The Federal republic of Germany is the most influential country of
Europe. It has witnessed the most controversial facts of history like
Nazism, Holy Roman Empire and the building and demolition of the Berlin
wall. With many magnificent castles it has wealth of art and culture.
German is the widely spoken language in German, but outsiders can find
many English speaking locals especially in the common tourist
destinations.
Weather
The weather
here is very unpredictable as there is a possibility of rain almost all
months, so carry clothes accordingly. April and May are the months of
spring which brings in full bloom of fruits and flowers. Months from May
to September have very fine weather with sunny skies and offers the
best time for traveling and site-seeing. People who have a passion for
sports like swimming, hiking, and cycling can have the best time here
during these months. Winter sports can be enjoyed at the resorts in the
months from November to early March. The temperatures are below freezing
and the days are too short (comprise of only six to eight months) in
winter.
Locals greet each other by handshaking
and saying Guten Tag. To say goodbye, people use Auf Wiedersehen.
Guests are expected to bring uncovered and odd number of flowers,
especially roses, when visiting someone’s home. The guests are welcomed
with either food or refreshments. At the table, hosts say ‘Guten
Appetit’ to which the guests should reply with ‘Ebenfalls’. Smoking
should be better avoided in public areas. Locals dress informally but
certain occasions like opera, theatre, certain restaurants and social
functions call for formal wear.
Electricity
220 V, 50 Hz
Moving Around
The
best way to get around is to buy the Welcome cards or the city passes
which allows the customer to access unlimited bus facility in many
cities of Germany. It also gives special offer on certain tourist
attractions. For flexibility one can rent-a-car or go for chauffer
driven cars. Along with the rent, VAT of 16% is payable. Car insurance
should be available before hand in case of any accident. The speed limit
within the cities is mostly 50kph and 100kph on the highways.
Nine stars
The
nine stars of Southwest Germany comprise of Baden-Baden, Freiburg,
Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Heilbronn, Mannheim, Pforzheim Stuttgart, and
Ulm. They are considered to be some of the beautiful cities of Europe.
Each of the cities play a vital role in the culture of Germany.
Baden-Baden has few of the finest resorts and also has Europe’s second
largest opera and concert hall. Freiburg is known as the historic city
center and is famous for cobblestone mosiacs, open streams and ancient
alleys. Heidelberg has world famous castles and Germany’s oldest
university. Karlsruhe has the famous museum Center for Art and Media.
Look out for various amusements along the Nectar river of Heilbronn.
Pforzheim is the capital for watches and jewelry. Stuttgart is famous
for theatres and opera. Ulm is the birth place of Albert Einstein and
is also house to the world’s tallest hurch spire.
Travel
The national airline that serves Germany is Lufthansa. Bwelin-Tegel airport is situated at 8 km away from the city and it takes about 20 minutes to reach there. There is a provision of duty free shops, banks, post office, eateries, conference hall, and car hire and tourism information for the passengers.
Another busy airport is the Frankfurt airport which is located at 13km away from the city. Buses take about 20 minutes to get there. Taxis are available at any time. The Intercity railway network at the airport also provides international services to Hungary, Switzerland and Austria. The facilities provided here are duty free shops, left luggage, restaurants, banks, conference halls, post office, car hire and tourism information. No departure tax is levied on the passengers.
Those wishing to travel by sea can avail the ferry connections to Finland, Lithuania, The Netherlands, Latvia, and Norway.
Eurostar provides railway service to and from Belgium, France and the UK. Booking can be made by telephone. The Inter-Rail offers unlimited second class train travel within 29 European countries. The Eurailpass offers unlimited first class train travel within 17 European countries.
EuroCity and InterCity trains have a restaurant on board, providing food and drinks. InterCity Express target the business class and provides services such as fully equipped office, conference compartments, etc. Tourist over 17 years of age can carry alcohol and tobacco with them within permissible limits.
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