Germany

As a Schengen member, Germany shares one set of entry rules with most of the EU. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.

Visa-free stay

Up to 90 days in any 180 days, for eligible passports

Passport

Issued in the last 10 years, valid 3 months beyond departure

ETIAS

Planned online travel authorisation; not yet required

Confirm with

travel-europe.europa.eu or an embassy of Germany

Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich are Lufthansa's long-haul hubs, and Berlin Brandenburg, Düsseldorf and Hamburg also have many international flights. ICE and international trains connect Germany with all its neighbours, with direct services from Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Vienna and Zurich.

Main airport

Frankfurt (FRA)

Other airports

Munich (MUC), Berlin Brandenburg (BER), Düsseldorf (DUS), Hamburg (HAM)

By train

Direct trains from Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Vienna and Zurich

FRA to the city

S-Bahn to Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof in about 15 minutes

Prices in Germany are moderate, below the Nordic countries or Switzerland. Card acceptance has improved, yet many small cafés, bakeries and beer gardens still prefer cash, so carry some euros. Tip by rounding up or adding about 5 to 10%, and return bottles and cans to get the Pfand deposit back.

Tipping

Round up or add about 5 to 10%

Deposit

Pfand on bottles and cans; return them for a refund

• The Deutschlandticket monthly pass covers local and regional transport nationwide.
• Book ICE tickets early for saver fares.

Germany asks for nothing beyond routine vaccines. Health care is of a high standard. EU travelers should carry a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC); everyone else needs travel insurance with medical cover.

Drinking water

Tap water is safe to drink

Pharmacies

Marked with a green cross; one on duty at night in most towns

Ambulance

Call 112

EU visitors

EHIC gives access to state health care

• Buy travel insurance that covers medical treatment and evacuation.

Pickpocketing at large stations, Christmas markets and on big-city public transport is the main risk in a very safe country. Carry ID and validate paper tickets where required. Call 110 for police and 112 for fire or ambulance.

Emergency number

Call 112 (fire, ambulance); 110 police

Cycle lanes

Keep off them when walking; bikes move fast

Before you go

Read your government's current travel advisory for Germany

• Watch bags at busy stations and Christmas markets.

Stay near a central station or a main transit line to make day trips easy. In Berlin, Mitte is best for sights, with Prenzlauer Berg or Kreuzberg for neighbourhood life. In Munich, pick the Altstadt or Maxvorstadt.

Berlin

Mitte for sights, Prenzlauer Berg or Kreuzberg for neighborhoods

Munich

Altstadt or Maxvorstadt

Rhine Valley

Bacharach, Boppard or Rüdesheim

Bavarian Alps

Füssen for Neuschwanstein, Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Deutsche Bahn's ICE trains link the main cities in a few hours, and every city has good public transport. Delays are common, so leave time for connections.

Fast trains

ICE: Berlin to Munich in about 4 to 4.5 hours

City transport

U-Bahn, S-Bahn, trams and buses

Regional pass

Deutschlandticket for all local and regional trains

Driving

Excellent autobahns; winter tyres required in snow

• ICE trains reach 330 km/h on high-speed lines; slower IC and EC trains run about hourly on the main routes.
• Buy on bahn.com or the DB Navigator app; cheap Sparpreis fares tie you to the train you booked.
• If your long-distance train is cancelled or more than 20 minutes late, you may take any other train to your destination.
• The Deutschlandticket does not cover ICE, IC or Flixtrain services.
• Flixbus coaches often undercut the train between big cities.
• Uber, Bolt and Free Now run in several cities; ordinary taxis are expensive.
• Motorways carry no tolls for cars, and running out of fuel on the Autobahn is an offence.

EU SIMs roam in Germany at home rates. Everyone else can buy a prepaid SIM at phone shops, supermarkets or drugstores, and it must be registered with a passport or other ID. The three networks are Telekom, Vodafone and O2. Coverage is good in cities, though some rural areas still have gaps.

Networks

Telekom, Vodafone, O2

You need

Passport for registration

Coverage

Good in cities; some rural gaps

Germans value punctuality, order and directness, and quiet hours and recycling rules are taken seriously. Shops close on Sundays, which are kept as a quiet day. Never use Nazi symbols or salutes, which are illegal.

Sundays

Shops closed; quiet day

Greetings

Handshake and 'Guten Tag'