Map: PLACES COVERED IN THIS BOOK
Germany’s Best Three-Week Trip by Car and Train
Stick This Guidebook in Your Ear!
Germany is blessed with some of Europe’s most high-powered sights. It has spectacular scenery—the jagged Alps, flower-filled meadows, rolling hills of forests and farms, and rivers such as the raging Rhine and moseying Mosel. And it has hundreds of castles, some ruined and mysterious; others stout, crenellated, and imposing; and still others right out of a Disney fairy tale.
And of course there are the cultural clichés, kept alive more by tradition-loving Germans than by tourist demand. The country is dotted with idyllic half-timbered villages where you can enjoy strudel at the bakery or sip a stein of beer while men in lederhosen play oompah music. Peruse a wonderland of chocolates and stock up on cuckoo clocks.
These traditions stand at sharp contrast with the “real” Germany of today. The muscleman of Europe, Germany is the European Union’s most populous country and has the biggest economy. This land that’s roughly the size of Montana creates a gross domestic product that’s one-fifth the size of the United States’. Germany has risen from the ashes of World War II to become the world’s fourth-largest industrial power. At the forefront of human progress, Germany is a world of high-tech transportation, gleaming cities, social efficiency, and world-class museums celebrating many of history’s greatest cultural achievements.
German inventions range from Gutenberg’s printing press to Zeppelin’s zeppelins to Röntgen’s X-rays to Daimler’s and Benz’s cars to Geiger’s counter. Musically, Germany dominated the scene for more than two centuries—Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Handel, Pachelbel, and Wagner. Germans have a reputation as profound analytical thinkers, sprouting philosophers such as Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, Marx, and Engels.
Medieval Nürnberg hosted Holy Roman Emperors and Adolf Hitler, while Martin Luther shook up the Church and reshaped Christianity.
Germany’s roots run deep; the southern half was ruled by ancient Rome. After Rome fell, German lands fragmented into hundreds of small feudal kingdoms, each with its own coinage, king, and castle—many of which still dot the countryside today. These lands became an important European hub for trade and transportation.
It was from Germany that a humble monk named Martin Luther rocked Europe with religious reform. Germany became a Europe-wide battleground for Protestants and Catholics in a series of religious wars.
Traditionally—and in some ways even today—German culture divides at a sort of north-south Mason-Dixon Line. Northern Germany was barbarian, is predominantly Protestant, and tackles life aggressively, while southern Germany was Roman, is largely Catholic, and enjoys a more relaxed tempo.
As a nation, Germany is less than 150 years old (“born” in 1871). Though quite young compared with most of its European neighbors, it quickly became a cultural powerhouse. Its prosperity ended in the humiliating defeat of World War I, followed by Hitler’s cruel rule and Germany’s near destruction in World War II.
For traditional Bavarian fun, nothing beats an old-fashioned beer hall (Brauhaus) or beer garden (Biergarten). Though the best are in Munich, you’ll find them all over Germany—with rivers of beer, cheap food, noisy fun, and oompah music.
Beer is truly a drink of the people. Beer hall meals are inexpensive, and surly beer maids pull mustard packets from their cleavage. Unlike with wine, spending more money on beer doesn’t get you a better drink. The big question among connoisseurs is, “Which brew today?”
Beer gardens go back to the days when monks brewed and sold beer. They stored their beer in cellars under courtyards kept cool by the shade of bushy chestnut trees. Eventually, tables were set up, and these convivial eateries evolved. The tradition (complete with chestnut trees) survives, and any real beer garden will keep a few tables (those without tablecloths) available for customers who buy only beer and bring their own food.
Oompah music, hearty sausages, and fresh beer are the perfect ingredients for beer hall fun.
Huge liter beers (called eine Mass in German, or “eine pitcher” in English) cost about €8. (Men’s rooms come with vomitoriums.) If you order a half-liter (eine Halbe), the barmaid is likely to say, “Why don’t you go home and come back when you are thirsty?” You can order a Helles (light in color but not “lite” in calories), Dunkles (dark), or ask for a Weissbier or Weizen (“white” or wheat-based beer—cloudy and sweet) or a Radler (half lemon soda, half beer).
Most beer gardens have a deposit (Pfand) system for their big glass steins: You pay €1 extra, and when you’re finished, you can take the mug and your deposit token (Pfandmarke) to the return man (Pfandrückgabe) for your refund, or leave it on the table and lose your money. If you buy a bottled beer, pour it into the glass before you check out; otherwise you’ll pay two deposits (one for the glass, the other for the bottle).
Many beer halls have a cafeteria system. The food is usually Selbstbedienung—self-service. If two prices are listed, Selbstbedieung is for self-service (Bitte bedienen Sie sich selbst means “please serve yourself”), while Bedienung is for table service.
At a large Biergarten, assemble your dream feast by visiting various counters, marked by type of food (Bier or Bierschänke for beer, Bratwürste for sausages, Brotzeiten for lighter fare served cold, and so on). After the meal, reclaim your deposit and bus your dirty dishes (Geschirr)—look for Geschirrrückgabe or Geschirrabgabe signs.
You’ll notice many tables marked Stammtisch (reserved for regulars and small groups). Beer halls have a long tradition of being launch pads for grassroots action. In the days before radio and television, aspiring leaders connected with the public here.
A beer hall is a classic gemütliche scene. Gemütlich is a word for Bavaria’s special coziness and the knack of savoring the moment. Experience it by spending time in a frothy beer hall, clinking mugs with new friends, immersed in a boisterous and belching Bavarian atmosphere.
Buy a big beer, skip the Stammtisch section (for regular customers only), and settle into Germany’s inviting beer gardens.
Many visitors can’t help but associate Germany with its dark Nazi past and the millions of lives lost in the Holocaust, including Jews, homosexuals, and Sinti and Roma (the group known as “Gypsies”). While a small neo-Nazi skinhead element still survives in the back alleys of German culture, for the most part the nation is surprisingly progressive. A genuine sense of responsibility for World War II and the Holocaust pervades much of German society. If you visit a concentration camp memorial, you’ll likely see several field-trip groups of German teens visiting there to learn the lessons of their country’s past.
At war’s end, the Allies divided Germany into two countries: democratic, capitalist West Germany (the Federal Republic of Germany) and the communist, Soviet-controlled East Germany (the German Democratic Republic, or DDR). The Cold War set in (1945-1990), until the dividing Berlin Wall was opened and the country reunited in October 1990. More than 25 years after reunification, despite billions of dollars of economic aid, the East lags behind the West, with a lower income and a higher unemployment rate.
The historic divisions in Germany, between the north/south and the east/west, are growing less pronounced as Germany becomes a more mobile society. Germans love to travel, throughout their own country and beyond. They’re cosmopolitan and outward-looking. Two-thirds speak at least one other language (mostly English). Watch out—they may know American politics and history better than you do.
Ponder Berlin’s memorials to politicians who opposed Hitler (left) and to Sinti and Roma victims (right).
The many faces of modern Germany
Germany was a founding member of the European Union and continues to lead the way in creating a healthy Europe for the future—with peace, unity, tolerance (e.g., legalized gay marriage), and human rights as its central motivations. It has taken a tough stance on bailing out EU nations that haven’t shown fiscal responsibility, but it remains a generous country—it’s one of the world’s biggest foreign-aid donors.
Looking ahead, Germany is faced with a number of challenges—none bigger than immigration. Today, more than 11 million immigrants live within its borders—more than any country except the US and Russia. Nearly 3 million are Turkish; many were Gastarbeiter (guest workers) invited by Germany to help boost its labor force. In 2015 alone, Germany welcomed more than a million refugees, mostly from Syria and Iraq. Many newcomers are Muslims—not always the easiest fit within a traditionally Christian nation.
Today, three decades after the end of the Cold War, Germany is reunited, with Berlin as its capital. Deutschland is energetic, efficient, and organized. It’s a nation of cutting-edge industry, medieval castles, speedy autobahns, old-time beer halls, soaring skyscrapers, and the best wurst. This young country with a long past continues to make history.
Herlich Willkommen! There’s so much to see in Germany and so little time. This overview breaks the country’s top destinations into must-see sights (to help first-time travelers plan their trip) and worth-it sights (for those with extra time or special interests). I’ve also suggested a minimum number of days to allow per destination.
These four destinations give you an excellent and diverse sampler of Germany (and dip into nearby Austria).
The thriving city has a glorious main square and a traffic-free center, with a fun open-air market/beer garden, the Viktualienmarkt. Well-stocked with sights, Munich serves up Baroque palaces, stately churches, and excellent museums on art, science, and history. This in-love-with-life city enjoys its lush parks (such as the vast English Garden) and rowdy beer halls (rowdier at Oktoberfest). Sights near Munich include a beer-loving monastery, more palaces, and most important, the sobering concentration camp memorial at Dachau. With limited time, Bavaria and Salzburg can be done as day trips (though each merit a longer stay).
These adjacent Alps-straddling regions (one in Germany, the other in Austria) boast the fairy-tale castles of “Mad” King Ludwig II: Neuschwanstein, Hohenschwangau, and Linderhof. Choose among inviting home bases: handy Füssen (with a nearby spa), the Austrian retreat of Reutte (with a ruined castle of its own), and adorable Oberammergau (known for wood-carving and its Passion Play). For alpine fun, try hikes, luge rides, and a lift to the top of the towering Zugspitze, Germany’s highest point.
Just south of the German border, the Austrian city of Salz-burg is a musical mecca for fans of Mozart and The Sound of Music, offering S.O.M. tours and concerts in Baroque churches, along with riverside promenades, grand gardens, and beer gardens. The picturesque old town—with winding lanes, shops, and Mozart’s birthplace—is surrounded by hills laced with trails and topped by a sky-high fortress. Near Salzburg is Berchtesgaden (in Germany) with serene alpine scenery and Hitler’s mountain-top retreat.
Marvel at Munich’s Residenz, enjoy snowy Neuschwanstein Castle, ride a luge in Bavaria, and make friends at Ehrenberg (Austria).
Germany’s vibrant, sprawling capital features world-class art and history museums, the Brandenburg Gate, trendy nightlife, leafy boulevards, striking modern architecture, and remnants of the Berlin Wall, which once divided the city and country. Thought-provoking memorials and museums throughout the city commemorate the many victims of World War II. Near Berlin are Potsdam’s palaces and the former Sachsenhausen concentration camp.
Stroll Salzburg’s elegant streets, explore Berlin’s courtyards, and pay homage to its symbol of reuni-fication-the Brandenburg Gate.
You can weave any of these destinations—rated ▲ or ▲▲—into your itinerary. It’s easy to add some destinations based on convenience (if you’re heading from Frankfurt to Munich, Rothenburg is on the way), though some farther-flung places (like Hamburg) can merit the journey, depending on your time and interests. Germany’s excellent train system brings everything within reach; most destinations in this book are within a two- to four-hour ride from Frankfurt’s airport, a popular arrival point with its own train station.
Baden-Baden is a tourist-friendly resort, offering two kinds of bath experiences (sedate and lively), a riverside stroll, and a grand casino in a small-town package. With a second day, delve into Black Forest sights: the university town of Freiburg, the cozy village of Staufen, and forested hills rife with hikes, folk museums, cute hamlets, and cuckoo clocks.
Rothenburg is a well-preserved medieval town full of half-timbered buildings, small museums, fun tours, and cobbled lanes surrounded by walkable medieval walls. With extra time, explore the Romantic Road’s scenic route through the lovely countryside and time-passed towns of Dinkelsbühl and Nördlingen.
This university town is home to the impressive, fun-to-tour Residenz palace (with manicured gardens and a dazzling Rococo chapel), a hilltop fortress, atmospheric wine bars, and a bridge that’s perfect for strolling at sunset.
Germany has storybook villages like Bacharach, skyscrapers in Frankfurt, medieval festivals in Rothenburg, and fine wood carving—a German specialty—in Nürnberg.
The country’s bustling banking center, with a skyscraping skyline, gives you a good look at modern Germany. Rebuilt after World War II, Frankfurt has a charming old town (Römerberg), riverside parks, and a string of museums across the river. It’s also a major transportation hub, with an international airport and major train stations.
Steeped in legend, the mighty Rhine River is lined by storybook villages capped by imposing castles. Good home bases are cute Bacharach and St. Goar (with the best castle, Rheinfels). A thoroughfare since ancient times, the Rhine Valley has good connections by boat, roads, bike paths, and trains, making it easy to explore castles and towns.
This sleepy meandering river, near the Rhine Valley, harbors wine-loving cobbled towns, such as handy Cochem and tiny, quaint Beilstein. Nestled within a forest is my favorite European castle, Burg Eltz, which feels lived in, because it is. Farther west is Trier, easy to add for Mosel fans.
On the banks of the Mosel, Germany’s oldest city has a fun market square, a huge cathedral, a fine archaeological museum, and massive Roman monuments such as the Porta Nigra gate and the basilica.
Busy Cologne, on the Rhine River, has a spectacular Gothic cathedral looming over its train station, making it a rewarding, quick stop that’s especially convenient for train travelers. The city’s engaging museums—from Roman-Germanic to art (old masters and modern art) to chocolate—may entice visitors to stay longer.
This city has an engaging old town (rebuilt after World War II), a famous Christmas market, a variety of great museums, and haunting reminders of its Nazi past (the Nazi Documentation Center and Rally Grounds).
Martin Luther made an impact on each of these places: the charming university town of Erfurt, where he spent his youth; Wartburg Castle, where he hid out from the pope’s goons; and Wittenberg (with the most Luther sights), where he taught, preached, and revolutionized Christianity.
This rejuvenated city, which was once the derelict “second city” of East Germany, has wonderful Bach and Cold War museums. The city is architecturally drab, but has a classic café scene and the trendy Karli restaurant and nightlife zone.
The art-filled city, midway between Nürnberg and Berlin, offers exquisite museums (with the Green Vault’s Saxon treasures), Baroque palaces, a pleasant riverside promenade, and the landmark Frauenkirche church, symbolizing Dresden’s rebirth after the notorious WWII firebombing.
The big port city is awash with history and museums—from emigration to World War II to the Beatles. Its harbor tour is fun, its harbor boardwalk is inviting, its architecture is avant-garde (Elbphilharmonie Concert Hall), and its nightlife is Las Vegas-style. Hamburg makes an easy stop between Germany and Denmark.
Enjoy a break in Dresden’s museum complex, and a harbor tour in Hamburg.
To plan your trip, you’ll need to design your itinerary—choosing where and when to go, how you’ll travel, and how many days to spend at each destination. For my best advice on sightseeing, accommodations, restaurants, and transportation, see the Practicalities chapter.
As you read this book and learn your options...
My recommended itinerary (on here) gives you an idea of how much you can reasonably see in 21 days, but you can adapt it to fit your own interests and time frame.
My itinerary is heavy on half-timbered towns. But if a little cuteness goes a long way for you, spend less time in smaller towns and more time in the bigger cities, which offer more sights and nightlife.
If you love to go a-wandering, you could easily spend a week in the alpine Bavaria/Tirol area, touring castles, hiking, luge-riding, and spa-soaking. The region is easier by car, but doable without.
If rivers lined with castles, vineyards, and charming villages appeal to you, the Rhine and Mosel would fill a good week, including a day trip to Cologne for its stunning cathedral.
For beer hall fun, raise your glass in Munich. Wine connoisseurs enjoy Würzburg, the Rhine, and Mosel. For spa relaxation, Baden-Baden is your best bet.
| Day | Plan | Sleep in |
| 1 | Fly into Frankfurt, pick up car, drive to Rhine Valley | Bacharach |
| 2 | Rhine Valley | Bacharach |
| 3 | To Burg Eltz and Mosel, then drive to Baden-Baden | Baden-Baden |
| 4 | Relax and soak in Baden-Baden | Baden-Baden |
| 5 | Explore the Black Forest | Freiburg or Staufen |
| 6 | To Bavaria and Tirol | Füssen or Reutte |
| 7 | Neuschwanstein, other castles, Bavaria, Tirol | Füssen or Reutte |
| 8 | More Bavaria/Tirol, then drive to Salzburg | Salzburg |
| 9 | Salzburg | Salzburg |
| 10 | To Munich | Munich |
| 11 | Munich | Munich |
| 12 | To Dachau, then follow Romantic Road to Rothenburg | Rothenburg |
| 13 | Rothenburg | Rothenburg |
| 14 | Rothenburg (or Würzburg), drive to Nürnberg, drop off car | Nürnberg |
| 15 | Nürnberg | Nürnberg |
| 16 | Train to Dresden | Dresden |
| 17 | Dresden | Dresden |
| 18 | Train to Berlin | Berlin |
| 19 | Berlin | Berlin |
| 20 | Berlin | Berlin |
| 21 | Fly home |
With Less Time: Go directly from Baden-Baden to Füssen/Reutte instead of overnighting in Freiburg/Staufen. Skip your choice of Salzburg, Nürnberg, Dresden, or Berlin.
With More Time: You could stay a day in Frankfurt (upon arrival), add another day for the Rhine to day-trip to Cologne from Bacharach, or add a stay in the quieter Mosel Valley. The Martin Luther towns (Erfurt and Wittenberg) and Leipzig fit well as midpoint stops if you’re connecting Frankfurt or Nürnberg with Berlin or Dresden. Berlin merits several days more. Hamburg isn’t on the way to anything in Germany, but it’s a worthwhile detour to see a thriving, historic German port city.
By Train Only: Skip the southern Black Forest and take the train from Baden-Baden to Füssen, then Salzburg, then Munich. Take the train or bus to Rothenburg; from there, Nürnberg and Dresden are on the way to Berlin.
Historians can study their particular passion on site: ancient Roman monuments (Trier), medieval towns and castles (Rothenburg, Rhine), Reformation (Lutherland), World War II sights (Berlin, Nürnberg, Munich), and much more.
Salzburg strikes a chord for classical-music lovers, offering concerts nearly nightly. Art lovers are drawn to Munich, Berlin, and Dresden for their outstanding museums. Photographers want to go everywhere.
Peak season (roughly May-Sept) offers the best weather, long days (light until after 21:00), and the busiest schedule of tourist fun. Late spring and fall generally have decent weather and lighter crowds. Winter can be cold and dreary, but Germany’s famous Christmas markets brighten main squares from late November until Christmas. For weather specifics, see the climate chart in the appendix.
Link your destinations into a logical route. Determine which cities you’ll fly into and out of. Begin your search for transatlantic flights at Kayak.com.
Decide if you’ll travel by car or public transportation, or a combination of both. A car is useless in big cities (park it), but it’s helpful for exploring countryside regions, where bus and train connections are relatively infrequent and time-consuming.
Trains in Germany are either fast and pricey (book ahead for discounts, or use a rail pass), or slow and cheap (even cheaper with one of several day passes). Long-distance buses are inexpensive, though it’s wise to book several days in advance.
For the best of both worlds, use trains to connect major cities, and rent a car strategically to explore the countryside, such as the Bavaria/Tirol region, which has many scattered sights. Other candidates are the sleepy Mosel Valley, quaint Black Forest, and Romantic Road towns and sights (but if just Rothenburg’s your aim, it’s easily reached by train).
To determine approximate transportation times between your destinations, study the driving chart (see the Practicalities chapter) or train schedules (www.bahn.com). Compare the cost of any long train ride in Europe with a short budget flight; check Skyscanner.com for intra-European flights.
Run a reality check on your dream trip. You’ll have major transportation costs in addition to daily expenses.
Flight: A round-trip flight from the US to Frankfurt costs about $1,000-2,000, depending on where you fly from and when.
Public Transportation: For a three-week trip, allow $400 for second-class trains and buses ($500 for first-class trains). A rail pass is generally a good value because it covers the pricey, fast trains. In some cases, a short flight can be cheaper than taking the train.
Car Rental: Allow roughly $250 per week, not including tolls, gas, parking, and insurance. If you need the car for three weeks or more, leasing can be cheaper.
You can cut my suggested average daily expenses by taking advantage of the deals you’ll find throughout Germany and mentioned in this book.
City transit passes (for multiple rides or all-day usage) decrease your cost per ride.
If using trains, opt for the cheaper slow trains, and use day passes for further savings (most cost-effective for groups of 2-5).
Avid sightseers buy combo-tickets or passes that cover multiple museums. If a town doesn’t offer deals, visit only the sights you most want to see, and seek out free sights and experiences (people-watching counts).
Some businesses—especially hotels and walking-tour companies—offer discounts to my readers (look for the RS% symbol in the hotel listings in this book).
Book your rooms directly with the hotel. Many hotels offer a discount if you pay in cash and/or stay three or more nights (check online or ask). Rooms cost less outside of peak season (May-Sept). And even seniors can sleep cheap in hostels (some have double rooms) for about $30 per person. Or check Airbnb-type sites for deals.
It’s easy to eat cheap in Germany. Restaurants offer among the most reasonable prices in Europe. You can get tasty, inexpensive meals at bakeries (many sell sandwiches), department-store cafeterias, and fast-food stands. Cultivate the art of picnicking in atmospheric settings.
When you splurge, choose an experience you’ll always remember, such as a concert, spa bath, or alpine lift. Minimize souvenir shopping—how will you get it all home? Focus instead on collecting wonderful memories.
Figure out how many destinations you can comfortably fit in your time frame. Don’t overdo it—few travelers wish they’d hurried more. Allow enough days per stop (see estimates in “Germany’s Top Destinations,” earlier). Include sufficient time for transportation; whether you travel by train or car, it’ll take you a half-day to get between most destinations.
Staying in a home base (such as Munich) and making day trips can be more time-efficient than changing locations and hotels.
Take sight closures into account. Avoid visiting a town on the one day a week its must-see sights are closed. Check if any holidays or festivals fall during your trip—these attract crowds and can close sights (for the latest, visit Germany’s tourist website, www.germany.travel).
Give yourself some slack. Every trip, and every traveler, needs downtime for doing laundry, picnic shopping, people-watching, and so on. Pace yourself. Assume you will return.
You’ll have a smoother trip if you tackle a few things ahead of time. For more info on these topics, see the Practicalities chapter (and www.ricksteves.com, which has helpful travel tips and talks).
Make sure your passport is valid. If it’s due to expire within six months of your ticketed date of return, you need to renew it. Allow up to six weeks to renew or get a passport (www.travel.state.gov).
Arrange your transportation. Book your international flights. Figure out your main form of transportation within Germany. It’s worth thinking about buying train tickets online in advance, getting a rail pass, renting a car, or booking cheap European flights. (You can wing it once you’re there, but it may cost more.)
Book rooms well in advance, especially if your trip falls during peak season or any major holidays or festivals.
Reserve or buy tickets ahead for major sights, saving you from long ticket-buying lines. Reserve ahead for Neu-schwanstein Castle. For a Munich BMW factory tour, sign up at least two months in advance. To visit the Reichstag dome in Berlin, reserve a free entry slot online a week or two in advance. To see Dresden’s Historic Green Vault, book your tickets online well in advance, or play it loose and line up early for same-day tickets.
Tickets for the music-packed Salzburg Festival (mid-July through August) go fast; buy tickets far in advance (on sale in January).
Consider travel insurance. Compare the cost of the insurance to the cost of your potential loss. Check whether your existing insurance (health, homeowners, or renters) covers you and your possessions overseas.
Call your bank. Alert your bank that you’ll be using your debit and credit cards in Europe. Ask about transaction fees, and get the PIN number for your credit card. You don’t need to bring euros for your trip; you’ll withdraw euros from cash machines in Europe.
Use your smartphone smartly. Sign up for an international service plan to reduce your costs, or rely on Wi-Fi in Europe instead. Download any apps you’ll want on the road, such as maps, translation, transit schedules, and Rick Steves Audio Europe (see sidebar).
Rip up this book! Turn chapters into mini guidebooks: Break the book’s spine and use a utility knife to slice apart chapters, keeping gummy edges intact. Reinforce the chapter spines with clear wide tape; use a heavy-duty stapler; or make or buy a cheap cover (see Travel Store at www.ricksteves.com), swapping out chapters as you travel.
Pack light. You’ll walk with your luggage more than you think. Bring a single carry-on bag and a daypack. Use the packing checklist in the appendix as a guide.
Stick This Guidebook in Your Ear!
My free Rick Steves Audio Europe app makes it easy for you to download my audio tours of many of Europe’s top attractions and listen to them offline during your travels. For Germany, these include major sights and neighborhoods in Berlin, Munich, Rothenburg, and the Rhine Valley, and Salzburg in Austria. Sights covered by audio tours are marked in this book with this symbol: 
. The app also offers insightful travel interviews from my public radio show with experts from Germany and around the globe. It’s all free! You can download the app via Apple’s App Store, Google Play, or Amazon’s Appstore. For more info, see www.ricksteves.com/audioeurope.
If you have a positive attitude, equip yourself with good information (this book), and expect to travel smart, you will.
Read—and reread—this book. To have an “A” trip, be an “A” student. Note opening hours of sights, closed days, crowd-beating tips, and whether reservations are required or advisable. Check the latest at www.ricksteves.com/update.
Be your own tour guide. As you travel, get up-to-date info on sights, reserve tickets and tours, reconfirm hotels and travel arrangements, and check transit connections. Visit local tourist information offices (TIs). Upon arrival in a new town, lay the groundwork for a smooth departure; confirm the train, bus, or road you’ll take when you leave.
Outsmart thieves. Pickpockets abound in crowded places where tourists congregate. Treat commotions as smokescreens for theft. Keep your cash, credit cards, and passport secure in a money belt tucked under your clothes; carry only a day’s spending money in your front pocket. Don’t set valuable items down on counters or café tabletops, where they can be quickly stolen or easily forgotten.
Minimize potential loss. Keep expensive gear to a minimum. Bring photocopies or take photos of important documents (passport and cards) to aid in replacement if they’re lost or stolen.
Guard your time and energy. Taking a taxi can be a good value if it saves you a long wait for a cheap bus or an exhausting walk across town. To avoid long lines, follow my crowd-beating tips, such as making advance reservations, or sightseeing early or late.
Be flexible. Even if you have a well-planned itinerary, expect changes, closures, sore feet, bad weather, and so on. Your Plan B could turn out to be even better.
Attempt the language. Most Germans—especially in the tourist trade and in cities—speak English, but if you learn some German, even just a few phrases, you’ll get more smiles and make more friends. Practice the survival phrases near the end of this book, and even better, bring a phrase book.
Connect with the culture. Interacting with locals carbonates your experience. Enjoy the friendliness of the German people. Ask questions; most locals are happy to point you in their idea of the right direction. Set up your own quest for the best beer-and-bratwurst, castle, or cathedral. When an opportunity pops up, make it a habit to say “yes.”
Germany...here you come!
