- Do it. Just go. You can worry later about how to pay for it. Life is short and the world is big. Get moving!
- Arrive with a few Euros in hand (you might have to pre-order from your bank, so don’t wait until the last minute unless you live in a big metro area). Then you can find ATMs in trains stations, airports, shopping areas, rest stops. I was thrilled to discover that we could withdraw Euros as needed at the current exchange rates and for the minimal fee of $1, which is cheaper than taking out money in my own home town!
You could go insane studying the details of this currency. Holograms and, on the bigger bills, see-through windows with holograms. Wow!
- You can use your credit card in stores, but not in every restaurant. Have enough cash on hand for your meal. Ask up front if they take credit cards.
- Wear sturdy shoes. Cobblestones are not for wimps and you have a lot to see today.
- In many places and all rest stops, you have to pay to pee. I didn’t say life was fair, just interesting. Keep coins on you at all times and be grateful for the land of the free pee.
- If you’re not sure what something on the menu is, order it. Except Weißwurst. That is a sausage made of calves brains, and that is just cruel.
- Even in small towns, just about everyone under 50 speaks English, but please ask first and be sure to thank them for the effort. You’re a guest; act like one.
- Take pictures. Lots of pictures. Study up on how to frame landscapes and portraits. YouTube has tons of info.
- The friends you make when you travel often end up being friends for life. Focus on what unites us. We have enough division, right?
- Tipping in restaurants: Round up to the next Euro or two, then add 10%. So if the bill is 27,90 Euros (Germans use commas where we have decimals, and vice versa), round up to 29 Euros, plus 10%. Then round up again, so 32 Euros. I’m a generous tipper, but I appreciated that all our servers spoke English to help my family, so I added a little more.
- VISA charged a 1% fee for every transaction, but I only used my card for bigger purchases (like 50 Euros or more).
- Trains are now often delayed in Germany, which was NOT the case 20 years ago. Know which platform the next one is leaving from in case you need to make a Plan B. Schedules are posted on every platform.
- If you can buy your train ticket ahead of time, you’ll save. Trains used to be cheap–not so now. We bought tickets last-minute in stations a couple times because we didn’t know if we could be on time for the cheap tickets, which are only good for the specific departure you chose. So flexibility costs more but is less stressful. See my “dare” approach to trip planning here.
- In big cities you can buy a day pass for all transit forms for up to 5 people. A bargain if you’re touring around, and it’s easy to switch between trains & buses.
- Don’t look for differences, look for commonalities. That’s how friends are made. Plus, we are all in this together. It’s later than you think.
- Hotels are expensive and most rooms only fit 2 people, which means you need multiple rooms for a family. Try Home Away for condos and homes. They are cheaper and you can cook and spread out, which is nice after a day of buses, street cars, trains, and crowds. Booking.com rocks for cheaper hotel rates.
- Did I mention take lots of pictures? Don’t forget the small things, like flowers or beer glasses or shop windows. Because everyday life is more interesting than postcards.
- Stores close around 6 or 8 p.m. in Germany. Saturdays they often close at 2 p.m., especially in the smaller towns.
- If you see a train and want to get on it, go. If you see a castle and you want to explore it, go. If you see an amazing treasure that would make a cool souvenir, buy it. If you find an interesting person and want to talk to them, say hello. You may never pass this way again, remember? “No one steps in the same river twice,” Heraclitus said, and he was right.
