Germany: good to know
The general-information half of trip planning: how expensive Germany feels, what is considered polite, what is not, and the everyday practicalities - alongside our 410 written places.
Rules are followed because they work; directness is respect, not rudeness.
✓ Considered polite
- Wait for the green light at crossings even with no car in sight
- Say the total you want to pay, tip included, when the bill comes
- Bring cash - a surprising number of places still refuse cards
- Return bottles for the Pfand deposit - it is real money
✗ Better avoided
- Jaywalk in front of children - you will be told off
- Expect shops to open on Sunday - almost everything closes
- Be late; punctuality is basic courtesy
- Make noise during Ruhezeit quiet hours, typically 22:00-06:00 and all Sunday
Worth knowing
- Tipping is 5-10%, spoken aloud when paying, never left on the table
- Tap water is excellent but restaurants rarely serve it free - order bottled or ask firmly
- Regional trains are covered by the excellent-value Deutschlandticket
- Bakeries are the one thing reliably open on Sunday mornings
Plugs and voltage: Wikipedia, «Mains electricity by country» (after the IEC World Plugs list), read 15 October 2026.
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Keep planning
Customs are living things - regions differ, cities relax, generations shift. Take these notes as a friendly head start, watch what locals do, and when in doubt a smile and a greeting in the local language cover almost everything.