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Quick Facts

Germany flag

Map of Germany

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Local name
Deutschland
Capital
Berlin
Government
Federal Republic
Nationality
German,
Population
82,422,299
Languages
German, regionally also Sorbian and Danish
Religions
Christianity (Protestant, Catholic), Islam, Judaism
Currency
Euro (EUR) €
Calling Code
+49
Time Zone
CET (UTC+1)
Summer (DST)
CEST (UTC+2)

Contributors

as well as Lavafalls (8%), Herr Bert (7%), arizona (3%), Peter (2%), marny (1%), steff (1%), dr.pepper (<1%)

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Introduction

GER035 Rathausl [Hamburg]

GER035 Rathausl [Hamburg]

© All Rights Reserved SChandler

Germany has something for any traveller. For people looking for great culture, castles and churches some of the best in the world can be found here. If looking for fine art and museums one can spends months wondering the great German galleries. When the great outdoors calls for you Germany has some of the best preserved wilderness in all of western Europe, offering great hiking and clean sky's. Fashion and industry can be found in its great cities along with hot and sexy cars. But for that certain traveller looking to drink great beer and hit up some of the best party festivals in the world Germany has something for you too. So get a beer stein, eat some sausage, slap on a pair of lederhosen and get ready for an adventure because Germany is calling for you.

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Brief History

The 2006 FIFA World Cup brought Germany and its hardy mixture of stout beers, a festive atmosphere and celebrated heritage into international limelight. It's a diverse country, which has gifted the world with a dazzling array of renowned artists, composers, writers and thinkers, but which will also be remembered for some of the darkest times in Western history.

The Germany of the 21st century is an industrial powerhouse with countless picturesque small towns to balance out its modern, stylized big cities. The once-divided Berlin stands as a pillar of historical importance, while it grasps the future with both hands. Medieval castles and a lively Bavarian culture in the south of Germany highlight the depth of the country's heritage. Such natural stores of beauty as the Alps, the Rhine-valley and the Black Forest make it plain to see why Germany is one of Europe's top picks for travellers, even without a football tournament to really spice things up.

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Geography

The geography of Germany has lots to offer. From Rhine River Valley, the Black Forest to the Alps, From the islands on the North- and Baltic sea coast, the Elbe river to Lake Konstanz in the south, there is great beauty to be found. Remember Germany is not just a country of cities.

Germany shares international borders with Denmark to the north; Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France to the west; Switzerland and Austria to the south; and the Czech Republic and Poland to the east.

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Regions

Germany is a federal republic of 16 states, called Bundesländer in German.

Not so long ago the various regions in Germany were separate countries all with their own government and their own army, ruled by a king, a duchy or a prince and often at war with each other. Although not immediately recognisable for a short-term traveller there are distinctive differences between the regions. Speech, traditional dress, way of thinking (conservative v. liberal) and maybe most importantly food. The north-south divide between Hamburg or Berlin and Munich is the easiest to observe. It is strongly recommend for a traveller to spend time in all parts of Germany to get a feeling for the country.

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Cities

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Sights and Activities

Brandenburg Gate

The Brandenburg Gate (Brandenburger Tor) is one of Berlin's former official gates. At one time there were many gates to Berlin but today the Brandenburg Gate is the only remaining one. Its construction was completed in 1791. During the Soviet occupation a section of the Berlin Wall actually went through the plaza, which has been torn down. The gate has been a very important symbol throughout modern German history and today it is mostly a wonderful plaza to walk through and enjoy.

Ulm Minster

The Ulm Minster (Ulmer Münster), located in Ulm, is the largest Lutheran church in the world with a steeple that is over 161.53 m (530 ft). To make it up this steeple a traveller must climb up over 768 steps. Once at the top there is stunning view of all of Ulm that makes the climb very worthwhile. Construction was started in the 14th century but the slow process of constructing this huge gothic church was not completed until the 19th century. There is great art to be enjoyed inside the Church and a wonderful feeling of knowing that Mozart once played on its famous massive organ can be felt.

Schloss Neuschwanstein

Schloss Neuschwanstein

© All Rights Reserved nikio

Neuschwanstein Castle

The Castle Neuschwanstein is the biggest legacy of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. The built of the castle started in 1868, and was completed in 1892 several years after the King died. The castle is that of a fairytale prince, and has become the inspiration for Walt Disney's Castle of the Sleeping Beauty, and it has been copied in some of the Disney parks. The castle itself was inspired on Opera's by Richard Wagner, especially the Opera Tannhauser, in which the Swan knight Lohengrin is the central figure. Seven weeks after the King died in 1886 the castle was opened for the public. It has become one of the European topattractions which is visited by around 1,3 million people every year. The Castle is situated in the Alps of southern Germany, near the town of Füssen. Visits can be done pretty easy from Munich aswell. There are several tour operators offering daytrips, but you can also go by train and bus. Near to the castle also lies the castle of Hohenschwangau.

Cologne Cathedral

The Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) is a beautiful catholic church with stunning gothic architecture located in Cologne. Construction of the church began in 1248 and was not completed until 1880. The two large towers dominate the church, supporting the worlds largest façade of any church in the whole world. It's one of the rare buildings not severely damaged in WWII. It is said because pilots used the Dom as an orientation point. In 1996 this cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. Today it is one of the best tourist sights in all of Germany.

Rügen Island

Rügen Island is the largest island in Germany. Located in the Baltic Sea, Rügen is one of the most popular holiday and recreation areas in the country. However, do not expect a warm beach because the average summer temperature is usually only around 16 °C – a far cry from to those in the tropics. The chalky rocks are a must-see. All things considered, hiking and enjoying the scenery is probably a much better activity than a swim in the sea.

Lake Konstanz

Lake Konstanz, (in German: Bodensee) is the largest lake in all of Germany, it borders aswell to Austria and Switzerland. This is a great place for boating and cycling. There are several ferries crossing the lake from one place to another, and there is a cycling route going around the lake, than can be done over several days. On the German part of the lake, there is a small island called Mainau, which is a place of interest for lovers of flowers and gardens.

Other Sights and Activities

  • The Black Forest (Schwarzwald) is a great place to enjoy the best hikes and the wilderness in Germany.

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Events and Festivals

Oktoberfest

Germany's most famous festival is the Oktoberfest, a two-week extravanganza of beer drinking, riding the caroussels and having a load of fun (if you like drunken crowds). It takes part in Munich from late September to early October, the actual dates changing each year. It draws more visitors from all over the world than any other feast in Europe. Although more cities have Oktoberfeste, this one is the best known and in fact is the largest fair in the world, with 6 million visitors a year. Since 1950 the Oktoberfest as we know it today emerged. Most of the breweries set up an own tent at the festival. Over the last few year the one from the Hofbrauhaus has been the biggest, with a capacity of almost 10.000 for this tent alone. It is so popular that most hotels and hostels are completely booked out by February.

Cannstadter Vasen

A similar venture to the Octoberfest is the Cannstadter Vasen. It takes place in Stuttgart at roughly the same time as the Oktoberfest and offers similar attractions, yet it is much less overrun than the Octoberfest.

Oberammmergauer Passionsspiele

Held every 10 years, Oberammmergauer Passionsspiele is a major event centred around Catholic tradition in Bavaria. Amateur actors from Oberammergau enact scenes from the bible on Hollywood-sized stages. The next time this takes place is in 2010, from May 15th to October 3rd.

Mardi Gras, Carneval and Fastnet

Rose Monday,Koln

Rose Monday,Koln

© All Rights Reserved Zhou

  • Carnival (Mardi Gras) in February is a good time. The Carneval in Cologne is considered especially famous. It is the one festival in Germany that can rival the Oktoberfest in popularity, which is no small feat.
  • Fastnet in southern Germany is also very worthwhile, in fact with its masked dancers it tends to appeal to tourists far more than the Carneval in the Rhine area.

Other Events and Festivals

  • Luther's Wedding, a three-day extravaganza with music, is held in Wittenberg every June.
  • International Beer Festival is yet another important date for beer-lovers. It takes place in Berlin in late July or early August for about three days. Visitors get the chance to sample the best beers from all over the world, all within a mile's walk.
  • Landshuter Hochzeit, Royal Wedding of Landshut.

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Weather

Germany has a relatively mild climate with comparable conditions than those found in the Netherlands or Belgium, but with somewhat warmer summers and colder winters. The division between a maritime and a continental climate in Europe runs right through Germany and in general the west and north tends to get wet air from the Atlantic and the east dry cold or hot air from Russia.

Temperatures during the summer months of May to September are around 20 °C to 25 °C during the day for most of the country. Extremes can reach 30 °C and above, but this only occurs on the hottest days of summer between late June and August (record is even 41 °C near Karlsruhe. The northern coastal areas, especially the North Sea coast, are a bit cooler. The hottest area of Germany is the Rhine Valley west of the Black Forest. During winter, average days are slightly above or below 0 °C, dropping to -5 or -10 °C at night. Extremes can go down to -10 °C during the day and to -15 °C during the night, this occassionally happens for approx 5-20 days roughly every 2nd winter though. Note that The Alps in the south can get much colder and have months of frost and snow on end.

Rainfall is spread out throughout the year, but tends to be a bit higher during the warmer summer months. The northern coastal areas gets rain more frequently, but the overall precipitation is higher in the south. The driest area of Germany is the area east of the Harz mountains ranging as far as Berlin.

In winter, snow is possible in the whole of Germany, but more likely at higher altitudes and is also a bit more towards the east and the south. The Alps and the Bavarian Forest are a favourite ski area during the winter months of December to March. Because of the influence of the sea, winters in the northwest are relatively mild and more likely to be rainy than elsewhere. Berlin usually gets a mild dusting of dry powder snow that instantly melts away.

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Getting There

By Plane

Germany is one of the most connected countries in Europe, with the ability to fly there from dozens of airports throughout the world. Although the country has several international airports, the most important one (and in fact one of the busiest in Europe) is Frankfurt am Main International Airport (IATA: FRA, ICAO: EDDF), located 12 km southwest of Frankfurt city centre.

The main national carrier is Lufthansa, which has connections to all major destinations in both Europe as other continents. Return tickets on its budgetfly programme can rival the prices of budget airlines.

Low-cost carrier German Wings is based at Cologne Bonn International Airport (IATA: CGN, ICAO: EDDK), 15 km southeast of Cologne city centre and 16 km northeast of Bonn. It focuses on European destinations and also flies from the international airports at Hamburg, Dortmund, Berlin Schönefeld and Stuttgart.

Another budget airline is Air Berlin, which has flights within Europe as well as to places further away including China and west coast USA. Its hub is at Berlin Tegel Airport, but it also flies from Düsseldorf International Airport and 18 other airports in Germany. Air Berlin operates as charter carrier on a lot of medium- and long-distance routes, so if you intend to fly into one of the smaller airports, it helps if you are flying in summer and to a popular holiday destination. Similar is true for the charter carrier Tuifly. Easyjet also has connections to Berlin.

Ryanair's main airport in Germany is Frankfurt/Hahn (IATA: HHN). Typically for Ryanair this airport is nowhere near Frankfurt, but instead over an hour away by car or bus. Hahn is conveniently located for people stationed in the US Armed Forces bases around Kaiserslautern though. If you are flying with nothing but hand luggage Ryanair can be cheaper than any other company but one needs to take the cost of transport to and from the airport into account. Sometimes the flights leave you stranded at the airport in the middle of the night with no onward transport except private taxi. Other airports Ryanair flies to are Berlin - Schönefeld, Weeze (near Düsseldorf), Friedrichshafen, Lübeck, Karlsruhe-Baden, Bremen and Zweibrücken (near Saarbrücken).

Finally there is Condor, which uses both FRA and Munich International Airport (IATA: MUC, ICAO: EDDM), located 28 km northeast of Munich. It flies to destinations in Europe and beyond. Condor is the charter venture of Lufthansa, they use the same aircraft and crew. It is essentially Lufthansa under another name with lower prices, but with less destinations.

By Train

Germany is well-connected by rail with its neighbours. Some of the connections are:

From Czech Republic

From Belgium

From Denmark

From Luxembourg

From the Netherlands

By Car

Due to the central location of Germany within Europe, it can be entered from a whole string of countries, and by different routes. There are dozens of crossings with the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Australia, the Czech Republic, Poland and Denmark. Be sure to have your documentation in order, although mostly you can just pass without any controls.

By Bus

Eurolines connects to several German cities. The have stops in Berlin, Bielefeld, Braunschweig, Bremen, Dortmund, Cologne, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Essen, Flensburg, Frankfurt, Halle, Hamburg, Hannover, Kiel, Leipzig, Lübeck, Magdeburg, Mannheim, Munich, Nuremberg, Oldenburg, Stuttgart and Ulm. Reservations can only be made in a couple of places: Berlin, Dortmund, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover, Munich, Nuremberg (Nürnberg) and Stuttgart. For the other places you need to make your reservations on the internet.

By Boat

The Queen Mary 2 regularly sails from New York to Hamburg, usually once or twice a year in the summer months.

There are no longer direct ferries from the UK to Germany, the closest connections are Harwich to Hoek van Holland (Netherlands) and to Esbjerg, Denmark.

Other ferries to Germany operate on the Baltic sea, connecting various ports of Germany with Scandinavia. Destinations are Gedser and Rodby in Denmark, Gothenburg, Helsingborg and Trelleborg in Sweden, Oslo in Norway and Hanko (Helsinki) in Finland.

Switzerland

Iceland

  • The Icelandic cargo ship Eimskip has two vessels, the Dettifoss and Goðafoss which travel the route Rotterdam-Hamburg-Göteborg-Århus-Fredrikstad-Tórshavn-Reykjavík. It takes 8 days in total and the return trip goes via eastern Iceland and Tórshavn only. The vessel can take a maximum of 3 passengers but only between mid-April and mid-October.

Norway

Sweden

Finland

  • Silja Line between Rostock and Helsinki.
  • Finn Lines between Travemunde and Helsinki.
  • Superfast Ferries between Rostock and Hanko, about 90 minutes from Helsinki.

Denmark

Latvia

Russia

  • Trans Russia Express operates a ferry between St Petersburg and both Sassnitz and Lübeck in Germany.

Lithuania

Estonia

United Kingdom

There are also daily services between the Netherlands (Eemshaven in the north of the province of Groningen) and the German Wadden Island of Borkum with Borkumlijn (in dutch).

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Getting Around

By Plane

Lufthansa, Air Berlin and German Wings has a number of domestic flights, among several other carriers. The main airports are in Berlin, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Cologne/Bonn, Frankfurt and Munich.

By Train

State-owned Deutsche Bahn (DB) is the national railway company of Germany. Some of the train services operated by DB include:

  • InterCityExpress ICE - high-speed train, mostly national and some international trains.
  • InterCity IC - national long-distance trains.
  • EuroCity EC - international long-distance trains.
  • DB NachtZug NZ - national and international night trains.
  • Urlaubs Express - national night trains to the Alps and the Baltic Sea during the holidays.
  • Regional Express RE - medium-distance semi-fast trains for regional services.
  • Regional Bahn RB - basic local service, usually calling at all stations.
  • S-Bahn S - suburban rail transport offered mainly by Deutsche Bahn, sometimes by others.

Thern and when they offer special ticket rates. These offers change frequently, so it is worthwhile, for bargain hunters, to check often.

By Car

Autobahn is Germany's excellent highway system, originally built in the 1930s. All vehicles must be able to drive over 60 km/h and the recommended speed is around 130 km/h. Remember this speed is only a recommendation and while many parts of the autobahn network have speed limits imposed there is no actual speed limit for the whole system. All autobahn roads are named with the capital letter A followed by a number. Even numbers indicate a west-east running autobahn, and odd numbers indicate a north-south running autobahn. The higher the number the shorter the route, the lower the number the more important.

  • A 10 to A 19 – eastern Germany (Berlin, Saxony–Anhalt, parts of Saxony and Brandenburg).
  • A 20 to A 29 – northern and northeastern Germany.
  • A 30 to A 39 – lower Saxony and North Rhine–Westphalia area.
  • A 40 to A 49 – Rhine–Ruhr area and north Hesse.
  • A 50 to A 59 – Rhine–Ruhr area.
  • A 60 to A 69 – Rhineland–Palatinate, Saarland and Hesse area.
  • A 70 to A 79 – Thuringia, northern Bayern and parts of Saxony.
  • A 80 to A 89 – Baden–Württemberg area.
  • A 90 to A 99 – southern Bavaria.

Mitfahrgelegenheit is a cheap and easy option to check out if you speak a little German. People offer lifts in their car from one place to another. You will just have to pay for the petrol and also have the chance to meet some Germans.

There are many companies offering rental cars at airports and cities and the bigger railway stations. A national driver's licence will do and if bringing your own car be sure to have insurance (green card).

By Bus

There are very few options for long-distance public bus travel in Germany. Buses mostly cover local routes between villages. The big exeption is international travel plus a few limited long-distance routes. Examples of these routes are buses from Hamburg and Munich to Berlin, a bus route from Hamburg to Frankfurt and the Romantic Road Coach.

Some of the local bus operators are:

By Boat

Germany has an extensive network of channels and rivers. Kayaking and canoeing is very popular as well as yachting. However there are no public transport options by boat available. Bring or rent your own boat.

There are regular boat services on most rivers, lakes and coastal waters. These include the Danube, Main, Moselle, Neckar, Rhine and the Weser rivers and also on Ammer See, Chiemsee, Königssee and Lake Constance. There are also local ferries to and from Kiel (Kiel Fjord) and from Cuxhaven to Helgoland and to the East and North Friesian Islands. These include Speedways between Cuxhaven and Helgoland, AG Ems between Emden and Borkum and Weisse Flotte between Stralsund and Rügen. The KD German Rhine Line has trips on the Rhine and Mosel rivers.

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Red Tape

See also: Schengen Visa

If you are a European Union (EU) citizen, you may enter without any restriction as per your EU citizenship rights. EU citizens can travel to Germany on their national ID cards. Since UK citizens do not have national ID cards (yet), they need a passport to enter. Non-EU citizens might need to obtain a Schengen Visa. This visa is valid for any country in the Schengen zone.

The following countries can travel to Germany visa-free:

  • All countries and territories that are members of the Schengen acquis, of the EU or of EFTA due to their rights according to the relevant treaties.
  • Additionally: Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, San Marino, Singapore, South Korea, United States, Uruguay, Vatican City, Venezuela.

All citizens from all other countries need a Schengen visa to enter.

All citizens from the above countries (except citizens of countries and territories that are members of the Schengen acquis, of the EU or of EFTA) need a Schengen visa if the duration of their stay inside the Schengen area is longer than 90 days in a 180-day-period or if the purpose of their visit is any other than tourism.

For more detailed and up-to-date information, refer to the official German visa and immigration policy.

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Money

See also: Money Matters

Germany has adopted the Euro (ISO code: EUR, symbol: €) as its official currency. One Euro is divided into 100 cents, which is sometimes referred to as eurocents, especially when distinguishing them with the US cents.

Euro banknotes come in denominations of €5, €10, €20, €50, €100, €200, €500. The highest three denominations are rarely used in everyday transactions. All Euro banknotes have a common design for each denomination on both sides throughout the Eurozone.

The Euro coins are 1 cent, 2 cents, 5 cents, 10 cents, 20 cents, 50 cents, €1 and €2. Some countries in the Eurozone have law which requires cash transactions to be rounded to the nearest 5 cents. All Euro coins have a common design on the denomination (value) side, while the opposite side may have a different image from one country to another. Although the image side may be different, all Euro coins remain legal tender throughout the Eurozone.

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Work

EU citizens can work in Germany without needing a residency permit or a work permit. It is recommended though to check with the local EURES officer regarding insurance and social security issues as well as on how to write a German CV.

Non-EU citizens: Germany has Working Holiday visa agreements with Australia, Canada, Japan and New Zealand. Options for US-citizens involve BUNAC, working at a US Armed Forces base or going through the normal immigration process. Citizens of certain countries, namely Australia, Israel, Japan, Canada, South Korea, New Zealand and the USA are privileged when it comes to immigrating to Germany, they do not have to apply for a residency permit in advance at the embassy.

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Study

The German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst) (DAAD) is your one-stop guide to studying at a German university or taking German language classes in Germany.

The German Public Abroad Broadcasting channel Deutsche Welle TV offers free online language lessons for levels of ability and for all purposes.

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Language

German is part of the Indo-European language family. It is closely related to English, Danish, Dutch, Swedish and Norwegian. With over 120 million native speakers and even more non-native speakers it is the third most important language in the EU after English and French.

The large majority of Germany's inhabitants speak German as their first language. However there are significant minorities that speak their native tongues. In terms of numbers the most important would be the Turkish migrants - there are some areas in large German cities where you don't hear a word of German at all. Other native minorities would be the Danish minority in the north and the Sorbs in the area south of Berlin.

German children learn English and other foreign languages like Latin, French, Old Greek, Italian, Spanish and Russian at school. In order to attend university a students needs to have had at least five years of lessons in one foreign language and at least three years in another. Most Germans (especially the younger) speak at least some English and are able to understand simple questions and reply with simple answers. Quite a large number are decently fluent enough to hold a converstation.

It is usually no problem for a traveller who speaks no German to get around in Germany with only English.
If signs and other public announcements are bilingual the second language used apart from German is usually English.

To get you started, you can learn some of the basic language in the German Phrasebook

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Eat

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Sleep

The cheapest places to sleep for single travellers are hostel beds in dorms. HI/YHA hostels are the most wide-spread and are often the the only hostel in smaller cities or villages. (Note that in Bavaria travellers above 26 are not allowed in the official HI/YHA hostels unless they are accompanied by somebody under 18.) In rural areas camping sites can be a good option. For families or small groups a holiday appartment can be a great an inexpensive deal. The best way to find cheap and good quality accomodation in smaller towns is usually to contact the tourist information of the city, since most of the tourist informations have an internal booking service for all the holiday appartments, pensions and hotels in town. Instead of calling countless small places only to be told that they are full contact the tourist information as they know exactly which appartment or pension has vacancies for the dates you want. Expect to pay between 20-40 EUR per day and person if renting an appartment and 10-20 EUR per day and person when staying on a camping site.

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Drink

Germany's national drink is beer. Germans take great pride in their beer and there are far too many micro-breweries in Germany to count them.
But tee-totalers need not despair: The second most important national drink is "schorle". It is essentially sparkling mineral water mixed with fruit juice 50:50. Very tasty and much healthier than any soft drink. The most common variant is apple schorle. Schorle is so popular that a certain American soft drink producer has started to bottle their own schorle under the brand "Lift", yet due to the low fruit juice content and the fact that it contains table water instead of mineral water the company is not allowed to sell it as such. (Says something about the quality of the swill, doesn't it?)

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Health

See also: Travel Health

Germany has a great health care system. All major cities have excellent hospitals with great service. It should be pretty easy to find staff in the hospital that speak English. A quirk of the German health care system is that almost all Germans have medical insurance, either private or statuory. Having medical insurance with sufficient coverage for major hospital treatment is mandatory for every foreigner entering Germany. If you do not have insurance and find yourself in the unfortunate position of having to pay for treatment you'll be in for quite a shock - the great health care system comes with a huge price tag attached. EU citizens are normally covered under the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), but it is strongly recommended to have private insurance that will cover the costs for transport back home in an emergency.

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Safety

See also: Travel Safety

The emergency number in Germany is 112. This number can be dialled from any telephone in Germany to contact the Police, Medical and Fire Brigade. The police only/directly is 110.

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Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafés are common in larger cities, they are often run by immigrants and usually have phone booths as well. You can recognise them by the flags of foreign countries in their windows. They are often in the semi-nice areas of the city. Rates are from around 1.50 to 5 EUR per hour.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

The international call prefix in Germany is 00. To dial out of Germany, dial 00, followed by country code, area code, and the telephone number (e.g. 00 44 1234 567890). If you're using a mobile phone, simply add the plus sign "+" before the country code to call out of Germany (e.g. +44 1234 567890).

The cheapest way to call abroad from Germany is to use the internet cafés run by immigrants. They sell special calling cards that give the best rate to certain countries as well as offer cheap international calls from phone booths. It is also the cheapest way to call landlines in Germany.

It is no problem to buy a cheap pre-paid mobile or a SIM card in Germany, but note that the SIM card is pretty much useless outside of Germany. You cannot buy new cards to recharge and you cannot upload new funds to your account from abroad.

Post

Germany's postal system is very efficient, their logistics branch DHL is one of the best companies in this field world-wide.
The website of Deutsche Post has an online calculator for postage fees as well as a post office finder. For example it costs about 40 EUR to send a small package to Australia and 1.70 EUR to send an old-fashioned letter to any place in the world outside of Europe. Letters to places in Europe cost 0.70 EUR.

This is version 142. Last edited at 14:27 on Nov 2, 09 by Utrecht (+346). 125 articles link to this page.

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