2 Weeks in Germany

What You Should Know Before Going On A Germany Tour

Do’s and Don’ts for Traveling in Germany

When preparing for your trip to Germany, consider these do’s and don’ts to help make your stay more enjoyable. First, a few things to keep in mind not to do, or to be aware of.

• Don’t jaywalk unless you want to be scolded by a nearby German who will quickly call out any rule breakers. 
• Don’t forget the pfand, a deposit on all glasses and bottles in Germany. If you keep the mug as a souvenir, you’ve likely already paid that deposit, otherwise, get your money back by turning your glass back in to the bartender after leaving a beer garden.
• Please don’t break out the selfie sticks at concentration camps and Jewish memorial sites - honor the memorial with the respect and soberness it deserves. 
• Don’t plan to shop or visit many of the country’s museums on a Sunday as they’ll likely be closed. 
• Don’t test your inner race-car driver on the Autobahn - those not comfortable driving at high speeds shouldn’t try it for the first time here.
• Don’t be late for a reservation - punctuality is of utmost importance in Germany.

Now, as you plan for your trip to Germany, a few Do’s to remember:

• Learn a few words in Germany, but rest assured that most people speak English (Guten Appetit, Prost, Guten Tag, etc.)
• Place your order fairly quickly in restaurants - unlike in the US, the waitstaff will not keep coming back to your table if you’re taking your sweet time. 
• Get familiar with the train timetables - this is the quickest, easiest way to travel around Germany to all of its  most popular sightseeing spots.
• If your guided tour of Germany takes you into a local resident’s home, remove your shoes and bring a small hostess gift.
• Travel with cash - not all restaurants accept credit cards.

Ask your Germany tour guide for additional tips and tricks while visiting Germany so that you feel comfortable and don’t immediately stand out as a foreign tourist.

How Long Are Most Germany Tours?

A Germany trip may range anywhere from 3 days to three weeks, depending on your mode of travel, what you want to see and any individual interests (hiking, river cruising, cycling, castles, etc.).

If you have just three days, consider touring Munich and the Bavarian Alps. A week in Germany might also include the Rhine Valley (perhaps on a short river cruise) and Rothenburg. Stay two weeks and tack on Berlin, the Mosel Valley (another great opportunity for Germany river cruising) and Nurnberg.

And if you have upwards of three weeks, add in the Black Forest, Trier and Baden-Baden. To see the majority of the country’s top attractions and regions, the popular tours range from 12 to 15 days. 

Who Will Enjoy Germany Tours?

With so many things to do in Germany, the country serves as the perfect starting point for a grand European tour or as a stand-alone destination full of beauty, culture, history and cuisine. It sits in the very heart of Europe and is touched by nine country’s borders.

Those who enjoy city life can visit modern, yet historic Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Berlin, Munich and Rothenburg. Those seeking wineries and pastoral cycling routes can take a river cruise along the Rhine or Mosel, stopping in storybook villages in lush, green valleys for guided tours and meeting local residents.

German history tours satisfy those with an interest in the ancient side of Europe - visit castle after castle, including the Disney-inspiring Neuschwanstein Castle - and more than 42 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Beer and brat lovers are in for a treat with Germany’s traditional food culture. Festival fans can find an event to attend practically any month of the year - some of the most popular festivities include Oktoberfest in Munich, pumpkin festivals and Christmas markets.

Germany Weather 

When to travel to Germany is almost entirely dependent on your personal weather preference and resilience. Visitors arrive at this popular European country year-round despite its chilly winters and hot, often rainy summers. The weather in Germany is ever-changing, but if you’re well prepared (layers!) and flexible, you’ll still make the most of your visit. 

Germany’s high seasons are the summer months and then again around the winter holidays - thanks in large part to the popular German Christmas markets.

Fall can be a particularly lovely time to visit Germany, if mainly for its many wine-related and harvest festivals, as well as Oktoberfest in late September-early October. Wine tours in Germany will also run in late spring into early summer, taking advantage of the warming temperatures for wine festivals and tastings.

The best weather months in Germany are May through September and the country’s driest months are typically July and September, also a perfect time to visit the magnificent Neuschwanstein Castle. 

Germany in Winter

Pack a heavy coat and hat and you’re ready to travel to Germany for winter - and with good reason! Beyond the Christmas markets (more on those in a moment), there is a winter wonderland air throughout the country during these colder months.

Consider a cold-weather tour of the Black Forest, where snow activities include everything from skiing and snowboarding to ice-skating and snowshoeing. Look for tours that follow the Black Forest Panoramic Route - and ask if you can stop for the renowned wine and cake in Sasbachwalden. Snow-draped castles and jaw-dropping lights displays add to the allure of Germany in the winter. 

As for those holiday markets … even the Grinchiest among us can’t resist the traditional, olden-style costumes, soul-warming gluhwein and scent of roasting chestnuts (on an open fire, no less) emanating from Christmas markets in large cities and tiny villages all over Germany between late November and Christmas Eve.

A few favorite Christmas markets to add to your list as you research your winter vacation in Germany:

• Frankfurt’s Old Town - come for the picture-perfect, half-timbered houses of St. Paul’s Square; stay for the pealing of the bells on Christmas Eve
• Aachen - famous for its incredible gingerbread-like cookies, the Aachener Printen, a perfect complement to your mulled wine
• Nuremberg - visit in time for the opening ceremony to see the Christkind address the crowd with a traditional Christmas speech in Main Market Square (and be sure to pick up Nuremberg bratwurst, a favorite German delicacy and only available in this Bavarian city)
• Cologne - more than 150 stalls of traditional German food and crafts, holiday performers and the largest tree in the Rhineland
• Düsseldorf’s Old Town - step back in time on the century-old carousel, visit the life-size carved nativity scene and learn about the city’s history by way of the woodworkers, glassblowers and other artisans who set up shop in Renaissance-esque stalls 
• Munich, on the Marienplatz - shop for holiday ornaments and nutcrackers to take home as your Germany souvenir at this, Munich’s biggest and oldest holiday market

Germany in Summer

Germany tours in the summer allow for ample outdoor activities, whether you’re strolling through the leafy Black Forest or cycling along the banks of the mighty Rhine River. Tour operators offering summer trips to Germany may include some of these favorite warm-weather activities:

• Visiting Spreewald, a UNESCO biosphere reserve just an hour by train from Berlin, and ideal for leisurely walks and canoeing
• Soaking up the university feel of Freiburg in the Black Forest - dip your toes in one of the Bächle water channels that run along the sides of the street (the locals do!) and while away a few hours at a bustling beer garden
• Explore the Black Forest (Schwarzwald), one of the prettiest regions of Germany and famed for its storybook villages, cuckoo clocks, hiking, biking and more 
• Check several German water castles off your must-see list in North Rhine Westphalia - they’re surrounded by moats and the high-ceilinged rooms inside are naturally air-conditioned, a nice respite from the summer heat
• Take a river cruise on the Mosel from Trier to Koblenz - ask if your Germany tour includes a port stop in Beilstein, a cute little town with a Carmelite monastery and castle ruins 
• Speaking of rivers, consider a summertime river cruise in Germany, making a point of exploring Passau, the “City of Three Rivers,” where the Danube, the Inn and Ilz all meet
• Take advantage of the sunny days of summer and visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Potsdam, capital of Brandenburg - many of the historic buildings here are more than a thousand years old and there are enough castles to keep you busy for at least a couple of days
• Stay in the warmest region of Bavaria, in Regensburg, often called the “Northernmost Italian City” for its Italian eateries and gelato shops nestled along cobblestone alleyways and medieval architecture (it’s also one of Germany’s UNESCO World Heritage Towns)
• Hike in Saxon Switzerland, a national park southeast of Dresden and a favorite area for summer hikes in Germany - make sure to snap a photo of the famous Bastei bridge, a natural rock formation over the Elbe River valley
• Spend hours at a Cologne beer garden, enjoying a local Kolsch - many day river cruises embark from Cologne, so don’t miss the opportunity to sail along the mighty Rhine 
• Leave a piece of your heart in the university town of Heidelberg, a charming summer destination in Germany for its Summer Festival, lush Philosophenweg walk, Neckar River views and Königstuhl above its beautiful castle
• Join the student community of Karlsruhe in the Black Forest for countless warm-weather outdoor activities
• Hike, boat, fish, raft, attend countless local festivals and visit Eagle’s Nest and the Salt Mines in Koenigssee (also known as Berchtesgaden) in southern Germany - a favorite German location for summer outdoor recreation