Germany is such a vast country, and home to some incredibly rich history and amazing food! Germany is also the place where hostels first started. There are literally hundreds of hostels in Germany spread across the country, with most of them being centralized around the larger cities such as Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, and Stuttgart. Of course there are many more cities to visit as well and there are also hostels scattered around in some of the smaller and less popular destinations.
Getting around Germany is easy. They have an incredibly vast public transport system. However, the further out you book from when you plan to leave, the cheaper it is to get around, especially if you are considering going by train. A cheaper alternative to the train is the Meinflixbus, which runs frequent buses all over the country as well. Make sure you book your ticket at least a couple of days out from when you are planning on travelling to avoid getting stuck and missing out, especially on weekends and during the summer.
While travelling around Germany, you must make sure that your stop includes the incredible city of Berlin. You could spend two weeks in this city and still manage to find things that will surprise you. Go and see the Berlin Wall, which is an amazing representation of the falling of the Iron Curtain after the Russian occupation of much of Eastern Europe during the Cold War. The celebrations in this area when Germany was unified and the wall came down were incredible. It is also good to take in some of the World War 2 history. After you get sad doing these things, you can then become uplifted by spending some time in the massive Berlin clubbing scene.
Munich is best known for Oktoberfest. If you are planning on doing Oktoberfest you are going to need to book your hostel for it months in advance. The place comes alive and gets totally crazy for the duration of the festival. The last thing you need to worry about while drinking all that beer is trying to find somewhere to sleep. It is a stunning city, so make sure that you take in some of the architecture as well while you are there. If you have the time, it is well worth taking the trip to go and see the Neuschwanstein Castle. It's a very stunning building to behold.
These are the two most popular places to visit in Germany and we could spend all day discussing the amazing things to see and do here. You could easily spend a month or more just traveling Germany on its own visiting hostels in numerous cities and still not get through all of the amazing things to see and do here. These hot tips for travelling though may just help you out no matter where you wind up in the country.
Firstly, majority of the people in Germany will speak English and will be able to help you with what you need, although it is good to learn a few customary words like "danke" (thank you), "bitte" (please) and of course "prost" (cheers!) just to help make friends and the locals will be more receptive.
Another random and odd thing to keep in mind while travelling Germany is that pretty much everywhere will charge you to use a public toilet. Even if you are in a bar, you will often get charged for the toilet. Make sure that you keep plenty of coins on hand so that you don't get caught without. Otherwise, travel safe and happy, and enjoy all of the amazingness that Germany has to offer!
Hi, I'm Globetrotter,
the Hostelz.com local expert for Germany hostels. Welcome.
Baden-Baden is fun to explore especially with all of the staired ally ways that lead into seemingly secret courtyards with foutains. Bring a good pair of shoes because the town is very hilly.
Fly really cheap to anywhere in Europe with Germanwings from the Cologne-bonn airport!
I recently visited your beautiful, peaceful city, and honestly didn't want to leave. It reminds me somewhat where I live in Seattle Washington, with the water all around. And Flensburg has such an interesting, and very old history. Right on the border with Denmark, it has the Danish neatness, and beauty. I will come …
Freiburg is a really interesting place, with its liberal and evironmentally friendly attitude combined with interesting inner city. It reminded me of San Francisco, except smaller and much less gay. I did manage to get a little bored here by the end of my three days, so I only recommend two tops. Going to see a match …
Hamburg is a vibrant, cool city. The harbour area is fascinating, and the Reeperbahn (German version of Amsterdam's Red Light District) is worth a visit - for the experience of course! Very friendly locals, cool bars, restaurants, culture, and good shops...what more can you want?
I visited Blankenheim from 1976 to 1985. I loved the people culture and city. I would love to return to see frends like HUBERTA MULLER - larryarnette@yahoo.com.
I spent a short weekend in Kiel with a friend and we were surprised at what a pleasant town it is. All the red brick buildings in the old town: looking very sturdy and sober. And then you come to the Harbour and - hey, what a nice and modern breeze! I loved it. Nice beaches nearby and great paths for bicycling.
Paderborn is a beautiful city with great shops and plenty of night life. There are many restaurants of worldwide origin and the city generally has a welcoming and exciting feel to it. Paderborn is a must for anybody visiting Germany.
Konstanz is amazing. I love this place! I want to come back.
The Schöens Wochenende (Happy Weekend) train ticket is an amazing deal if you have more time than money. For only €28 up to five people can travel all weekend on local trains (that's €28 total for up to 5 people!). If you wanted to, you can travel all the way from Berlin to Switzerland on nothing but local trains ( …
Heilbronn is a nice, medium- to small-size city with a little bit of everything to do. I've never stayed in a hotel there but it's a nice town/city. Summertime offers nice festivals and the wintertime offers the beautiful WeihnachtMarkt! Enjoy it!
Bochum is beautiful, if you go there some day you can't miss a soccer game-- these people are so dedicated to their team, it's a great experience. You also have to see the Rhine river and take the lifts up the hills over all the vinyards, if you do I promise you will not be disappointed.
Karlsruhe is a great midsized people, about 250,000 people live there. You can find a huge palace and many cultural things to do. Nightlife is ok, too. And Karlsruhe is one of the warmest cities in Germany very close to the Rhine River, the Black Forest and the French Border (all within 30 minutes).
The oldtown part of Dusseldorf rocks.
Hohenstaufen is a interesting town. I love to visit, especially since I have relatives there. There are friendly people and good shopping in Göppingen.