15 basic tips to know for traveling to and in Germany
Besides the basic facts about Germany here are the most essential things travelers need to know when visiting Germany.
A safe and pleasant journey for all visitors of Germany.
- Visa: Prior to any planning inform yourself at Federal Foreign Office if you need to apply for a visa to visit Germany.
- Itinerary planning: Get inspiration and a first overview of destinations at website of German National Tourist Board. For most larger German cities a stay of 2-3 nights is meaningful, for Berlin plan 4-5 nights. For local itineraries and special events look at the official tourism websites of German cities and regions, e.g. VisitBerlin.
- Language: In city centers and touristic areas you will find people speaking English but not everywhere.
Extra tip: install a translation app (e.g. Google Translate) on your mobile with German as downloaded language (means it works offline). Important detail: German language includes four special letters. Most important for travelers is "ß" ("eszett" or "sharp s"). It is a letter in German word "Straße" (street) and often part of street names. If you search a street online in a map enter "ss" instead, not a "b", e.g. "Hauptstrasse" for "Hauptstraße". - Currency and payment: Valid currency is Euro. In Germany not all locations accept cards, e.g. public toilets, lockers, public buses or even smaller food places or market stalls. Therefore you shall either ask for acceptance at a location before purchasing / ordering or have some Euro in cash available.
- Safety: Every place in German cities is safe. Germany has some crime but there are any no-go areas in Germany. In cities and at touristic spots take care of pickpockets: they are fast and tricky professionals. In real emergency cases you can call German police by dialing 110 and fire brigade and life rescue by dialing 112. Do not use that numbers for questions or smaller issues.
- Climate and weather: Germany has a significant summer / winter climate, also with shorter daylight in winter. For a basic indication what to expect at date of travel the local climate tables on Wikipedia can help. Weather forecasts are in Germany reliable 3-4 days ahead, not longer. Official weather forecast is done by DWD (public German weather service). They also provide regional and local weather warnings.
- Orientation and navigation: It is meaningful and cost saving to have an app with separate offline maps such as Sygic - and there are a lot of other apps. Also a lot of online maps have the function of saving partial maps for offline usage.
- Mobile and data access: If you are using offline maps and translation and do not need to permanently up- or download content WiFi is enough - in Germany often called "WLAN". German ho(s)tels / restaurants and other locations normally offer free WiFi. If you need a SIM in Germany either ask your US provider for an add-on plan or get a SIM online before traveling to Germany. Buying one in Germany is not so easy because registration is needed with ID and address, even for prepaid.
- Domestic travels: Traveling between cities is easy possible by train (e.g. Deutsche Bahn) or by bus (e.g. FlixBus). Flights within Germany are rarely meaningful, except long distances north / south or east / west. Traveling by car is an option but drivers shall be prepared for high traffic density around cities and for high-speed drivers on Autobahn. In winter ice and snow can have a major impact on car traffic.
- Local and regional public transport: Cars are not needed by travelers in cities (be aware of emission zones) but can be useful to explore the countryside. German cities and regions have very good and affordable public transport systems based on buses and trains, sometimes trams. Be aware that in most cases bought tickets needs to be extra time stamped / validated before at begin of journey. The US business models of Uber and Lyft are not compliant with German law. Use institutional ride-sharing services or taxis instead. In Germany taxi tariffs are regulated on community or county level and are always transparently metered.
- Accommodation: German cities are short on residential housing options, especially for low income people. Therefore visitors travel social responsibly when using hostels and hotels instead of renting apartments. Berlin, Hamburg and Munich have strict regulation for landlords using their property touristically instead of renting to residents. People under age of 18 need permission by parents to overnight without a parent in a ho(s)tel room; contact venue before and ask for a standard form to fill out and for necessary documentation.
- Power supply: Germany's power network uses plug type F (type C fits in also), a voltage of 230 V and a frequency of 50 Hz. US and UK power networks support different standards. Therefore plug adaptors are needed to use electric appliances, e.g. to charge a smartphone. If your appliance is not supporting German voltage and frequency you will need a plug adapter including a power converter.
- Medication is available in pharmacies ("Apotheke") which are separated shops. Supermarkets and drugstores ("Drogerie") are not selling medication. Non-prescription medication can be bought directly - for others a prescription from a medical doctor is necessary. Inform yourself about import restrictions on medicinal products and narcotics for travelers.
- Customs: When traveling to Germany be aware of restrictions and of duties and taxes by German customs.
- VAT refund: Travelers from non EU countries without a residence permit for Germany can apply VAT refund for goods purchased in Germany and exported in own private luggage (details on regulation and processing).
A safe and pleasant journey for all visitors of Germany.
Last update: June 16 2019