Travel in Germany: when to go, places and advice

From Bavarian fairy-tale castles to Berlin's industrial art spaces, Germany plays every register: Neuschwanstein raised on its spur, the Rhine valley and its hillside vineyards, the medieval towns of the Romantic Road, Cologne cathedral, resurrected Dresden and seafaring Hamburg. Add the biergartens, the Christmas markets and a dense rail network: travelling here is simple, comfortable and surprisingly varied.

Capital: Berlin
Currency: Euro (€)
Language: German
Direct flight: ≈ 1 hr 30 from Paris
Time difference: None from central Europe

Itineraries

Our trip ideas in Germany

The itineraries in Germany are in the works: the day-by-day programme, named hotels, tickets to book flagged in advance. Leave your address to be notified when they come out.

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The right season

When to go in Germany?

May-June and September offer the best balance: open biergartens, alpine hikes, the Rhine vineyards in full light. Summer is mild and alive with festivals. In late September, Munich lives on Oktoberfest time; book a year ahead. December turns the country into a life-size Advent calendar: the Christmas markets of Nuremberg, Dresden and Cologne are worth the journey on their own.

January : In-between
February : In-between
March : In-between
April : Pleasant
May : Ideal
June : Ideal
July : Pleasant
August : Pleasant
September : Ideal
October : Pleasant
November : In-between
December : Pleasant

Ideal
Pleasant
In-between
Avoid

Quick guide

Understanding Germany

Getting around

The ICE links Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt and Cologne at 300 km/h; the Deutschland-Ticket opens all regional transport for a ridiculously low monthly fee. A car is only worth it for the scenic roads.

Money

The euro (€). A frequent surprise: many cafés, bakeries and small restaurants only take cash or local cards. Always keep some cash.

Language

German. English is common in the cities and among the young, rarer in the Bavarian countryside. A hearty "Guten Tag" opens the conversation.

Useful apps

DB Navigator for all the trains, the digital Deutschland-Ticket, Flixbus for budget connections and Too Good To Go, very widespread, to eat smart.

Accommodation

Family Gasthöfe in Bavaria, winegrowers' pensions on the Rhine, design hostels in Berlin. Book very early for Oktoberfest and the Christmas markets.

Etiquette

Respect the pedestrian red light, sort your rubbish and return your deposit bottles. At the biergarten, share the big tables without ceremony, that is what they are for.

The iconic places

Neuschwanstein

Bavaria

King Ludwig II's castle, Disney's inspiration, raised facing the Alps. Book the slot online and climb to the Marienbrücke bridge.

Brandenburg Gate

Berlin

The symbol of the reunified city, between the Reichstag and Unter den Linden. At night, when it lights up, history still weighs.

Cologne Cathedral

Cologne

632 years of construction for two 157 m spires listed by UNESCO. Climb the 533 steps to look down on the Rhine.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Bavaria

The perfect medieval town of the Romantic Road: complete ramparts, half-timbering and the hundred-times-photographed Plönlein lane.

Romantic Rhine Valley

Rhineland

65 km of UNESCO-listed gorges between Bingen and Koblenz: perched castles, vertical vineyards and the Loreley rock.

Dresden Frauenkirche

Dresden

The baroque church rebuilt stone by stone after 1945, heart of a resurrected old town nicknamed the Florence of the Elbe.

Tap a dot, or browse the list below the map.

Brandenburg Gate : The symbol of Berlin
Speicherstadt : The brick warehouses of Hamburg
Cologne Cathedral : The twin spires on the Rhine
Loreley : The rock of the Rhine valley
Heidelberg : Romantic castle and old town
Rothenburg : The jewel of the Romantic Road
Frauenkirche : Dresden, the Florence of the Elbe
Marienplatz : The heart of Munich and its carillon
Neuschwanstein : The fairy-tale castle
Triberg : Waterfalls and cuckoo clocks of the Black Forest