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Germany Travel Agents & Reviews

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Customers rate Zicasso's travel referral service  4.9  on a scale of 1 to 5 based on  1549  reviews on Trustpilot

We match you with top tour companies that specialize in the trip you want,  whether it's a customized private tour or a group tour.

Our Germany travel agents have the expertise to craft an unforgettable luxury journey across this dynamic country.  With long-standing relationships with top hotels, guides, and tours, our travel agencies in Germany design exclusive German itineraries tailored to you. From fairytale castles and medieval towns to scenic Alpine escapes, our Germany travel experts handle every detail.  For insider access to Michelin-starred restaurants, VIP tours, and the best of Bavaria to Berlin, plan with our Germany travel agencies for an exceptional luxury trip.

Discover our Germany travel agents, the top 10% of local specialists

Our Germany travel agents have the expertise to craft an unforgettable luxury journey across this dynamic country. 

With long-standing relationships with top hotels, guides, and tours, our travel agencies in Germany design exclusive German itineraries tailored to you. From fairytale castles and medieval towns to scenic Alpine escapes, our Germany travel experts handle every detail. 

For insider access to Michelin-starred restaurants, VIP tours, and the best of Bavaria to Berlin, plan with our Germany travel agencies for an exceptional luxury trip.

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Jacob's Travel Agency

 Based on  13  reviews

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I found Zicasso on an internet search for senior travel. After contacting the company regarding their proposed two-week tour of Switzerland and Austria, I received proposals from two companies within a couple of days. While the companies' proposals varied from the advertised one, I found our travel agent was the most responsive. Through an email survey, phone calls, and Zoom, he assisted me in planning a trip that met our interests, needs, and budget. Surprisingly, Zicasso was able to save us money on our air flights as well. Our agent fulfilled his offer to contact us daily via text to ensure each step of our trip went smoothly. Even with the eight-hour time difference, he was available by phone when we landed and had difficulty locating our driver. Through a flurry of texts, the driver was located and we connected. When reserved seats on the train were required due to heavy holiday volume, he made the arrangements. The accommodations were wonderful. Obviously, a lot of knowledgeable thought and care went into the planning. From recommendations of places not to miss to restaurant recommendations, he made it so. We were guided, but still had lots of free time and flexibility, and mainly private tours. We will plan our trips this way in the future – our agent’s excellent service and personal attention made this trip a total success.

Peter's Travel Agency

 Based on  21  reviews

The Zicasso travel agent organized a wonderful trip to the Bavaria region of Germany for my husband and me in May 2024. She really listened to my goals and requests for this trip, and made sure all of the activities she planned, the places we stayed at, the restaurants she reserved for us, and the itinerary as a whole met our needs. We had several phone calls together, as well as countless emails back and forth during the planning phase of the trip so she could ensure she delivered the trip of our dreams. It was also very comforting to know that we could reach out to her or her team during the trip in case anything went wrong. We did have a small issue during a weekend and were able to call and speak with the company’s owner, who helped solve the problem. It is clear that the agent cares about her clients and wants to give them the best experience possible. Do not hesitate to work with her and the team. You will not be disappointed!

Martin's Travel Agency

 Based on  221  reviews

Our trip was absolutely incredible. All the destinations were amazing; so charming and perfect for what we were looking for, which was small-town charm and to really immerse ourselves in the character and history of Germany! Rothenburg was our favorite destination, but the whole trip was incredible and so well laid out with activities. The guides could not have been nicer or more helpful! One met us at the airport in Frankfurt and started us off with a wonderful tour of Heidelberg, really getting us into the groove. We were tired, but really enjoyed the quaintness and history of the town. From there, we went to Baden-Baden, a wonderful Belle Époque town with much to see, great shopping, and a fabulous hotel. Then, it was on and on with a tour of the Unimog Museum, a drive through the Black Forest with a visit to Lake Mummelsee, and an incredible visit to Rothenburg (a must-see). We ended with an afternoon and evening in Munich, with a walking tour of the Rathaus/town center area and, of course, a must-experience lunch in a beer hall/biergarten, and so much more. All the hotels and restaurants booked were fabulous. We cannot recommend Zicasso’s travel agency any more highly!

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Viktor's Travel Agency

 Based on  20  reviews

Zicasso’s travel company helped us plan and make land arrangements for our trip to Berlin, Prague, Chesky Krumlov, the Wachau Valley, Vienna, and Budapest. We had different needs for the areas we visited based on friends and family we planned to see, tour guide requests, accommodations we needed our travel agent to book, one place we wanted to book ourselves, and car and train transportation between destinations. The arrangements were not straightforward, but our travel agent was flexible. He came through and everything went beautifully as we navigated our itinerary. We had a fabulous time in Central Europe and are very appreciative of our travel team's efforts. Most important to us was the quality of our tour guides, their knowledge of history and culture, storytelling abilities, and enjoyable personalities. Our agent delivered beautifully on our requests for outstanding tour guides, especially in Prague, the Wachau Valley, and Budapest. In Prague and Budapest, we had seven-hour walking tours that were truly wonderful and memorable. Another of our agent’s strengths was recommending charming and comfortable boutique hotels. Highlight hotels he recommended were in Kreuzberg, Berlin, near our friend's home; the one in Prague with the adjacent, gorgeous, UNESCO World Heritage garden; and the one in Vienna. Finally, our travel team remained available to us by text message throughout our trip, answering any questions that came up and being a fun travel partner throughout our travels.

Lindsey's Travel Agency

 Based on  362  reviews

My sister and I had a wonderful trip! We used Zicasso's travel agent to plan it. From the beginning, all our questions were answered and they offered suggestions along the way. Everything was planned out for us, including private and small group tours. Transportation, if needed, was all arranged. Directions and maps were provided, if needed, along with any tickets for trains and tours. All our hotels were conveniently located and we were within walking distance from restaurants, shops, and metro systems. We really appreciated that. I highly recommend this travel company and wouldn’t hesitate to use them again. I can’t thank them enough for planning our trip, which has provided so many lasting and priceless memories!

Joachim's Travel Agency

 Based on  23  reviews

Zicasso’s travel agent was outstanding. He was able to tailor a trip with guides and drivers who were very knowledgeable of the regions I had an interest in seeing, especially when they included a side trip or two off the beaten track. I especially appreciated the flexibility of guides who adjusted sightseeing agendas to eliminate items I had no interest in (usually in the package deal) in favor of nearby places I did have an interest in. Overall, it was important to start planning for the trip about six months in advance because of the importance of being able to secure hotel bookings and arrange guides and driving services early on. My travel agent was very good at getting back to me immediately and informing me of costs and progress made, and to suggest alternatives or offer a reality check or two, and so on. The hotels I stayed in were basic, which was all I needed. The only observation I had was that the pillows in all the hotels were much too soft; not supportive for seniors who might need something firmer. My favorite hotel, a delightful historic novelty, was in Leipzig. The staff were friendly and very helpful. It was also very quiet and had a relaxing atmosphere. I experienced very helpful staff at a B&B in Berlin at the beginning of the trip. They were informed of my lack of knowledge of technology and acted to help out. However, on the very last day I was there, the clerk refused to help, saying it wasn't his job to fulfill my request. I requested that he check on two items for me, one on the time of the taxi service scheduled to pick me up, which was in conflict with an airport departure time. He refused to help me check to see if any airline changes had been made to the departing flight schedule. It would have taken him about three minutes to check on this and I went to seek his help at a time when there were no other customers arriving or requiring assistance. I commented to him that the manager told me I would get help, but he refused to do any more than just dial a number for me to confirm a pick-up time with the service. I had the feeling that this young man could not deal with anyone who did not have modern technology capabilities. He probably needs more customer service training for managing a senior who was known ahead of time to have these specific communication limitations. There was a problem, in this regard, with the information the driving service had about my departure time. They had me scheduled for a pick-up two hours later than what I needed. This had to be changed to the earlier departure time that was originally scheduled. Fortunately, a driver was found and I got to the airport on time, and everything went smoothly thereafter. I think there was probably an information transposition mistake with scheduling the pick-up for the time I needed to be at the airport. Everything worked out in the end. The guides were all friendly, personable, and professional in their knowledge of the places we visited. Their enthusiasm and depth of knowledge for their area of expertise were exceptionally good. Our guide in Berlin was outstanding in this regard and covered a lot of ground and places in eastern Berlin that I did not know about, along with the places I had a real interest in seeing. Our guide and driver in Spreewald and Sachsenhausen was also great in knowing the layout and context of the excursions. Our Dresden guide was an artist with deep knowledge of Dresden’s historical sites and masterpieces of art, music, and the history of the city. Our guide in Leipzig, Erfurt, and Halle was great at pointing out good photo ops and managing shorts to nearby attractions. Overall, the trip was an outstanding success. The conclusions drawn at the end of each day were that the day had been a very enjoyable experience. The driving trips to get to each site were also a feast for the eyes; we appreciated the beauty of the green countryside and the cities and towns. I definitely would like to return to Germany with the help of agents like ours.

Bernhard's Travel Agency

 Based on  97  reviews

Our Zicasso travel partner listened to our preferences and needs, and helped design a fabulous trip for our family. Transportation was flawless throughout the trip and the local guides were wonderful. We enjoyed getting to know them personally and learning about their hometowns. I especially valued the app that provided us with every detail for each day, including emergency contacts, hotel information, and itinerary. Thank you!

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Embarking on a journey to Germany can offer a deeply enriching cultural experience. A country that’s long been associated with castles, beer, and hearty sausages, Germany has so much more to offer. From the vibrant city of Berlin to the scenic Black Forest region, this country brims with history, art, and outdoor adventures.

Your dreams are personal and so should be your Germany travel planning experience. Knowing you have a team of Germany travel experts who specialize in Germany trip planning, is the difference between a trip and an experience of a lifetime.

That’s why, as travel agents specializing in Germany, we’re passionate about helping travelers plan the perfect itinerary to discover everything this beautiful country has to offer. Our team of dedicated professionals has the insider knowledge to curate a trip that suits your budget, preferences, and interests. With our help, you’ll have the opportunity to explore the best of Germany and create lasting memories.

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• Europe Tours
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Top Tour Operators and Travel Agencies in Germany 2024/2025

Top Tour Operators and Travel Agencies in Germany. Below you will find 21 of the best tour operators and travel agencies in Germany offering in total 277 tours and holidays through-out Germany. Combined they have received 398 customer reviews and an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars. The top tour activities offered in Germany are: Sightseeing, attractions, culture and history, Boat tours, water sports and marine wildlife & Adventure and sport.

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21 Tour Operators in Germany with 398 Reviews

Insight Vacations

• Address 33 Kern Road, Toronto, Canada
• Response Rate 86%
• Response Time 3 hours

Walkers' Britain

• Address 1B Osiers Road, London, England
• Response Rate 83%

• Best-in-Class Top 5% of companies
• Excellent Service Top 10% of companies
• Superior Service Top 15% of companies

• Address Picquet House, St Peter Port, Guernsey, London, England
• Response Rate 90%
• Response Time 1 hour

Expat Explore

• Address 10 Merryweather Place, London, England
• Response Time 2 hours

Indus Travels

• Address 233, 11951 Hammersmith Way, Richmond, Canada
• Response Rate 98%

G Adventures

• Address G Adventures Ltd, 60 Bastwick Street, London, England

Back-Roads Touring

• Address 109 Power Road, Chiswik, London, England

Original Europe Tours GmbH

• Address Pettenkoferstraße 17A, Berlin, Germany
• Response Rate 13%

Europamundo

• Address c/ Garcia de Paredes Nº 55 1ª Planta, Madrid, Spain
• Response Rate 96%

CroisiEurope

• Address 12 Rue De La Division Leclerc, Nedre Rhin, France

Exodus Travels

• Address Grange Mills, Weir Road, London, England
• Response Rate 85%

• Response Rate 88%

Intrepid Travel

• Address 380 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Australia

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Germany Tour Companies

Looking for an unforgettable Germany tour? Book a fully-organized trip with the best tour companies in Germany and let the tour operator take care of everything for you. Check out the tour details and read 148586 reviews from our customers to help you choose the perfect tour for you.

List of Germany travel companies & tour operators with 148586 reviews

• Excellent - 1,914 reviews for Germany tours

Guide was excellent Driver was the same

Jacqui was inspirational and well-organized. Her energy was infectious and carried us through the packed tour schedule. She has a wealth of helpful information. We liked her history and geography "lessons," the vocabulary list in local languages, and the theme songs and movies she played on the bus. Overall, it was a well-organized tour, although it was a bit long and tiring.

• Excellent - 19,666 reviews for Germany tours

Overall experience was great.

Not really my type of holiday travel! The stops are short and mainly at freeway truck and rest stops. The hotels were way too far from any real sites and some were small and cramped. I expected this tour to be hectic, given the countries visited and the days involved, . but IMO it could have been organized a lot better. The Tour Director and Driver were excellent but working with hands tied behind her back.The driven tours by coach just went too fast apart from road blocks or traffic jams. I appreciate that the TD kept mentioning that there are other tours by Cosmos, Globes that are lconcentrated on longer stays, however if they are at the hotels that we stayed at, then seeing the good sights are going to be a massive struggle. IMHO, even if the costs are higher for better hotels and safer areas, most would rather pay than skimp. Most of the stops overnight did not even have any decent restaurants where one could experience a decent meal of the region. Yes there were a couple of organized option dinners that involved costs, but these had to be reached via the coach. The three included meals are at the hotels which really did not have kitchens other than ones that could prepare breakfasts and the meals were simple and buffet style with one fixed item being served. As I started it may be OK for some, but definitely not my cup for tea!

EUROLATINO Tour Operators

• Good - 20 reviews for Germany tours

Really enjoyed this tour. It was exactly what we were looking for, the independence to do what we wanted on some days and some tours organised for us on other days. Communication from Tour radar was great through What’s App. The only thing we would change would be to upgrade the two 3 star motels to 4 star motels.

I paid for a daily excursion and the tour guide did not show up. The rest of the tour was ok.

Indus Travels

• Excellent - 258 reviews for Germany tours

Tour was OK. Sites great, organization seriously lacking. Indus communication was horrible. Can't get a prompt response from any questions by phone or email but I get daily marketing emails from them instead.

Marvelous Germany chose some excellent sites in both Germany and France. The hotels were good overall, especially the historic hotel in Füssen. Unfortunately, communication from Indus was extremely poor. Instead of sending us complete itinerary information well in advance, it came the same week of departure (after multiple requests by phone and email that were never followed up by Indus) and that required us to create an account and log into their website to retrieve it ourselves. Buried in the fine print was the name of our German tour guide from a different company ... and Indus got his name incorrect. We were not even given a specific time to meet the guide. Shuttles to and from connecting airports were nonexistent, we relied on public transportation. There was a mix-up with hotel rooms on the first day, apparently Indus was unclear about who was in which room and who reserved single bed versus double bed accommodations. On the first evening, the German guide did nothing but check off names and hand out hotel room keys. He didn't provide any information or guided tour of Frankfurt at all. Our guide was knowlegable but not very communicative. Two older women on the tour with hearing aids couldn't hear most of what he mumbled. The problem wasn't the language, it was as though he didn't have any material prepared to tell us and did not attempt to read his audience to ensure everyone got the message. We all had to ask questions constantly to get anything out of him. During the farm visit & cheese tasting, our guide attempted to translate what the farmer explained in German. It was very clear that the farmer was explaining everything is significantly more detail than our guide gave us. More than once he got it wrong and the _farmer_ corrected our guide's translation. Our guide's navigation, driving skill, and narration were all very below average. We were not on a large motor coach, this was a full size van similar in size to typical bloated American vehicles. On multiple occasions he stopped in the middle of intersections, cut off other vehicles, drove around in circles, missed the correct turn, used turn signals inconsistently, and nearly took out a biker. This appeared to be not due to aggressive driving behavior but rather due to indecision. It looked like our guide had no pre-prepared route plan or parking plan. At many destinations instead of parking at the obvious convenient parking garage and leading a walking tour with a proper discussion, he'd drop the whole group off and let us explore on our own for only a very short time. Why he couldn't park the van and walk with us was a mystery. While the group itself was able to manage, this WAS NOT advertised as a self-guided tour. At Neuschweinstein, our guide made us pay for a public bus -- why was that not included in the tour???? Thank goodness our group had enough local currency on hand to buy tickets. It's simply cheap of the tour company to not pay for convenient local parking and transportation throughout. Meals also felt unplanned. While the tour advertised that several meals were included, it turned out that these were all hotel breakfasts, which were all quite good. We soon learned it was best to have a very hearty breakfast because we never knew where and when lunch might occur. Many days while the guide was "parking" and leaving us to fend for ourselves, we had to find our own restaurant and attempt to eat quickly (not an easy feat in Germany where meals are normally taken at a very casual pace). This subtracted substantially from the time we would have liked to tour the towns. Our guide generally did drop the group off at or near the pedestrian centre of a town where there were options but he clearly did not have specific recommendations, nor did he seem to read the audience to know our dining preferences. In general, he did not express any interest in joining the group for dinners so that too was for us to figure out on our own. On the last day, it felt as though the guide couldn't wait to drop us off as soon as possible at our last hotel and disappear. Biggest complaint of all: we did not feel comfortable that the tour guide lost/broke his mobile phone in the middle of the tour and left us no way to contact him. We asked him several times, and he had many opportunities to buy a replacement. He simply didn't. If any serious incident happened when he was AWOL, we would not know who to contact or how. In summary, Germany is a beautiful place with many interesting historical and cultural things to discover. The big cities were less relaxing with traffic and construction and higher prices but that was to be expected. The small towns, castles, beautiful river valleys and Schwartzwald made up for that. If we would change anything in the itinerary, it would be more coordination and efficient guide to have time to enjoy the small towns. We had a great time with our new friends in the group and would travel with them again anytime. Unfortunately, both Indus and their outsourced local guide company were very underwhelming. With better professionalism and attention to detail, the trip would have been great.

• Excellent - 74,896 reviews for Germany tours

The included tour was good and hotels were good with buffet breakfast but I do not recommend all the optional tours too pricey and not worthed, just do it yourself ,explore on your own free time.Danube dinner cruise was awful ,there was a kerosene gas leak during the entire cruise I got headache and breathing problems and food was cold and not tasty. Careful of your belongings, Someone opened my bag ,robbed me in Prague and got all my $500 cash,credit /debit cards and important IDs. I did not get any help from Globus bec I did not pay travel insurance. I recommend travel insurance this time. Wake up call at NH Prague messed up ,They woke me at 2 am. I did not sleep after that. The included farewell dinners were not good. I am still waiting for my refund on the Danube cruise dinner.

Everything was top notch.

Insight Vacations

• Excellent - 640 reviews for Germany tours

It was OK. Hour long local tours is not enough Accommodations were fine, not all centrally located. No restaurant recommendations from tour guide

There was the largest December snow in 90 years just before we a. It made getting there a little difficult but well worth it! Our carriage ride was magical. Greg made it even more special. He was so attentive to everyone’s needs and abilities. Never rushing anyone. Not to mention his surprises every time we got back on the bus. Starting each day with “Louie Armstrongs it’s a wonderful world. We all would sing along. We became friends instantly and felt like family within just a few days together. I highly recommend Greg as a tour guide he really added to the experience. The atmosphere he created by showing us all how much he truly cared for each of us. He is an exceptional person and I for one feel that the trip would have not been the same without him!!!!!

• Excellent - 14 reviews for Germany tours

Setting up the tour, and the tour itself were wonderful. We had a few glitches in our plans and Paula was a great help in getting them worked out. Hotels were very good and clean, food at the hotels, excellent! That said, the bikes were NOT. Even though they were brand new, and the gearing great for what they were. However, we did this tour under our own power, no electric bikes, and were told that hybrid bikes were not available for this tour, also told we weren’t allowed to use clip-in pedals. The bikes were heavy, and we found ourselves walking and pushing them up many hills, some rocky and gravel roads, which, if we would have had a decent bike for this tour, a hybrid bike, we would most likely had an easier time of it. Not happy about the bikes! Also, the opening page of the tour says 1-99 as in years old of people that could do this tour, definitely false advertising, there is no way, even with the electric bikes, that some people could not navigate the roads on this tour. We are 2 women in our 70’s and did it, I am proud to say, we have a lot of experience, it was not easy. It could have been much more enjoyable with a different bike. Over all, a fantastic trip. Thank you.

We were delighted with holiday and with the communication beforehand and the arrangements made on our behalf. Our only disappointment was that the second last day was only 40km (we were expecting to do approximately 60km each day) and the last day's distance was only 20km. We also discovered that our bags would not arrive at the final destination until 3pm that day which made it hard for us to use the day to move on elsewhere. Our solution was the do the 20km on the second last day as well as the 40km as scheduled, and then to drive back to the hotel that had been booked for us. This worked fine and suited our timings better. Otherwise no complaints at all, and we hope to use Tour Radar again.

Agate Travel

• Excellent - 284 reviews for Germany tours
• This operator has no Germany reviews

Terranova Touristik

• Excellent - 244 reviews for Germany tours

The ride and guide materials were excellent, though we mostly followed the signage.

The tour was amazing—so much to see along the Mainz and Rhine. My ebike was perfect. We especially loved the stop at Oberwesel. Such a lovely unique hotel.

Europamundo

• Good - 3,126 reviews for Germany tours

The tour generally is very good. But unfortunately the roommate I am sharing the room wasn't the right fit for me - loud and inconsiderate, rude and disrespecting me with swearing words. The tour guide Javier was trying his best to make the situation more bearable, but unfortunately not everything was in his power in control. My travel agent and the I contacted the Europamundo for assistance, but seems that they were not very much interested to find a better solution than only offering me to book a single room. The whole attitude was : "We can't do much, and we really don't want to try to find a better solution". They even didn't try. I really felt physically sick and not getting the support from the company and not seeing any effort from their end makes me very uneasy to book again with them. I booked 3 tours with Europamundo and after the excitement of the first trip I was expecting a great experience for this one, which unfortunately didn't happen. Visited locations were nice, the guides were knowledgeable understanding and helpful, as much as they could, but the whole impression of the company is - we don't care less!.

More like a hop on hop off bus depending where you get on and get off - not the usual A to B tour with the same tour guide and travellers as we thought. We had a 5-6 day trip and had 3 different coaches, 3 different tour guides and constant changes to who you are travelling with. There was no ‘group meeting’ when we arrived as we were the only ones joining the ‘group’. Very disorganised on the first day as no one explained what was happening and how it worked. Spanish is the predominant language spoken but they did eventually divide off the English speakers. Having said that all three tour guides during the 5 days were knowledgeable and directions each day were clear, accommodation and daily breakfasts were great. We would have preferred to be travelling with the same group for the duration so you could get to know people but not the case which wasn’t clear at time of booking. Lastly, when the time came to pay the balance of the tour the invoice was much more and not clear, we had to contact the Brisbane office to clear this up as we only prepared to pay brochure price so watch that.

Exodus Travels

• Excellent - 13,251 reviews for Germany tours

Poor communication from the agents. Too many layers of agents. Go direct I say. Once travelling it was fine. A few long rides (70 and 60 kms) that could have been shorter. The ride into Linz was tough but doable - they are upgrading the bike track. Hotel choices were great.

We really enjoyed the hikes that Bob took us on. Bob, made it very enjoyable and he picked the hikes that would be perfect for the group.

• Excellent - 171 reviews for Germany tours

My tour was great, nothing to do with utracks. Utracks was very poor getting information from. Unreturned e mails, never received notice for my final installment till I called a few weeks before my trip when I was inquiring about some info. They then stuck me with a 260 euro fee for high season ? September 12/19 was never told or saw that before. Never returned e mail questioning that charge.

Everybody on board were working very very hard. The boat was grossly understaffed. Just about all staff new on the boat. ALL Tried their hardest. No special food for persons with severe food allergies. No internet. Food was ok. Cabins roomy and clean. The trip director, Juergen, was excellent, 5 stars. E-Bikes were new and Excellent. Very top of the line bikes

Uniworld Boutique River Cru…

• Excellent - 80 reviews for Germany tours

People are amazing. Except for reception.. very serious .food good, needs much faster internet

A friend recommended Uniworld to me and I'm glad he did. What a wonderful experience it was. The boat, the staff, the food, the scenery - everything exceeded my expectations. And you could be as active or laid back as you desired. I started each day joining the exercise class on the top deck. There were daily walking tours of the local town or village where we were moored, a strenuous hike for the more adventurous and a bike ride between towns. Bicycles were available to use at any time and many did meander up and down the bike paths along the river. I was travelling alone and had no trouble mixing and dining with the other guests, even though I am a little shy when it comes to social situations. I am looking forward to my next Uniworld experience, the difficulty being, which one will I choose!

• Excellent - 31 reviews for Germany tours

The itinerary was well planned and spelled all the details of yhe tour from the time we arrived until we finished. Information on getting to locations was clear and understandable. Vouchers for hotel and transportation were provided as well as information regarding how to redeem them. We had opportunities to visit the recommended as well as places we had read about or were suggested by friends and coworkers who had either visited areas or knew our interests.

The itinerary was very informative and thorough. It related what to expect from hotel room side to explaining transportation and how to arrive ahead of time for tours.

• Good - 13 reviews for Germany tours

Highly recommend this trip. The days can be long but the views are worth it. Most of the route is paved so you can probably get away with hiking shoes or trail running shoes. There is luggage transfer available but I didn't need it. The route from Unken to Waidring could be updated but I was able to find an alternate route with the map. Before you start you're given the full itinerary with a navigation system on the app as well as paper copies of everything.

Wir waren mit Eurohike v. Garmisch nach Meran unterwegs.Die angegeben Tageskilometer stimmen oft nicht mit den tatsächlichen Km überein. Für eine Übernachtung gab es keine richtige Wegbeschreibung zum Hotel. Ganz daneben fanden wir jedoch den Rücktransfer. Das Hotel war außerhalb von Meran, so dass wir ein Taxi benötigen um an den von Eurohike genannten Sammelpunkt zu kommen,. da es hierfür keine öffentliche Verkehrsmittel gab. Weiterfahrti in Bozen mit 1 1/2 Std. Wartezeit abseits am Busterminal. Leider ist Eurohike häufig ungenau was zu Mehrkosten, Wartezeiten und Verdruss führt. Fazit: Die Qualität der Organisation u der angegeben Daten stehen in keinem Verhältnis zum Reisepreis. M. Wagner

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Custom-made, ... and enjoy an unforgettable time, “ sandra and prime tours germany are most certainly my first choice for this region of the world i am so impressed with how everything has been handled“.

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The 6 best online travel agencies in Germany

Best online travel agency for business travel, 1. travelperk: best for businesses looking for a complete solution.

Main offerings and features:

• Extensive inventory of travel services
• Flexible booking with FlexiPerk
• Safety alerts with TravelCare
• Integrated travel policy & approval flows
• Centralized invoicing
• Easy & real-time expense reports
• Carbon offsetting with GreenPerk
• 24/7 customer support with a 15s target response time
• VAT reclaim to save up to 25% on travel
• Integration with 3rd party tools : such as expense management platforms or HR software like Expensify and BambooHR

Start saving money on business travel for your company today!

Best german online travel agencies for leisure travel, 2. tui: the perfect all-rounder for leisure travel.

• 24/7 customer service and travel experts
• A company-wide promise to sustainable travel and greener getaways
• Over 5,000 multi-destination trips to choose from
• TUI owned and operated airline: 737 Dreamliners & 737 MAX
• 180 worldwide destinations: Austria, France, Switzerland, and much further afield!

3. Holiday Check: great for real review and user photos

• Tons of last-minute deals on the table
• Travel protection plans for out-of-your-hands flight cancellations
• An on-trip tour guide to ensure your trip runs smoothly
• Destinations across Spain, Greece, greater Europe, and Africa & Asia

4. Ltur: a fit for those that want to book with a human, offline

• Refer a friend plan to earn cashback for future trips with Ltur
• Plenty of offline shops to book your trip with a travel agent
• Rotating deals for the spontaneous travelers among us
• Optional, affordable, travel insurance packages via HanseMerkur

5. Weg.de: great for easy-to-use technology

• Intuitive booking platform: ability to search by list or on the map
• Good hotel overview with reviews, features, and ratings
• Top Secret Hotels: great (secret) hotels at discounted prices, for the adventurous travelers!
• Weekly booking calendar to pick the nights that best suit your budget

6. Travel Scout 24: a Germany tour company for online-only searchers

• Filter your search from 1-5 stars
• Filter your search by your ideal food situation: half board, breakfast, all inclusive, and more
• Car rental options for those looking to road trip

Wrapping up German tour companies for a spectacular trip

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Germany Vacations: Culture & Castles

Germany is a land where fairy tale castles and medieval architecture meets the modernity of the Autobahn and high-speed trains. Bach lived here, as did Beethoven. Berlin is known for its bohemian spirit and for its Cold War history. Visit Checkpoint Charlie and see what remains of the Berlin Wall. Ski the Bavarian Alps or hike through charming mountain villages, passing mirror-clear glacial lakes, waterfalls, and forests. Marvel at Munich’s Gothic architecture and stop for a beer at Germany’s famous biergartens. Liberty Travel’s consultants bring you tailor-made Germany vacation packages.

Germany at a Glance

Currency: Euro (€)

Tipping Customs: It is customary to leave a 10% tip for good service, and for drinks at the biergarten, it is customary to just round-up your bill.

Language: German

Popular Drink: Beer and Coffee

Must Eat: Schnitzel and Pretzels

Power Up: C or F (two-prong plug) 230 V

Weather: Spring’s arrival isn’t always predictable in Germany. Winter brings snow to the mountains for the skiers. Pack an umbrella, and bring layers if you want to visit in fall and spring.

Best Time to Visit: It depends on what you want to do. January and February is the high ski season, while July and August are prime times to visit the cities and museums. Oktoberfest (late September to early October) is also popular.

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Top Things to Do in Germany

From the Berlin Wall to Reclaimed East Berlin Discover East Berlin’s hip and modern galleries and art scene in repurposed GDR buildings, and then visit the city’s iconic Cold War relics including Checkpoint Charlie and the remains of the Berlin Wall.

Fabled Towers and Turrets Germany is known for its fairy tale castles, with Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria being the inspiration of Disney’s Cinderella Castle.

Sunshine and Beer in Munich Raise a stein at one of Munich’s lively outdoor biergartens during Oktoberfest (the festival runs each year from late September to the first weekend of October).

Ski the Bavarian Alps Carve the slopes of the Bavarian Alps and spend a night at one of Germany’s luxury ski resorts.

Hike the Black Forest Germany boasts 16 spectacular national parks that span from the shores of the North Sea to the Black Forest.

Germany Vacation Packages: Deutschland the Liberty Travel Way

Whether you’re looking to discover Cold War relics in Berlin or want to ski the Bavarian Alps, Liberty Travel’s consultants can create a Germany vacation package crafted just for you.

When you book with us, you get:

• Real People. More than a travel agent, your Germany consultant is a fellow traveler with a passion to help you see the world.
• Perfect Match. We’ll pair you with a destination expert who has insider knowledge of Germany for a truly personalized booking experience.
• Crafted Vacations. Stay in hand-selected hotels. Get connected with local guides and enriching experiences. Choose from among our exclusive vacation packages.

We know Germany. Leave the planning to us.

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A vacation is far more than the destination

It's when you are free to capture the true essence of a place, start filling your memory album, where many fairy tales come from, the art of creating memories, discover the hidden gems of germany, austria and switzerland, our committment, creating extraordinary moments for the discerning traveler since 2009, scroll down to discover more ....

"If you're here, it's because you understand the difference between the traveler and the tourist. You appreciate the journey, not the race. You want the unparalleled room with most awe-inspiring views of Germany waiting for you, not the reception trying to find your name. If you're here, you know that locals already know the best places to eat, with the finest delicacies and you know it's not the place across from the hotel. If you're here, it's because you know what you want, and we know exactly how to give it to you. You're in the right place, welcome to Distinctly Deutschland."

"Using Distinctly Deutschland was like having a friend in Germany where the experience is much more indepth. Even if you can organize all the logistics yourself, you cannot replicate the experience where a friend is showing you their private collection of hidden treasures."

"Our trip to Germany is one of our all time favorites, a fantastic art and history party."

"We truly felt like we “experienced” each geographical area. "

"Alex and Vanessa were phenomenal. They were organized, responsive, and caring both before our trip and during. They did a fantastic job planning according to our likes and dislikes, including picking the best restaurants in Germany! I cannot say enough good things about the service provided by the travel agency on our trip. From picking the best accommodations and locations to the daily itinerary, it was truly an unforgettable trip thanks to them. "

"The trip was fantastic. We loved all our guides and the restaurant suggestions were amazing."

Jennifer B.

"Thanks a ton for the great memories. You'll be my go to when we decide to return!"

"The trip truly was terrific. The guides were all first rate and we enjoyed them tremendously. We learned so much from them. It was a once in a lifetime experience for the entire family."

Dan & Judy W.

"We had a wonderful trip and created memories for our entire family of 17. From the very beginning the associates at Distinctly Deutschland were excellent in every way. They took the time to learn about our interests and the background motivations for the trip. In all cases they listened to our requests and developed a trip to be remembered and cherished. Super responsive. Detail oriented. Flexible."

"We (5 adults early-late 40s) did a 15-day trip through Berlin, Bamberg, Rothenburg, Oberammergau, and Munich. We had an amazing adventure mostly because of DD and their fantastic staff! From the first contact to farewell we got all kinds of personal attention and recommendations. They created a wonderful personalised itinerary for us including some great cities we never would have visited on our own. We really can't recommend highly enough. Worth every penny!"

"Stunning! Distinctly Deutschland certainly lived up to every part of the company name. My wife and I covered several states during our seven day excursion on the ground. The accommodations, transportation and overall care was comforting and exceeded our expectations. The DD guides were top notch, and I can’t image this trip without them. Trustworthy, detail oriented, and assuring. "

K & V Finney

Destinations, destination, switzerland, destination experiences, destination experience, sound of music, historic salzburg, schönbrunn palace, alpine wonderlands, glacier express, family trip young adults, top of europe, epic places, geierlay suspension bridge, wildkirchli, this is what we do.

At Distinctly Deutschland, we specialize in crafting bespoke journeys that transcend mere travel, weaving narratives uniquely tailored to your preferences. Whether you seek the guidance of seasoned experts or prefer the freedom of self-discovery, we're dedicated to creating the experience of a lifetime just for you!

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Ease of speaking English: Easy

Ease of transportation: Easy

Food:  Bread, potatoes, and meat

Category: City/countryside 

Official language: German

Affordability: Moderate

About Germany

Germany is a country of rich culture, with plenty of attractions for people from all walks of life. From medieval castles and cobblestone-lined streets to stunning natural landscapes, Germany has something unique to offer everyone. For those looking to explore history, Germany's many museums and monuments will provide an enlightening experience. History buffs can learn about the Medieval era at the incredible Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria or explore Berlin's Wall Memorial, where they can gain insight into 20th century German history.

For outdoor enthusiasts, Germany is a paradise full of dense forests, rolling hills and majestic mountain ranges. Hiking trails can be found throughout the country, offering opportunities to discover hidden gems like calm lakes and picturesque villages. When it comes to art and culture, visitors will find inspiration in Germany's world-famous concert halls, galleries and theaters. Enjoy traditional music performances in Munich or take in modern art shows in Frankfurt – whichever your preference may be, you'll find it here! No matter what type of holiday you're looking for – whether it be educational or relaxing – Germany has something special for everyone.

What to do in Germany:

The capital Berlin has lots of history, including the Brandenburg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, the Berlin Wall, the Holocaust Memorial, and more. 

Oktoberfest happens once a year in Munich, Germany, where millions gather to drink pints and pints of German beer together!

Before Disneyland opened, Walt Disney and his family took a trip to see Germany's Neuschwanstein Castle, which was the inspiration for Disney's Sleeping Beauty Castle!

Check out more photos from Germany!

Neuschwanstein Castle

Cologne bridge

Interested in going to Germany?

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Special interest tours, youth travel.

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custom designed tours - for groups

Acanthus Tours offers tour operators, group travel organizers and travel agencies a wide range of inbound tourism services throughout Germany and in its neighbouring countries. According to your wishes and ideas, we are happy to adapt each tour programme.

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• Explore Germany's highlights
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• Romantic cities, arts and history
• Germanys great metropolises

• Fascinating cities
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• Discover Berlin & all of Germany
• Fun school trips
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• Individual travel arrangements
• We arrange choir performances & concerts
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Top 10 Travel Agents Near Berlin, Berlin

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2 .  STA Travel

“Outstanding Service Thanks to Carolina's knowledgeable and tireless research at STA Travel Berlin...”   more

3 .  tramsol travel agency

“This is a terrific travel agency --they couldn't have been more helpful in finding a good, cheap...”   more

4 .  Reiseland

5 .  Reisebüro Flugbörse

6 .  l’tur Reisebüro Alex

7 .  Reisebüro Touristik Travel

8 .  T.R.A. Reisen

9 .  KrögerTours

10 .  Wörlitz Tourist

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"Outstanding Service Thanks to Carolina's knowledgeable and tireless research at STA Travel Berlin Georgenstraße, I saved valuable money when buying long-term overseas health insurance without having to accept any loss of benefits. Her interest and persistence in finding the absolute best solution for me was terrific. Even repeated inquiries from me afterwards (because I wanted to be super sure about some points) were answered by her in a lightning-fast and super friendly manner via email. Exemplary customer service that focuses entirely on the needs of and benefits for customers. I give at least six out of five stars :-)"

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Tour operator - list, experiences, tips, book cheap

by Sascha Tegtmeyer

With the choice of the tour operator or travel agent, the vacation stands or falls. In particular, those who book a package tour must have great confidence in the company planning their vacation. Below I have listed some providers that are active in Europe.

As a traveler or vacationer, you basically have two options: Either you book a trip individually by booking flights, Hotels , transfers and other services search and book themselves. Or you trust a tour operator or travel agent when planning your holiday, from whom you buy a package tour or individual products.

In Germany alone there are 3.089 tour operators with a turnover of 12,5 billion euros (2020 - in the previous year 2019 35,4 billion euros) per year. The largest tour operator in Germany is TUI with a turnover of 7,9 billion euros (as of 2020 - source: Statista.de ). Especially in times of Corona pandemic The concept of the package tour has proven itself: If problems arise at the holiday destination, the tour operator usually steps in and helps the holidaymaker to survive the crisis or to plan the return trip.

Depending on what type of crisis it is and what services travelers and holidaymakers have booked in advance, they can even claim reimbursement of the travel price. In the case of a private, individual booking, however, travelers are responsible for all services themselves and may have to deal with hotels and airlines themselves in crisis situations. Because of this, I would - maybe my most important Vacation tip currently - currently always recommend booking a package tour with a tour operator - or booking through a travel agent with a tour operator.

Because the difference between a tour operator and a travel agent is that travel agents only refer customers to a tour operator about their offers. Ultimately, it is the tour operator who plans the trip or vacation

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Ranking – best rated tour operators and travel booking websites in germany.

In the BrandIndex of the market research institute YouGov, the five top rated tour operator and travel agents in Germany. For the vote, 900.000 people aged 18 and over were surveyed between September 01.09.2019, 31.08.2020 and August XNUMX, XNUMX.

• booking.com
• Meiers world travel
• mountains & sea

Photo by Asad Photo Maldives on Pexels.com

Book your holiday – tour operator and travel agent for an unforgettable dream holiday

I have given you a list of tour operators and travel agents with whom I have had good experiences so far. Depending on what type of vacation you are planning, there are different travel providers and booking platforms available to you. The list of tour operators currently only includes German providers.

List of the most popular tour operators and travel agents in Germany

Below I have put together a list for you of many of the largest and most popular tour operators in Germany. The list is certainly not complete. New suppliers are constantly being added - and some are disappearing from the market.

• ADAC travel
• Attica travel
• Mountains & sea
• TUI MAGIC LIFE
• DER Touristik
• Holiday tourism
• For You Travel
• ID Riva Tours
• Inter Chalet
• Jahn travel
• LMX tourism
• Lufthansa Holidays
• Maris travel
• Meier's world travel
• Phoenix Reisen
• Robinson Club
• Schauinsland Travel
• Thomas Cook (bankrupt)
• vtours international

For different preferences – Which tour operators are there?

Basically, for every preference and every type of travel, there is a suitable tour operator who specializes in exactly that. This makes it easy for travelers to contact a tour operator when planning their vacation, who will plan and organize the trip. Which tour operators are there? Different types of tour operators are presented below and their characteristics are described.

Traditional Tour Operators

Traditional tour operators are companies that plan and organize trips for their customers. They often offer vacation packages that include flights, accommodation and sometimes activities. These tour operators often have a wide variety of destinations and types of travel, and cater to a wide variety of interests and budgets. Some well-known traditional tour operators in Germany are TUI, FTI and Alltours.

specialist tour operator

Special tour operators concentrate on certain types of travel, regions or target groups. For example, there are tour operators who specialize in city trips or active trips. Others are aimed at specific target groups such as families or seniors. These tour operators often offer special know-how and a wide range of trips for their specific target group or type of travel. Well-known special tour operators are, for example, StaTravel for student trips or ADAC Reisen for tours with a mobile home.

Online Tour Operator

Online tour operators are tour operators who sell their tours over the Internet. Customers can conveniently book and plan trips from home. Many online tour operators offer a wide variety of trips at great prices because they don't have the high cost of running travel agencies. Well-known online tour operators are Booking.com, Expedia and Opodo.

individual tour operator

Individual tour operators are tour operators who offer individually tailored trips. These tour operators often work with local suppliers to provide a tailor-made trip for the customer. These operators offer more flexible travel planning and can accommodate special requests and needs. Well-known individual tour operators are, for example, Tourlane or itravel.

There are a variety of tour operators that offer different types of travel and specialize in different target groups and types of travel. Anyone planning a trip has a wide range of tour operators to choose from and can choose the one that best suits their needs and desires. Whether one chooses a traditional tour operator, a specialist tour operator, an online tour operator or an individual tour operator depends on personal preferences and travel needs. However, it is worth comparing different operators and checking the offers carefully in order to book the best trip at a great price.

FAQs – Tour operators and travel agents – the most important questions and answers

If you are looking for a reputable and sustainable tour operator, travel agent, travel provider or an online travel booking platform, you certainly have many questions - for example where is the best place to book a holiday? I have put together the most important questions and answers on the subject of tour operators for you.

Who is the best tour operator?

There are numerous good and popular tour operators in Germany. My personal best tour operator is FTI Touristik. I have booked through this travel agent very often and have had very good experiences so far. In terms of booking numbers and turnover, TUI is the most popular tour operator in Germany. My personal ranking of the best tour operators looks like this: 1. FTI tourism 2. Meier's world travel 3.TUI 4 before flight 5. Neckermann Travel 6. Dertour 7. Alltours 8. ITS travel 9. Schauinsland travel 10. VTours

Which other tour operators are there?

The big tour operator Thomas Cook has gone bankrupt. Many travelers ask themselves: "Which tour operators are still there?" A selection of tour operators that are still active on the market are: 1. FTI tourism 2. Meier's world travel 3.TUI 4 before flight 5. Neckermann Travel 6. Dertour 7. Alltours 8. ITS travel 9. Schauinsland travel 10. VTours

Which tour operator is the cheapest?

The Stiftung Warentest has in " test 01/2018 “Travel organizer tested. Schauinsland, FTI and Neckermann were the cheapest tour operators in this test. All other travel agents were more expensive. Neckermann also did well in the area of ​​sustainability.

How is a package tour defined?

By definition, a package tour is characterized by the fact that a tour operator sells at least two travel services as a bundle - such as flight and hotel, but also food, leisure activities and transfer. Of course, more than two travel services can also be sold. The traveler pays a flat rate for the services offered.

Where can I book the cheapest package holidays?

The cheapest way to book package tours is to book them on the Internet at residual space exchanges. You have to be flexible and spontaneous and definitely be ready to leave in a day or two if in doubt. Often these are trips that have been canceled at short notice and would otherwise have been canceled. Some of these can be booked with a discount of up to 70 percent.

Where can I book package holidays?

Which travel company is still safe.

Most of the major tour operators in Germany are safe and won't go bankrupt anytime soon. If you want to be on the safe side, you should book with one of the large and established tour operators such as TUI, FTI or Meier's Weltreisen. These are usually well insured against bankruptcy.

Which tour operator is broke?

Every now and then a tour operator goes bankrupt - just like in any other industry. The British tour operator Thomas Cook went bankrupt in autumn 2019. For many travelers this was a disaster - even years later, many did not get the money back for their booked trips. The German subsidiaries of Thomas Cook were also affected by the bankruptcy.

Which tour operators are still in Germany?

- FTI tourism - Meier's world travel - TUI - 5 before flight - Neckermann Reisen - Dertour - Alltours - ITS travel - Schauinsland Reisen - VTours

Which travel portal?

The Computer picture has rated travel portals and compiled a ranking of the best travel portals that can be used for online travel booking: 1st place: Opodo - www.opodo.de 2nd place: Expedia - www.expedia.de 3rd place: Thomas Cook - is insolvent 4th place: Check24 - www.check24.de 4th place: Holidaycheck - www.holidaycheck.de 6th place: Neckermann - www.neckermann-reisen.de 7th place: WEG - www.weg.de 8th place: TUI - www.tui.com 9th place: off on vacation - www.ab-in-den-urlaub.de Place 10: Alltours - www.alltours.de

Which online travel provider is the best?

Book with a reputable tour operator and travel agent, my detailed conclusion.

Many travelers and vacationers rightly swear by booking their trip on their own as an adventure vacation or an individual trip. That's perfectly okay. The package tour is considered a synonym for mass tourism and inexperienced cheap holidaymakers, especially among travel professionals. But that's at most half the story: For mine Travel Blog Since the beginning of the Corona pandemic, I have been booking Just-Wanderlust.com almost exclusively through tour operators or through travel agents with tour operators.

Because if something goes wrong in a crisis situation, the tour operator is there to take care of it. Corresponding insurance policies are often offered against Corona and even if there is a natural disaster at the holiday destination (think of the volcanic eruption on the Canary Island of La Palma), the tour operator in Germany is responsible.

What experiences have you had so far with tour operators and travel agents? Which is your personal favorite? Share your experiences in the comments.

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This was absolutely the trip of a lifetime!!! It’s an awesome way to see many places in a short period of time! We had ************** as our tour director and he was...

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I could not have seen, done or experienced the amount of places we visited, in the short amount of time had it not been for such a well planned trip! To see Europe ...

This was an amazing trip! Whirlwind is the perfect word. We wou...

if you list list visit sites- make sure they are carried through. we pay a liot of money and expect to visit the places that are listed on itinerary. otherwise, its...

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FCM Travel in Germany

FCM Germany has demonstrated strong growth and is now one of the top five corporate travel agencies in the local market. As a member of the German travel association VDR, the team keeps updated on industry trends and issues.

A good mix of medium-sized to large customers and the tailor-made corporate technology solutions enable us to offer our customers solutions for their business travel programmes. These are easy and uncomplicated to implement and lead directly to savings and process optimisation.

Our expertise

• FCM Germany has forged a strong reputation for itself and this has allowed them to work with some of the best and most well-known private and public companies in Germany.
• Together with our European network, FCM has been named Europe’s Leading TMC for 12 years in a row at the World Travel Awards. 

Local services

FCM Germany offers many corporate travel and expense management services including: 

• 24/7 emergency assistance 
• Best in market technology 
• Corporate travel policy advice 
• Global travel buying power 
• Group bookings, and charter services 
• Local and multinational support 
• Meetings, incentives, conferences and events (MICE) 
• Payment solutions
• Traveller safety and security services 
• VIP executive service 
• Visa, passport and travel insurance assistance 

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Perlebergerstrasse 42b, Berlin, 10559

[email protected]

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How to Plan a Trip to Germany (Your Step by Step Germany Trip Planner for Traveling to Germany for the First Time!)

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my  disclaimer policy.

You’ve decided to visit Germany. Hooray! Whether you’re looking for bustling cities, sandy beaches, alpine hiking, intriguing history, fairytale castles, delicious food, fun festivals or friendly people, Germany is the perfect European vacation destination.

Not only is there a tremendous amount to do, see, eat, and experience in Germany, you can easily combine a visit to Germany with other European destinations. Germany is easy to get around in by train, bus, car or bike, and many people speak English.

You’re probably wondering…where do I even begin with planning my dream-come-true vacation to beautiful Deutschland? 

Where should I go? Is it better to take the train or rent a car? What are the must-see cities and attractions? Which ones should I skip? Where’s the best place to stay? What should I eat and drink?

Join our FREE Germany Trip Planning Facebook Group!

Don’t worry! We’re here to help you narrow down your travel options, plan your itinerary , and book your trip with ease. It’s actually quite easy to plan a trip to Germany by yourself with the information in this article, on this site and with some help of some online booking engines.

To reduce overwhelm and help you plan your ideal vacation, we cover everything you need to know to get started planning your trip to Germany . And if you have any questions, you’re welcome to ask us in our free Germany travel Facebook community or send us  an email . 

Ok, let’s begin!

• 1 Meet Your Germany Travel Guides
• 2 Overview of Regions
• 3 Where to Go in Germany: Itineraries and Planning
• 4 Want more itinerary ideas? Are you a big city person? Check out… 
• 5 Prefer smaller historic, picturesque cities? Check out…
• 6 What about cute little villages with “Fachwerk” (half-timber) architecture? There are so many! Here are a few ideas…
• 7 Looking forward to visiting fairytale castles?
• 8 Like islands and water? Take a look at…
• 9 What about nature, hiking, and national parks? Consider…
• 10 Passports & Visas
• 11 What’s the Best Time to Go to Germany?
• 12 Germany Booking Timeline
• 13 What’s the Weather in Germany Like?
• 14 What Time is it in Germany Right Now?
• 15 What’s the Best Way to Get to Germany?
• 16 Where to Stay in Germany
• 17 Getting Around Germany
• 18 What to Wear in Germany
• 19 My Absolute Favorite Travel Clothing Items
• 20 What to Eat in Germany

Meet Your Germany Travel Guides

Hi, we’re Cate and Aaron, and we love helping people plan amazing trips to Germany. While Aaron has visited Germany several times (and is our chief rental car driver!), I lived there for 4+ years, have spent nearly 30 years of my life going back and forth between the US and Germany, and have traveled to all corners of the country.

I also taught German for several years and have a PhD in German Applied Linguistics, which means I’ve gotten to know Germany from several different angles. We’re so excited to help you plan your dream trip to Deutschland! 

Overview of Regions

Northern Germany  – Hamburg is the largest city in this region but there are other must-visit smaller cities like Lübeck , Stade, Bremen, and Lüneburg. Northern Germany also has the beautiful beaches of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, the Wadden Sea national park, and the islands of Sylt, Flör, and Heligoland. Northern Germany is flat and great for biking. It looks so different from Bavaria! Combine a trip to Denmark with a visit to northern Germany.

Eastern Germany  –  Berlin is of course the feature city in this region, but Dresden, Leipzig, Magdeburg, Quedlinburg, Bautzen, Erfurt, and Weimar are smaller must-see cities. There’s also the Harz mountains, Swiss Saxony national park , Saalfeld Fairy Grottoes in Thuringia, Wernigerode castle, the Schwerin Palace, and Sansouci in Potsdam. Combine a trip to eastern Germany with a visit to Poland or the Czech Republic.

Central Germany  – This region offers bustling cities like Cologne , Düsseldorf, and Frankfurt , smaller cities like Aachen, Wiesbaden, Koblenz, and plenty of cute villages. There’s also the Rhine and Mosel river areas, vineyards, the Eifel national park, castles , and beautiful rolling hills. Combine a visit to central Germany with a trip to the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, or France.

Black Forest/Baden-Württemberg  –  Stuttgart is the largest city in this region, and smaller cities like Baden-Baden, Heidelberg, Freiburg , Tübingen, and Ulm also warrant a visit. Vineyards and wineries, spa towns, castles (such as Hohenzollern or Lichtenstein ), waterfalls, Lake Constance, cute villages, and hiking are also features of the Black Forest /Baden-Württemberg region. Combine a trip to France or Switzerland with a visit to southwestern Germany.

Bavaria/Alps  – Munich is the feature city of Bavaria ( Oktoberfest! ), along with smaller cities like Regensburg, Nuremberg, Würtzburg, Bamberg, and Passau. There’s also the famous Zugspitze, Eagle’s Nest, Neuschwanstein castle , and Chiemsee lake, as well as lovely alpine towns like Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Berchtesgaden . Combine a trip to Bavaria with a visit to Austria, Czech Republic or Switzerland.

Click here for what to do in Munich!

Where to Go in Germany: Itineraries and Planning

There’s so much to see and do in Germany! Here’s some info to get you started on your itinerary (you can also check out this article with 10-14 day itinerary ideas ). 

If you have just a few days,  I recommend focusing on one city and a day trip (e.g., Hamburg with a day trip to Lübeck or Munich with a day trip to Neuschwanstein ).

If you have a week,  you could visit 2 cities (plus 2 day trips) in different parts of Germany and allot one day for travel between cities (e.g., a few days in Munich with a day trip to Chiemsee, travel day to Berlin, then a few days in Berlin with a day trip to Potsdam). Or you could spend a week touring one region of Germany (e.g. the Black Forest or the Rhine and Mosel areas).

If you have two weeks,  you can see a lot of Germany! You could, for example, start in Berlin, then visit Hamburg, take a day trip to Lübeck , then visit the Rhein river area, stop in the Black Forest , and end your trip in Munich. You could easily do this trip via train or car. Take a look at a couple 10-14 day itineraries we’ve outlined to give you a sense of how much you can do in that amount of time.

Grab our FREE Germany Trip Planning Checklist Now!

How long does it take to travel around Germany by train? 

It’s quick and easy to travel around Germany by train. Here are some sample travel times to give you an idea: 

• Berlin to Hamburg – 1 hour 45 minutes 
• Berlin to Munich – 4 – 4 1/2 hours
• Hamburg to Lübeck – 1 hour 
• Hamburg to Cologne – 4 hours 
• Hamburg to Munich – 5 hours 40 minutes 
• Frankfurt to Nuremberg – 2 hours 
• Stuttgart to Munich – 2 1/4 hours 
• Munich to Berchtesgaden – 2 hours 

I use and recommend the official German rail system website to check travel times and book train tickets (point-to-point, saver tickets, and discounted regional tickets). I book all of our train tickets here!

Want more itinerary ideas? Are you a big city person? Check out… 

• Cologne / Düsseldorf

Prefer smaller historic, picturesque cities? Check out…

• Lübeck
• Würtzburg
• Tübingen

What about cute little villages with “Fachwerk” (half-timber) architecture? There are so many! Here are a few ideas…

• Wernigerode
• Quedlinburg
• Dinkelsbühl
• Rothenburg Ob der Tauber
• Berchtesgaden

Looking forward to visiting fairytale castles?

• Neuschwanstein & Hohenschwangau (the “Disney castle”)
• Castles near Frankfurt
• Castles near Cologne
• 16 castles to visit in Germany

Like islands and water? Take a look at…

• Husum (North Sea)
• Timmendorferstrand (Baltic Sea)
• Lake Constance (Bodensee)
• Titisee 

What about nature, hiking, and national parks? Consider…

• Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park
• Hamburg Wadden Sea National Park 
• Lower Saxon Wadden Sea National Park
• Jasmund National Park
• Western Pomerania Lagoon Area National Park
• Müritz National Park
• Lower Oder Valley National Park
• Harz National Park
• Kellerwald-Edersee National Park
• Hainich National Park
• Eifel National Park
• Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park
• Saxon Switzerland National Park
• Bavarian Forest National Park
• Berchtesgaden National Park
• Black Forest National Park

How about a road trip? Why not drive the…

• German Timber-frame Road (northern to southern Germany)
• Romantic Road (Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, north/south)
• Castle Road (Bavaria to Baden-Württemberg, east/west)
• Wine Road (Palatinate wine region, north/south)
• Fairytale Route (from Hanau to Bremen, south/north)
• Black Forest High Road (Baden-Württemberg, north/south)
• Alpine Route (Baden-Württemberg to Bavaria, east/west)
• Volcanic Route (Rhein River and Eifel mountains, north/south)

Passports & Visas

If you’re from the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and many other countries, you do not need a visa to enter Germany (at the time of publishing this article). You do, however, need a valid passport with at least 3 months validity AFTER your planned departure date.

Play it safe and have MORE than 6 months validity on entrance to Germany! You also need at least 2 blank passport pages at the time of your arrival. Check your passport NOW so you have plenty of time to renew it if needed. Do not wait until the last minute to do this (been there, done that – it’s expensive and stressful)!

Germany is part of the Schengen zone, which means you can stay in Germany for up to 90 days without a visa. If you visit other countries in the Schengen zone before or after Germany, that counts towards your 90 days and reduces the amount of time you can spend in Germany. While on the automatic 90-day tourist visa you may not work but you can engage in business.

What’s the Best Time to Go to Germany?

The best time to visit Germany is whenever you can get there! No, seriously! There’s no best time of year for your  Deutschland   tour because there’s no bad time of year to visit. I’ve traveled all over Germany in spring, summer, fall, and winter and enjoyed every single season (Cate here, writing this article, by the way).

When should  you  travel to Germany? Well, it just depends on what you’re looking for…

Summer  is when you’re most likely to have warm (even hot) sunny weather. But it’s not guaranteed. I’ve had hot steamy summers in Germany (like last summer when we traveled during a heat wave), cold rainy summers, and everything in-between.

Fortunately, even if you encounter rain in the summer it likely won’t last more than a few hours or at most a couple days before you’ll see the sun again. The benefit of summer travel is that you’ll have nice long days for sight-seeing because the sun doesn’t fully set until about 10pm. If you’re interested in beaches or mountains, summer is a great time of year to visit.

Note, however, that not all hotels, cars, and restaurants use A/C. If you really hate hot weather, play it safe and avoid Germany in the middle of the summer. (Although, to be honest, in all of the summers I’ve spent in Germany, there have only been a few days in the summer that I’ve found truly unbearable without A/C.) If you  must  have A/C, be sure to confirm that your room or rental car has it.

Summer can also be a more crowded time to travel, since so many families make use of summer break. Book accommodation early for the most options and best prices!

Winter  travel in Germany can be cold but beautiful. One of my favorite times of year to travel in Germany is during the four weeks of advent at Christmas.

Yes, it gets dark early (by 5pm or a bit earlier) but the lights, decorations, and Christmas markets more than make up for it. Plus, you can go skiing and enjoy other winter activities.

I was just in Germany for a couple weeks in December and the weather was perfectly fine 90% of the time. There was only one day where the weather was truly miserable and even on that day there were enough breaks in the weather to enjoy my day trip exploring a new town and a new Christmas market. 

Germans don’t let winter keep them from enjoying outdoor activities, hiking to strolling through a Christmas market or enjoying a coffee at an outdoor cafe. Don’t let it stop you, either! Just bundle up, grab a mug of Glühwein, and you’ll be fine!

Fall and spring  are also great times to visit Germany. In the fall you’ll enjoy crisp mornings and cool evenings and seeing the leaves change color.

In the spring you’ll experience the joy everyone feels when they can once again sit outside at cafes and restaurants. The weather can vary quite a bit day to day but if you travel late in the fall or early in the spring you can score great deals and will find smaller crowds.

Germany Booking Timeline

I’ve booked flights, accommodations , and tours and tickets a few weeks before my arrival, and I’ve booked them several months in advance. Book early if you:

• Are traveling during peak summer, Christmas market or ski season
• Have very specific travel dates or lodging, transportation, sight-seeing needs
• Are visiting big cities
• Are on a tight budget
• Are visiting during a special event, such as Oktoberfest 

I usually start looking at my options as early as possible so I can figure out what a good deal looks like for my travel dates. I then set up flight alerts and start earmarking AirBnB’s and hotels. I begin booking whenever I find something that meets my needs and fits my budget. 

Here’s a general booking timeline to get you started:

6-12 months in advance:

• Research and book your international flights
• Research travel insurance
• Plan your travel itinerary and dates
• Research and book flights within Germany or Europe
• Research travel options within Germany (rental car, train bus, etc)
• Research accommodation options (book if you find great deals or if availability is limited)
• Make sure your passport is up-to-date (you need at least 6 months left on it when you enter Germany) and apply for a new one if it isn’t

3 – 6 months in advance:

• Book accommodation
• Book trains or busses (usually 90 before your travel dates is the earliest you can book but always check if you can book earlier – the best deals go fast)
• Book rental car
• Book tours, events, and tickets
• Book travel insurance 
• Review your travel wardrobe and gear and purchase the items you need  

1 month in advance:

• Book any remaining attractions and tours
• Book airport transfers or plan how you will get to your lodging
• Purchase a sim card for phone or check how you can use your current phone service in Germany (e.g., I can use my Verizon phone service for a $10/ a day fee)

1 week in advance: 

• Print out or ensure that you can easily access all bookings, tickets, and travel info on your phone (make sure you can access everything without data or wifi!)

1 day in advance:

What’s the Weather in Germany Like?

What will the weather be like when you visit Germany? Well, it depends on the time of year and where you are. Weather in Germany can be somewhat unpredictable no matter the time of year.

I recommend being prepared by wearing layers, packing an umbrella or rain jacket, and remembering that the weather will likely change soon. And, as I said earlier, don’t let any kind of weather stop you from enjoying Germany! 

Summer.  Germany comes alive in the summer with everyone and their dog (literally, there are dogs everywhere) outside enjoying the nice weather. Average high in the summer is 80F.  

Be warned…it can rain in the summer but it doesn’t usually last that long. It can also be super hot in the summer…but again, scorching temperatures doesn’t usually last that long.

Fall.  Such a beautiful time of year in Germany with the leaves changing colors and cool, crips mornings and evenings and warm days. One of my favorite times of year in Germany! In September, the average high is 67F and by November it’s around 47F.

Winter.  Bring your scarf, hat, and mittens because German winters can get cold! Average temps hover around freezing with warmer days in the 40s/50sF. While it can snow anywhere in Germany, you’ll find the most snow in southern Germany. Winter weather doesn’t mean everyone hides inside, though. On the contrary! Do what the Germans do – bundle up and enjoy the outdoors.

Spring.  I love being in Germany on the first spring day because  everyone  heads outside to enjoy the sun and everyone is in such a good mood! Early spring will see a high around 47F but by late spring it’s more like 67F.

What Time is it in Germany Right Now?

Germany is in the Central European Time zone (CET) or UTC+2. It’s 6 hours ahead of the US EST, 7 hours ahead of CST, 8 hours ahead of MST, and 9 hours ahead of PST.

Daylight savings in Germany in 2020: time “falls back” on October 25 and “springs forward” on March 29. Write these dates in your calendar so you don’t accidentally miss any flights or trains (been there, done that)!

What’s the Best Way to Get to Germany?

It depends on where you’re coming from and where you’re going.  When flying from outside Europe, many people fly into Frankfurt (FRA), the largest airport in Germany and one of the largest and busiest airports in Europe.

The benefit of flying into Frankfurt is that it has a ton of direct flights, and once you reach Germany you can easily take a commuter flight, train, bus or rental car to your final destination.

The downside? The airport is huge, busy, and I’ve noticed prices into Frankfurt have been higher than regional airports in Germany.

I used to  always  fly into Frankfurt , and then take a train, bus or rental car to my final destination. But recently? I’ve found that it’s easier (and sometimes cheaper) to bypass FRA and fly into other German cities, such as Munich , Hamburg , Berlin , Düsseldorf ( Cologne ) or Stuttgart .

You might even be able to find a direct flight from the US (I’ve flown direct Atlanta – Stuttgart and Washington DC – Munich, for example). Otherwise, you’ll change planes somewhere in Europe and take an easy 1-3 hour flight to Germany. We’ve changed planes in London, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Paris, and Vienna, for example. You could also fly into another European city and then take a train, bus or rental car into Germany.  

A Few Notes About Flying Into FRA (Frankfurt Airport) and Traveling Onwards

If you take a commuter flight from Frankfurt  (FRA) to your final destination in Germany, you’ll go through passport control in FRA and then to your connecting gate. Super easy. Most flights from FRA to elsewhere in Germany are an hour or less in duration.

If you’re traveling onward by train from Frankfurt,  you can transfer to the train right at the airport below Terminal 1. If your train leaves from the main station in Frankfurt, you can either take the S-bahn or a regional train from the airport to the Hauptbahnhof (main station) in about 10-15 minutes.  

Important:  you’ll find cheap “savings fare” train ticket prices if you book your ticket online well ahead of your arrival. Be sure to book your ticket for  at least  a few hours after your flight’s arrival time into FRA.

Be warned: getting through passport control, customs, picking up your checked luggage, and making your way to the train station can take longer than you think. And if your plane from the US (or elsewhere) is delayed…well, it’s easy to miss your train and have to buy a new, much more expensive ticket on the spot. Personally, I would book a saver fare train ticket for a train that leaves 3-5 hours after my international flight’s arrival time – at the minimum. And that’s still cutting it close if there’s any kind of delay!

Tip: If you want maximum flexibility and peace of mind, buy a “flex ticket.” You’ll pay more but these tickets aren’t tied to a specific train. So if your flight is five hours late, you can take a train later in the day without changing your ticket or losing money.

These tickets also you to stop somewhere en route to your final destination for a couple hours, and then get back on a different train (e.g., stop in Stuttgart for a couple hours on your way to Munich). So if you arrive on time, you can work in a short excursion on the way to your final destination (store your luggage at a locker in the train station). If your flight is late, just go directly to your destination. These tickets are also refundable before the first day of travel.

For ultimate flexibility and peace of mind, spend the night in or around Frankfurt and book a saver fare train for early the next morning. 

You can also easily pick up a rental car at FRA  and drive to your final destination. Aaron and I have done this a few times and never had any problems.

The one problem we do have? Staying awake long enough to drive to our destination! We usually keep the driving distance to an hour or two on the day of our arrival and drink a lot of coffee. Sometimes we pull over at rest area and take a nap. 

If you want to rent a car at the airport and are concerned about driving while jet lagged, consider picking up the car and then spending the night in nearby town, such as Wiesbaden (I spent an enjoyable few days there before catching my flight home a few years ago). 

If you’re catching a bus  from the city center to travel onwards, S-bahn 8 or 9 will zip you into town quickly and cheaply in about 10-15 minutes. Buy tickets at any of the ticket machines before you board the S-bahn.  

You can also catch busses  into Frankfurt and elsewhere in front of Terminal 1 (arrivals level) and Terminal 2 (level 2).

You’ll find taxis  in the same general area. It takes about 20 minutes to get into downtown Frankfurt by taxi.

Flying to Germany from Elsewhere in Europe

These days it’s super easy and generally inexpensive to fly to Germany from all over Europe. Here are a couple tips:

When booking your international flight, you might be able to include a stop-over in the city where you’ll transfer to your Germany flight. I used to do stopovers in London, and a couple years ago I did an awesome stopover in Iceland. TAP also offers free stopovers in Lisbon or Porto.   

I highly recommend looking into both flying and taking a train (or bus) into Germany, especially if you’re arriving from a neighboring country and not on a stopover. Of course, if you’re flying from cities like London, Barcelona, Rome or Oslo, flying is the best option. But if you’re traveling from Paris, Vienna, Copenhagen or Prague, for example, a train might be the better way to go.

Even if the actual flight is only an hour, you have to factor in the time it takes to travel to the airport, go through security, potential flight delays, and then traveling to your lodging once you land. A 5- or 6-hour train ride might actually take less time than a 1-hour flight when you total it all up!

Traveling to Germany By Train, Bus or Car

Traveling to Germany from other European countries by train, bus or car is easy. Train travel is generally simple, comfortable, and quick. Most train stations in Germany are located in the city center, so it’s easy to get to your lodging via taxi or public transportation. 

If renting a car in another country, just double check that you’re authorized to take the car out of the rental country. If you are, you’ll have no problems crossing the boarder and driving around Germany. 

Busses tend to cost less than trains, and you can find some amazing deals, but to be honest, I still prefer taking trains over busses. Trains are more comfortable, you can get up and walk around, and they’re almost always faster than busses. Plus, they don’t get stuck in traffic.

Tips for Booking the Best Flights with Cash or Miles: 

• Start looking for flights early,  especially if you’re traveling during peak season. I booked our mid-June flights in late January. While we found low mileage flights for very specific weekend travel dates, we could have found better flight times had we booked even earlier. 
• Track flights  through google or look at options in Hopper so you’ll know a good deal when you see one.  
• Look for last-minute deals.  When I decided to go to Germany in December I didn’t start looking for flights until early November (the trip was a last-minute decision). Because I was flexible on travel dates and went early in the month, I found excellent tickets using miles. This doesn’t always happen, but it never hurts to look for deals, even if your travel dates are right around the corner. 
• Fly in or out of smaller regional airports  (e.g., Berlin , Hamburg , Stuttgart , Munich , Düsseldorf). When I booked our flights for mid-June I couldn’t find anything into Frankfurt using miles. But I did find flights into Berlin and out of Stuttgart, and that actually worked even better for that trip ! For my recent December trip , I found that flying in and out of Stuttgart used the lowest amount of miles and had the best schedule. I’ve also flown into Hamburg and Munich airports.

Where to Stay in Germany

Germany has so many options for lodging:

• Vacation rentals (e.g., VBRO, AirBnB)
• Hip boutique hotels
• Quirky hostels
• More traditional HI hostels
• Large hotel chains
• American-styles hotels (Hilton, Marriott, etc)
• Family-run Pensionen (bed and breakfast)
• Camping (RV and tent)

When we’re in Germany we typically opt for AirBnB (I like having a kitchen to make breakfast) or a smaller family-run Pension or boutique hotel. We used to stay in hostels when we was younger (they’re pretty nice in Germany) but even then I found Pensionen to be very affordable – sometimes  more  affordable than hostels – especially when traveling with one or two other people. If we’re spending the night near an airport or train station and want convenience and ease we’ll stay at a larger chain hotel .

Whether you’re looking for luxury or budget accommodations, you’re sure to find what you’re looking for in Germany! To help you get started, check out our Germany hotel guides.

Breakfast  is often included with lodging in Germany (but not always). Sometimes breakfast will feature fresh bread or Brötchen (delicious German rolls), cold cuts and cheese, butter and jam, and tea and coffee. Other times there will be an extensive breakfast buffet that includes things like yogurt, museli, a variety of breads, meats, cheeses, and even hard-boiled eggs. You’re unlikely to find things like omelets, bacon, pancakes, waffles, and hot oatmeal.

If you’re looking to save money on lodging,  book rooms with a shared bathroom. (This is typically only an option in smaller or older hotels and not an option I come across as often anymore.) Sometimes that will mean sharing a full bathroom with other guests on your floor, and other times you’ll have a sink and/or shower in your room and will share a toilet located in the hallway. Shared bathrooms are more common in smaller Pensionen than in hotels.

These days I prefer the convenience of having a full bathroom in my room but I’m not averse to sharing a hall bathroom when needed (takes me back to my younger backpacking days – ha!). I’ve never had to wait to use a shared bathroom or had any trouble with them. Sometimes there are two or more bathrooms per floor. If you do opt for a shared bathroom, bring flip-flops!

Hostels can be a great option for families,  as many offer family rooms. Hostels typically offer a simple breakfast and sometimes dinner. While accommodations are simple, some hostels can be in spectacular locations. The hostel in Bacharach, for example, is in an old castle on a hill and offers a gorgeous view of the town below and the Rhine river!  

Getting Around Germany

One of the benefits of traveling in Germany is that it’s super easy to get around the entire country. You have so many transportation options.

You can rent a car and drive from place to place. Or you can stick to trains and busses. Or ride a bike – there are tons of bike paths throughout Germany.   

If I’m primarily visiting big cities I prefer taking the train or a bus to get from one city to another. When I spend more time in smaller cities or want to take day trips to harder to reach places, I prefer having a car.

For our recent summer trip to Germany, we rented a car at the Berlin airport and returned it to the Stuttgart airport. We didn’t take trains or busses at all. We got a car so we could go to places that aren’t as easily (or quickly) accessible by train. We didn’t use the car every day, though. We walked and used public transportation when exploring cities.    

Speaking of public transportation, Germany’s is one of the best! It’s super easy to get everywhere you want to go via the S-bahn (above ground metro), U-bahn (underground metro), Strassenbahn (street car), and city bus. Taxis (and Uber/Lyft, where available) are also convenient options, though more expensive than public transport.

There are also car-share programs that you can look into. I haven’t used any of them and don’t know how convenient they are for travelers but it doesn’t hurt to check them out.

German cities are very walkable, so it’s easy to get around by foot. And, if you’d like to bike around like a local, there are lots of places to rent bikes (or scooters!) around town or maybe even at your hotel or AirBnB. If you’re more interested in just one afternoon of biking, try a city bike tour!

A few transportation tips:

• For the best train ticket prices book your ticket via the official German rail system website in well in advance. I book all of our tickets there. Note: if you pre-purchase your ticket at the lowest price you have to take the specific train you booked. If you miss that train, you have to buy another ticket. 
• If you don’t mind taking slower regional trains you can get some really cheap tickets and regional day tickets. You may not want to use these tickets to go from Munich to Hamburg, but they’re great for day trips, whether traveling solo or with others.
• Busses are often less expensive than the train (though not quite as comfortable and often slower).
• There are Eurail options for Germany, and they’re a great choice if you value flexibility and ease or if you want to make stops while traveling (eg., stop in Cologne for a couple hours while traveling from Hamburg to Munich).
• If you plan to rely on public transportation in the cities you visit, buy a day pass (or perhaps a multi-day or week pass) rather than individual tickets. Also check to see if there are group day tickets or if young kids can ride free. Note: there’s often a small additional fee to bring a bike or a large amount of luggage on public transportation. There are often less expensive day passes for travel starting after 9am. 

What to Wear in Germany

Check out my packing list for Germany!

Layer, layer, layer!  The weather in Germany is often unpredictable so your best bet is to bring layers so you can customize your wardrobe on the fly. Since rain is a possibility any time of year, you may want to bring a light rain jacket or an umbrella.

Bring comfortable shoes.  You’ll no doubt walk all day long (often on cobblestone), so bring your most comfortable, supportive shoes. Be sure to break in your shoes  before  you travel. There’s nothing worse than realizing a day into your trip that your shoes pinch your toes or give you huge blisters. (Bring along moleskin, just in case. I always have  this kind  in my day bag!) I typically bring a good pair of walking shoes appropriate for the season (e.g., boots in the winter) and a nicer pair of flats (sandals in the summer).

You can wear jeans.  Some people say  never travel with jeans  but I’m not one of those people. I love traveling with jeans! They’re comfortable, I can wear them a few times without having to wash them, and I feel less like a tourist wearing them because everyone wears them. If you like jeans, wear jeans.

Scarf, hat, gloves.  If you’re traveling in the winter or even late fall or early spring, definitely bring a warm scarf, hat, and gloves or mittens. Or buy them in Germany and take them home as a souvenir! Almost all of my winter accessories are from Germany. Even if you’re not traveling in colder weather, I recommend a  travel scarf with a hidden pocket  for ease and security.

You can wear shorts in the summer.  Shorts are more popular in Germany than they used to be, so if you like them and are comfortable in them, wear them. That said, do also bring summer dresses or skirts and or lightweight pants to wear when shorts are too informal.

Bring a comfortable day bag or purse.  When you’re out and about all day you want a comfortable bag or purse to hold your travel essentials – wallet, phone, camera, ipad/kindle/book, umbrella, journal, etc. For peace of mind, you may even want one with special security features.  Click here to read my guide for buying the best travel purse.

My Absolute Favorite Travel Clothing Items

Merino wool camisole/tank  – These camisoles are the BEST for travel! They’re soft, comfortable, easy to hand wash, and they never stink. This might be TMI but a few years ago, when I was traveling solo around Europe, I wore the same merino wool tank each day for 14 days in warm spring weather. It never smelled bad! Since that experiment I don’t typically go that long without washing my tanks, but I like knowing that I could!  Click here to read more reviews and buy a merino wool camisole/tank.

Foldable flats  – I splurged on a pair of foldable leather flats a few years ago, and after I broke them in I started really liking them. I wouldn’t recommend them for a full day of walking (especially on cobblestones) but I like to bring my foldable flats along for a change of pace or when I want the option of wearing a cute pair of shoes but don’t want them to take up much space in my suitcase.

Merino wool shoes  – I bought a pair of dark grey merino wool walking/tennis shoes a couple years ago and I LOVE them! I can wear them barefoot in the summer, and not only do my feet stay relatively cool, my shoes don’t stink when I take them off at the end of the day. I can throw them in the wash if they get dirty (though mine still look great 2 years later), they pack flat and don’t take up much space in my suitcase or travel backpack, and the heel is thick and cushioned. You can also buy replacement merino wool insoles without having to buy a new pair of shoes.

What I don’t like: the pair I have doesn’t have enough arch support for me and there’s not enough padding under the ball of my foot. The first few times I wore them they were uncomfortable after walking all day and I was super disappointed! But after adding an arch support and a gel insert under the ball of my foot (I like  this one ) I loved them and now wear them all the time while traveling and at home. Many people love them from the start!  Click here to to read reviews and check out merino wool shoes.   

What to Eat in Germany

You’ll never go hungry while traveling in Germany! While you can always find traditional items like Schnitzel, Spätzle, Rouladen, and Bratwurst, there are plenty of healthier options, including those that are vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free.

Many restaurants now cater to special diets and accommodate allergies, as do some specialty grocery stores. Aaron has a meat allergy and frequently eats gluten-free and has never had a problem finding delicious food in Germany.

These days Germany has a wide variety of restaurants to ft all budgets featuring cuisine from all over the world (except Mexican…I’ve yet to find good tacos in Germany). So you won’t be stuck eating Schnitzel every day – unless you want to!

We usually eat breakfast at our AirBnB or hotel, enjoy a nice lunch at a restaurant we’ve stumbled upon, and then grab a Döner, salad or pizza for dinner. We also often picnic using ingredients from the bakery and grocery store or farmer’s market.

Traditional German dishes to try:   Schnitzel, Spätzle, Rouladen, Bratwurst, Sauerbraten, Schweinehaxen, Maultaschen, Currywurst, Leberkäse, Flammkuchen, Sauerkruat, Kartoffelsalat (potato salad), Quark, all kinds of German breads.

Quick lunches and snacks on the go:  Döner, Falafel, Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes), Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes), Bratwurst, Currywurst, salads, Brötchen filled with meat and/or cheese, fresh pretzels, pastries, cakes. Click here to see the best German street food!

Desserts & sweet treats:  Schwarzwälderkirchtorte (Black Forest Cake), Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake), cheesecake, Stollen, Frankfurter Kranz, cake, Donauwellen cake, Berliner, Lebkuchen, Pflaumenkuchen (plum cake), all kinds of pastries and chocolate – just to name a few! Click here to see the 10 must-try German desserts and sweets.

Beer:  every kind you could ever imagine! I usually just ask for the local beer unless there’s a specific one I know I want to try.

Christmas: This is the best time of year to be in Germany, partly because of the many delicious holiday treats like Lebkuchen, Stollen, Glühwein, and so much more. Click here to read more about what to eat in Germany during the Christmas season.

Want to try German food now? Click here to see where to buy delicious German food online!

Got a question about traveling in Germany? Join our free Germany trip planning community or  send us an email!

Cate has been traveling to Germany for 30+ years. She has lived in Germany, taught college German, and has a PhD in German Applied Linguistics. She loves helping travelers plan their dream trips to Germany!

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Here’s how we can help you plan your perfect trip in 2024.

GERMANY TRAVEL PLANNER:  Just getting started? Have questions about Germany’s confusing train tickets or how to find the best guided tours? Not sure which parts of Germany should be in your itinerary (and what to leave out)? Our  Germany Travel Planner  answers those questions and more via how-to videos, our interactive Germany Planning Map, City Cheatsheets, and MUCH more. Click here to unlock the best of Germany the easy way!

GERMANY TRAVEL CONSULT:  Feeling overwhelmed? Itinerary just not coming together? Wonder if a few tweaks would take your trip to the next level? Book a Mini or Full consult with Cate! She’ll help you create or tweak your itinerary, recommend train tickets/passes, hotels, things to do, guided tours, show you how to buy train tickets, orient you to specific cities, help you plan out day trips, and answer your Germany travel questions.

ACCOMMODATIONS:  We recommend using  Booking.com  since they have widest range of accommodations available from hostels, boutique hotels, luxury chains, aparthotels, at the best prices. Check out our  accommodation guides  for specific recommended hotels.

WHAT TO PACK: If you’re bringing your phone, be sure to bring this plug adapter , this power bank , and this wrist strap . They’ve been lifesavers for us! You can see our other packing essentials here and here .

TICKETS & TOURS:  For guided tours, day trips, private tours, and skip-the-line tickets,  Get Your Guide  is our go-to!

TRAINS & BUSES:  To research train schedules and buy tickets or a Germany Rail Pass, we recommend the official  Deutsche Bahn (German Rail System)  website (and download their DB Navigator app). For buses, look at  FlixBus  , which offers tickets for routes within Germany and to other European countries. FlixBus is often cheaper than trains but can take longer.

69 Comments

I enjoyed reading this information. My husband and I would like to stay in Germany for 2 to 3 months in 2022. I am interested in staying in the area of Bamberg with the plan of visiting other regions in Germany via a rental car. Either at the end or beginning of our stay we would like to visit France (especially Paris). I have so many questions. But our hope is to have basically our last trip on our own and experience more of the everyday lifestyle. Up to this point we have only traveled via being guest of Viking River Cruise and tours.

Hi Donna! 2-3 months in Germany sounds awesome! Since you’ll be there so long, you might want to consider spending 1 month in 3 different regions or 1.5 months in 2 regions. Otherwise you’ll be doing a lot of overnight or multi-night trips if you want to see other regions. Are you thinking about renting an AirBnB? If you want to experience the everyday lifestyle, I highly recommend it. Feel free to email me if you have questions as you start planning. 🙂

Hi! Thank you for this awesome post. It’s very useful. I wanted to ask you a question. I’m planning to travel to Germany as soon as the pandemic starts to be less dangerous. I want to go to Germany for 2 months, how many cities do you think is possible to visit? And also how much money do you think is possible to use everyday for food if my budget is small? Thank you very much!

Hello! Two months is a good amount of time to visit Germany, and you should be able to see and do quite a lot! Just how many cities depends on how quickly you like to travel and what you want to do in each place (e.g., just see the highlights or live like a local). If you want to stick to big cities you could spend 1-3 weeks in each and take lots of day trips to see the surrounding area.

If that’s the case, you could rent an Airbnb (or similar), which would not only save you money on lodging (they’ll often give discounts for stays of 1 week or longer) but also make it easier to make some inexpensive meals at the Airbnb (and it’s easy to make German dishes “at home”!) and maybe even do laundry for free.

If you want to be on the go the whole time, moving from city to city (big, medium, and small), it will be more expensive unless you stay at hostels (or super cheap hotels). And remember to factor in the constant packing and unpacking, time getting to/from the train station (or airport)…that gets tiring when traveling for a couple months!

I recommend coming up with a budget, then looking at what kind of lodging fits that budget (hotels, hostels, longer Airbnb stays, Couchsurfing, etc). Then think about what you most want to do in Germany (live like a local, just spontaneously explore, see specific sights, have specific experiences, etc) and what you want your daily experience to be like (e.g., do you want to feel relaxed each day and get to know fewer places or be on the go, packing and unpacking, moving from place to place). Neither is better than the other, it’s just important to get clear on what kind of experience you want!

A few ways to reduce your budget: – Eat in fewer sit-down restaurants. Eat breakfast at “home”, buy snacks and drinks at the grocery store and bring them with you each day, cook some meals each week at “home”, pick up lunch from a grocery store or bakery and eat in a park, etc. Make eating dinner in a sit-down restaurant a special occasion. Doing these things will save you money and you’ll eat healthier!

– Take busses or slower trains to travel around Germany. There are regional train passes you can purchase that allow travel in a specific area very inexpensively. Travel will be slower and there are some restrictions on when you travel (often not during rush hour) but you’ll save money and often you’ll see some out of the way sights. You can also get good deals on flights but once you factor in travel to the airport (time and cost), time to check in, waiting to board, potential delays, and then getting from the airport to your final destination, it’s often just easier to take the train.

– Buy standard train tickets in advance. You can get nice discounts on faster train tickets if you book far enough in advance.

This might be more info than you wanted but I hope that helps you start planning your trip! Let me know if you have any other questions. 🙂

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Great post full of detailed information on all aspects of travel in Germany. When travel reopens in Europe we’re planning on a 2 week trip in Germany with our adult son. He’s an avid soccer fan so we’ll need to plan the trip around the soccer schedule so he can see as many games as possible. We are considering Eastern Germany with a short trip into Poland or Northern Germany with a few days in Denmark. We’d really appreciate your expertise and suggestions. Although we’ve traveled extensively in many western and eastern European countries, we have not spent a great deal of time in Germany. Thanks. J.

Hello! I’m back working on this site now and am happy to help. I’ve got more articles and resources coming but let me know if you have any specific questions!

Hi Both The Ueckermann family 9-10 adults and 2 little once to experience Germany in Oct 2023. Central G and Netherlands will be awesome. We need to do all planning and funds estimates please assist. We live in South Africa and hopefully COVID 19 not a factor any more. Plan 2-3 weeks depending on the funds regards Engela

Hi Engela! Let me know if you have any specific questions about planning your trip to Germany. Happy to help!

HI, I was having trouble with your email 🙂 so sorry I am just replying here. I was hoping you could help us and I wasn’t sure if you offer buying tickets and guidance of our specific places we would like to visit. Anxiously wanting to hear back from you, Anne

Hi Anne! I just sent you an email. 🙂

Hello Cate! Such a well written article with great info! My husband and myself would like to travel to Germany in Oct. of 2022, possibly with my then 16 year old son as well. We want to go in October so we can also experience Octoberfest. I cant have beer because I have celiac’s. IS THERE OTHER ALCOHOL DURING OCTOBERFEST OTHER THAN BEER? WHAT IS THE WEATHER IN OCTOBER AND DOES OCTOBERFEST RUN THE FULL MONTH? IS THERE A CERTAIN AREA WE SHOULD STAY TO REALLY EXPERIENCE OCTOBERFEST AND ANY POTENTIAL ISSUES TO AVOID DURING OCTOBERFEST? We are overwhelmed with planning our trip because we don’t even travel within the US and I feel like there’s so much we want to experience in such a short period. We would like to go for 2 weeks. We want to go because both our families are from Germany. My family comes from Nuremburg (sp) and my husbands family Bavaria but we are unsure which part. This trip is important for us to try to learn about our family roots. DO YOU KNOW WHERE WE COULD GO IN GERMANY TO LEARN ABOUT OUR GENEOLOGY? We would like a more of a laid back approach to experiencing Germany. I dont want to necessarily feel rushed every single day but I do understand that some events and places we would want to visit would need to be scheduled and we are ok with that. I would like to do the Air bnb but know nothing about them. I would like less stress worrying about transportation such as missing busses. We are interested in castles, picturesque views, experiencing floating on the Rhine River perhaps. ANY SUGGESTIONS ON AIR BNB’S THAT PROVIDE BREAKFAST AND ANY IDEAS ON AREA’S TO VISIT BASED ON EVERYTHING I’VE PROVIDED? P.S……our last name literally translates to “the German”. We have had so many Europeans tell us that when they hear our name…LOL

CORRECTION: This is Lisa Nemec. My hubands family is Bohemian. We believe his family crossed over from Czech.

Hi Lisa! There are plenty of other drinks at Oktoberfest, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding something. The weather at that time of year can vary but in late September to early October it’ll likely be warm during the day and cooler in the evening. Oktoberfest is mostly held in late September but I believe it goes until Oct 2 in 2022. There are a lot of hotels and AirBnB’s within walking distance of Oktoberfest (also walking distance to downtown) but book early because they fill up quickly! You’ll also pay a premium at that time of year. Some people prefer not to stay near the main train station but other people don’t mind it.

As to where you could go in Germany to find out about your genealogy, I’d start by searching the genealogy sites online and get as much specific info as you can. You can then try a site like http://www.genealogienetz.de/index_en.html (I haven’t used it, just found it).

If you have 2 weeks, you could fly in and out of Munich and focus on Bavaria. While in Munich you could take a couple day trips to Salzburg, Berchtesgaden, Neuschwanstein, the Alps, etc. You could see a lot at a laid-back pace in 2 weeks!

AirBnB’s are great if you’re going to be somewhere for at least a few days, want a little extra space, a kitchen, etc. Even just being able to make breakfast, coffee/tea, and keep drinks cold for when you come home in the evening is so nice. But you don’t typically get hotel-like services like a prepared breakfast, new towels each day or linen changes. If you want to be walking distance to lots of things in Munich, a hotel near downtown could be a great option. If you’re ok with being in a neighborhood, an AirBnB could be a good choice. There are so many great neighborhoods in Munich so you really just need to look at price, amenities, and distance to the things you want to see. I’ve stayed at hotels near Marienplatz and in an AirBnB further away (maybe a 10-15 minute walk + U-bahn ride to Marienplazt) and I enjoyed both.

I hope that helps!

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HELP……I have been put in charge of coming up with an itinerary for my hubby and 4 of our friends for travel in July 2022. I truly have no idea what I am doing. What we are looking for are castles, beautiful scenery and history (although I have been told that they do not want to go to concentration camps). The following is the tentative itinerary I have come up with. We are looking also, for moderate priced Inns/quaint hotels and castle stays centrally located. Any changes/suggestions/comments would be GREATLY appreciated. We will be renting 2 cars. 1 night Munich drive to Nuremburg 3 nights Nuremburg – drive to Fussen 1 night Fussen – drive to Ettal 3 nights Ettal – drive to Unterwossen 1 night Unterwossen – drive to Salzburg Austria 3 nights Salzburg Austria drive to Munich 1 night Munich – fly home

Hi Linda! Your itinerary looks good for a 2-week trip. Here are few suggestions:

-If you’re flying into Munich, you could drive right to Nuremburg on the first day, since it’s only a couple hours drive from Munich airport. If you pick up your car, drive into Munich, settle into a hotel, and then drive to Nuremburg the next day, you’re using a lot of time for driving/checking in/unpacking/packing and you won’t get to see much of Munich. If you go right to Nuremburg on arrival day and stay for 3 nights, you could add a night to the end of your trip so you have 2 nights in Munich or add a day to Salzburg and keep Munich at 1 night.

-Fussen and Ettal are pretty close to each other so you could stay 3-4 nights in one and then take a day trip to the other. I like to reduce the number of one night stays as much as I can during 1 and 2 week trips for the reasons I mentioned above. You could also stay in Ettal and make day trips to both Fussen and Unterwossen and cut out 2 1-night stays.

-If you don’t want to see Munich, I’d keep that at 1 night and stay near the airport at the end of your trip. If you do want to see Munich, I’d give that 2 nights minimum.

I hope that helps! I think you’ll really enjoy your itinerary!

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Thankyou for all the wonderful suggestions! I’m visiting Germany closer to Christmas for two weeks.

That’s my favorite time to be in Germany! Everything is so beautiful and festive. You might be interested in my Stuttgart Christmas Market article – even if you won’t be near Stuttgart, it will give you an idea of what you can do, see, and eat at any Christmas market. I also talk about 6 other nearby Christmas markets that are super fun to visit. 🙂 Enjoy your trip!!

I had all but given up on our delayed 25 yr Wedding Anniversary(07/28/2020 delayed to Sept 2021, due to covid) trip to Germany. Then I found your website! It reinvigorated our desire to NOT CANCEL our plans! We have a son in Kaiserslautern(rhein main air force base) , and want to split a 2 week trip between seeing 7-8 days traveling in Germany( Berlin, Munich, Cologne, and Stuttgart) and Paris. And then 6 to 7 day visiting our son. We had all but given up, until I read your article. Thanks! I wish that there were some way to have everything planned for us in advance! But, your post at least has assured us that we can make this happen on our own. Thank you very much!!

Definitely don’t cancel your plans, even if you have to postpone! (We had to postpone our anniversary trip, too – such a bummer!) You can definitely make your trip to Germany happen. Here are a few ideas for you…

You could fly into Paris, then travel to Kaiserslautern to see your son and do a day trip to Stuttgart (visit the Christmas market if you’re there in December or nearby Esslingen any time of year) and then either visit Munich and the area around there (fly out of Munich) or travel up to Cologne and over to Berlin (fly out of Berlin).

It’ll be a lot to try to see Paris, spend several days in Kaiserslautern, and also see Cologne, Stuttgart, Munich, and Berlin but if you can combine things – like if your son can go with you to visit Stuttgart and Munich or Cologne and Berlin, you could see a lot of the places you’re interested in. Flying into one city and out of another will help a lot, too.

You could also fly into Munich, then go to Kaiserslautern via Stuttgart, take a short trip to Paris, then go to Berlin via Cologne and fly out of Berlin. Or do the same but start in Berlin and fly out of Munich.

You’ll have a great time no matter your itinerary! 🙂

Your website is a such a great resource! I have a ton of questions about planning a trip, I’m just going to send you an email.

Thank you Komal

Got it and replied 🙂

What is a good budget for 2 adults in Germany for two weeks?

It’s nearly impossible to give a guideline because it depends on so many things – your travel style, what kind of transportation you want to use, your accommodation & restaurant preferences, etc. I know that’s not very helpful in the short-term but it would be less helpful for me to give you a specific budget not knowing any specifics about you or your trip plans. Plus, most travelers like to splurge in one area and cut back in another but that’s so different for each traveler.

What I recommend is this: start looking at flights, transportation, and accommodations well before you want to book them in order to get an idea of what each costs for your travel dates. Add everything up for 2 weeks and then decide if you’re ok with that amount so far, keeping in mind you’ll still need to add on food, souvenirs, tickets/tours, insurance, and anything you need to get before you leave (clothes, luggage, passport, etc). I like to do this research before I book flights/transport/accommodations. That way I get an idea of what will be my splurge and where I will need to reduce costs to keep within the budget that’s right for me. Everyone’s ideal budget is so different!

hi i am planning to travail to Germany in December 2021 with my family , any idea

My big tip for Germany in December: visit the Christmas markets (if they’re open this year)! You’ll find one in nearly every German city, town and even small villages. They’re outdoors so dress warmly and enjoy the food, drink, and stalls. They’re a great place to pick up souvenirs and gifts, too.

Days are short in December, and some touristy sites do shut down in winter, so keep that in mind. But you’ll still find plenty to do after dark, especially if you’re in bigger cities. As long as you take these two things into consideration, you’ll have a great visit no matter where you go!

Hi, my partner and I are wanting to visit Germany in January 2022. I have previously stayed in Wurzburg for 3 weeks and dream of taking my partner there.Seeing as I went with school a few years ago we didn’t really have a chance to look around other parts of local Germany. Where would you recommend us to go whilst in that area? We like architecture (but not too much…) we’re in our 20’s so we also want to have fun 🙂 we’ll either be driving (we live in France) or we’ll be going by train. Will the Christmas markets still be on? I doubt it but you never know… Thanks

Also, we are wanting to go with our dog. Would that be possible or too complicated?

You could easily go to Munich and spend a few days there – lots to see and lots of places to have fun. (I had a great time there in my 20s!) There are also a lot of day trip options – Berchtesgaden, Salzburg, Neuschwanstein, Passau, Regensburg, etc. You could also stop in Nuremberg on your way to Munich. All of that is easy by car or by train – and if you go by train, you could probably do those day trips using a regional train pass. Or you could do guided day trips and not have to plan anything! I’ve got some listed in my Munich guide – https://www.mygermanyvacation.com/munich-travel-guide/

It looks like the Christmas markets are on for 2021 but they could always get canceled in the coming weeks. Most have their last day on Dec. 24 so unfortunately, you won’t get to see them if you visit in January. That just means planning another trip to Germany for December 2022! 🙂

Germany is pretty dog-friendly so it’s probably do-able. But there are likely museums and other sites that might not allow dogs inside. If you mostly want to spend time outdoors, and your dog is ok with possibly very cold/wet/windy weather, or if you can leave the dog at your lodging for part of the day, it might work ok.

Hope that helps!

Hi Cate, you have put together a terrific planning guide. Thanks. Our 4 children just gave us a trip back to Germany in celebration of our 50th wedding anniversary. We lived in Erlangen from Aug 1972 – 1973. We are excited to go back but we are debating between a Rhine river cruise or going on our own. We’ll probably go sometime in May/June or Sept/Oct 2022.

How exciting!! It’s so fun to go back and revisit where you used to live in Germany. Aaron and I did that in 2019 and had such a good time seeing what had/had not changed. I’m excited for you!

I’ve heard people say great things about Rhine river cruises. If you don’t have time to or don’t want to do much trip planning, that’s a great option. The downside is that you’re more limited to what you can do and see. If you have time and interest in planning your own trip, you can definitely do it. And since travel is coming back, I’ll be focusing on this site a lot more in the coming months and helping people plan their trips, so I’ll be here to help you, too. 🙂

Hi Cate, We have wanted to visit Germany (from the US) for a few years now and have finally decided to make it happen, but had no idea where or how to start. Your article is full of valuable information. Thank you. At least we now have a starting point. Our trip isn’t for another year, but it will go quickly. So excited and thank you for all the information.

You’re welcome! I’m so excited for you already. 🙂 The next year will fly by and you’ll be on a plane bound for Germany before you know it. Now that travel is coming back, I’ll be focusing on this site a lot more so be sure to come back when you’re ready to plan your trip. I’m working on lots of guides and helpful resources! 🙂

Hello. My grandfather expressed interest in going to Germany in 2022. More specifically, he wants to go to ‘The Battle of the Bulge’ where his older brother passed away in World War II. We would also like to go to the Holocaust Memorial. I have been trying to research/plan this trip but would be open to suggestions. We are from the US and could spend about a week out there. I am grateful that I stumbled across your blog as it is very informative and interesting! 🙂

Hello! That sounds like it will be a wonderful trip for your grandfather! If you’re talking about visiting the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin (highly recommended), you could fly right into Berlin (their new airport!) and spend half of your time seeing the city, then head to Brussels and take a Battle of the Bulge day tour! I found one here that you can look at (aff link): https://www.getyourguide.com/bastogne-war-museum-l35043/bastogne-battle-of-the-bulge-tour-from-brussels-t169657/?partner_id_Y5UOFLS It looks like it also goes into Luxembourg so you could get 3 countries in one trip. 🙂 If you have enough time, you could take a day trip to Brugges or Ghent – both are 30-60 minutes from Brussels. You could then fly out of Brussels back to the US. To get from Berlin to Brussels you’d probably want to fly but it’s a short flight and you could probably get an early morning or a late afternoon flight so it wouldn’t take up your whole day. Hope that helps with your planning!

Hi, your site is wonderful and has some great information! I am traveling (solo) to Germany in late April and will be there for one month. I have been to Munich/Bavaria/Salzburg before so I’d planned on focusing my trip on the rest of Germany. I’m flying into Berlin and was planning on staying there 4-5 nights, then I’m not sure where to go. I was thinking of spending a week in an area and going on day trips; for example, the Black Forest, the middle Rhine area, maybe Harz Mountain. But I also want to see some cities like Cologne, Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Trier, and Hamburg. So maybe a bit of both cities and countryside? Do you have any thoughts? Thanks!

I definitely recommend choosing 3-4 locations where you can stay for a week or so and then take day trips. You could do longer stays in Berlin and Hamburg – there’s tons to do and see in each city, as well as lots of day trip options. You could also do Cologne or try a smaller town on the Rhein or Mosel and explore that area in more depth. For the Black Forest you could stay in the university town of Freiburg and day trip to towns/hiking in the Black Forest, as well as Basel and Colmar/Strassbourg). You could also choose 3 locations for longer stays (e.g., Berlin, Hamburg and Freiburg) and then do a couple of 2 or 3-night stays as you travel between cities, e.g., a short stay in Wernigerode or Quedlinburg (Harz mountains), Trier, Heidelberg, Stuttgart, or Tübingen on your way to Freiburg. Tip: if you want to do a lot of day trips, make sure you stay where it’s fairly quick and easy to get to the train/bus station! Since you’ll be there for a month you have lots of flexibility and plenty of time to do and see a lot of the areas you mentioned!

@Cate, Thank you so much! I’m really enjoying going through your site, too!

Looking for a good travel guide book for Germany any recommendations?

Rick Steve’s is always a good one! I’ve used his guidebooks a ton. You can get his Germany guidebook on Kindle or as a hard copy (aff link): https://amzn.to/33z7d59

@Cate, Thanks

So excited to find your site! My husband and I will travel from Texas to Bavaria for 7-10 days in September. I am in charge of all the planning. I’m thinking Munich & surrounding area and Salzburg. Do you have any suggestions? I’m also pondering some organized day tours..

Munich is a wonderful home base for seeing lots of great sites in Bavaria! You could easily spend 1-3 days in Munich (especially if you’re there during Oktoberfest) and then take day trips to places like Neuschwanstein, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Salzburg, Linderhof, Chiemsee, Berchtesgaden, Nuremberg…just to name a few! You can easily do all of that by train and mix it up with some organized day tours here and there. I’ve been working on a Munich guide that will have ideas for day trips and tours so keep an eye out for that!

Hello Cate, Your blog is very helpful. Like to seek your help and guidance. I am from Singapore and not familiar with Germany. Both me and my wife intend to fly to Amsterdam where my daughter is attending university and spend 18 days vacation with her in Europe during her break. Am planning 7 days touring Germany. Tentatively looking tourist site at hamburg, Berlin, Stuttgart and then off to another country eg. france, switzerland or Italy for another 7 days. then travel back to Amsterdam to fly home. Any advise how we can optimize the traveling as we are not familiar with these region? Appreciate your kind assistance. regards, Perry

It will be so much fun to travel with your daughter! It might be difficult to fit Hamburg, Berlin and Stuttgart into 7 days. On the train it takes about 6 hours from Amsterdam to Hamburg, 3 hours from Hamburg to Berlin, and over 8 hours from Berlin to Stuttgart. While all three of those cities are amazing, I recommend choosing either northern or southwestern Germany, rather than trying to hit all three (or make the Germany part of your trip 10 days).

You could, for example, travel from Amsterdam to Hamburg, then to Berlin, and fly from Berlin to France or Italy. That would give you plenty of time for travel, city exploring and day trips.

Or take the train from Amsterdam to Stuttgart and explore that area. Stuttgart is close to France, so you could spend several days seeing both southwestern Germany (Stuttgart, villages in the Black Forest, Freiburg, Baden-Baden, etc) and French cities like Strassbourg, Colmar and Mullouse. You could also very easily go to Basel in Switzerland! It’s a long train ride from Amsterdam to Stuttgart so I’d look into flights. Stuttgart is a great airport to fly into!

Hi, my family and I would like to visit Germany this summer. My husband and I have two teenagers (15 and 13), and one of them is reads a lot and it is very interested in history. We would like to visit german cities but also, some concentration camps. Our plans is to spend two weeks there. Any suggestions?

You’re going to have so much fun in Germany! Everywhere you go there’s so much history, so it just depends on what kind of history you’re looking for. For a 2-week stay you could easily visit 2 (maybe 3) different parts of Germany without feeling like you’re spending your whole vacation on the train or in the car. You could, for example, fly into Munich, visit the city and Dachau concentration camp, take a few day trips to Salzburg, the Alps, Neuschwanstein, Nuremburg, etc – there are so many options!…then visit the Black Forest area, the Rhein/Mosel area, the Hamburg area or the Berlin area and fly out of that second city (Stuttgart, Cologne/Düsseldorf, Hamburg or Berlin). If you want to focus on 2 main areas, say Munich and Berlin, you could do a 1-2 night stopover in a city in-between. Hope that helps you get started on your planning! 🙂

@Cate, We are from USA planning on attending next years NfL game if possible. We are a large group 10-15people who would also like to see the culture and history. Open to staying in Berlin, munich, or anywhere else as long as accessible to get to game. We want to fly out wed night from BOS be there Th F S Su (game in Frankfurt) leave M. Anything you would recommend?

Hi! I just now saw your question. If you’re flying into FRA and have Th, F, and S to do some sight-seeing, I’d stick to the Frankfurt area and do day trips. If you go to Berlin or Munich you’ll spend most of your time in transit and checking in/out of hotels. We’ve got a Frankfurt guide on our website and also a castles guide – so you could spend a day exploring FRA, then a day visiting a castle, and then 1 day visiting a nearby city like Heidelberg, Nürnberg or Rothernburg ob der Tauber. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions. We’ve also got a Germany Trip Planner and one-on-one travel consults, too. And lots of info on this website. We’re happy to help!

I just found your great website! We have just drafted a 3 week trip plan to Germany and Austria and I would love your thoughts about it!. Is late May better than June? (I really can’t do heat without AC!)

– [ ] 2. Land in Vienna- 2 nights… – [ ] 3. Take tour or just Spend a day in the sprawling Schönbrunn Palace, – [x] 4. Rental car to Take KM 29 for about an hour to Burg Liechtenstein drive an hour to Melk Abbey Then Steyr From Melk, Steyr 1 night stay – [x] 5. Spend a little time, touring the Steyr Mannlicher! – [x] 6. Wake up early and bike 15 minutes to spend the morning exploring more of Halstatt before the day-trippers.. Sky Walk salt mine – [x] 7. After lunch, enjoy more the beauty of Salzkammergut area! on to Salzburg in time to return the rental car. we will stay in the old town (Salzburg 3 nights) – [ ] 8. See Salzburg – [ ] 9. Take guided tour to Eagles nest – [ ] 10: To Munich by 2 hour train.. taxi to hotel, Sleep Munich 2 nights … – [ ] 11. Guided tour all day— Dachau and Munich sites – [x] 12 Slow morning to rest, checkout, cab, 1.5 hour train to Oberarmagau for lunch and stroll. Rent car in Garmish and Drive another hour to Sleep in Hohenschwangau 2 nights Maybe take 30 minute Schloss Hornschwangau Castle tour before closing if time – [x] 13 Visit Neuschwanstein! (Hohenschwangau castle first if not last evening) then rent a bike and go a mile -7 minutes to Tegelberg luge ride – [x] 14 drive 2.5-4 hours but first stop for lunch and see Ulm Cathedral. Going Opposite the crowds arrive in afternoon to stay in nearby Rothenburg 3 nights. See stunning Rothenburg – [x] 15 After coffee and quiet streets, walk the medieval wall. If crowds arrive, leave and drive a short way and tour the Bad Weinsheim Frankonian Open Air Museum – [x] 16 Drive 30 min to Ansbach, park and Take 30 min train and10 min cab into Neuremburgfor day. – [x] 17. leave in early morning and drive 3-5 hours through To St Goar take B9 along the Rhine from Bingen arrive in time to tour Burg Eltz and then maybe return car in Emmelshausen this day or next. Take cab back down to nearby St Goar for 3 nights. – [ ] 18 See Burg Eltz castle if not seen yesterday and then see Marksburg castle – [ ] 19 REST maybe just board a boat for a relaxing Rhine River cruise from Sant Goar. We will disembark to visit small Bacharach and back again by train. – [ ] 20 Depart by 70minute train to Frankfurt airport Or would it be better to do the trip in reverse, starting with Germany first? Thank you!!

It’s not usually super hot in May but it can be hot in mid-late June. The last time we were there in June (2019) it was incredibly hot and there isn’t as much a/c there…but you never know, I’ve had cold and rainy June visits, too. If you want to be more sure of not-super-hot weather, I’d go in mid-late May or early to mid-June — as long as you’re ok with the possibility of some not-so-warm days. If you go in mid-late June and don’t love hot weather, book hotels with a/c, rent a car with a/c, and plan to buy a lot of cold drinks. No matter the weather, it’s always fun to travel around Germany! 🙂

You could easily do your itinerary either way so I’d just look at whether flights are better into Vienna/out of FRA or vice-versa. Check the hotels you want to stay in to make sure they have availability — I’ve actually reversed my itinerary before due to hotel availability!

You’re planning to cover a lot of ground in 3 weeks and be on the go go go, which some people find more tiring than expected…but if you know your travel style, then go for it! 🙂 3 nights in one place gives you 2 full days, which is a good amount of time for most places. 2 nights means 1 full day, which can be enough in some locations but if you do many in a row, it can feel like you’re constantly checking in/unpacking/packing/checking out, and can get super tiring if you’re doing a lot of day trips.

Be sure to plan in time for getting ready, eating breakfast, packing, checking out of the hotel, getting to the train station/car rental – it often takes up more time than you’d expect. Trains aren’t as punctual as they used to be, so keep that in mind for what you plan on arrival after a train trip.

An idea — instead of taking a train to Oberammergau, then to Garmisch to rent a car, then driving to Hohenschwangau, I’d rent a car in Munich and drive to each place. It will probably be less expensive to rent in Munich and easier than doing the train and car pick-up (especially with luggage!).

For the longer drives, plan on them taking longer than what’s estimated in google maps because there’s often traffic! If you miss the traffic and arrive early, it’ll be a nice bonus!

Your idea to add in some guided day tours is a good one – it’s a nice change from having to figure everything out yourself and can feel like a mini vacation from your vacation.

Overall, you’ve got a really fun trip planned!

Hi Cate! I love your clear way of describing and explaining. My husband and I are invited to a wedding outside of Berlin the last weekend in April. From there we would love to head to the spas in Baden-Baden .. what else would you suggest to see in the Baden-Baden area and without driving the best transportation option? We can stay up to about 10 days. Thank you!

Thank you for your nice comment! 🙂 I’d take the train from Berlin to Baden-Baden. It’s about 6 hours and you can relax and see the sights along the way. You could fly from Berlin to Stuttgart but by the time you travel to the airport in Berlin (the new one is further out than Tegel was), check in, wait to board, fly, and then take the train from Stuttgart to Baden-Baden, it’s at least as long as – if not longer – then taking the train.

When in Baden-Baden you could visit Gengenbach, the Black Forest, Triberg (cuckoo clocks & waterfalls), Tübingen, Stuttgart/Esslingen, Lichtenstein Castle, Hohenzollern Castle, Freiburg, Basel (Switzerland), Strassbourg (France), Colmar (France) — just to name a few! You should be able to reach all of these places via train/bus. The Black Forest Open Air Museum is also a lot of fun! I’m working on guides to several of these locations – and some are already on the site – so check back soon for new ones. 🙂

You should be able to get a free KONUS train pass, which enables you to travel throughout the Black Forest region for free. I don’t think it works for every place I listed but it will get you to several of them. Here’s more info about the KONUS card: https://www.schwarzwald-tourismus.info/planen-buchen/konus-gaestekarte (you can switch to English if it’s in German).

You could fly out of Stuttgart airport or travel up to Frankfurt and fly out of there. Strassbourg or Basel might work, too.

@Cate, that really does! Thanks again,

You’re very welcome!

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I am planning a trip with my husband, 18 year old daughter, mother in law and myself. We will have 8 nights total flying Munich to Amsterdam or vice versa. Interested in the Christmas markets, of course, castles (would love if we could stay the night in a castle if that’s possible), and just getting an authentic German experience. My mother in law found family ancestry in Stuttgart, so she would like to stop there. The other areas that we have an interest in are Frankfurt, Cologne (wonder if there is such thing as a day cruise on the Rhine River), and maybe Hamburg (for the canals, but I’m not sure December is the best time of year for that). Although, I’m not sure we’ll be able to see all those cities in just 8 nights, as we would also like 1-2 nights in Amsterdam.

We plan to rent a car and I will be doing the driving. We live in Colorado so I’m familiar with winter driving, but wonder if I can use Google maps while traveling through Germany.

Would love your thoughts or suggestions on this.

Thank you, Lea Ann

Hi Lea Ann, you’ve got the makings of a magical winter trip! All of the places you mentioned will be beautiful in December because of the Christmas markets. Stuttgart, for example, has a huge, old Christmas market (plus there are 2 other really beautiful ones nearby) and there are 2 nearby castles you can visit. Hamburg and Cologne and also wonderful cities (Frankfurt too but I’d skip it on a short trip unless you have a specific reason to go there).Amsterdam is also a lot of fun and a great place to fly in or out of.

It’s a lot to fit into 8 nights so you’ll definitely need to hone in on just a few places, otherwise you’ll spend your entire trip packing/unpacking/driving. 🙂

You can use google maps in Germany and that’ll make getting from place to place easy. But unless you want to stop at specific sights between cities, you could easily take the train, since you’re going to big cities (you don’t need a car in any of the cities you want to visit). If you don’t mind parking the car at each hotel in the city, a car can give you more flexibility.

You can also stay in a castle in Germany! We’ve got a guide for that right here so you can see which one you like best.

It’s hard to get more specific about an itinerary here in the comments without taking to you and getting a better sense of your interests and needs but we’ve got lots of resources to help you — Christmas market guides (definitely take a look at the Stuttgart one!), city and hotel guides , and we’ve also got a Germany Travel Bundle with an interactive Germany Travel Map, City Cheatsheets, and other resources, and I do one-on-one trip planning consults .

And be sure to join our travel planning Facebook group !

@Cate, thank you for your quick response and feedback! I’ll check out the links you shared and I’ve joined your Facebook group.

You’re welcome! Glad you joined the group! 🙂

Hi Cate , I have visited Germany but only Düsseldorf for my sugery. I will like to take my wife and kids with me this time I have an appointment in December might use the opportunity to take them for Christmas holiday . I have 12’night in total . 5 night in Düsseldorf can you please advise which city we can visit for the rest days and we are not leaving Germany until 26th. So I want them To enjoy the Christmas but I don’t know which city to choose .I will you to please give me where the kids can enjoy the trip age 8 ,6 and 3 . Do we fly back from Düsseldorf or from Another city ? Thanks for your help.

If you’d like to fly out of the Düsseldorf airport, you could spend the second part of your trip in Cologne so you could visit the markets there, in Bonn, and surrounding area (e.g. a day trip to Aachen).

If you’re ok with flying out of a different airport, you could go to Stuttgart (good Christmas markets in the area and a couple castles), Munich (good markets and day trips) or Berlin (good markets and day trips) and fly out of any of those airports.

Most everything will be closed on Dec 25 and the latter half of Dec 24 so keep that in mind when doing your daily planning.

Hope that helps with your planning!

Hi, Thank you for the detail page. I and my family will be visiting to watch a NFL game in Frankfurt and had some travel ideas outside of the city that I have not found solutions for. First, are US citizens allowed to rent cars without a permit? We want to travel to Stuttgart and Munich for some museums and possibly Berlin, but I’ve yet to figure how time and distances for the trip as these do seem to be quite a distance from each other. Then, we would end the trip back in Frankfurt to travel back to the US, unless we find an airline in Berlin. Do you have suggestions? This would be a 7-14 day trip, depending on cost. Thank you

Hi Marco! Yes, you can rent a car with just your US driver’s license. While not required, an int’l driver’s license can be helpful if you get pulled over or in an accident (you can get on at AAA). You can check distance between those cities via google maps (it’ll show you both driving and trains). I always add 25% to the times they suggest because there’s a good chance you’ll encounter traffic somewhere. We use google maps for all of our road trips in Germany. You could definitely do Frankfurt – Stuttgart – Munich – Berlin – Frankfurt (stay near airport on the last night) in 14 days. If you don’t want to drive from Munich – Berlin – Frankfurt, you could return the car in Munich and then take the train to Berlin and back to Frankfurt. Hope that helps you get started on your trip planning!

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+++ Companies of the FTI GROUP file for insolvency. FAQs at www.fti-group.com/en/insolvency . Support Hotline (German/English) at +49 (0)89 710 45 14 98. +++ +++ All departures up to and including 5 July 2024 are cancelled. Whether trips starting from 6 July 2024 can take place is currently being checked +++

Press release FTI Group

Companies of the fti group file for insolvency.

FTI Touristik GmbH files for insolvency on Monday, 3 June 2024 +++ Other Group companies will also file for insolvency in the coming days +++ The FTI GROUP does not include the TV channel sonnenklar.TV and TVG with its franchise German travel agencies, which are operated under the brands sonnenklar.TV, 5vorFlug and Flugbörse +++ A support hotline for direct contact and a website with FAQs have been set up for all customers of the tour operator group

Munich, 3 June 2024 – FTI Touristik GmbH, the parent company of the FTI GROUP as the third largest tour operator in Europe, will file an application for the opening of insolvency proceedings at the Munich Local Court on Monday, 3 June 2024. Initially, only the tour operator brand FTI Touristik is directly affected by this. Subsequently, however, corresponding applications will also be filed for other Group companies. Windrose Finest Travel GmbH with the luxury brand WINDROSE will continue its business.

The independent companies Euvia Travel GmbH and its travel shopping channel sonnenklar.TV as well as the franchise system of Touristik Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH (TVG) with its brands sonnenklar.TV Reisebüros, 5vorFlug Reisebüros and Flugbörse do not belong to the FTI GROUP.

After a lengthy and complex investor process, the entry of a consortium of investors was announced in April 2024. Since then, however, booking figures have fallen well short of expectations despite the positive news. In addition, numerous suppliers have insisted on advance payment. As a result, there was an increased need for liquidity, which could no longer be bridged until the closing of the investor process. The filing for insolvency has therefore become necessary for legal reasons.

Information for customers of the FTI GROUP

Supporting travelers affected by the consequences of the insolvency is now a top priority for the FTI GROUP. A support website has already been set up at www.fti-group.com/en/insolvency as well as a support hotline at +49 (0) 89 / 710 45 14 98. All relevant information can be accessed here and German- and English-speaking contact persons are available for individual questions. In addition to the full focus on customer support, the FTI GROUP will also keep its guests regularly informed together with the German Travel Security Fund (DRSF).

We are currently working hard to ensure that trips that have already started can be completed as planned. Trips that have not yet begun will probably no longer be possible or only partially possible from Tuesday, 4 June 2024. In cooperation with the (provisional) insolvency administrator yet to be appointed, a concept for the ongoing information of affected travelers and the operational implementation of the necessary measures will be developed in the coming days.

About the FTI GROUP With its numerous brands and subsidiaries, the FTI GROUP is the third largest tour operator in Europe. It includes FTI Touristik as well as the short-term tour operator 5vorFlug, the car rental broker Drive FTI, the destination management company Meeting Point International, which is active in over 40 locations worldwide, and the tour operator for promotional goods BigXtra. Under the umbrella of the hospitality company MP Hotels, the company bundles its hotel brands Labranda Hotels & Resorts and Design Plus Hotels, Kairaba Hotels & Resorts, Lemon & Soul Hotels, Club Sei and Managed by MP Hotels. TVG Touristik Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH combines the franchise systems with the brands sonnenklar.TV Reisebüro, 5vorFlug and Flugbörse. Around 10,000 partner agencies sell FTI products throughout Germany. The TV travel shopping channel sonnenklar.TV, an FTI GROUP partner, and the online B2B provider for accommodation Youtravel are also important sales channels. The consolidator FTI Ticketshop is responsible for the sale of scheduled flight tickets. In Austria, FTI Touristik is represented by a branch in Linz. The subsidiary FTI Touristik AG, based in Basel, represents the tour operator in Switzerland. The French tour operator FTI Voyages has been part of the FTI GROUP since 2012. With FTI Reizen, the group has also been active in the Netherlands since 2016. The seven service centres handle numerous bookings for the FTI GROUP and external customers. Headquartered in Munich, the Group employs over 11,000 people worldwide and generated consolidated sales of around € 4.1 billion in the 2022/23 financial year.

Further information at www.fti-group.com

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German tour operator FTI is filing for insolvency and canceling future trips

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BERLIN (AP) — German tour operator FTI said Monday that it is filing for insolvency protection from creditors, and trips that haven’t yet started will be canceled or scaled back.

FTI Group, which describes itself as Europe’s third-biggest tour operator, said parent company FTI Touristik GmbH, was filing an application for the opening of insolvency proceedings at a Munich court.

Since an announcement in April that a consortium of investors would come on board, “booking figures have fallen well short of expectations despite the positive news,” the company said in a statement.

“In addition, numerous suppliers have insisted on advance payment,” it added. “As a result, there was an increased need for liquidity, which could no longer be bridged until the closing of the investor process,” making the insolvency filing a legal necessity.

The operator said it is working to ensure that trips that have already started can be completed as planned, but “trips that have not yet begun will probably no longer be possible or only partially possible from Tuesday.”

A support website and hotline were set up for customers affected.

The Munich-based FTI Group has over 11,000 employees.

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German travel group fti files for insolvency, future trips cancelled.

German travel group FTI Touristik GmbH, the parent company of Europe's third-largest tour operator FTI Group, has filed for insolvency.

On Monday, the district court in the southern German city of Munich appointed the lawyer Axel Bierbach as provisional insolvency administrator for the parent company.

"We are currently working at full speed to ensure that the trips that have already started can be completed as planned," the operator said in a statement. Trips that have not yet begun will probably no longer be able to be carried out, or only partially, from June 4, the company said.

According to the information provided, initially only the tour operator brand FTI Touristik will be directly affected by the insolvency application. Subsequently, however, corresponding applications will also be filed for other group companies.

Following the insolvency, the German government does not anticipate an extensive state repatriation programme for German tourists, dpa learnt on Monday after a meeting of the crisis team at the Foreign Office in Berlin.

The website of the Foreign Office stated that as FTI is insured against insolvency via the German Travel Security Fund (DRS): Payments made - the entire travel price, if already paid, as well as advance payments - are secured in the event of insolvency. This applies to customers who have booked a package holiday.

It was reported in the industry that around 65,000 holidaymakers were currently travelling abroad with FTI.

The future of the company, which had received a total of €595 million ($645 million) in government aid during the pandemic, seemed secure.

A consortium led by the US financial investor Certares intends to take over the FTI Group for €1 and inject €125 million of fresh capital into the company. The competition authorities still have to approve the deal.

However, according to the information provided, booking figures have recently fallen well short of expectations.

"In addition, numerous suppliers insisted on advance payment. As a result, there was an increased need for liquidity, which could no longer be bridged until the closing of the investor process," FTI announced.

According to financial newspaper Handelsblatt, FTI is said to have had a short-term deficit in the double-digit million-euro range. Following negotiations at the weekend, the federal government denied further aid for the company.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Economic Affairs said on Monday in Berlin that there were budgetary, legal and economic reasons why no further aid beyond the "very many large amounts of aid" had been provided.

German government sources said that in the course of negotiations on the federal government's claims arising from the coronavirus pandemic, it had been agreed that the investor would buy these from the government at market prices. This would have meant losses for the government. However, these could now be significantly higher in the event of insolvency.

Government sources spoke of an expected loss of around 84% is expected.

The ball is now in the court of the DRS fund, which was launched in 2021. In the event of a travel provider's bankruptcy, it is to take care of the reimbursement of customers' advance payments, the repatriation of stranded holidaymakers if necessary and their accommodation until they are repatriated.

The fund, which is organized by the German tourism industry and supervised by the Federal Ministry of Justice, was founded following the insolvency of travel group Thomas Cook in September 2019. At the time, the insurance company had only reimbursed a fraction of the costs due to a limitation of liability; The state stepped in with millions.

The FTI Group, with around 11,000 employees, had come under pressure during the pandemic, which plunged the industry into a severe crisis.

Most recently, the third-largest European travel group after TUI and DER Touristik was back on track thanks to increased demand. In the past financial year 2022/2023, the company recorded an increase in turnover of 10% to €4.1 billion and generated earnings in the double-digit millions.

The company did not provide further details on the result. The main shareholder was most recently the Egyptian Sawiris family of investors.

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Europe's third-largest tour operator FTI files for insolvency

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Reporting by Andrey Sychev and Miranda Murray, additional reporting by Andreas Rinke; editing by Matthias Williams Editing by Louise Heavens and Louise Heavens

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Global stocks pulled back from an all-time high on Friday after surprisingly strong U.S. monthly jobs data dimmed hopes that the Federal Reserve would soon follow euro zone and Canadian interest rate cuts, causing Treasury yields to shoot higher.

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How to Get the Best Car Insurance

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

For a lot of people, buying car insurance is like buying sliced bread. It’s not the most exciting purchase, and the options all seem similar. So thrifty shoppers might simply reach for the cheapest thing on the shelf. But like cheap bread, cheap car insurance may leave you wishing you spent a little more on quality.

“The cheapest is not always the best,” warns Jessica McNally, an agency owner with Goosehead Insurance in Dallas. That’s because there are lots of factors that make up a car insurance company. And while price is one of them, it’s best to look at the bigger picture.

Here’s what to look for when picking the best car insurance company.

1. Choose a financially stable company

The best car insurance companies have plenty of money on hand to pay for customers’ claims. It’s important to check an insurer’s financial stability before buying a policy, especially if it’s a smaller insurer you’ve never heard of.

There are several independent agencies that evaluate the financial strength of insurance companies. One example is A.M. Best. You can use its online search tool to find an insurer’s financial strength rating. Companies with a rating of A or higher are considered to have an excellent ability to pay out customer claims.

2. Check customer satisfaction ratings and reviews

Not every insurer is customer-first. That’s why it’s important to research the customer satisfaction of insurers you’re considering.

You can turn to surveys from companies like J.D. Power to find insurers with the best customer satisfaction scores [0] J.D. Power . Auto Insurance Customer Satisfaction Plummets as Rates Continue to Surge, J.D. Power Finds . Accessed May 21, 2024. View all sources . Or, if you don’t mind doing a little detective work, you can compare customer complaints against insurers by using the National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ website . But take other people’s emotionally charged comments about companies or agents you might read online with a grain of salt, McNally advises.

3. Look for convenience

A great auto insurer should offer multiple ways to manage a policy. For example, some insurers allow customers to use a mobile app to file and track claims. But it’s hard to tell how simple it’ll be to file a claim or perform other essential tasks, like paying your premium, before becoming a customer.

Some telltale signs that an insurer will be easy to work with are high mobile app ratings, flexible customer service hours and an easy-to-use website with helpful content. Consider asking a company representative to walk you through the claims process to learn what you’ll need to do if you have to file a claim. And pay attention to how the company communicates with you. "If they don't properly communicate, well, that's a warning sign," says Michael DeLong, a research and advocacy associate for the nonprofit Consumer Federation of America.

4. Pick an affordable company

Car insurance premiums are stretching to record-breaking heights [0] U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS . Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) . Accessed May 21, 2024. View all sources , and almost half of U.S. consumers shopped for a new car insurance policy in the past year, according to an April 2024 report by J.D. Power [0] J.D. Power . Half of Auto Insurance Customers Currently Shopping for New Policies, J.D. Power Finds . Accessed May 21, 2024. View all sources . The best car insurance companies offer competitive rates and a variety of potential discounts.

It’s not hard to get car insurance quotes online from many companies. Make sure you compare the same coverage options throughout the quote-gathering process. And don’t forget to look for car insurance discounts, like breaks for being a good driver, paying your premium in full or driving a new car.

More tips to find the best car insurance

When shopping for the best car insurance, keep the following tips in mind.

Assess your needs. Before buying car insurance, take a moment to reflect on what’s important to you and your family. For example, maybe you prioritize affordability and a well-polished mobile app, but don’t need accident forgiveness .  

Consider small insurers. There are lots of small insurance companies you’ve probably never heard of. These regional insurers may provide lower rates and better customer service than the big companies you see advertised on TV.

Work with an independent agent. While it may be easy to get quotes yourself, independent car insurance agents and brokers can streamline the process. These experts vet companies and compile quotes from small and large insurers on your behalf. Independent agents and brokers can especially come in handy if you have a less-than-perfect driving record and can’t find insurance on your own.

Do your research. Search online for recent mentions of a company in the news before buying a policy, recommends DeLong. If you find a company has lots of recent lawsuits against it, you may want to think twice about signing on the dotted line. “And if they've had to pay out settlements, that's an even bigger red flag,” DeLong says.

Shop around once a year. Make a practice of shopping for car insurance every year — especially if price is important to you. Insurers adjust car insurance rates regularly, so what might have been the most affordable option last year may no longer be a bargain.

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Israel to require American visitors to apply in advance for electronic travel authorization

Israel is joining the Western nations requiring an advance online application and a fee for citizens from visa-exempt countries, including the United States.

Until now, Americans who want to travel to Israel haven’t needed to do anything other than purchase a plane ticket and pack their bags.

But starting Aug. 1, electronic travel authorization through a designated website will be required, Israel’s Ministry of Tourism announced this week. A pilot program, with the NIS 25 ($7) fee waived, will launch Saturday for travelers from the United States and Germany and will extend to all visa-exempt countries on July 1.

Travelers are advised to apply 72 hours before booking flights and lodging. Travelers without the authorization will not be permitted to board planes headed to Israel, and Interior Ministry spokeswoman told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.

The ETA-IL program is similar to others that have been put in place in recent years in Europe, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Their goal is to screen out travelers suspected of posing a security threat or of potentially violating tourist visa restrictions through work or overstaying before they land at ports of entry.

Most countries that have launched similar programs advise a 72-hour heads-up, although the authorization frequently arrives via email within hours. The United States warns that people who do not apply in advance for travel authorization can face delays boarding flights or be turned away at the border, even if they come from countries that participate in the U.S. visa-waiver program. ( Israel was added to the program only last September .)

Citizens of visa-exempt countries who are citizens or permanent residents of Israel are not required to request authorization. Citizens of nonexempt countries will still need to complete a more arduous visa application process. The authorization will last for two years and will allow multiple entries of up to 90 days.

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