Germany

Germany Travel Guide

One of the largest countries in Europe, Germany fits in right smack in the middle of the continent. And as you’ll see in this Germany travel guide, Germany is the home of so many things we know so well: beer, Oktoberfest, enchanting fairy tale villages, giant pretzels, wondrous Christmas markets, and WWII history. It’s big and beautiful and they have a law that governs the production of beer. A LAW, I tell ya!

Germany is where we raise our beers and don’t understand a thing anyone is saying. It’s where we dance to oompah music and drink beer by the liter and visit castles too fantastic to be real. It’s where we hike and bike, surf on rivers and walk our weenies.

Being as big as Germany is, it has tourism destinations from top (Hamburg) to bottom (Munich) and a thousand more in between (Berlin). It’s where we eat spätzle and sauerkraut and oxtail soup and pork knuckle and… it’s all just the wurst.

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Germany travel basics

What currency is used in Germany?

Germany uses euros as their currency (Check out xe.com for the most up-to-date currency conversion–they have a mobile app too!)

What time zone is Germany in?

Germany falls in the Central European Time zone (also known as GMT +2)

What are Germany’s visa/passport requirements?

If you’re planning to spend less than 90 days in Germany/the Schengen area, you can get by using just your U.S. passport–no Visa required. (Except for all those liters of beer you’re planning on buying, ba-dum-tshh!)

However, your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date you leave the Schengen area.

What language do they speak in Germany?

The official language of Germany is German (but Bavaria has its own dialect).

Where to stay in Germany

Regardless of where in Germany you’ll be visiting, there will be hotels and hostels ready for the booking.

When you decide where in Germany you want to visit, I recommend reading hotel reviews on Tripadvisor, then booking your room through Booking.com (my favorite booking site).

And don’t forget, there’s always vacation rentals. Check out vacation rentals in Germany here!

My personal recommendations:

In Munich:

– Hotel Senator
– Four Points Sheraton Munich Central
– H2 München Messe

In Rothenburg ob der Tauber: Hotel Akzent Schranne

In Stuttgart: Attimo Hotel Suttgart

At Neuschwanstein Castle: Any of these 12 hotels and Airbnbs near Neuschwanstein

Germany packing essentials

For your trip to Germany, you’ll want to pack the following:

– European outlet adapter

– Packing cubes

– Germany guidebook: I prefer Rough Guides and Fodor’s, but you can also find one from Rick Steves and Lonely Planet. And Culture Smart! Germany is a great little culture-centered guidebook.

– German phrase book

– Anti-theft purse

– Travel insurance. Unfortunately, things can and do go wrong when you travel. World Nomads offers coverage for more than 150 activities as well as emergency medical, lost luggage, trip cancellation and more.

My blog posts on Germany

Below you’ll find my posts that focus on Germany — all the way from what to pack, Oktoberfest survival guides, and some of the best day trips you can take.