74901GER
OPENING TIMES
Shops 09.00 – 18.00. In major cities, most stay open until 20.00, Monday to Saturday. Almost all shops (except tourist booths or in train stations) are closed on Sundays.
Banks 08.30 – 16.00 Thurs. until 17.30. Banks in small towns may close for lunch. ReiseBanks in railway stations stay open until c22.00.
ATMs are numerous and widespread.
Post Office 08.00 – 18.00 Sat, 08.00 – 12.00. Some branches in big cities stay open later.
Museums and monuments are usually open between 10.00 and 17.00, many open into the evening once a week. Many close on Mondays. Average admission charges to museums and monuments: Adults: €10.00. Students: reduced price, or free. Certain state museums are free on Sundays.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
Jan 1, Jan 6, Good Friday, Easter Monday, May Day, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, Corpus Christi (in some areas) Aug 15, Oct 3, (Reunification Day), Oct 31 or Nov 1(acc to state), Dec 24 (in some areas), Dec 25, Dec 26.
US CONSULATES
The US Embassy is in Berlin at Pariser Platz 2.
Use consulates for US citizen passport services/emergencies, etc.
Consulates in Berlin: Clayallee 170, Tel. (030) 83050 (Open 8.30-12.00); Frankfurt: Giessenerstrasse 30, Tel. (069) 75350 (Open 7.30-11.30); Munich: Königinstrasse 5, Tel. (089) 28880 (Open 13.00-16.00).
If a passport is lost, you MUST book a slot for an appointment in advance (this can be done on the internet). You cannot simply turn up, unlike for example the US Embassy in Paris.
TELEPHONES
Emergency Numbers: Police 110, Fire & Ambulance 112
STAMPS
From Post Offices, machines and frequently from the hotel.
For postcards to the USA, stamps cost €1.25
ADDITIONAL FREE TIME SUGGESTIONS
The Tourist Information Offices are extremely well stocked with maps and listings. They usually also provide free publications for students and young people which are very useful for evening suggestions.
If at all possible, make the effort to write to the German National Tourist Board at PO Box 2695, London, W1A 3TN or log on to their website (www.germany-tourism.de) before starting your trip. You should be able to get information about cultural events in the cities you will be visiting and illustrated brochures, which are a tremendous help for places with which you are unfamiliar.
GENERAL TIPS
It’s always easy to find a snack (Wurst, Kebap, etc) in any German town at almost any time of day.
Restaurant prices are generally consistent within a town – unlike in France.
A restaurant will always be prepared to serve drinks only (but be aware that they charge for tap water). You can tell the group that American-style tipping is not customary therefore, if the bill is relatively small, it is customary to round up to the nearest Euro. Otherwise a 10% tip is more than adequate.
Germany is good for shopping, cheaper generally than Austria and Switzerland, with several chain department stores.