Best travel time for Germany
Basically, every season of the year is suitable for a trip in Germany, the chosen travel time depends heavily on the desired holiday activities. Most holidaymakers come between May and September, during which time there are often traffic jams, accommodations are often fully booked and the sights are overcrowded. Summer in Germany is usually sunny, the beer gardens are open and numerous festivals and events take place. Hiking, biking, swimming and outdoor activities are very popular during these months.
In the low season (from March to May and from October to the beginning of November), according to bridgat, there are fewer holidaymakers and the weather is often friendly. In April and May, when the meadow flowers and fruit trees are in bloom, it is often mild and sunny. Indian summer can extend into autumn.
From November to the beginning of March, winter sports are mainly used by holidaymakers, when the sky is often overcast and temperatures keep falling below 0 ° C. However, there are now fewer visitors and shorter queues (except in the winter sports centers). With the right clothing, you can travel in Germany in winter without any problems.
The ski season in Germany usually starts in early to mid-December, reaches its peak around the New Year and usually ends in March when the snow melts.
Germany – arrival
Airplane: the largest German airline, Lufthansa, operates a huge network of national and international flights. Inexpensive flights to and from various German cities are offered by companies such asair Berlin, Germanwings and HLX as well as Ryanair and easyJet.
Airlines with flights to Germany are, for example, Aeroflot (SU),Air France(AF), Alitalia (AZ), Air Lingus (EI), British Airways (BA), Iberia (IB), KLM (KL), Malev Hungarian Airlines (MA), Olympic Airlines (OA) or Scandinavian Airlines (SK).
Airports: major internationalAirports there are in Berlin – Tegel (TXL) and Schönefeld (SXF) -, in Frankfurt – Frankfurt International Airport (FRA) -, in Düsseldorf (DUS), Munich (MUC), Hamburg (HAM) and Cologne / Bonn (CGN) as well in Stuttgart (STR). There are smaller airports in cities such as Bremen, Dresden, Erfurt, Leipzig and Hanover. There are also airports in Münster-Osnabrück and Nuremberg. Some low-cost airlines land at remote airports, such as former military airfields. The largest of them is Frankfurt-Hahn (HHN).
Ship: Germany’s most important ferry ports are Kiel, Lübeck, and Travemünde in Schleswig-Holstein as well Rostock and Sassnitz in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. From there there are connections to Scandinavia and the Baltic states. The main ferry lines that offer trips from these countries to Germany are Scandlines, Finnlines, DFDS Lisco, Color Line, Stena Line, Skan-Link and TT Lines.
Combined return tickets are often cheaper than two single tickets. The prices for ferry tickets vary greatly depending on the season, day and departure time as well as the type of ferry (overnight) and cabin equipment. There is no direct ferry connection
between Germany and Great Britain. In this case, travelers can travel via Belgium, France or travel the Netherlands to Germany.
The fastest way to get from Switzerland to Germany via Lake Constance is to take the Romanshorn-Friedrichshafen car ferry. It is operated by the Swiss Lake Constance Shipping Company. Train:
Long-distance trains – EuroCity trains (EC) – connect major German cities with those of other countries. Reservations are recommended, especially during the high season in summer and on major public holidays. When traveling overnight with a night train (NZ), there is a choice between sleeping cars, couchettes and seated cars. Women can book berths in exclusively female couchette cars, but should do so well in advance. More information is available from Deutsche Bahn.
The Eurail pass is valid on many European trains and offers a good opportunity to travel Europe and thus also Germany, as is the Interrail pass.
Car: Germany borders Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Poland. Due to the Schengen Agreement, there are no longer any border or customs formalities between Germany and its neighboring countries. Poland, the Czech Republic and Switzerland are excluded.
The fastest route between Great Britain and Germany in your own car is through the Eurotunnel via France (Folkstone-Calais). From there it takes about three hours to get to Germany.
Anyone traveling to Germany in their own car needs a valid driver’s license, a registration certificate for the car and proof of insurance. If you don’t have a Euro plate on your license plate, you need a sticker with a country code. In addition, drivers need a warning triangle and a first-aid kit.
Bus: Traveling to Germany by bus is slower and less comfortable than taking the train. But generally cheaper. One of the largest providers of bus travel to Germany is Eurolines. It is an umbrella organization of 32 European bus companies whose route network goes to 500 destinations in 30 countries, including most of the major German cities. The company’s website provides detailed information on routes, tariffs and contact details. Anyone traveling across Europe is well advised to use the Eurolines pass. It offers free travel between 40 cities for a certain period of time. The German representative of Eurolines is Deutsche Touring. BerlinLinienBus
is an organization of a similar size to Eurolines. The organization unites around 55 national and Europe-wide bus companies under its name and brings travelers to around 350 locations across Europe. A smaller company is Gullivers Reisen based in Berlin and focusing on younger travelers under the age of 26.
One company specializing in backpackers is Busabout. From May to October it offers various tours through Europe that can be combined. Germany belongs to the northern tour. Stops are Berlin, Dresden, Munich and Stuttgart.
