TRAVEL
TIPS
| Driving |
U.S
Driving Permit accepted |
| Currency |
(EUR)
Euro |
| Electrical |
230 Volts |
| Telephones |
Country
Code 49, City Code Berlin 30+8D, Hamburg 40+8D, Bonn 228+7D,
Frankfurt 69+8D |
Time:
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before
last Sunday in October).
Electricity:
220 volts AC, 50Hz. European-style round two-pin plugs are in
use. Lamp fittings are screw type.
Telephone:
Full IDD is available. Country code: 49. Outgoing international
code: 00. National and international calls can be made from coin-
or card-operated telephone booths. Calls can be made from post
offices. Cheap rate applies Mon-Fri 1800-0800 and all day Saturday
and Sunday. Discount phonecards from private companies can be
bought from shops and kiosks.
Climate:
Temperate throughout the country with warm summers and cold winters,
but prolonged periods of frost or snow are rare. Rain falls throughout
the year.
Required
clothing: European clothes with light- to mediumweights
in summer, medium- to heavyweights in winter. Waterproofs are
needed throughout the year.
Food
& Drink: The main meal of the day in Germany tends
to be lunch with a light snack eaten at about 1900 in the evening.
Breakfast served in homes and hotels usually consists of a boiled
egg, bread rolls with jam, honey, cold cuts and cheese slices.
Available from snack bars, butcher shops, bakers and cafes are
grilled, fried or boiled sausages (Wurst) with a crusty bread
roll or potato salad. There are also bread rolls filled with all
kinds of sausage slices, hot meat filling (such as Leberkäse),
pickled herring, gherkins and onion rings or cheese. In bakeries,
Strudel with the traditional apple filling, a variety of fruits
and fromage frais is available. There is also an astonishingly
wide variety of breads. A set menu meal in a simple Gasthof or
cafe usually includes three courses: soup is the most popular
starter. The main meal consists of vegetables or a salad, potatoes,
meat and gravy. For pudding, there is often a sweet such as a
blancmange, fruit or ice cream. Restaurants often serve either
beer or wine. Cakes and pastries are normally reserved for the
afternoon with Kaffee und Kuchen (‘coffee and cakes’)
taken at home or in a cafe. Cafes serving Kaffee und Kuchen are
not only to be found in cities, towns and villages but also at
or near popular excursion and tourist spots. International speciality
restaurants, such as Chinese, Greek, Turkish and others, can be
found everywhere in the western part of the country. Waiter or
waitress service is normal although self-service restaurants are
available. Bakeries and dairy shops specialise in lighter meals
if preferred. Local regional specialities cover an enormous range.
Shopping:
Special purchases include precision optical equipment such as
binoculars and cameras, porcelain, handmade crystal, silver, steelware,
Solingen knives, leatherwear, sports equipment, toys from Nuremberg
and Bavarian Loden cloth. Special purchases in eastern Germany
include musical instruments, wooden carved toys from the Erzgebirge
Mountains, and Meissen china (the workshops in Meissen are open
to the public). Shopping hours: Shops can regulate their own opening
hours within these times Mon-Fri 0600-2000, Sat 0600-1600. Smaller
shops may close 1300-1500 for lunch. All shops, except a few bakeries,
are closed on Sunday.
Tipping:
It is customary to tip taxi drivers, hairdressers, cloakroom attendants
and in bars, and a 10 per cent tip in restaurants.
Single
European currency (Euro): The Euro is now the official
currency of 12 EU member states (including Germany). The first
Euro coins and notes were introduced in January 2002 and completely
replaced the Deutschmark on 28 February 2002. Euro (€) =
100 cents. Notes are in denominations of €500, 200, 100,
50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of €2 and 1,
and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.
Currency
exchange: Foreign currencies and travellers cheques can
be exchanged at banks, bureaux de change, post offices, airports,
railway stations, ports and major hotels at the official exchange
rates.
Credit
& debit cards: These are accepted in approximately
60 per cent of all shops, petrol stations, restaurants and hotels.
Nationals of other Western European countries, Canada and the
USA will find less credit card availability than they are used
to in their own countries and it is advisable to carry cash or
a Eurocheque card as well. All major credit cards are accepted.
Check with your credit or debit card company for details of merchant
acceptability and other services which may be available.
Note:
As from the end of 2001, Eurocheques will cease to be guaranteed
and can no longer be accepted for encashments. However, they may
still be used for payments without the guarantee in certain places.
