Tips to ease your trip when travelling to Germany
Travelling to an international country? Sometimes a person gets scared of travelleing to a new country. Certain tips and tricks can make the journey comfortable. This article lists down few tips and tricks that can ease your journey when you are travelling to Germany.
If you are travelling to Germany, there are certain tips and tricks that can be helpful for a pleasant stay in the country. The sections below lists them down. To apply for German Visa, CLICK HERE.
Travel Tips In and Out of Germany
Eurorail Pass - The most fastest, easiest and affordable way to see the tourist destinations is through train. So, when in Germany, do get the Euro Rail pass as it can make your journey cost efficient. Various types of Eurail passes are available. These are described in more detail in the section "Eurail Passes" below. Choose the one which suits you the best.
Intercity Trips - When planning for round trips through intercity trains, it is always recommended to book tickets in 3 to 7 days advance as you get around 25% discounts. Even if you are not able to pre-book the tickets, always check on the ticket counter for discounts before paying full price for the tickets. After booking the tickets at discounted price, if you cancel them, you will have to a pay a fine of 10% of the ticket price or minimum of €5 (5 Euros).
Online Booking of Train Tickets - Always try to book tickets online and tickets booked at a counter are always costlier.
Rail and Fly Discounts - If within a day of reaching Germany by air, you are planning to travel by train, then do keep in mind to purchase the heavily discounted "Rail and Fly" ticket for DB trains at the same time you book your flight.
Free City Tours - Whenever possible, go for free city tours; bigger cities in Germany often offer free tours to tourists. This way a lot of money can be saved and also, these tours are a great way to see the beautiful cities.Communication Tips
International Calls from Germany - When travelling to an international country, you would definitely need to make few phone calls back home. The best option to make international calls is to purchase the local calling card instead of asking the hotel phone operators as they levy heavy surcharges. Calling cards are the best and the cheapest option.
Call Shops - If you want to make a call to your home country, then another option is to look for a call shop which offer significantly cheaper rates depending on the country where you need to make a call.Driving Tips
Driving Age - To drive in Germany, you should be 18 years or above.
Driving Licence - It is mandatory to carry your driving licence along if you are driving the rented vehicle in Germany. Along with the driving licence, it is mandatory to carry the written permission from the registered owner of the vehicle.
Environmental Zones - Be informed about the environmental zones in the city centres in Germany. Vehicles with high exhaust emissions are not allowed in these zones. You can be fined if you are not aware of this rule.Shopping Tips
Behavioral Tips
Punctuality - Germans are themselves very punctual and want people meeting them also to be very punctual. So, if you have set up a meeting with German, be on time and if you are not apologize. If you know that you are going to be late for some reason, call them to inform.
Manners - When visiting a German at his home, do take a bottle of wine or a flower bouquet along as a present. Make sure that you finish the food served in your plate so that they do not feel offended.General Tips
Passport - Everytime carry your passport along as German Police can ask for your proof of identity any point of time.
Weather - Do not forget to carry an umbrella as it can rain anytime during the year.Eurail Passes
Things to Remember
Must See Scenic Routes
Germany is a beautiful country and has lot of scenic routes which one can travel across admiring the beauty and nature. Lot of countryside villages and towns are located along these routes. Some of the must visit routes are listed below.
Deutsche Ferienstrasse - Also known as German Hoilday Road, this is the longest route (around 1700 Kms) and runs from the Baltic Sea to the Alps.
Romantische Strasse - Also known as the German Romantic Route, this is the most famous route (around 350 Kms) and runs from Würzburg to Füssen. Romantic Road is a scenic drive that takes you through beautiful castles, romantic hotels and picturesque villages. The tour of the Romantic Road starts from the city of Wurzburg and ends at Fussen. Wurzburg is a home to Germany's oldest churches and also famous for its execllent wines and wine festivals. Along the route, you will also visit the old town of Rothenburg, which is famous for its cobble stones streets and half timbered houses. The beautiful site of Rothenburg makes you feel as if you are living in a fairy tale. The tour ends at Fussen where you can see the famous fairy tale caste, the Neuschwanstein Castle.
Strasse der Kaiser und Könige - Also known as Route of Kings and Emperors, runs from Frankfurt to Passau.
Burgenstrasse - Also known as the Castle Road, it runs from Mannheim to Bayreuth. The drive through the castle road takes you through the maximum number of castles(around 70) in minimum duration of time. You can also spend a night in one of the castle hotels to get an amazing feel.
Fairy Tale Road - Germany is known as the land of Fairy Tales as most of the fairy tales such as the Little Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and Snow White, which we read in our childhood were set in the backdrop of Germany by the famous German brother writers, Brothers Grimm. The German Fairy Tale Road takes you through the towns and landscapes that were the inspiration for these fairy tales.
The Fairy Tale Road starts from the town of Hanau, the birthplace of Grimm brothers and takes you through the cobbledstreet towns and villages where the Grimm brothers studies and worked.
While driving through the Fairy Tale Road, you can see lot of tourist attractions, which include the following:
1. Grimm's Museum in the town of Steinau.
2. Schwalm River, which is the backdrop of the adventures of the Little Red Riding Hood. Within the deep, dark forests of the Schwalm River region, you can visit another museum that displays the costumes of the Littel Red Riding Hood.
3. The most kissed statue of the world for luck, the statue of the little goose girl in the town of Göttingen.
4. Castle of Trendelburg, which was the setting for the tale of Rapunzel; from one of the towers in this castle, Rapunzel let down her long golden locks to the prince.
5. Castle Sababurg, the 650 years old castle where Sleeping Beauty slept for 100 years. You can also spend a night here.
6. The town of Hamlin where the Pied Piper, a rat catcher lured the town's children away. You can visit the rat catchers house here and enjoy the cute rodent shaped cookies from the local bakeries.
German Wine Road - It is one of the oldest scenic drives of Germany that takes you through the country's vineyards and wine producing villages. You can stop by at some local wine tasting rooms or even attend the local wine festivals.Must to do Things
1. Do take a ride of high-speed InterCity (IC) and InterCity Express (ICE) trains atleast once in your trip. For example, you can try a ride between Munich and Frankfurt. It would be an amazing experience. All these faster high tech trains are equipped with restaurant cars and trolley services.
2. Attend the Oktoberfest
3. Neuschwanstein Castle - The Neuschwanstein Castle is the world famous fairy tale castle located few kilometers from the beautiful town in Bavaria. One can visit this beautiful castle during the Romantic Road tour.
4. Visit the Europe's largest shopping complex and themepark, CentreO located in the heart of Oberhausen.
