Destination: GERMANY
Things To Know
Traveling in Germany
The North and the Baltic
The Rhine
The East
The Black Forest and Bavaria
Spa Towns
Mad King Ludwig


Traditionally decorated beer mugs

© AA Photo Library
Traveling in Germany

Germany's 16 administrative states (Bundesländer) extend from the tail of Denmark south to the Swiss and Austrian Alps; the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France border on the west, Poland and the Czech Republic on the east. Each state has enough of interest for the visitor to occupy a whole vacation in its own right, and Germans are themselves often tourists in their own country, especially as westerners and easterners explore each other's previously unknown territories.

Traveling - by automobile or by public transportation - is not a problem, despite the country's size. The road network in western Germany is excellent, from the highways (Autobahnen) to minor roads. In the east, roads were in poorer condition for many years, but there have been recent improvements.
The biggest culture shock to drivers is likely to be the speed of traffic. There is no official upper limit on highways, and many drivers ignore the recommended 130 k.p.h., the equivalent of which is 80 m.p.h. Driving etiquette is taken seriously, though: you can be stopped and fined for swearing or making rude gestures.
Taking the train is a convenient way to cover large areas. The quickest and most comfortable trains are the InterCityExpress (ICE), InterCity (IC) and EuroCity (EC) trains linking major centers - but the InterRegio (IR) trains connecting smaller towns are also fast.

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