Languages
German. Though most places you can get by fine with English.
Currency
Euro (EUR)
Cash is occasionally helpful in Germany. You’ll need it for markets and incidentals. Generally you can get by with credit cards most places, but it’s a good idea to carry a little bit of cash.
International Airports
There are 36 of them. The biggest include:
- Frankfurt (usually the best flight deal) (FRA)
- Munich (MUC)
- Dusseldorf (DUS)
- Berlin Tegel (TXL)
- Hamburg (HAM)
- Cologne (CGM)
- Berlin Schonefeld (SXF)
- Stuttgart (STR)
Tipping
- Restaurants – Bills always include Bedienung (service charge); most people add 5-10%
- Bars – About 5% or rounded to the nearest euro
- Taxis – 10% or up to the nearest euro
- Hotels – 1 euro per bag if someone carries it in for you
Airlines with Good Deals
- Lufthansa
- Eurowings
- Easy Jet
Most airlines fly to France, use KAYAK, Kiwi, or Skyscanner to find the best deals
Best Rental Car Companies
All of the major rental car companies are there. We like holidayauto.com in Europe.
Not-to-miss Local Food, Beer, Drink
Food
German food is underrated. It’s usually filling, not particularly sophisticated, but very tasty
- Bratwurst
- Spaetzle (like a German pasta) or Käsespätzle (like mac and cheese)
- Sauerkraut
- Currywurst (a Berlin original)
- Nuremberg sausages
- Sauerbraten
- Schnitzel
- Rouladen
- Goulash
- Kartoffelsalat
- Königsberger Klopse (meatballs)
- Flammkuchen
Desserts
- Stollen
- Schneeball
- Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte (black forest cake)
- Berliner (jelly donut)
- Lebkuchen
- Zwetschgenkuchen
Drinks
Water
Drinking tap water in this country is fine. Bring your reusable water bottle and request tap water at restaurants (carafe d’eau)
Wine
You might only know Germany for its beer, but actually the country makes some wonderful wine. The main wine growing area is found along the Weinstrasse (southwest of Heidelberg), along the Rhein, and along the Mosel Valley. Mostly known for their whites, especially rieslings and gewürztraminers. German wines can be sweet (to various degrees – kabinett or auslese or spaetlese – or desert wine, trockenbeerenauslese), though they can also be dry (halt trocken or trocken). Be sure and try a variety while you’re visiting. Another type wine is Glühwein (heated wine found at Christmas markets).
Wine
Germans beer is brewed according to the Reinheitsgebot which permits only water, hops, and malt as ingredients. Types to look for:
- Weissbier (wheat beer)
- Hefeweizen (unfiltered wheat beer)
- Kolsch (in Germany, can only legally be brewed in Cologne)
- Helles (lager from Bavaria)
- Marzen (Oktoberfest varietal)
- Pilsner (most popular style in german)
- Bock (darker lager)
- Doppelbock (stronger and darker lager)
- Dunkel (dark lager)
- Schwarzbier (dark lager)
Movies/Literature
A lot of German movies/books are about WWII (not surprisingly).
Movies:
- The Lives of Others
- Goodbye Lenin!
- Jojo Rabbit
- Downfall
- Cabaret
- Metropolis
- Run Lola, Run
- Nosferatu
- Das Boot
- The Book Thief
- Schindler’s List
- The Counterfeiters
Books:
- The Book Thief
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- Boys in the Boat
- Night
- The Trial
- The Tin Drum
- Metamorphosis
- The Reader
Not-to-miss Sites:
- Munich: Marienplatz, Residenz Palace, Asam church
- Rothenburg ob Tauber
- Bavarian Alps: Neuschwanstein
- Cologne: Cologne cathedral, Roman-Germanic museum, Museum Ludwig
- Dresden: Bruhlsche Terrasse promenade, Royal Palace Historic Green Vault, Frauenkirche
- Berlin: Walking tour, Reichstag, Brandenberg Gate, Pergamon museum