly made noodles such as Spätzle and a very nice gravy based on a dry red wine.

Wurst “sausage”: there is no country in the world with a greater variety of sausages than Germany and it would take a while to mention them all. “Bratwurst“ is fried, other varieties such as the Bavarian “Weißwurst“ are boiled. Here is the shortlist version: “Rote” beef sausage, “Frankfurter Wurst” boiled pork sausage made in the Frankfurt style, “Pfälzer Bratwurst” sausage made in Palatine style , “Nürnberger Bratwurst” Nuremberg sausage – the smallest of all of them, but a serious contender for the best tasting German sausage, “große Bratwurst”, Landjäger, Thüringer Bratwurst, Currywurst, Weißwurst ... this could go on till tomorrow. If you spot a sausage on a menu this is often a good (and sometimes the only) choice. Often served with mashed potato, fries or potato salad.

Germans are very fond of their bread, which they make in many variations. This is the food that Germans tend to miss most when away from home. Most people like their bread relatively dark and dense and scorn the soft loaves sold in other countries. Bakeries will rarely provide less than twenty different sorts of bread and it's worth trying a few of them. In fact, many Germans buy their lunch or small snacks in bakeries instead of takeaways or the like. Prices for a loaf of bread will range from 0.50 € to 4 €, depending on the size (real specialities might cost more).

Etiquette

Drinks

Legal drinking age is 16 for beer and wine (14 if accompanied by a parent) and 18 for spirits.

Germans consider their beer to be the best in the world. And although other nations may disagree, the brew is usually very good and superior to the bland stuff from the "international" brands.

Pubs are open in Germany until 2 in the morning or later. Food is generally available until midnight. Germans typically go out after 8pm

Phones

The international calling code for Germany is 49, and the prefix for international calls is 00. If you stay for a longer period of time, consider buying a prepaid phone card from one of the mobile phone companies; you won't have trouble finding a T-Mobile (in a "T-Punkt"), Vodafone, E-Plus or O₂ store in any major shopping area. Using a cell phone is still quite expensive in Germany; depending on your contract you may be charged about €0.10 to €0.50 per minute (and more for international calls).

Internet

Internet cafes are common, even in smaller towns.

Crime

Emergency

Police

Fire Department

Hospitals

Gays and lesbians

The attitude towards gays and lesbians is very tolerant particularly in the cities, most of which have vibrant scenes. The Berlin tourism agency and other tourism organisations have started campaigns to attract gay and lesbian travellers to their cities. Sometimes (the typical stereotype says mostly in small towns and in the countryside, but in fact this can also happen in parts of Hamburg or Berlin) kissing and holding hands may provoke stares and in the worst case comments, especially from older people. In general, younger people are more tolerant. Many politicians and famous stars in Germany are homo- and bisexuals.

A law that allows gays or lesbians to marry has been recently passed.

Illicit drugs and prostitution

Be aware that--Germany being a federal state--laws may vary from state to state, getting more lenient the further north you go. In Bavaria the laws on drugs are very strict. You will get prosecuted for carrying any amount of drugs, even less than 5 grams marijuana. This traveller emerged from an overnight train to Munich to be confronted by Bavarian customs officials of some description asking for "purpose of visit, you take drugs? e.t.c"

In most Länder (states), possession of less than 5 grams of marijuana (in nothern Schleswig-Holstein the limit is 30 grams) for personal use is illegal, but it won't be prosecuted: The police will confiscate it and a formal complaint will be filed, to be dismissed for want of sufficient ground. All other recreational drugs (e.g. ecstasy) will definitely lead to prosecution and earn you at least a police record. Bringing marijuana into the country--even for personal use only--will be prosecuted as drug trafficking.

Prostitution is a legal business in Germany. Pimping and taking advantage of the sex workers (official term) is illegal.

All larger cities have a red light district with licenced bars, go-gos, escort services and separees. Tabloids are full with ads and the internet is taking over as the main contact base. Be aware of the huge amounts of fakes. Brothels are not necessarily easily spotted from the streets. Best known for it's red-light activities are Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt, and Cologne.

Smoking

By plane

The German flagcarrier Deutsche Lufthansa connects all major cities in Germany to each other and foreign destinations. Due to the comparatively short distances and relatively high hassle of air travel, domestic air travel is used mostly for business purposes. Due to the boom of budget airlines very low price offers are seen in the internet and high competition in the industry will keep them low. You should compare prices for plane tickets to those of the railway tickets if you want to go to some major cities. Make sure though, that you get where you want to! Low-cost airlines are known for naming small airports in the middle of nowhere by cities 200 km away (e.g. Frankfurt-Hahn is not Germany's major international airport Frankfurt/Main).

Carriers that offer domestic flights within Germany include Lufthansa, Air Berlin, tuiFly, LTU, and Cirrus Airlines, among others.

By train

Standard rail fares are quite high and in 2005 Deutsche Bahn introduced discount return tickets. You must buy them three or seven days in advance (e. g. on-line and print your ticket at home). Further reductions are available for groups of two (!) or more persons. These tickets are only valid on specific trains and times. From time to time there are further discount offers for single rides. The Bahncard is a discount card for the standard fare. If your travel starts or ends in Germany you are still eligible for a reduction on the whole journey! Deutsche Bahn is the major German railway corporation. Click on "Int. Guests" to see the site in several languages. If you plan to travel a lot by train, you should consider buying a "German rail pass", which might be cheaper to buy via travel-agencies outside of the country. It allows unlimited travels on the validity dates.

By car

Car rentals are available in most cities, and one-way rentals (within Germany) are generally permitted without an additional fee. When renting a car, be aware that most cars in Germany have manual gearbox (stick-shift), so you might want to ask for a car with an automatic gearbox if that's what you're used to.

Using the Autobahn:

German drivers tend to drive faster and more aggressively than you might be used to, especially on the parts of the highway system without speed limit, which is taken literally. Always have a look over your shoulder when changing lanes. You must use the right lane if it's free, even if everybody seems to prefer the left and middle lanes (where they exist). Disobeying this law may be charged with a fine of 40€. Overtaking cars on the Autobahn is only allowed on the left side. Overtaking / Passing cars on the right is prohibited and you will be be fined. Exceptions are in traffic jams or at low speed within city limits.

By bus

A few long distance bus lines exist within Germany, most of them orientated to/from Berlin. Apart from these, there is a very dense network of regional and local bus lines. In rural areas though, many lines run only once per day.

By thumb

It is possible to hitchhike in Germany and most Germans speak (at least broken) English, so you will be understood if you speak slowly. Drivers rarely expect you to give them any money for the ride. The first letters of the German number plate (before the hyphen) indicate the city in which the car is registered.

It is illegal to stop on the Autobahn itself, but hitchhiking from service areas or gas stations is a good way of getting long rides (100-200 km). The hard part is getting onto the Autobahn, so it pays off to sleep near the gas stations if you are going far. At the gas stations you can get a free booklet called Tanken und Rasten with a map of the Autobahn and its gas stations. When getting a lift, agree with the driver where to get off, and make sure there is a gas station. Try to avoid the Auto Hofs.

It is also quite common to arrange a ride in a private vehicle in advance through on offline agency or the Internet. Offline agencies like Citynetz or ADM do have offices in major cities, mostly near the city center or the main railway station. These offline agencies do charge a commission additionally to the cost for fuel you need to pay for the driver.