Stuttgart

Travel Guide Baden-Württemberg Stuttgart

Introduction

Stuttgart - Schloss Platz

Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in the south of Germany. With about 600,000 inhabitants, the city is the 6th largest in the country. The metropolitan area is much bigger though with well over 5 million people.

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Neighbourhoods

There are 23 districts that make up the entire urban area of Stuttgart.

Five of them are inner districts: Central Stuttgart, Stuttgart North, East, South and West.
The outer districts are Bad Cannstatt, Degerloch, Möhringen, Stammheim, Untertürkheim, Vaihingen, Zuffenhausen, Feuerbach, Birkach, Botnang, Hedelfingen, Mühlhausen, Münster, Obertürkheim, Plieningen, Sillenbuch, Stuttgart-Wangen and Weilimdorf.

The hills around the city are extremely picturesque and the houses are all very special.

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Sights and Activities

Koenigsstrasse (King's Street) is the central shopping and business street in Stuttgart. It is close to the railway station. Even if you have little time for your stay in the city, you can go there and visit a lot of stores or just take a stroll and window-shop.
The Stiftskirche (the Collegiate Church).
Altes Schloss (the Old Castle), another key attraction in the city. It was built in the 16th century. You can see a lot of ancient chambers, arcaded floors with museums here.
Alte Kanzlei (the Old Chancellery) on Schillerplatz square.
Neues Schloss (the New Castle). The Column to King Wilhelm erected in the middle of the 19th century stands in the center of the city opposite the New Castle and is seen from a distance. The Column is a manifestation of the people's love and loyalty to their kings. Visiting Neues Schloss - the New Castle - is a must for tourists coming to Stuttgart for the first time. You can admire its pavements, fountains and the interior of the castle: the marble walls and sculptures, pictures and furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries.
Stuttgart Art Museum
Wilhelmpalais (the King Wilhelm Palais).
Königsbau (the King's Building).
The Großes Haus of Stuttgart National Theatre.
Markthalle Market Hall, Art Nouveau building.
Porsche Museum - in Zuffenhausen outer district.
Mercedes Benz Museum - in Untertürkheim outer district.
Friedrich Schiller, a great German poet, is especially beloved in the city. There are two monuments to Schiller: one in front of the Opera Theater and another in Schiller Square opposite the Old Castle.
The monument to King Wilhelm of Wuerttemberg in front of the national museum. The National Museum is a piece of history, a good place to reflect on the course of history in a quiet atmosphere.
Visiting the TV tower built in 1956, you can ride up the elevator to the top, you can have a wonderful view of the city from the observation platform located at the height of 152 meters and have some coffee afterwards in the café downstairs.

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Events and Festivals

Cannstatter Volksfest/Cannstatter Wasen - end of September/beginning of October.
Springfestival in April.
Summer Festival - music and dance.

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Weather

Stuttgart's summer are from June to September when it's mostly between 22 and 26 degrees Celsius during the day, and 10 to 13 degrees Celsius at night. Winters are from December to February with average daytime temperatures around 4 degrees Celsius and nights a few degrees below zero. It can get much colder though and snow, although not much, is common on some days during this time. Most of the precipitation falls during the summer period though, winters are generally drier.

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg Max	4 °C	5.5 °C	10 °C	13.6 °C	18.5 °C	21.1 °C	23.9 °C	23.9 °C	19.7 °C	14.2 °C	8 °C	4.9 °C
Avg Min	-1.3 °C	-0.9 °C	2.2 °C	4.5 °C	8.9 °C	11.9 °C	14.1 °C	13.9 °C	10.5 °C	6.5 °C	2 °C	-0.1 °C
Rainfall	33.5 mm	34 mm	39.3 mm	48.5 mm	82.4 mm	92.5 mm	67.6 mm	63.9 mm	53.9 mm	50.6 mm	49.7 mm	48.6 mm
Rain Days	8.3	7.6	8.8	9.6	11.7	12.1	10	8.6	8.4	9.2	9	9.1

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Getting There

By Plane

Stuttgart Airport (STA), about 12 kilometres from Stuttgart, offers a wide range of flights. Although there is only one runway, it's the major hub for German based lowcost airlines German Wings and TuiFly. Together they form the bulk of arriving and departing flights, with connections throughout Europe and the north of Africa mainly. A few destinations include Moscow, London, Agadir, Funchal, Barcelona, Reykjavik, Madrid, Rome, Luxor, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Palma de Mallorca, Vienna, Warsaw, Thessaloniki and Lisbon. KLM has regular flights to Amsterdam and other destinations with airlines include Atlanta, Helsinki, Paris, Tel Aviv, Copenhagen, Warsaw and Malta.

Stuttgart Airport can be easily reached within 30 minutes from the city's central railway station using the Stuttgart suburban railway S2 or S3. The airport lies right next to the Autobahn A8 that connects the cities of Karlsruhe, Stuttgart and Munich.

By Train

Deutsche Bahn (DB) offers train connections througout Germany. Stuttgart main station is being redesigned (while still running) for the somewhat controversial "Stuttgart 21" project (see infobox). Once the project is completed Stuttgart main station will have transformed from a terminus to a through station with faster connections in most directions. For getting on from Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof and around in the city of Stuttgart, see Public Transportation below. Stuttgart is also served by Flixtrain. They run one train each way daily on their Stuttgart-Berlin route. Trains have a lower top speed than the ICE and are thus a bit slower, but tickets are significantly cheaper. When booking via Flixbus, make sure to book a departure labeled "train" as you'll otherwise be sitting on a bus.

By Car

Stuttgart has the inglorious title of being Germany's traffic jam capital, so try to avoid the rush-hour as car traffic can easily break down. Also parking is definitely a problem in most inner city areas. Expect a lack of parking facilities and high parking fees. Stuttgart is connected by the two major autobahns, the west/east-highway A8 to the south and the north/south-highway A81 to the west as well as smaller autobahn-like highways B10, B14, B27. Generally, follow the sign "Stuttgart Zentrum" to get to the center of Stuttgart.

By Bus

Eurolines connects to several German cities, including Stuttgart. The stop is at the Central Busstation (ZOB), which is near to the train station. Reservations can be made at the office of Deutsche Touring, Arnulf Klett Platz 2, tel: 0711-2730962, which is located at the train station. You can also make reservations by internet.

By Boat

With your own boat you can get to Stuttgart by boat. The city lies on the banks of the river Neckar, which is a small river that end up in the Rhein near Mannheim.

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Getting Around

Stuttgart has a very compact city center with most destinations in walking distances. Nearly all visitors arrive at the main train station (Hauptbahnhof). From there the remarkable 1.2-km-long pedestrian shopping street called “Königstraße” leads through the heart of the city, passing the Schlossplatz with the amazing New Palace, to the Rotebühlplatz (Stadtmitte). Other main sights (e.g. museums, opera) are just around the corner.

By Car

If you intend to drive by car inside Stuttgart, the only possibility to park are parking blocks at about €1.50 per hour. Some parking blocks are closed during late night, providing no way of getting your car out. The street layout and numerous tunnels in Stuttgart can be confusing for tourists. Driving by car is not recommended.

Taxis are expensive. For €10 you will get about 4 minutes of a taxi drive. With two or more people, getting a taxi together at night (when public transportation has stopped) can make sense. Call a taxi in Stuttgart: Phone Nr. 0711/55 10 000 - Taxi-Auto-Zentrale Stuttgart. There is a special offer for women traveling at night for more safety. If you are a woman or a group of only women traveling after 20:00, you can request a Frauen-Nacht-Taxi, which will have a female driver and the costs are reduced by €5.

By Public Transport

Stuttgart's public transportation system comprises two light rail system - the Stadtbahn (or U-Bahn) and Schnellbahn (S-Bahn), as well as a city bus system. It is managed by VVS and is fully integrated in that there is one fare and ticketing system for all forms of transit, so that a single ticket can be used on any mixture of buses and trains that may be required to complete the journey.

The VVS's network called is divided in zones. The city of Stuttgart is only Zone 10 (inner city) and 20 (outer city). Most lines will lead via Hauptbahnhof, ending in a layout that is pretty centralized: If you want to go somewhere, chances are, you have to ride via Hauptbahnhof. The following Stadtbahn or S-Bahn stations are in the heart of the city: Hauptbahnhof, Schlossplatz, Charlottenplatz, Stadtmitte (Rotebühlplatz), Feuersee, Rathaus, Staatsgalerie and Berliner Platz (Liederhalle).

From Sunday to Wednesday public transportation stops around 01:00. On the weekend the S-Bahn is running hourly the whole night on all lines. So the inner city route from Hauptbahnhof to Schwabstraße is connected frequently. Additionally there are several night buses running, all starting from the Schlossplatz. On Thursdays there are night buses at 01:20, 02:30, 03:40. Be careful if you have a very early airplane since there are no connections weekdays to the airport in the early morning between 01:00 and 05:00.

Stuttgart's Stadtbahn is a combination of suburban light rail, tramway/streetcar system and underground metro (subway). In the very centre of the city, the tracks run underground, and the overground sections run along city streets, partially grade-separated and partially integrated into city streets like tramways. That way, the yellow carriages of the Stadtbahn can travel all the way from the suburban hillsides to the central hub by the Hauptbahnhof, allowing convenient commuting with minimal amounts of changes.

To distinguish the Stadtbahn from the suburban trains of the Schnellbahn, it is referred to as U-Bahn Berlin logo.png U-Bahn, and its lines numbered from U1 to U15. U-Bahn stands for underground/metro/subway in most other cities in German-speaking countries, even though in Stuttgart it runs underground over only a small portion of the network.

Most of the U-Bahn lines go through the underground section in the city centre, stopping at either the Hauptbahnhof, Charlottenplatz or both - with the exception of line U3, U 8 and U13 which go to their destinations without crossing the city centre. See map for details. The numbers U11 and U19 are reserved for special lines only operating during major events in the Neckarpark. The U10 moniker is reserved for the Zahnradbahn (see below)., Since rebuilding the lstation Staatsgallerie is under way there are some temporary lines in effect. Check the map at your station for information for these temporary lines.

The Schnellbahn (or S-Bahn-Logo.svg S-Bahn), literally meaning "fast railway", is a system of regional trains operated by the Deutsche Bahn for VVS. They run over mainline and railway track sections separate from the Stadtbahn, with fewer stops/stations and reaching farther beyond the city that the Stadtbahn. As the S-Bahn is separate from the U-Bahn, not all stations are integrated - there are S-Bahn stations with no connections to the U-Bahn system. That said, they are covered by the same ticket/fare system and compliment itself well.

You will most probably find the S-Bahn most convenient to use when covering larger distances or getting to locations not served by the U-Bahn, like the airport or Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen. The S-Bahn lines are numbered from S1 to S6, plus the extra line S60.

All of the lines travel through the so-called Stammstrecke (common track) in the city centre, between the Schwabstraße station and the Hauptbahnhof. From there, the lines extend in all directions towards the extremities of Stuttgart. Of particular interest are the S2 and S3, which extend to the Airport. Both go through the city centre to Bad Canstatt and split in Waiblingen towards their separate termini. While the airport station (Flughafen) is the terminus for S3, the S2 continues to Filderstadt beyond the airport.

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Eat

Carls Brauhaus. Opened in April 2014, the Carls Brauhaus at the beautiful Schlossplatz serves decent Swabian cuisine.
Restaurant Cafe Markthalle, Dorotheenstraße 4 (one block from Rathaus Marktplatz farmer's market), ☎ +49 711-24 59 79, fax: +49 711-23 61 040. M-F 06:00-22:00; Sa 07:00-18:00. Restaurant attached to Stuttgart's international marketplace for produce, meat, and cheese (which is a nice shopping experience by itself). Serves regional and seasonal dishes. Also serves substantial breakfasts if you are hungry for more than bakery fare. €7-15 for entrees, drinks start at €2.
Il Pomodoro, Wilhelmsplatz 4. The pizzeria at the Wilhelmsplatz stands for great and reasonable Italian food. Delicious wood oven pizzas and special pasta offers at lunch time gets it crowded all day long. If you can’t get a table, there are other good options at the Wilhelmsplatz. The concept of the owner works out fine. There are two more Il Pomodoro restaurants in the districts West (Silberburgstraße 72) and now also in Süd (Filderstraße 25). Large pizza starts at €4.50.
Sonja's Biergarten im Schlossgarten (Beer garden in the palace park), Am Schlossgarten 18 (in the city park near the main train station), ☎ +49 711-22 612 74, fax: +49 711-22 612 75, e-mail: [email protected]. Daily 10:30-01:00. Beautiful setting and reasonable prices. Order cafeteria style or sit down to be waited on. Free live music on Sundays from May - September. €3-10 for entrees, drinks start at €2.
Sophies Brauhaus, Marienstraße 28 (U-Bahn Rotebuehlplatz, S-Bahn Stadtmitte), ☎ +49 711-61 09 62, fax: +49 711-61 18 75, e-mail: [email protected]. M-Th 11:30-01:30, F Sa 11:30-02:00, Su 10:00-00:00. Brewpub serving regional specialties and its own beer. A lovely bar with impressive decorations. €1.20-15.
Alter Schlachthof, Schlachthofstraße 2, ☎ +49 711 66419600.
Ochs'n Willi, Schlossplatz Tunnel 4, ☎ +49 711 2265191. Old-fashioned traditional cuisine at the Königstraße. It is very famous for tourists.
Stäffele Restaurant, 70178 Stuttgart Buschlestraße 2 (near S-Bahn Station Feuersee). Real regional Swabian specialities like Rostbraten, Käsespätzle, Kutteln, Bubenspitzle, Linsen mit Spätzle und Saiten, Maultaschen and wine from Stuttgart. In the summertime also outside in the beergarden. middle range prices.
Besitos Stuttgart, Rotebühlplatz 21, ☎ +49 711 4898430. 11:00 - 01:00. Spanish restaurant: tapas, gambas, enchiladas.
Ristorante Italiani, Ingersheimer Straße 12, Weilimdorf, ☎ +49 711 887522. Good Italian food, friendly efficient service.
King's Palace, Hauptstraße 28, Vaihingen, ☎ +49 711 782 6993. Good Chinese restaurant.
Vaihinger Marktstüble, Vaihinger Markt 24, Vaihingen, ☎ +49 711 7353552. Small friendly Italian restaurant.
India House, Vaihinger Markt 28, Vaihingen, ☎ +49 711 72246790. Good friendly Indian, although you should ask them to spice the food up otherwise you get German strength.
Restaurant Van, Katzenbachstraße 46, ☎ +49 711 70727292. Good Asian restaurant.
Aussichtreich, Auerbachstraße 182 (Bus stop Burgholzhof - line 52 from Bad Canstatt Wilhelmsplatz or from Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen and line 57 from Prager Sattel), ☎ +49 711 85 14 24. M-F from 16:30, Sa from 13:00, Su from 12:00. A place known mostly to the locals only (do not expect much command of English from the staff) offers a stunning view over Stuttgart from a steep vineyard hillside, while being metres away from a bus stop. Cuisine is simple and not quite remarkable, but the service is efficient and quick and you will for sure not leave hungry. €7.50-10 for a hearty Swabian lunch dish or salat, up to €17 for some more elaborate dishes, drinks €2-3.5.

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Drink

Stuttgart has developed a vibrant nightlife with many clubs and pubs in the heart of the city. The most popular street for clubbing is the Theodor-Heuss-Straße ("Theo"). Several bars, clubs and lounges have opened here. During the summer, there are also many opportunities to have a drink outside. In the "Theo" you can listen to good house, drum'n'bass, hip-hop and other kinds of electronic music. However it is not always easy to get into most clubs because of the restrictive door policy!

For a more laid-back atmosphere try the area surrounding the "Hans-im-Glück" ("Lucky Hans") fountain just a stone's throw from Königsstraße. In this charming quarter in Stuttgart's old town centre, many pubs and bars are crammed next to each other. Especially in the summer months a unique southern flair mixed with a great party scene with open-minded people make this area special.

Concerts, nightclubs and events are covered by local magazines (generally not in English). Try Lift and Prinz.

Because street drinking is still legal in Germany budget-travellers can save some money if they buy their drinks at a supermarket. A beer is there, e.g. only €0.50 compared to €3 and more in pubs. There are two of the REWE supermarkets at the beginning and the end of the Königstraße. There you can buy cheap snacks, softdrinks and alcoholic drinks from Monday to Saturday up till 22:00. Lots of young people do so and hang around the beautiful Schlossplatz.

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Sleep

To stay in the city centre (Mitte) around the Königstraße is probably the nicest, but also most expensive option. Still in walking distance are the beautiful districts of West and Süd. Other accommodations further out in the districts Nord, Canstatt, Feuerbach or Vaihingen are perfectly reachable by public transport. If you intend to arrive by car check at the hotel for parking possibilities. If you have an early morning flight, it is possible to spend the night in the airport, as check-in areas stay open at night.

Campingplatz Cannstatter Wasen (Cannstatt), ☎ +49 711 556696, e-mail: [email protected]. The only camping ground in Stuttgart is between the Neckar River, the Cannstatter Wasen and the stadium. The rates may be higher when there are big events close by. €6.50 per person; €4.50 per tent; €2.50 per car; €7.50 per caravan.
Alex30 Hostel, Alexanderstraße 30 (Mitte U-bahn: Olgaeck), ☎ +49 711 838895-0, fax: +49 711 838895-20, e-mail: [email protected]. Check-out: 12:00. Central hostel with breakfast buffet. Youth Hostel card is not required to stay. WiFi €1; also a computer terminal at regular rates. Shared room from €22. Private rooms also available.
Youth hostel, Haussmannstraße 27 (10-min walk from main station, or take the U15 to Eugensplatz (Jugendherberge)), ☎ +49 711 24 15 83. €25/adult and €5 for internet + €6 for breakfast, €3 for a Youth Hostel card. They will charge you for shampoo (€1.50) and towel (cleaning fee €1.50) separately.
City - Übernachtung - Stuttgart (City-Overnight-Stuttgart-West), Forststr. 71 (West), ☎ +49 711-9933010, e-mail: [email protected]. dorms from €12.
ibis Budget Stuttgart City Nord (formerly ETAP), Siemmensstraße 28 (Feuerbach, next to Maybachstraße U-Bahn and a few minutes walk from Pragsattel). An older-style Etap hotel (blue fittings) that was not updated to the newer "green room" standard when rebranded as ibis Budget. Free WiFi in the rooms and foyer however the login webpage is very bad and sometimes the "Gratis WLAN" link doesn't display. During the week a room for 1 person is €49 with a €10 surcharge for a second person and €39 at the weekend. The rooms have a double bed and a single bed in them.
Dormero Hotel Stuttgart, Plieninger Straße 100 (Möhringen), ☎ +49 711 721 0, e-mail: [email protected]. The Dormero is a huge (over 450 rooms) 1980s-style tower hotel within the SI entertainment complex (cinema, musical theatre, casino, spa) in Moehringen, an outer district of Stuttgart close to the airport. Due to its particular location, arrival by public transit is not really simple. Double from €115.
Hilton Garden Inn Stuttgart NeckarPark, Mercedesstr. 75 (Cannstatt). The Garden Inn is right between the Porsche and Mercedes-Benz arenas and mostly caters to the visitors of those venues. Prices tend to skyrocket during major events. The hotel is quite a bit away from the city centre and public transportation options are limited. The entire hotel is appointed in a very modern, elegant and consistent theme. Double from €80.
Holiday Inn Stuttgart, Mittlerer Pfad 25-27 (Weilimdorf), ☎ +49 4971 1988880. Good quality rooms. One of the best breakfast buffets in town. Friendly, helpful and efficient staff. On the edge of town but with S-Bahn station next to hotel. Double from €140.
ibis Styles Stuttgart (Canstatt, U2 stop Kursaal). The former Mercure Bad Canstatt was downgraded to ibis Styles, but it does not mean it is a bad hotel, but rather that you get your breakfast and WiFi included in the room prices. Rooms are basic but appropriate. The hotel is in a quiet suburb of Bad Canstatt, but you can easily get to the city with the Stadtbahn U2 which runs right in front of the hotel. Double from €100.
ibis Stuttgart Centrum (Marienplatz), Marienplatz 8 - 10 (Süd). A typical old-style (green washbasins) ibis hotel right on the Marienplatz in southern Stuttgart. Double from €91.
ibis Stuttgart City, Presselstraße 15 (Nord). As with other Accor hotels in Stuttgart, this hotel's name can be deceiving, as it is decisively out of the city, in the Nordbahnhof area. Otherwise, it is a typical old-style ibis hotel. Double from €86.
Kronen Hotel, Kronenstraße 48 (Mitte). The independently operated Kronen Hotel may have some very questionable interior fittings, responding to the German idea of Gemuetlichkeit, but wins over guests by great service and location just 800 east of the Hauptbahnhof, in a quiet area. Double from €160.
Mercure Stuttgart City Center, Heilbronner Straße 88 (Nord), ☎ +49 711 255580. Despite the name, the hotel is not in the city centre but rather some 1.5 km uphill north from the Hauptbahnhof. The decor and appointments are nondescript and a little dated and overall there is nothing really outstanding about this Mercure. Double from €110.
Motel One Stuttgart-Hauptbahnhof, Lautenschlagerstraße 14 (Mitte). This hotel is in the centre of Stuttgart, one block from both the Hauptbahnhof and the Koenigstraße. Appointed in a modern and sleek but basic way like all other Motel Ones. Double from €80.
Motel One Stuttgart, Heilbronner Straße 325 (Feuerbach, Stadbahn U7, U15, stop "Sieglestraße"). The other Motel One in Stuttgart is in Feuerbach-Ost, an industry and office district north of the city. It is in front of a Stadtbahn stop and offers the usual Motel One standard. Double from €80.
Park Inn Hotel Stuttgart, Hauptstätter Straße 147 (Süd, 200 m from Marienplatz.), ☎ +49 711 320 94 0. Double from €100.
Pullman Stuttgart Fontana, Vollmoellerstraße 5 (Vaihingen), ☎ +49 711 7300. The Pullman is in the outer district of Vaihingen, directly opposite a major S-Bahn and U-Bahn stop, roughly equidistant to the airport and Hauptbahnhof. Good quality rooms. Good breakfast buffet. Staff not always to the standard you would expect. Rack rates from €99.
Dorint Airport-Hotel Stuttgart, Heilbronner Straße 15-17, 70771 Leinfelden-Echterdingen, ☎ +49 711 320640, e-mail: [email protected]. The hotel offers 155 rooms. from €79 per room/night.
Althoff Hotel Am Schlossgarten, Schillerstraße 23 (Mitte). The Althoff enjoys a prime location next to the Hauptbahnhof, facing the Schlossgarten. There are various room categories, some large and facing the Schlossgarten, some rather small and with less fascinating views towards the backside, but overall the hotel ranks among the top ones in Stuttgart for its comfort and service quality, and charges accordingly. Double from €230.
Arcotel Camino, Heilbronner Straße 21 (Mitte). The Arcotel is an art- and design-themed hotel in a historic building on Heilbronner Straße, north of the Hauptbahnhof. There are many various rooms in the hotel, including a special Stuttgart 21 room with a view on the construction site and a telescope for you to zoom in on details. Double from €120.
Le Méridien Stuttgart, Willy-Brand-Straße 30 (Mitte), ☎ +49 711 2221-0, e-mail: [email protected]. Park-side hotel of 291 rooms and suites, wellness area with pool, jacuzzi, sauna and fitness centre, a French restaurant, Le Cassoulet, and 13 meeting rooms From €138.
Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin (Mitte), ☎ +49 711 20480. Has more traditional luxury rooms. Rates are similar to the Le Meridien. Double from €160.
Moevenpick Hotel Stuttgart Airport & Messe, Flughafenstraße 50 (Leinfelden-Echterdingen). The Moevenpick is right next to the Stuttgart Airport's terminal building and thus also next to the fairgrounds. It is an upscale-ish modern hotel mostly catering to business travellers, with colorful design and high level of comfort. Double from €160.
Wyndham Stuttgart Airport Messe, Flughafenstraße 51, ☎ +49 711 627680.

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Learn

University of Stuttgart

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Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafes (rates €1.50 to €5 per hour) are starting to become less common due to widespread offers of free wifi by shops, restaurants or cafes. Sometimes it requires minimum consumption but usually it's free within the premises. Phone shops will often offer internet access, too. In general hotels offer internet access. In several cities, projects exist to provide free "community" hotspots for wireless networking. Passenger lounges at some airports and central railway stations also provide internet access to their customers.

Several pre-paid SIMs allow Internet access for a monthly flat fee, for example those available at Tchibo coffee stores (o2 network, €10/month limited to 500 MB, €20/month for 5 GB) or Aldi (E-Plus network). A regular O2 sim card, which can be used for calls and text messages, is €15 and another €15 buys 1GB of data valid for 1 month. Vodafone offers a prepaid sim card for €25 which includes €22.5 of credit, out of which you can get 300 MB of data for 2 days for €15 and be left with €7.5 of credit.

Phone

Post

Germany's postal system is very efficient, their logistics branch DHL is one of the best companies in this field world-wide, with domestic post or within a radius of 400 kilometres, send within a day. The website of Deutsche Post has an online calculator for postage fees as well as a post office finder. Stamps are available at post offices and sometimes at newsagents or shops selling postcards. Also stamp vending machines can be found at a lot of places around the cities. You can purchase every stamp you need from this machines. They are unique as they accept every coin from 1 cent to 2 euro but change is only given in stamps. It costs about €40 to send a small package to Australia and €1.70 to send an old-fashioned letter to any place in the world outside of Europe. Within Germany, sending postcards costs €0.45 and standard letters €0.55, within Europe it is €0.65 for a postcard, standard letters to places in Europe cost €0.75. Outside Europe, the prices for sending a postcard or standard letter are €1 and €1.70 respectively. Although you will find the old post offices (mainly in the city centre), most of the smaller neighbourhood post offices are part of a small tobacco shop or grocery store. For larger package, you might consider competitive private companies like UPS, DHL or TNT.

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