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Traveling to Germany doesn’t need to be expensive. Done the right way, you can save on your journey and make the most of your time there. I will show you how to do this and share some fantastic money-saving tips for your future trip to Germany. Here are 12 ways to save money exploring Germany the right way!
Visit Out of Peak Season
Peak season in Germany is the time of the year when people travel all the more and transport and accommodations get pricey. Popular vacation seasons come with traffic jams on the German Autobahn highway, packed train compartments, fully booked overpriced rooms, and excessively long queues for attractions. To avoid this, I recommend visiting Germany outside the high season. You will find affordable rooms, which will be much easier to get around. Germans go on vacation during school holidays, and every region is a bit different, with a week or more as a set school break. The most common school breaks occur around Carnival, Easter (spring break), Pentecost, the big summer break in July and August, All Saints’ Day (fall break), and Christmas/New Year. Moreover, remember that special events, such as spring or fall folks feasts, such as in the Oktoberfest in Germany, are also considered peak season.
Mode of Travel to Save Money Exploring Germany
It has never been easier to move around Germany, thanks to the overhauled train network and newer bus routes in Europe. In 2023, the German government introduced a budget-friendly monthly train ticket to reduce emissions and promote train travel again. A €49 ticket can take you across the country effortlessly and in no time. Remember that seats can be reserved for an extra fee separately. I also recommend using regional trains to cut costs, as they stop more frequently in smaller towns, and you get to slow travel and see the landscape changing. Take the bus to get from one end to another in Germany fast. Bus companies such as FlixBus and BlaBlaCar offer affordable prices, and booking a seat with their apps is a breeze. You will find plenty of frequently running city-to-city bus connections at an unbeatable price.
Book Budget-Friendly Accommodations
The most affordable rooms are not always easily found, especially if you keep certain expectations in mind. Smaller family-run bed and breakfasts can be a great way to start your room search in rural areas. The most affordable ones with the lowest prices are not always found on giant hotel aggregators such as booking.com, as they are run by Germans, who have been running their accommodation for generations. Tourism boards usually advertise a wide array of online and offline room choices, and the cheapest for € 40-50 a night are found outside major tourist hubs. If you are looking for rooms with half board included and an authentic German experience, I recommend booking three or 4-star hotel rooms run by locals. The per person and night room rates include a daily breakfast buffet and three or 4-course dinner meal. When visiting major cities and staying overnight during your visit, I recommend collecting hotel reward points from major global hotel chains.
Use Your Gästekarte to Get Discounts
The Gästekarte, also known as the Guest card, is a way to reward tourists, and you should take advantage of its perks. In Germany and other European countries, you pay a tourist or city tax or so-called “Kurtaxe” or “Ortstaxe” when staying overnight in a place. The rate isn’t fixed; some areas can ask for as much as €3.50 per person and day. Fortunately, you get a guest card in exchange for paying the tourist tax, and depending on the region, you get to access attractions for free or discounted. Certain places even offer a special tourist bus for free with a guest card. Ask the hotel for the guest card during check-in or obtain it at the nearest tourism office.
Get Delicious Budget-Friendly Food
The best way to save money when buying a meal in Germany is to do what the locals do. Locals in Germany will go to a grocery store and ask the friendly deli meat staff for a freshly prepared sandwich. You can pick between hundreds of sausage, ham, and salami types to fill your sandwich, and it won’t cost you more than €4 tops. Another budget-friendly mealtime favorite is the Leberkäse sandwich, a thick slice of pink meatloaf between a Kaisersemmel bun. The bakeries in Germany are also known to be some of the best, and you will always find one everywhere, even in the smallest village. They offer freshly baked, top-quality bread and pastries at a reasonable price.
Drink Free Water
Contrary to neighboring France, German cities offer fountains with quality drinking water. That usually doesn’t include ornamental fountains but rather smaller drinking wells. A drinking well with potable water is typically not marked and doesn’t include a signboard. Yet, a well with non-drinkable water always consists of a signboard saying “Kein Trinkwasser,” which means “non-potable water.” These drinking spots are spread out across cities and villages in Germany. You should also know that most restaurants and hotels charge for tap water in Germany, and a liter may cost about €2.
Visit Free Attractions and Parks
Yes, Germany offers many free attractions, and you won’t have to pay anything to access them! All parks, including lavish and well-manicured palace gardens, can be freely accessed. You can even hang out in a park and enjoy a relaxed picnic with your sandwich. Cities such as Berlin, Cologne, and Munich have public historical sites and places to add to your budget-friendly bucket list. For example, among the top free things to see in Munich are the BMW Welt, the Viktualienmarkt, the Baroque Asamkirche, and the NS-Dokumentationszentrum, to name just a few.
Take Part in Free Cultural Events
Folk feasts and local traditional events are still very commonly held in Germany. Of course, every region follows a variety of celebrations, and most are still very much tied to religious events. Take, for example, the world-famous Oktoberfest or the Tollwood Festival in Munich. The Oktoberfest celebrations are held every year at the Theresienwiese in Munich for two weeks, and you can access the world’s largest folk festival without paying an entry fee. Various other freely accessible events are celebrated all year long, such as carnival, spring feast, Schützenfest, Almabtrieb, individual village feasts, and flower parades, to name a few. Furthermore, all Christmas markets in Germany can also be visited for free!
Visit Museums on Special Discount Days
Many German cities participate in discounted or free museum days, and Germany offers many outstanding museums. The “Lange Nacht der Museen” invites people from all walks of life to visit German museums for free annually. Moreover, cities or specific museums will organize a free museum day once a month. Others have a set day in the week when a museum visit costs a fraction of the standard entry fee. For example, the state museums of Munich have a € 1-only admission day on Sundays. You can explore world-class museums such as the Pinakothek der Moderne and the Glyphotek.
Join a Free Guided Tour
German tourism boards have started to offer free walking tours in all major cities and tourism hubs. These tours can be an excellent way for you to learn more about the history and sites of a place. Ask the nearest tourism office about free guided tours, and they will register you for a tour where you can learn from a local. Furthermore, these are group tours, and you will likely meet other traveling participants with a similar mindset.
Visit Lesser Known Spots and Places
Every major attraction is a busy tourist spot. This might be the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, the fairy tale Neuschwanstein castle, or the Marienplatz in Munich. The things on offer at those sites, such as food and souvenirs, tend to be excessively priced, especially if you compare them to nearby corners. Consider traveling to lesser-known but equally mesmerizing places in Germany. I can recommend a trip to Augsburg, Regensburg, Dresden, and Dinkelbühel. Additionally, some of Germany’s most well-known sites are not freely accessible and require you to book a place way in advance. A good example is the Neuschwanstein Disney-inspired castle. Tickets to see the romantic castle interiors can get scarce during peak season and don’t come cheap. An excellent free alternative is a gratis walk to the various viewpoints with a full view of the gorgeous castle.
Learn Some German Words
The German language can be daunting, but if you pick up a few English-to-German phrases and words, you will get around more easily and perhaps save some bucks. While many people can speak and understand English, it is not guaranteed that locals will know what you try to tell them. A few German words can help you on your journey to get around, and you might even stumble upon viable deals. Say “Guten Tag” to a shopkeeper, break the ice, and they might offer you some lesser-known tips for your time there. Or know that cash means “Bar Geld” at a hotel, where they give you a room discount if you pay by cash.
In Summary
Germany is a beautiful European country, which you should add to your bucket list. My money-saving tips will help you cut corners while experiencing Germany fully! Author Bio: Marina Helene is based in Austria and writes about historical places and customs in Austria, Germany, and neighboring countries. Her regional travel know-how is periodically published at Paulmarina.com.
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