Rehearse your Germany trip before you go

Entry rules by passport

Checked Oct 2026. Rules change: check the embassy or official site before you travel.

Traps travellers fall into

In the game these hide among the recommendations. See if you can spot them.

• Asked to sign a petition at the Gate Berlin'Petitions' at the Brandenburg Gate or Alexanderplatz are a donation scam or a pickpocket cover; say 'Nein, danke' and keep walking
• The three-cup game on the bridge BerlinThe cup game (Hütchenspiel) on bridges and squares is all one team, 'winners' included; even watching makes you a pickpocket target
• Queueing for a famous techno club BerlinBerlin's famous clubs have strict door policies, so queueing guarantees nothing; smaller clubs and live venues are a surer night out
• A restaurant facing the Gate BerlinRestaurants facing landmarks charge for the view; walk a few minutes to where locals eat
• The 'Bavarian set' on the square MunichSquare-facing terraces charge for the view; the beer halls a street back are cheaper and better
• The top search result for 'castle tickets' Füssen and the royal castlesBuy castle tickets from the official ticket centre (hohenschwangau.de); resale sites at the top of search results charge several times more
• A station with no gates BerlinPaper tickets in Germany must be stamped in the machine before you board; app tickets don't need it
• The Glühwein mug BerlinChristmas-market mugs carry a deposit (about €3–5): return it to a stall for your money back, or keep it as a souvenir
• The Sunday supermarket BerlinAlmost every shop in Germany closes on Sundays and holidays: stock up the day before. Shops inside main stations stay open

Month by month

• JanuaryJanuary highs are 2–3°C with snow and icy streets. The Christmas markets are over.
• FebruaryFebruary is a cold 3–5°C, with snow around the mountain castles and dark by 5:30 p.m.
• MarchMarch reaches about 9°C, still cold; the clocks go forward at the end of the month. Easter falls on 26–29 March.
• AprilApril reaches about 14°C; castles and palaces switch to summer hours. Changeable weather.
• MayMay reaches about 19°C; beer gardens open and holidays come thick and fast (1, 6, 17 and 27 May).
• JuneJune reaches about 22°C with sunset near 9:30 p.m. and afternoon thunderstorms.
• JulyJuly reaches 24–25°C; it's holiday season, and Neuschwanstein sells out early.
• AugustAugust is about 24°C with some hot days; castles and the big sights are packed.
• SeptemberSeptember reaches about 19°C. Munich's Oktoberfest runs 18 September – 3 October: hotels are full and prices multiply.
• OctoberOctober reaches about 13°C with autumn colour; castles switch to winter hours from 16 October and the clocks go back at the end of the month.
• NovemberNovember–December: highs of 3–8°C, frosty mornings, dark by 4:30 p.m. Christmas markets open from about 20 November; snow around the mountain castles.
• DecemberDecember highs are 3–5°C with freezing mornings and dark by 3:30 p.m. Most Christmas markets end around 23 December.

Sample routes

• ClassicClassic: Berlin and MunichFrom the city of the Wall to the beer halls and Christmas markets of the south.Berlin → Munich
• DetourDetour: the Christmas-market citiesFrom Berlin to Dresden's oldest market, then Nuremberg's sausages and gingerbread.Berlin → Dresden → Nuremberg
• Off the pathOff the path: snowy castles and a medieval townMunich to the royal castles, then a chain of local trains to walled Rothenburg and the Night Watchman.Munich → Füssen and the royal castles → Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Hidden gems

• The old currywurst stand under the tracks BerlinA stand under the elevated U-Bahn since 1930, one of the first to sell currywurst in East Berlin.
• The courtyard where the drainpipes sing DresdenAn artists' courtyard in the New Town; on rainy days, the funnels and pipes on the wall play music.
• River surfers and the English Garden MunichUnder a bridge at the English Garden, surfers ride a standing wave on a cold river; then a walk through the huge park.
• The Lech Falls and the old town Füssen and the royal castlesAn emerald river falls, then a small old town of painted houses; the High Castle courtyard has trompe-l'œil windows.
• Walking the town wall Rothenburg ob der TauberHalf-way round town on the roofed walkway atop the wall, red roofs through the arrow slits.
• The rock-cut beer cellars NurembergMedieval beer cellars carved under the old town, toured with a guide; they sheltered people in the war.
• Grazing at a market hall BerlinAn 1891 market hall full of local bakers, cheesemakers and craft brewers; Thursday evenings are street-food night.
• The world's most beautiful dairy shop DresdenA dairy since 1880, hand-painted tiles from floor to ceiling. Milk and cheese in the café upstairs. Foreign cards may not work, so bring cash.

5 more to find in the game.

Before you go

• Install a travel eSIMFor maps and the DB Navigator rail app
• Pack winter clothesFrosty mornings, dark by 4:30 p.m.
• Learn how to tip5–10%, said aloud when you pay
• Book Neuschwanstein tickets on the official siteThe box office sells same-day only; beware resale sites