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flag Germany Germany: Practical information

In this page: Accommodation | Eating Out | Getting Around | Time and Time Difference | Climate | Electrical Standards and Measurement Systems | Paying | Speaking | Emergency Numbers | Communications

 

Accommodation

Hotel reservation websites
Hotel reservations

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Eating Out

Rules For Eating Out
Leaving a tip of about 5% is recommended. In Berlin it is possible to order late at lunch and at dinner. On the other hand, in other cities be careful of opening/closing times.
 
Food Specialties
Examples of German culinary specialties:
- Wurst (sausages)
- Schinken  (pork products, about 1,500 varieties)
- Brot (the famous German bread, more than 200 varieties)
- Eisbein mit Sauerkraut (ham hock with fermented cabbage)
- Apfelstrudel (apple strudel)
- Stollen (fruit bread)
- Mohnkuchen (poppyseed cake)

German culinary specialties vary according to regions, including Bade Wurtenberg’s Spätzle (a type of pasta).
Drinks
Germany is known for its wide variety of beer- producing about 5,000 different brews. As the home to 1,800 breweries, Germany is the world’s second biggest producer and the biggest exporter of beers. A refreshing drink- a Radler, is a beer diluted with lemonade. When it comes to non-alcoholic beverages, Germans prefer sparkling water to still water. Another favourite is Apfelschorle, apple juice diluted with lemonade.
Dietary Restrictions
Generally speaking, there are no dietary restrictions in the country. That being said, there are some Germans that are vegetarian and some that do not partake in certain products due to religious affiliations.
Table Manners
Continental.

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Getting Around

Means of Transport Recommended in Town

Urban transport services
BVG (Berlin)
Taxi services
Taxi.de
 

Transportation From Airport to City Centre:


Airport

Distance

Taxi

Bus

Train

Car Rental
Essen - Mülheim (ESS) (in German)
7 km / 4 miles of Essen, 5 km / 3 miles of Mülhein, 24 km / 15 miles of Dusseldorf - Available to Essen - -
Berlin - Schönefeld (SXF) 16 km / 10 miles EUR 30-35 / 25-40 EUR 2.80 EUR 2.80 Available
Berlin - Tegel (TXL) 9 km / 6 miles EUR 15 / 20-30 min EUR 2.1 / 20 min - Available
Stuttgart - Echterdingen (STR) 10 km / 6 miles EUR 22-28 / 20-30 min Available EUR 3 / 27 min Available
Hamburg Intl (HAM) 10 km / 6 miles EUR 20-25 / 20-30 min EUR 5 / 15-25 min - Available
Munich (MUC) 30 km / 19 miles EUR 55-65 / 35-45 min EUR 9.5 / 40 min EUR 8.8 / 45 min Available
Frankfurt - Main (FRA) 9 km / 6 miles EUR 20-30 / 20-30 min Available EUR 3.30 / 12 min Available
 

Means of Transport Recommended in the Rest of the Country

Train reservation services
The Deutsche Bahn website
 

Major airlines

Name Type Domestic Flights International Flights
Lufthansa Major Yes Yes
Germanwings Low cost Yes Yes
Easyjet Low cost No Yes

You Can Consult The EU Air Safety List. Look Also at the rating of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

 
 
 

Travelling By Yourself

Car rental agencies
Avis
Budget
Europcar
Sixt
Real-time traffic conditions
Adac
 

Rules of the Road

National Roads Organizations
Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure

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Time and Time Difference

Current Local Time
It is %T:%M %A In Berlin
Summer Time
Summer time from March (last Sunday) to October (last Sunday)
 

Map of the Time Zone

Time zone

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Climate

 
Type of Climate
The country has a continental climate with wide variations in temperature between the seasons. The northern regions have a milder oceanic type climate, while the southern regions have a continental climate with more rain. In the summer, the anticylones bring hot, sunny days, but the nights are cool. In winter, the days are short.
Hotel reservation websites
German Meteorological Agency (Deutscher Wetterdienst)
 

Average Annual Temperatures and Rainfall

 

Climate

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Electrical Standards and Measurement Systems

System of Measurement Used
Metric
Unit of Measurement of Temperature
Degrees Celsius
 

Use our service Measurement Converter.

 
Electricity
 
  • Voltage
230 V
  • Frequency
50 Hz
Type of Telephone Socket
US RJ-11, German (5 types). Standard TAE (Telekommunikations Anschluß Einheit).
DVD Zoning
Zone 2

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Paying

Domestic Currency
Euro
ISO Code
EUR
To Obtain Domestic Currency
ATMs take most credit cards- they are plentiful and easily accessible, in airports, town centres and throughout the country.
Possible Means of Payment
Cash payments are very widespread, and credit cards are increasingly accepted- although some restaurants will only take cash. Further, some establishments only take the "EC" card (a payment card, issued by German banks, which is not a credit card).

Payment by cheque in shops or restaurants is not possible.

 

To Find a Cash Machine Where You Need, Use the ATM locator

 

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Speaking

Official Language
German.
Other Languages Spoken
Most Germans have a very good knowledge of English. Quite a few of them speak French. Additionally, though less frequently, Italian, Spanish and Russian are also spoken.
Business Language
The business languages are German and English.

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Emergency Numbers

Police 110
Fire services and assistance 112
Credit card loss 116 116

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Communications

Telephone Codes
To Make a Call From Germany, Dial 00
To Make a Call to in Germany, Dial +49
Mobile Telephone Standards
Dual band. Roaming agreements between German operators and foreign operators enables you use your mobile phone everywhere in Germany.
National Mobile Phone Operators
Four operators: T-Mobile, Vodafone, E-Plus, O2.
 

Availability of Internet

Internet Suffix
.de
National Internet Access Providers
T-Online, Arcor, Alice.

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Latest Update: July 2024