# What should I know before visiting Germany?

> Germany travel tips for 2026: EES border checks, cash vs card, the €63 Deutschlandticket, Deutsche Bahn delays, Sunday closures, bottle deposits, plugs.

- Source: https://clevertourists.com/resources/things-to-know-before-visiting-germany
- Authors: Evan & Clara, Clever Tourists (first-hand, from years of travel across 20 countries)
- Published: 2026-09-09
- Last updated: 2026-10-29

**Germany is organised, but in ways that surprise visitors: cash still settles about half of all purchases, almost every shop closes on Sunday, the trains are slower to arrive than their reputation, and the cheapest way to travel regionally is a €63 (≈ $70) monthly pass that works like a subscription.** We spent 16 days in Germany in July 2023: Berlin, Bremen, Frankfurt with a day in Heidelberg, Würzburg, Ulm and Munich. The rules, fares and figures below come from official and current sources, with the year each applies to.

## Entry and money

**1. EES is live at the border; ETIAS is not.** Germany is in the Schengen Area, so visa-free visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180. Since 10 April 2026 the EU's Entry/Exit System takes your fingerprints and photo on first entry and replaces passport stamps. ETIAS, the €20 (≈ $22) online authorisation, is not in operation and has no published start date. See our [ETIAS and EES explainer](https://clevertourists.com/resources/etias-and-ees-explained-europe-entry-2026-2027) and [Germany visa guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/do-i-need-a-visa-to-visit-germany).

**2. Carry cash.** In the Bundesbank's 2023 payment study, cash still settled 51% of transactions, down from 58% in 2021. Bakeries, beer gardens, kiosks and small restaurants may take cash only or set a card minimum, so keep some euros on you. When a card machine offers your home currency, choose euros. More in [cash or card abroad](https://clevertourists.com/resources/cash-or-card-for-international-travel).

**3. Tip by saying the total.** Service is included, so a tip is a small top-up, usually by rounding up. Tell the server the total you want to pay as they take payment, rather than leaving coins on the table. See [tipping in Germany](https://clevertourists.com/resources/tipping-in-germany-restaurants-bedienung-guide).

**4. Bottles and cans carry a deposit (Pfand).** Single-use plastic bottles and cans carry a €0.25 (≈ $0.28) deposit set by law; reusable glass beer bottles usually carry €0.08 (≈ $0.09) and most other reusable bottles €0.15 (≈ $0.17), according to consumer advice centres. Return them to the machines in any supermarket for a voucher. Mugs at Christmas markets carry a deposit too (see our [German Christmas markets guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/german-christmas-markets-2026-dates-munich-frankfurt-heidelberg)).

**5. Budget.** Our [daily budget by country](https://clevertourists.com/resources/daily-travel-budget-by-country) puts Germany at about $50 to $85 a day on a budget and $135 to $200 mid-range. Long-distance ICE fares and Munich hotels during big events are the biggest costs.

## Trains and getting around

**6. The Deutschlandticket costs €63 (≈ $70) a month in 2026.** It covers buses, trams, U-Bahn, S-Bahn and regional trains in second class nationwide, but not ICE, IC or EC long-distance trains. It is a monthly subscription: Deutsche Bahn says cancelling by the 10th ends it at the end of that month, while cancelling later runs it to the end of the next month. It is personal and non-transferable, and you buy it in the DB Navigator app or from local transport operators. For a week or more of regional travel it usually pays for itself, as long as you can live with slower regional trains between cities.

**7. Leave buffers for Deutsche Bahn.** Long-distance punctuality was 60.1% in 2025, its weakest year on record, according to figures DB confirmed to Bild. Do not book tight connections to flights. If your train is expected to arrive more than 20 minutes late, the train-specific restriction on saver fares is lifted and you can take another train to the same destination. Our [Munich to Venice guide](https://clevertourists.com/resources/munich-to-venice-train-bus-guide) and [day trips from Munich](https://clevertourists.com/resources/day-trips-from-munich) use the network.

**8. Stay out of bike lanes and wait at red lights.** Bike lanes are often red or paved like the pavement next to them, and cyclists use them fast. Crossing on a red pedestrian light, especially near children, draws comments. Our guide to [what is considered rude in Germany](https://clevertourists.com/resources/what-is-considered-rude-in-germany) explains the logic: do not inconvenience other people.

## Sundays, holidays and seasons

**9. Sunday is closed.** Most shops, including supermarkets, close on Sundays and public holidays under German shop-hours laws. Shops in main railway stations and airports, petrol stations and some bakeries in the morning are the exceptions. Buy groceries on Saturday.

**10. Quiet hours are real.** In apartments and holiday rentals, house rules usually ban noise late at night and often at midday and all of Sunday. Expect the same in residential streets.

**11. Holidays vary by state.** Beyond national holidays, each state sets its own. Catholic states such as Bavaria have more, including Corpus Christi, and closures there do not match Berlin. Nationwide holidays include 3 October (German Unity Day) and 25 and 26 December, and on 24 December shops close by about 14:00 when it falls on a weekday. Check the state calendar before planning a shopping day or a museum visit.

**12. Pick the season for what you want.** May to September brings mid-20s °C highs and beer gardens, with summer thunderstorms; late November to 23 December is for Christmas markets, and Munich's hotel prices peak during Oktoberfest in late September and early October. See [best time to visit Germany](https://clevertourists.com/resources/best-time-to-visit-germany), plus [Krampus runs](https://clevertourists.com/resources/krampus-runs-2026-munich-bavaria-st-nicholas-day) for early December. We were there in July 2023.

## Food and water

**13. Water is not free by default.** Tap water is safe to drink, but restaurants serve bottled water and charge for it, and many default to sparkling. Ask for still water (stilles Wasser) if you want it; asking for tap water (Leitungswasser) is fine but not always granted.

**14. Eat regionally.** German food changes a lot between north and south, from fish sandwiches in Bremen to Bavarian beer halls. In Bavarian beer gardens, tables without tablecloths traditionally let you bring your own food and buy only the drinks. Start with our [German food guide](https://clevertourists.com/guides/food-germany), [what to eat in Munich](https://clevertourists.com/resources/what-to-eat-in-munich) and [what to buy at a German grocery store](https://clevertourists.com/resources/what-to-buy-at-a-grocery-store-in-germany).

## Plugs, phone and emergencies

**15. Plugs are Types C and F at 230 V.** North American visitors need an adapter; most phone and laptop chargers handle the voltage, but hair dryers and other appliances rated only for 110 to 120 V do not. Older hotel rooms can be short of sockets, so a multi-socket adapter helps.

**16. Mobile coverage has gaps, and there are two emergency numbers.** Signal can drop on trains between cities, so download maps and tickets offline. See [Germany eSIM for tourists](https://clevertourists.com/resources/germany-esim-for-tourists). Call 112 for ambulance and fire and 110 for police.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Germany still a cash country?

Less than it was, but yes. In the Bundesbank's 2023 study cash settled 51% of transactions. Bakeries, beer gardens and small restaurants may be cash only, so carry some euros.

### Can tourists buy the Deutschlandticket?

Yes. It costs €63 (≈ $70) a month in 2026 and covers local and regional transport nationwide, not ICE, IC or EC trains. It is a subscription: cancel by the 10th for it to end that month.

### Are shops open on Sunday in Germany?

Mostly not. Supermarkets and most shops close on Sundays and public holidays; shops in main stations and airports and petrol stations are the usual exceptions.

### Do I need ETIAS to visit Germany?

Not yet. ETIAS is not in operation and has no published start date. Since 10 April 2026 the EES system registers fingerprints and a photo at the Schengen border.