Germany – Interesting Cities and Central European Idyll

Germany is a tourist destination especially popular with city holidaymakers and car travelers. Read Rantapallo’s destination guide and plan your own holiday!

Germany has a wide range of tourism

Germany is especially known for its big cities, but in addition to metropolises, a large country can accommodate much more. The sandy beaches of northern Germany, the idyllic wine regions of the river valleys and the mountain scenery of the south offer the opportunity to holiday close to nature and experience Central Europeanness at its most authentic according to countryaah.

It’s cliché to say a travel destination offers “something for everyone,” but for Germany, it would be hard not to say just that. Germany is a suitable destination for families, but also for those traveling alone or with friends. It all depends on your own preferences. For the culture-hungry German cities, there is a lot of fascinating history and art, the sports enthusiast will find a variety of active destinations and the city holidaymaker will be delighted with great shopping opportunities.

There are even beach resorts and long sandy beaches in northern Germany. For the culinary tourist, Germany offers more than just beer and sausage. Viticulture is deep in the traditions of the river valleys and the landscapes charm with their greenery.

A year-round travel destination

The German climate is a mild climate in Central Europe, with summers hot and winters humid cool. The summer season begins in April and lasts until about October.

In summer, the temperature varies between 20 and 35 degrees, depending on the area and altitude differences. Even hot seasons are possible and hot temperatures are typical of Central European summer.

During the winter season, temperatures may drop to around or slightly below zero, but rarely for long periods of time. It rains from time to time and it invariably causes traffic problems all over the country.

The price level is slightly cheaper than in Finland

The general price level in Germany is slightly lower than in Finland. Hotel prices and car rental are 10-20 percent cheaper than in Finland. In food and restaurant prices, the difference is clearer. The price level is typically lower in eastern and northern Germany than in the southern and western parts of the country. Of the large cities, Munich, Stuttgart and Frankfurt are slightly more expensive than the rest of the country, while Berlin, despite being the capital, is quite affordable for tourists.

For the budget traveler, it is easy to find cheap accommodation in Germany and cheap ways to move from one city to another. For example, a wide range of discount tickets are available for train travel, which allows even long journeys to be folded for little money.

The highways are suitable for the car holidaymaker

Short for GM by abbreviationfinder, Germany is a travel destination especially popular with car holidaymakers – the natural route of Finns to many other corners of Europe passes through it. Motoring in Germany is in the minds of many speed lovers. The motorways are in excellent condition and the network is so comprehensive that you can get almost anywhere along the Autobahn.

Local road legislation does not recognize the maximum speed limit. It is therefore permissible to drive on motorways as fast as you wish, unless otherwise stated on the signs. In practice, however, this freedom and the charm of speed cannot be enjoyed quite as often as many would like: on curved road sections or junctions, restrictions also apply in Germany. In addition, traffic is abundant and congestion is typical, especially on the outskirts of large cities.

In Germany, you can drive with a Finnish driving license and a Finnish car without any special measures. German motorways are tolled only for heavy traffic.

English is fine, German skills help

The image of Germans as stubborn people speaking only their own language is now beginning to be outdated information. It is still true that things are easier to handle and the service is better if transactions are handled in German, but the young generation of Germans as a whole now speaks excellent English if they want to.

So proficiency in German is useful, but English is also excellent. A small investment in learning local phrases is definitely worth it. Even if you change the language to English immediately after the first sentence, you will get a significantly friendlier answer by starting the conversation with a greeting in German.

Tourism safety in Germany is at a good level. In large cities, it is worth taking a certain basic precaution, as in any other country, but in principle, moving in Germany does not involve greater risks than in other Central European countries.

Good manners glory

Finnishness is typically viewed positively in Germany and sometimes even with joy: Mika Häkkinen and Kimi Räikkönen are names that are often mentioned. Many Germans also know Finnish metal music amazingly well.

The Germans are quite a fair and people who appreciate certain behaviors. The strangers must be tapped and the gentlemen and lady prefixes are always used in the interviews. A German may deviate from these when speaking English, but when communicating in German, you will only become aware of it after a longer knowledge.

Restaurants always include a tip. You can skip it only and only if the service was exceptionally poor. Tiplessness is always a message of customer dissatisfaction. Even good and mediocre service is praised by rounding a small amount to the next euro or a larger amount by about 10-15% to the next even number. For example, a café bill of 3.50 euros becomes four euros with tips or 40 euros for dinner 40 euros. There is no official calculation method or absolute instructions for dropping, but such a rounding method is a working rule of thumb. Of course, you can always thank me for the good service. The tip amount is either told to the waiter when paying or left in cash at the table.

It is part of the German style that children are taken into account in many situations and a good example of this is the markets and small shops, where children may be generously given different tastes from caramels to sausage slices. Teach your children to always politely thank “Danke schön” for these, because here it is also a matter of much stricter customs than the Finnish style for children.