Carry cash, seriously
Germany is the most cash-reliant country in Western Europe. Plenty of respected restaurants, bakeries and market stalls take no cards at all, and you will not find out until the bill arrives.
Travel guideLast updated August 17, 2026
Germany Travel Guide: Essentials, Local Tips & Mobile Data
Berlin, Bavaria and beyond: cash culture, trains, tipping, the best time to visit, traveler tips, and easy mobile data with an eSIM.
Germany rewards travelers who look past a single city. Berlin's history and nightlife, Munich's beer gardens and Alpine day trips, the Rhine's castle-studded valley, Hamburg's harbor and the Christmas markets that take over every town square in December each feel like different countries.
Things famously run on order and punctuality, yet the surprise for many visitors is how much of daily life still runs on cash and how seriously Sundays are taken: most shops simply close.
The pleasure is often ordinary: a perfect bakery roll, a beer garden under chestnut trees, a Christmas market mug you are not supposed to steal, and a train that leaves at the exact minute it promised. Lean into that. Germany is not trying to dazzle you every hour. It is trying to work, and that is oddly relaxing.
Berlin plus one other mood is a strong first trip — Munich and the Alps, the Rhine, or Hamburg. Christmas-market season is its own trip entirely, and worth building a December around if you can stand the cold.
Essentials
Germany Travel Essentials
- Currency
- Euro (EUR). Cards are increasingly accepted, but many bakeries, kiosks and some restaurants remain cash-only.
- Languages
- German. English is widely spoken, especially in cities and among younger people.
- Plug Type
- Type C / F, 230V.
- Emergency Number
- 112
- Best Time to Visit
- May to September for warm weather; late November to December for Christmas markets.
- Tipping
- Round up or add 5-10%. Tell the server the total as you pay rather than leaving coins on the table.
- Timezone
- CET (UTC+1), CEST (UTC+2) in summer
- Tap Water
- Excellent quality, though restaurants expect you to order bottled water.
- Getting Around
- Extensive rail network; the Deutschlandticket makes regional trains and city transit very cheap. ICE trains link major cities.
- Internet & Coverage
- 4G/5G is good in cities but still has gaps on rural train lines; do not rely on train Wi-Fi.
Traveler tips
Tips from fellow travelers
Real advice from people who have been to Germany, curated by our team with links to the original sources.
Everything closes on Sunday
Supermarkets and nearly all shops are shut on Sundays by law. Stock up on Saturday; only bakeries (mornings), restaurants, and shops in train stations stay open.
Validate and check your train options
For regional travel, the flat-rate Deutschlandticket is unbeatable value. On ICE trains, a seat reservation is separate from the ticket - without one you may stand on busy routes.
Jaywalking will get you scolded
Crossing against a red pedestrian light, even on an empty street, draws looks and sometimes a comment. Wait. It is a small cultural tell, and children are watching. Germany takes the little rules personally.
Bakeries are a food group
A warm brotchen, a pretzel and a coffee is a legitimate breakfast, and the quality is consistently high. Skip the hotel buffet once and eat standing up like everyone else on their way to work.
FAQ
Germany travel questions, answered
eSIM plans
Stay connected in Germany
Between train apps, ticket QR codes and finding which door of the U-Bahn to take, Germany assumes a working phone. An eSIM gives you local-grade data from touchdown in Frankfurt or Berlin without touching your home plan.
DB Navigator, U-Bahn maps and the QR code on your ICE ticket all assume you are online. Train Wi-Fi will let you down. An eSIM will not, including in the station when your platform suddenly changes.
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