GERMANY TRAVEL TIPS FOR FIRST TIMERS | 40+ Must-Knows Before Visiting Germany + What NOT to Do!

Summary

In this travel guide, Christina shares her extensive knowledge of Germany, having lived there for over five years. She covers diverse federal states, suggesting off-the-beaten-path destinations. She advises on year-round travel, highlighting festivals for each season. Accommodation tips include trying local guesthouses and Motel One for budget stays. Cultural insights include greetings, tipping, and the importance of privacy. Public transport is recommended over renting a car, with details on train categories and saving on tickets. Sightseeing tips include city passes and museum days. Practical advice on cash, recycling, and electrical adapters concludes the guide.

Takeaways

• ✈️ Germany is composed of 16 federal states, each with unique attractions, so explore beyond the popular ones.
• 🗓️ Germany offers diverse experiences year-round, with various festivals and events catering to all seasons.
• 🏨 In smaller towns, expect a variety of smaller hotels and guesthouses rather than international chains.
• 🏰 For budget accommodations, consider Motel One, a stylish and affordable German hotel chain.
• 🌐 Learn basic German phrases like 'hallo' (hello), 'danke' (thank you), and 'entschuldigung' (excuse me) to navigate social interactions.
• 🚫 Sundays are quiet in Germany with most shops closed, but restaurants and bakeries usually remain open.
• 💶 Tipping in Germany is different; state the total amount including tip when paying, and expect to tip less than in North America.
• 🚾 Be prepared to pay for public restrooms, which are often very clean due to the fees collected.
• 👀 Germans may stare, which is not considered rude but part of their cultural way of observing.
• 🚶‍♂️ Avoid jaywalking and keep your voice down in public, as Germans value quiet and direct communication.

Q & A

How many federal states does Germany have?

Germany is made up of 16 different federal states.

What are some off-the-beaten-path destinations in Germany recommended by Christina?

Christina recommends exploring places like Schleswig-Holstein for beaches and maritime history, visiting castles and historic cities along Rhineland-Palatinate, and enjoying the beautiful nature in Saxony.

What is Christina's opinion on the best time to visit Germany?

Christina believes that Germany is a great year-round destination, and suggests looking into different festivals and events that occur throughout the year to decide the best time for a visit.

Which German hotel chain does Christina recommend for budget-friendly stays?

Christina recommends Motel One, a chic German hotel chain with small rooms, good locations, and a stylish atmosphere that is often budget-friendly.

What is the general etiquette for greetings in Germany according to the video?

In Germany, it's polite to ask if someone speaks English before initiating a conversation in English. The common greeting is 'Hallo' and 'Danke' for thank you. 'Entschuldigung' is useful for saying excuse me or pardon me.

Why might you encounter closed shops on Sundays in Germany?

In Germany, Sundays are considered a day of rest, so most supermarkets and shops are closed. However, restaurants and bakeries tend to remain open.

How does the tipping culture differ in Germany compared to North America?

In Germany, when you tip, you state the full amount you want to pay including the tip. For example, if you want to give a total of 50 euros including tip, you'll say '50', and they'll give you change for that amount or process it through the card machine.

What is the significance of the term 'Pfand' in Germany?

The term 'Pfand' refers to a refundable deposit on items like cans, bottles, and even glasses at beer gardens and Christmas markets. It serves as an incentive for returning these items for recycling or to prevent them from being taken as souvenirs.

Why might you need to rent a car in Germany according to the video?

You might need to rent a car in Germany if you plan on visiting smaller villages, remote nature spots, or if you want to experience the German Autobahn.

What is the advice for using public transportation in Germany?

The German public transportation system is excellent, and it's generally not necessary to rent a car unless you're visiting remote areas. It's important to validate your tickets, as there's an honesty system in place, and be aware that delays can happen, but compensation may be claimed for significant delays.

Outlines

00:00

🗺️ Germany Travel Planning Tips

Christina from happytowonder.com shares her extensive knowledge of Germany, having lived there for over five years. She advises travelers to explore beyond the popular tourist spots, as each of Germany's 16 federal states offers unique attractions. She recommends visiting her website for more personalized travel recommendations. Christina suggests planning trips around Germany's various festivals and events, which occur year-round, to enhance the travel experience. She also touches on the diversity of Germany, emphasizing the importance of understanding regional cultural norms and learning basic German phrases like 'hello' and 'thank you'.

05:01

🏨 Accommodation and Etiquette in Germany

In larger German cities, familiar hotel chains are common, but in smaller towns, travelers will find unique, budget-friendly guesthouses and hotels. Christina recommends Motel One for its chic design and affordable prices. She also provides cultural etiquette tips, such as asking if locals speak English before initiating conversation and being aware of regional differences in greetings. She notes that most things are closed on Sundays, with the exception of restaurants and bakeries, and explains the unique tipping culture in Germany, where service charges are added to the bill, and tipping is less common compared to North America.

10:02

🚌 Navigating German Public Transport

Christina suggests that renting a car may not be necessary due to Germany's efficient public transport system. She explains the different types of trains, including high-speed ICE and IC/EC trains, regional trains, and suburban S-Bahn trains. She advises on saving money with Regional day tickets and group tickets, and warns about potential train delays and the process for claiming compensation. Christina also highlights the budget-friendly option of bus travel, particularly with Flixbus, and emphasizes the importance of validating tickets due to Germany's honesty-based public transport system.

15:02

🍻 Cultural Experiences and Practical Tips for Germany

Christina discusses cultural experiences like the cleanliness of public washrooms, the expectation to tip bathroom attendants, and the common practice of staring, which is not considered rude in Germany. She advises keeping voices down in public spaces and avoiding small talk, as it's not as prevalent as in North America. She also warns against jaywalking and the importance of being mindful of privacy when taking photos. Christina provides practical advice on customer service expectations, the prevalence of nudity in certain settings, and the importance of bringing cash due to Germany's cash-based society. She also covers recycling practices, including the concept of 'Pfand' or deposit systems, and the etiquette of beer gardens and restaurant dining.

Keywords

💡Germany

Germany is a country in Central Europe and the main focus of the video. It is known for its rich history, diverse culture, and strong economy. The video provides travel tips and insights into visiting Germany, highlighting various aspects such as its federal states, festivals, and etiquette. For instance, the script mentions that Germany is made up of 16 different federal states, each with unique attractions, and suggests exploring beyond the typical tourist destinations.

💡Travel Planning

Travel planning is the process of organizing and preparing for a trip. In the context of the video, it involves selecting the right time to visit Germany, choosing destinations, and understanding the local culture and customs. The script offers advice on when to travel to Germany, suggesting considering festivals and events as part of the planning process.

💡Festivals

Festivals are cultural, religious, or seasonal events celebrated with various activities. The video emphasizes the importance of festivals in Germany as a reason to plan travel. It mentions Christmas markets in winter, Carnival and beer festivals in Bavaria, and the cherry blossoms in Bonn during spring as examples of festivals that can enhance a visitor's experience.

💡Accommodation

Accommodation refers to the lodging or living space provided for travelers. The video discusses different types of accommodations in Germany, from big hotel chains in cities to smaller hotels and guest houses in smaller towns. It also recommends Motel One, a German hotel chain, as a budget-friendly option with a stylish atmosphere.

💡Cultural Norms

Cultural norms are the customary practices and behaviors expected within a society. The video provides several tips on German cultural norms, such as the importance of learning greetings in different regions, the practice of tipping, and the etiquette around public restrooms. These norms are crucial for respectful and enjoyable interactions with locals.

💡Public Transport

Public transport refers to the system of vehicles, such as buses and trains, that are available for use by the general public. The video praises Germany's public transport system, particularly the train system, and offers advice on different types of trains and how to save money on tickets. It also mentions Flixbus as a budget-friendly alternative for long-distance travel.

💡Autobahn

The Autobahn is Germany's federal highway system, known for its high-speed sections. The video clarifies misconceptions about the Autobahn, noting that not all sections are without speed limits. It serves as an example of how travelers should research and understand local specifics rather than relying on stereotypes.

💡Tipping

Tipping is the practice of giving a gratuity for services provided. In Germany, tipping is different from North America, as the video explains. It involves stating the total amount, including the tip, when making a payment. The script also mentions that public restrooms often require a small fee, which serves as a tip for the cleanliness and maintenance.

💡Recycling

Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and products. The video touches on Germany's recycling culture, particularly the use of 'Pfand' (deposit) systems for bottles and cans. It explains how these systems work and their importance in the country's environmental practices.

💡Etiquette

Etiquette refers to the conventions and rules of polite behavior in society. The video provides several etiquette tips for visitors to Germany, such as not assuming everyone speaks English, avoiding jaywalking, and being mindful of noise levels in public spaces. These tips help travelers navigate social interactions and respect local customs.

Highlights

Germany consists of 16 federal states, each with unique attractions.

Explore beyond popular cities to discover Germany's diverse offerings.

Consider visiting during festivals for a unique cultural experience.

Winter in Germany offers Christmas markets and Carnival festivities.

Spring is highlighted by beautiful cherry blossoms in Bonn.

Summer is the season when Germany comes alive with outdoor activities.

Fall is ideal for beer, wine, and pumpkin festivals, as well as stunning foliage.

Smaller towns may not have big chain hotels, offering unique local accommodations.

Motel One is a recommended budget-friendly and stylish German hotel chain.

Germany is a diverse country; research regional cultural norms before visiting.

Learn basic German phrases like 'hello' and 'thank you' for polite communication.

Most Germans speak English, but it's polite to ask if they do before conversing.

Sundays are days of rest, with most shops closed, except for restaurants and bakeries.

Tipping in Germany is different; state the total amount including tip when paying.

Public restrooms often require a fee, and bathroom attendants expect tips.

Germans may stare as it's not considered rude; it's a cultural norm.

Public transport in Germany is quiet; avoid loud conversations and small talk.

Jaywalking is frowned upon in Germany, so follow traffic rules.

Be cautious with photography to respect Germans' privacy concerns.

Customer service in Germany might seem less warm compared to North America.

Contrary to conservative stereotypes, Germans are open about nudity in appropriate settings.

German public transport is efficient; consider not renting a car unless necessary.

Autobahn has speed limits on certain stretches, contrary to the no-speed-limit myth.

Different train categories in Germany include ICE, IC/EC, and regional trains.

Save on train tickets with Regional day tickets or group tickets.

Buses like Flixbus offer budget-friendly travel options within Germany.

Public transportation in Germany operates on an honesty system; validate your tickets.

City passes may be worthwhile for visitors planning to see many paid attractions.

Many museums offer discounted or free entry on certain days of the month.

Carry cash as many places, especially for small transactions, may require it.

Be aware of 'Pfand', the deposit system for recycling bottles, cans, and certain glasses.

Beer gardens operate on self-service, and there's no table service.

Drinking in public is common in Germany, including in parks and while walking.

You need to ask for the bill at restaurants as it won't be brought automatically.

Pack a universal adapter for electrical outlets in Germany.

Transcripts

if you're traveling to Germany this year

make sure you watch this video because

I'll be covering all sorts of tips and

tricks that you won't find in your

typical travel guides hi I'm Christina

from happytowonder.com and I lived in

Germany for over five years so I have a

lot of tips and obviously I'm a huge fan

so I'm super excited to share now let's

start with some tips about Germany

travel planning the first thing that you

need to know is Germany is made up of 16

different federal states most visitors

tend to flock to just a select few but

of course there are really cool places

all around the country that are well

worth visiting for instance there's

amazing beaches and Maritime history up

in shakespeck Holstein Hamburg is a

really really cool City there's a lot of

really cool castles and historic cities

along Ryland platinate there's beautiful

nature in cities in Saxony as well the

list goes on and on and you can check my

website for more recommendations about

different places in Germany that I

visited and loved now in terms of timing

maybe I'm very biased but I do think

that Germany is great year-round

destination if you're having trouble

deciding what time of year to be doing

your Germany trip I highly recommend

looking into different festivals and

cool events that take place throughout

the year to see if any of them

particularly appeal to you so in Winter

for instance I love visiting Germany

winter just because there's the

Christmas markets and contrary to

popular belief it's not just the big

cities that have Christmas markets

literally every small village every

small town will have their own version

of a Christmas Market at some point

during the season so it's a really

really amazing time to be visiting

besides that though in winter time

there's also Carnival and fashion which

is really fun and there's also a few

different beer festivals in Bavaria as

well like the shock bfest if you visit

during the Spring there's more festivals

and the cherry blossoms in Bonn are

especially beautiful I highly recommend

visiting those summer is honestly just

when Germany Comes Alive you know every

city is filled with green spaces with

local sunbathing and enjoying the

sunshine there's lots of amazing hikes

and then of course there's fall which is

my personal favorite season to be

visiting Germany because there's all

these amazing festivals whether you're

looking for the world's biggest beer

festival world's biggest wine festival

or world's biggest pumpkin Festival all

these take place in Germany during the

fall and honestly the foliage and

Landscapes are just unreal now in terms

of hotels of course if you're traveling

in Germany's bigger cities there's going

to be a lot of hotel chains that you are

used to but once you start venturing off

into the smaller towns or smaller

Villages there aren't usually the Big

Chain hotels like Hilton or Marriott or

anything like that so you will have to

experiment with smaller hotels or guest

houses so it might be a little bit

different to what you're used to if

you're used to staying in typical chain

hotels but they're a really fun

experience and I highly recommend

venturing a bit more off the beaten path

because they can be a lot more budget

friendly as well if you are looking to

save money one German Hotel chain that I

can highly recommend is called Motel one

so contrary to the name Hotel one it has

nothing to do with motels it's actually

a very chic sort of German chain with

small rooms but usually good locations

and kind of just a nice stylish

atmosphere but the good part about these

hotels is they're often very well

located and also the prices are very

fair so if you're looking for something

that's budget friendly but clean I can

highly recommend them alright so now

it's time to tackle some culture and

etiquette tips for Germany the first one

to keep in mind is that Germany is

actually a very diverse country so

there's a lot of stereotypes about

Germany when you're coming from abroad

like you imagine the Lederhosen the

castles the mountains but it's important

to note that those stereotypes tend to

come from just kind of a few specific

regions more in the South and a lot of

German Senate are resentful of these

stereotypes because they don't identify

with them middle so depending on which

places you're visiting in Germany make

sure to research the cultural norms

specific to that region and don't go

wearing your Lederhosen around Hamburg

because they just don't do that there

another important thing is no matter

where you go I do think it's good to

know how to say hello and thank you

there are a lot of regional variations

when it comes to greetings but one that

you can't go wrong with is hello or

hello and of course thank you is danke a

bonus word that I think is helpful to

know is inshugong which means excuse me

it can be like excuse me pardon me as

you're weaving through a crowd it can

also be like excuse me can you help me

find this brand of potato another

important tip is to ask people if they

speak English before you start speaking

English to them truth be told most

Germans especially young ones can speak

excellent English but it's always more

polite to just ask them if they speak it

by saying English odds are they'll say

they speak a little bit of English and

then they'll go on to spout the most

poetic English you've ever heard in your

life so don't worry most people do speak

English but just make sure you politely

ask them first instead of assuming

another must note is that most things

are closed on Sundays you've probably

heard this before but Sunday's our day

of rest across Germany so most

supermarkets most shops are not open on

Sundays of course restaurants and

bakeries tend to be open but if you're

hoping to do any shopping or anything

like that everything will be closed on a

Sunday the main exception though is

supermarkets and grocery stores that are

in train stations or at the airport but

just keep in mind the stuff there will

be a bit more expensive another

important thing is to learn how tipping

Works in Germany because the system

there is a little bit different to what

we're used to in North America basically

in Germany when you tip you say the full

amount that you want to pay including

tip when you give them the money or your

card so let's say including tip you want

to give them 50 euros total then you'll

look at them and say 50 and then they'll

know to give you change for that amount

or to put that amount into the card

machine card machines in Germany don't

have tipping options within the machine

so you do have to clarify beforehand how

much you want to tip otherwise they're

assuming that you're not going to tip it

all and then it gets a bit awkward of

course tipping isn't as expected in

Germany as it is in North America

typically though you'll be tipping a lot

less so you'll be tipping about 10

percent on good service or you're just

rounding up in cases like taxis and

things like that but while tipping

culture isn't as big in Germany one

really big culture shock that a lot of

visitors don't expect is you actually

have to pay to use the bathroom a lot of

the time so even if you're at a train

station or at a McDonald's or something

oftentimes you'll have to pay 50 cents

or a euro to go use the washroom but the

good thing is in these cases this means

that they're paying for someone to be

cleaning the washrooms really actively

so oftentimes the public washrooms in

Germany are just spotlessly clean but

you do have to pay for it and this isn't

exclusive to just train stations and

businesses actually in restaurants and

clubs and at events and beer gardens

there's often a bathroom attendant so in

those cases you are expected to tip like

50 cents or a Euro for those bathroom

attendants as well so just make sure you

have coins on you because you'll often

encounter these and it's really awkward

when you don't have any cash to get them

another big culture shock for a lot of

visitors is that they'll notice a lot of

Germans like to stare and culturally for

them it's not considered rude because

they're just kind of perceiving you and

observing you and it's not considered

like a judgey thing so it's not a big

deal don't take it personally another

cultural norm to be mindful of though is

that you should probably try to keep

your voice down in general North

Americans speak a lot louder than

Germans do especially on places like

public transport which tend to be quiet

and on that note people don't tend to

speak on public transport that much so

just kind of observe the situation

around you you know if it's really quiet

on the train and there's no one talking

it's probably a good cue for you to also

not talk another thing to avoid is small

talk I feel like in North America small

talk is very common but in Germany they

don't really do with those pleasantries

very often so just keep in mind they're

not super big on small talk so don't try

to force it if it feels like they're not

feeling it another thing to avoid is

jaywalking as well I have never met a

group of people so collectively against

jaywalking it could just be a Bavarian

thing because I did live in Bavaria for

a long time but to err on the side of

caution and try not to jaywalk another

thing to be mindful of is when you're

taking photos or videos try your best to

not get any people in your shot Germans

can be incredibly picky about their

privacy and I've had actually quite a

few situations when people have told me

off for taking a photo because they

think I'm taking a photo of them or they

happen to be in the frame so just to err

on the side of caution just make sure

that there's no Aces super evident in

the shot when you're taking photos or

just wait for no one to be around and

just in terms of customer service don't

be surprised if customer service is a

little bit frostier in Germany compared

to North America don't take it

personally it's just a cultural thing

now on the flip side I feel like

contradicting a lot of these kind of

conservative tips that I've been giving

you about Germans they actually love to

be naked this was a huge culture shock

for me when I first moved there because

honestly they're very free about their

bodies over there so you know if you're

going to a park in the summer you'll

often see a naked person or if you're

going to a spa or something people tend

to go naked some Spas even have rules

that you have to be naked for sanitary

reasons so just don't be surprised by

that because a lot of people think that

Germans can be stereotypically very

uptight but this is one area that they

are not shy about now let's chat about

German transport and getting around the

first thing is you probably don't need

to rent a car I know a lot of Germans

like to make fun of it but the German

public transport system is actually

really excellent when you take into

account all the different buses and

trains that you can take to get from

City to City honestly the only instances

where you might need to rent a car or if

you're planning on going to some smaller

Villages or if you're going to a lot of

nature spots that are more remote or if

you're looking to get a taste of the

infamous German Autobahn but on that

note it's important to know that not

everything you've heard about the

Autobahn is true so if you haven't heard

of it before the Autobahn is the German

national highway system and there's this

very popular myth about it that there's

no speed limit that is partially true

there are some stretches of the Autobahn

that don't have a speed limit but it's

definitely not the entire thing so

before you get too excited and like plan

your whole trip around whizzing down the

highway just know that there are some

speed limits on certain stretches now in

terms of train travel I'm going to give

you a quick briefer on how the German

train system works of course if you want

a separate video about this happy to

oblige just let me know in the comments

but generally speaking when you're

looking at the trains in Germany there's

a few different categories the most

expensive one is the ice high speed

trains or the it's a high speed trains

and these are kind of like the fancy

bullet trains that take you from City to

City really quickly and with these ones

you do have to book your tickets in

advance oftentimes you should reserve a

seat and so this is one that you really

have to plan for well in advance and

hopefully buy tickets really early on

for because the tickets just get more

expensive as time goes on then there's

the Intercity and Euro City trains and

these are also for Intercity travel they

go a lot faster than Regional trains but

they're not as new with high tech as the

eats a trains free booking for these

ones isn't necessarily essential but it

is a good idea in contrast to the

regional trains which are usually the

ones that are marked with like the r r e

m or Alx those are the ones that are the

cheaper trains that service shorter

routes usually within one region these

ones move a lot slower and they also

don't have reservations at all so you

basically just buy the ticket in advance

and then show up and then pick whatever

seat you can find lastly there's

Suburban trains these are more commonly

known as s-bon or represented by this

symbol which you'll be seeing all around

Germany and these are basically just

trains that take you from the main city

into suburbs so they don't go super far

distances but they're really handy for

some smaller day trips and taking you up

to the suburbs okay so now that you know

the categories let's talk about how to

save money on train tickets so the

number one tip that I have for you if

you're looking to save money is to look

into Regional day tickets so as I

mentioned before Germany has 16

different states most of these states

offer a special train ticket that gives

you unlimited travel for a Day on on

Regional trains specifically so this can

be a really great way to save money if

you're doing day trips for example in

Munich we have something called the

Bavaria ticket so that works for the

entire state of Bavaria and then you can

just pay one set price and get unlimited

train rides for the entire day and the

cool thing is a lot of the time you save

a lot of money if you're traveling in a

group as well so with the Bavaria ticket

for instance there's a base rate of like

25 Euros and then seven euros extra for

each person you add on so if you divide

it between five people which is the max

you can actually save so much money and

if you plan on covering longer distances

they actually have a Germany wide

version of this ticket as well it's

called this I've tried pronouncing it

like five times I don't know why it's

like a tongue twister for me so I won't

say it out loud but this is a ticket

that allows you unlimited trains

throughout Germany for an entire day

although to be honest Regional trains

tend to be quite slow and I don't really

foresee a situation where you would be

doing a day trip like over to another

state unless you're already really close

to the border on a similar note be sure

to look into day tickets and group

tickets for public transport as well

when you're in a city Germany seems to

love rewarding you for having friends so

oftentimes you'll be able to find a

group ticket or a day ticket that allows

you to have unlimited trips on the

public transport Network in one day and

it's just cheaper if you divide it

amongst a few different people and the

last thing I'll say about train travel

in Germany is honestly there can be some

delays especially if you're in the

middle of the network I noticed because

I lived in Munich and that's kind of the

term in a stop where the trains tend to

depart from there weren't that many

delays for the most part because that's

where the train is starting but anytime

I had any trips kind of in the middle of

the country there would always be some

kind of delay but one really good thing

is you can actually claim compensation

for trains that are delayed so if your

trained in Germany is more than an hour

late you are entitled to compensation

which is really great The Annoying Thing

is the only way to claim this

compensation is by filling out a form

and as far as I know mailing it in so

yes the process is kind of old school

but if you are in a situation where you

are entitled to a lot of money back

because of the delay it might be worth

looking into now I know I've been

talking a lot about trains but another

really budget-friendly way to travel

around Germany is actually taking buses

so there's a few different bus companies

that operate in Germany the biggest one

is definitely flixbus and with them you

can easily get from City to City for

something as cheap as 10 euros so it's

definitely worth looking into of course

bus travel does have its downsides it's

definitely not as comfortable as train

travel it can sometimes be slower and

with flex bus there can often be delays

as well so I've summarized all the pros

and cons in a separate flixbus review if

you want to check that out but just know

that that is an option another important

thing to note is that public

transportation in Germany works on an

honesty system so you'll often notice

that even within cities there's no fair

Gates or anything like that that doesn't

mean that it's free you still do need to

pay for a ticket and validate it

properly but it's just on an honesty

system and there's sometimes ticket

controllers that come to make sure you

have the right ticket but depending on

where you are it's actually not that

common but on that note it is very

important to make sure you validate your

tickets because in Germany just buying a

ticket for public transport isn't enough

you need to properly validate it as well

ignorance is definitely not an excuse in

this country make sure you buy the right

ticket and also validate it properly now

in regards to sightseeing if you're

visiting a major city that has a lot of

paid attractions so places like Munich

or Berlin it might be worthwhile to buy

a City pass that includes includes

basically all these attractions for a

set price with that said I do think a

lot of the best things to see in Germany

happen to be free so you don't

necessarily need to pressure yourself

into buying a city card but if you're a

paid attraction person and you plan on

seeing a lot do definitely look into

whether or not they have these

sightseeing passes because they can save

you a ton of money and if you're looking

to cut costs when you're traveling be

sure to look out for museum days so in

Germany there's a lot of different

cities and museums that will offer

discounted entry or free entry even on

certain days of the month so in Munich

for example every Sunday a bunch of the

museums in town offer one Euro entry

which is incredible and in Berlin I

believe it's the first Sunday of every

month they have free admission to a lot

of their museums as well so be sure to

look into whether or not the museum that

you're interested in does this and

hopefully plan around it and you can get

in for free or for really cheap all

right now let's tackle some final tips

for when you arrive in Germany the first

one is to bring cash so up until

recently Germany has been a surprisingly

cash based society most places wouldn't

even take card but after the pandemic

nowadays a lot of places have shifted to

offering card options but it's still

important that you carry around cash for

a few different reasons as I mentioned

before you should definitely have coins

if you ever need to tip someone like a

bathroom attendant or if you need to use

a vending machine or anything like that

another thing to keep in mind is that

water for the most part isn't free when

you go to restaurants I know in North

America it's very common to get tap

water for free they'll just bring it out

without you even asking but in Germany

if you ask for water usually they'll

assume that you're looking for bottled

water whether that's still or sparkling

even though the tap water is safe to

drink if you want tap water you can ask

for light tones faster but it's honestly

not very common to just get that instead

of a drink sometimes if you're ordering

like a beer glass of wine you can't ask

for light tongue faster and it's not a

big deal but just etiquette wise it's

not very common to just have tap water

and not get anything to drink another

thing you need to learn about is

Recycling and Fund in Germany so

generally speaking Germans are really

into Recycling and one word you need to

know is the term fond and this refers to

a refundable deposit that you pay on

things like cans bottles and even

glasses and mugs at beer gardens and

Christmas markets but basically a fond

functions as an incentive for you to

return those items to get your money

back X so in the case of cans and

bottles it incentivizes you to bring

those back to a recycling center or the

case of glasses and mugs it prevents you

from pocketing them as fun souvenirs

even though most people still do that so

this is a really important word to know

because oftentimes the items that you

buy will be more expensive than the

listed price so let's say if you're

buying a can of fanta from the

supermarket and it says it's one Euro

sometimes it'll be like a fawn that's

like 25 cents on it so in the end the

price of it will actually be a Euro 25

and you'll get the 25 cents back when

you bring the can back this is also true

at Christmas markets and it trips a lot

of people up because it'll say oh okay a

gluevine is like three Euros but then

when you go to pay for it it's actually

six euros because there's a three Euro

deposit on the cup so you get that money

back when you bring the cup back

something that they'll also do at beer

gardens and Christmas markets sometimes

is they'll give you a little token with

your cup so that basically when you go

to return the cup you also give them the

token and then they know that you're the

one who bought the cup another thing to

keep in mind if you're lucky enough to

be visiting Germany during beer garden

season is to make sure you learn beer

garden etiquette so often with beer

gardens there's no table service what

you do is it sell self-service you go up

you grab your beer you grab whatever

food you want and then you go to the

casa or the cashiers and then pay there

of course it's also worth noting that

drinking in public is very common in

Germany so it's not uncommon to see

someone having a beer glass of wine

during a picnic in the park or even

seeing someone walking around with a

bottle of beer walking on the street so

it's not really a big deal don't be

shocked if you see it also you should

know that when you're at a restaurant

you have to ask for the bill they're not

going to bring it to you automatically

just because they don't want to feel

like they're rushing you during your

meal so if your waiter hasn't brought

around the bill make sure to flag them

down and ask for it last but not least

don't forget to pack an adapter because

the plugs in Germany look like this and

I would really highly recommend bringing

a universal adapter just because then

you're covered in all cases and you can

just buy one and never have to buy

another one for the rest of your travel

life so I think that's a really great

investment all right I hope this if

Germany travel tips was helpful and you

feel more confident in navigating the

country now as a first timer be sure to

let me know if you have any questions

and for more practical travel videos

just like this one be sure to like And

subscribe I'll see you guys next week

bye foreign