After traveling throughout Germany for about a week, I quickly learned that there were some very important tips that really helped make my trip much easier – or would’ve helped make my trip easier if I had known beforehand. I’m sharing them below, in the hopes that they can help make your trip to Germany easier! 

Tip 1: Most stores are completely closed except for restaurants and museums
For example, every supermarket and RM (drugstore) near our hotel was closed on Sunday. Thankfully, we had planned ahead and purchased all the essentials that we had needed beforehand. 

Tip 2: Train travel is your best bet when getting around the country. 
Deutsche Bahn (DB) runs fast, reliable trains between German cities. You can use the high-speed ICE trains if you’re traveling between major cities like Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Cologne, and Hamburg. Regional trains are great for smaller towns like Bamberg, Rothenburg, and Passau. We ended up taking a regional train to Salzburg from Munich, since our ICE train had gotten canceled. If that happens to you, just hump on a regional train – it will take longer, but you’ll still get there! 

Tip 3: Where you stay is super important – make sure you pick between vibes or convenience 
If you can stay near the Altstadt (Old Town) in historic cities, you’ll be close to all the Christmas markets as well as most of the major attractions. If you’re traveling a lot in between cities, staying near train stations will make it much easier to catch your morning train, but old towns will offer a better atmosphere. 

Tip 4: Make sure you plot out your Germany route according to your interests 
The most common routes for travel in Germany include: 

• The First Time Route
  • This route offers a mix of Bavaria, medieval towns, and modern culture 
  • Munich → Nuremberg → Bamberg → Berlin
• The Beer Lover Route
  • This route is for the beer lovers, with towns that are known for their small breweries and traditional food 
  • Nuremberg → Bamberg → Bayreuth
• Christmas Market Route (Late Nov–Dec)
  • This route is perfect for those who are looking to hit all the German Christmas markets. These cities are very festive and located just a short train away from each other. 
  • Munich → Nuremberg → Bamberg → Rothenburg

Tip 5: Bathrooms Public toilets often charge €0.50–€2 
Some of them will have an attendant that can give you change if you don’t have loose coins. But some of them are turnstile machine-operated and there you will definitely need exact change because some of them don’t give change and only accept coins. The good thing though is that the public bathrooms are often very clean – or at least the ones that I had gone to!