Federal Republic of Germany
Area: 357,210 sq km
Population: 82,217,800
Population density: 230 per sq km
Capital: Berlin
Area: 357,210 sq km
Population: 82,217,800
Population density: 230 per sq km
Capital: Berlin
Germany country information
Passport & visa | Getting there | Cycling & maps | Cost of living | Accommodation | Food | Bike shops | Climate | Distances
Passport & Visa
| Passport Required? | |
|---|---|
| British | Yes |
| Australian | Yes |
| Canadian | Yes |
| USA | Yes |
| Other EU | 1 |
| Visa Required? | |
| British | No/2 |
| Australian | No |
| Canadian | No |
| USA | No |
| Other EU | No/2 |
Passports
Passport valid for length
of stay required by all nationals referred to
in the chart above except:
1. EU nationals holding a valid national ID card.
1. EU nationals holding a valid national ID card.
Passport Note
Germany is a signatory to
the 1995 Schengen Agreement.
Visas
Not required by all nationals
referred to in the chart above for the following
durations:
(a) nationals of EU countries for an unlimited period;
(b) nationals of Australia, Canada and the USA for stays not exceeding 90 days in a six-month period; stay begins when nationals enter any of the Schengen countries.
Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements.
(a) nationals of EU countries for an unlimited period;
(b) nationals of Australia, Canada and the USA for stays not exceeding 90 days in a six-month period; stay begins when nationals enter any of the Schengen countries.
Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements.
Visa Note
2.
Nationals of EU countries intending to stay for
three months or more must register with the German
authorities within seven days of arrival.
Getting there
Getting There by Air
The national airline is Lufthansa
(LH) (website:
www.lufthansa.com
).
Approximate Flight Times
From London
to Frankfurt/M is 1 hour 30 minutes, and from
New York is 8 hours 30 minutes.
Main Airports
Frankfurt/M
(FRA) (Rhein/Main) (
www.airportcity-frankfurt.com
) is Germany's major air transport hub, 13km
(8 miles) southwest of the city. To/from
the airport:
Regular buses connect the airport with the city
centre (main railway station). S-Bahn (
www.rmv.de
) rail lines S8 and S9 go to the city's main
rail station (Hauptbahnhof) from directly
beneath the Terminal 1 arrival hall (journey
time - around 15 minutes). S8 also goes directly
to Mainz and Wiesbaden (journey time - 40 minutes).
Intercity ICE trains also stop at the
airport station. Taxis are available around
the clock (journey time to city centre - 20-30
minutes). Facilities: Left
luggage, medical facilities, duty-free shops,
banks, restaurants, bars, conference rooms,
post office, tourist information and car hire.
Find new shopping mall "Marktplatz" in Terminal
2.
Berlin-Tegel (TXL) ( www.berlin-airport.de ) is Berlin's international airport, located 8km (5 miles) northwest of the city centre (journey time - 25 minutes). To/from the airport: Buses go to the city every 5 to 10 minutes from 0500-2400. Facilities: Duty-free shop, banks/bureaux de change, left luggage, 24-hour medical facilities, post office, restaurant, bars, tourist information, conference rooms and car hire.
Munich (MUC) (Franz Joseph Strauss) ( www.munich-airport.de ) is 28.5km (18 miles) northeast of the city (journey time - 45 minutes). To/from the airport: Direct links with the S-Bahn S8 and S1 run every 10 minutes from Hauptbahnhof (main railway station) from 0330-0030. The Airport City Bus runs every 20 minutes from 0700-1930 to the Hauptbahnhof and every 30 minutes from 0800-2100; further bus services are available. Coach Oberbayern runs every 10 minutes to the city centre. Facilities: Duty-free shop, left luggage, 24-hour medical facilities, snack bar, restaurants, post office, banks, conference centre, car hire and bars. The airport also has a Visitors' Park, an aircraft simulator, cinema and a play area.
Berlin-Tegel (TXL) ( www.berlin-airport.de ) is Berlin's international airport, located 8km (5 miles) northwest of the city centre (journey time - 25 minutes). To/from the airport: Buses go to the city every 5 to 10 minutes from 0500-2400. Facilities: Duty-free shop, banks/bureaux de change, left luggage, 24-hour medical facilities, post office, restaurant, bars, tourist information, conference rooms and car hire.
Munich (MUC) (Franz Joseph Strauss) ( www.munich-airport.de ) is 28.5km (18 miles) northeast of the city (journey time - 45 minutes). To/from the airport: Direct links with the S-Bahn S8 and S1 run every 10 minutes from Hauptbahnhof (main railway station) from 0330-0030. The Airport City Bus runs every 20 minutes from 0700-1930 to the Hauptbahnhof and every 30 minutes from 0800-2100; further bus services are available. Coach Oberbayern runs every 10 minutes to the city centre. Facilities: Duty-free shop, left luggage, 24-hour medical facilities, snack bar, restaurants, post office, banks, conference centre, car hire and bars. The airport also has a Visitors' Park, an aircraft simulator, cinema and a play area.
Departure Tax
None.
Getting There by Water
Main
ports: Bremen
(website:
www.keyports.de
), Bremerhaven (website:
www.bremen-ports.de
), Hamburg (website:
www.hafen-hamburg.de
), Rostock (website:
www.rostock-port.de
) and Kiel (website:
www.port-of-kiel.de
).
The following shipping lines serve routes to Germany (via other countries) from the UK:
DFDS Seaways (tel: 0871 522 9955, in the UK; website: www.dfds.co.uk ): Newcastle-Amsterdam.
Stena Line (tel: 0870 570 7070, in the UK; website: www.stenaline.com ): Harwich-Hook of Holland, Gothenburg-Kiel.
P&O Ferries (tel: 0870 598 0333, in the UK; website: www.poferries.com ): Dover-Calais, Hull-Rotterdam, Hull-Zeebrugge.
SeaFrance (tel. 0871 663 2546, in the UK; website: www.seafrance.com ): Dover-Calais.
Norfolkline (tel: 0870 870 1020, in the UK; website: www.norfolkline.com ): Dover-Dunkerque.
Superfast Ferries (tel: 0870 234 0870, in the UK; website: www.superfast.com ): Rosyth-Zeebrugge, Helsinki-Rostock.
Ferry connections also exist from Germany to Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Norway, and the Russian Federation.
The following shipping lines serve routes to Germany (via other countries) from the UK:
DFDS Seaways (tel: 0871 522 9955, in the UK; website: www.dfds.co.uk ): Newcastle-Amsterdam.
Stena Line (tel: 0870 570 7070, in the UK; website: www.stenaline.com ): Harwich-Hook of Holland, Gothenburg-Kiel.
P&O Ferries (tel: 0870 598 0333, in the UK; website: www.poferries.com ): Dover-Calais, Hull-Rotterdam, Hull-Zeebrugge.
SeaFrance (tel. 0871 663 2546, in the UK; website: www.seafrance.com ): Dover-Calais.
Norfolkline (tel: 0870 870 1020, in the UK; website: www.norfolkline.com ): Dover-Dunkerque.
Superfast Ferries (tel: 0870 234 0870, in the UK; website: www.superfast.com ): Rosyth-Zeebrugge, Helsinki-Rostock.
Ferry connections also exist from Germany to Denmark, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Norway, and the Russian Federation.
Getting There by Rail
Germany's
rail network is operated by Deutsche
Bahn (tel: 11861; website:
www.bahn.de
).
Eurostar: If travelling from the UK, Eurostar operates direct high-speed trains from London (St Pancras International) and Ashford International to Paris (Gare du Nord) and to Brussels (Midi/Zuid). It takes 2 hours 15 minutes from London to Paris (via Lille) and 1 hour 51 minutes to Brussels. For further information and reservations, contact Eurostar (tel: 0870 518 6186, in the UK, or +44 1233 617 575, outside the UK; a £5 booking fee applies to telephone bookings; website: www.eurostar.com ); from Brussels, there are direct connections to Cologne and Frankfurt, and onward high speed trains to all major German centres. With opening of the TGV Est line in 2007, journey time between Paris and Frankfurt has been cut to less than four hours.
There are excellent connections between Germany and other main European cities. For more information, contact Deutsche Bahn in the UK (tel: 0871 880 8066; website: www.bahn.co.uk ).
Eurostar: If travelling from the UK, Eurostar operates direct high-speed trains from London (St Pancras International) and Ashford International to Paris (Gare du Nord) and to Brussels (Midi/Zuid). It takes 2 hours 15 minutes from London to Paris (via Lille) and 1 hour 51 minutes to Brussels. For further information and reservations, contact Eurostar (tel: 0870 518 6186, in the UK, or +44 1233 617 575, outside the UK; a £5 booking fee applies to telephone bookings; website: www.eurostar.com ); from Brussels, there are direct connections to Cologne and Frankfurt, and onward high speed trains to all major German centres. With opening of the TGV Est line in 2007, journey time between Paris and Frankfurt has been cut to less than four hours.
There are excellent connections between Germany and other main European cities. For more information, contact Deutsche Bahn in the UK (tel: 0871 880 8066; website: www.bahn.co.uk ).
Rail Passes
InterRail:
offers unlimited first- or second-class travel
in up to 30 European countries for European residents
of over six months with two pass options. The
Global Pass allows travel for 22 days,
one month, five days in 10 days or 10 days in
22 days across all countries. The One-Country
Pass offers travel for three, four, six or
eight days in one month in any of the countries
except Bosnia-Herzegovina and Montenegro. Travel
is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence.
Travellers under 26 years receive a reduction.
Children's tickets are reduced by about 50%. Supplements
are required for some high-speed services, seat
reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered
on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available
from Rail Europe (website:
www.raileurope.co.uk/inter-rail
).
Eurailpass: offers unlimited first-class train travel in 17 European countries. Tickets are valid for 15 days, 21 days, 1 month, 2 months or 3 months. Available from The Eurail Group (website: www.eurail.com ).
Eurailpass: offers unlimited first-class train travel in 17 European countries. Tickets are valid for 15 days, 21 days, 1 month, 2 months or 3 months. Available from The Eurail Group (website: www.eurail.com ).
Getting There by Road
Germany is
connected to all surrounding countries by a first-class
network of motorways and trunk roads.
The Channel Tunnel: Eurotunnel (tel: 0870 535 3535, in the UK; website: www.eurotunnel.com ) runs shuttle trains for all types of vehicles between Folkestone in Kent, and Calais. Vehicles are carried through the tunnel in shuttle trains running between the two terminals. Passenger terminal buildings contain a variety of shops, restaurants, bureaux de change and other amenities. The journey takes about 35 minutes from platform to platform and around 1 hour from motorway to motorway. There are up to four passenger shuttles per hour at peak times, 24 hours per day and services run every day of the year. Passengers pass through customs and immigration before they board, with no further checks on arrival. Tickets may be purchased in advance from the travel agents, or from Eurotunnel Customer Services in France or the UK with a credit card.
Coach: There are numerous and excellent road links with all neighbouring countries. Eurolines (tel: 0870 580 8080, in the UK; website: www.eurolines.com ) runs regular coach services from the UK to Germany. Passes: Travellers can book a 15- or 30-day pass.
The Channel Tunnel: Eurotunnel (tel: 0870 535 3535, in the UK; website: www.eurotunnel.com ) runs shuttle trains for all types of vehicles between Folkestone in Kent, and Calais. Vehicles are carried through the tunnel in shuttle trains running between the two terminals. Passenger terminal buildings contain a variety of shops, restaurants, bureaux de change and other amenities. The journey takes about 35 minutes from platform to platform and around 1 hour from motorway to motorway. There are up to four passenger shuttles per hour at peak times, 24 hours per day and services run every day of the year. Passengers pass through customs and immigration before they board, with no further checks on arrival. Tickets may be purchased in advance from the travel agents, or from Eurotunnel Customer Services in France or the UK with a credit card.
Coach: There are numerous and excellent road links with all neighbouring countries. Eurolines (tel: 0870 580 8080, in the UK; website: www.eurolines.com ) runs regular coach services from the UK to Germany. Passes: Travellers can book a 15- or 30-day pass.
Cost of living
Germany: all prices
in European Euros (EUR)
A couple of extra tips:
| drinks and snacks | food: local markets; restaurants; and stores |
||||
water (mineral) |
500ml 1.5 litre 1 litre 200ml 300ml 1.5 litre 500ml |
0.10 0.19 0.60 0.10+ 0.15+ 0.30+ 0.90 |
bread loaf-white |
750g 750g 6 rolls 350g |
0.70 2.50 1.00 0.90 |
| tofu burger pita pocket with hummus vegetarian cafe pizza-takeaway |
one serving one serving main dish med |
3.00 3.50 6.00-8.00 6.00-8.00 |
|||
| beer-local wine |
330ml 750ml |
0.75+ 2.50 |
|||
| tea coffee (cafe / bar) Nescafe instant coffee-ground |
25 bags per cup 50g 500g |
1.99 2.00 3.00 2.50 |
rice (white) pasta gnocchi - ravioli eggs tomato puree |
kg |
2.20 0.40 0.75 2.50 0.50 |
| milk cream yoghurt / curd cheese - hard cheese - brie cheese - parmesan olives Magnum icecream |
1 litre 200ml 500g kg 300g 350g 100g each |
0.55 |
potatoes onions tomatoes green beans paprika - capsicum mushrooms - castanje cucumber iceberg lettuce |
kg kg kg kg per 3 500g each each |
1.90 0.80 2.00 2.90 1.50 1.30 0.30 0.35 |
| chips salted peanuts cashews salt sticks - pretzels sultanas |
200g pack 250g 200g 200g 300g |
0.70 0.60 1.50 0.40 0.55 |
apples oranges bananas strawberries in season |
kg kg kg 500g |
2.00 2.30 1.60 1.00 |
| cornflakes chocolate museli bars biscuits-plain biscuits-cream |
375g pack 100g block 6x25g 200g pack 200g pack |
2.65 0.35 1.00 0.75 1.00 |
pineapple (can) oil (olive) |
490g can 750ml |
0.80 2.60 |
| peanut paste jam honey |
350g jar 450g jar |
1.40 1.00 |
|||
| accommodation | personal | ||||
| budget city hostel budget city hotel |
6-10 per dorm bed 40 double share bathroom |
deodorant - roll-on |
50ml 150g bar 300ml each 125ml 5 pack each |
2.30 1.20 0.65 1.00 0.65 5.25 tba |
|
| eurocamping 1
star wild camping |
15.00+ for 2 persons + tent |
||||
| internet | 1.50 -2.50 per hour | ||||
*
tba = price to be announced * July 2010: at time of writing 1.00 USD = 0.79 EUR all prices have been taken from internet resources such as wikitravel, hostel world, leading supermarket chains, travel blogs, forums and of course our own travel experiences and purchases of everyday products in food markets, bazaars and local shopping facilities. They are only an indication and designed to give you a general impression of the cost of living in Germany. Items are geared towards the budget conscious traveller with an occasional craving for a bit of luxury. |
Source:www.exchange-rates.org |
A couple of extra tips:
* |
Prices
are fixed in shopping stores and supermarkets,
however when spending a sizeable amount in one
store, or buying in bulk it never hurts to ask
for a discount. |
* |
Even though tipping in Germany is optional, it is often expected in table service establishments if the service is good. On average, between 5 and 10% is acceptable. However, don't feel obliged if you don't wish to tip. When given your bill, it is customary to pay the wait person directly and not leave money on the table. You can leave your small change behind, by saying "Stimmt so" , which translates as "it is okay as it is" |
* |
Most
public toilets charge a fee to use the facilities.
For those that don't it is not unusual to leave
a voluntary tip for the attendant of 30-50 cents
in the saucer on the table at the door. |
* |
Taxis
are regulated and all run with a standard taxi
metre. While tipping is not expected it is
generally appreciated. |
* |
Plastic
and glass bottles marked with the word Pfand
require paying a bottle-deposit when you purchase
them. They can be returned via the machines,
usually located at the front of the supermarket.
Here, you will get a receipt with the amount
owing to you, which you present at the cash register
when paying for your groceries. |
* |
You
need to take your own shopping bags with you
into the supermarkets. Plastic and cloth bags
are available, but you have to pay for them. |
Bike shops
| Munchen | Trek Bicycle Store
Highlight Towers Mies-van-der-Rohe-Str. 6 80807 München Tel. 089 89081600 info@highlightbikestore.com |
