Question for the German players on Ephinea

[Gatz]

Hallo, my wife and I are thinking about making ein Besuch nach Deutschland this summer. I've visited some places in southern and western Germany before, as well as Interlaken in Switzerland.

It's been about 15 years since my last trip, so I need to know how out of date my last experience was. Are hostels and overnight trains still a consistently good way to see multiple cities and landmarks?

What advice would you give for a trip of about 8 days?

Where can we drink the best Dunkelbieren? Are there any cities or regions we should avoid as American travelers? Should I practice commiserating in German with locals about the state of American politics? Ich kann ein Bisschien Deutch, but based on my last experience, Deutsche Leute can spot an American and reply in English quite often and easily.

 

[Tom Frizo]

Hallo, my wife and I are thinking about making ein Besuch nach Deutschland this summer. I've visited some places in southern and western Germany before, as well as Interlaken in Switzerland.

It's been about 15 years since my last trip, so I need to know how out of date my last experience was. Are hostels and overnight trains still a consistently good way to see multiple cities and landmarks?

What advice would you give for a trip of about 8 days?

Where can we drink the best Dunkelbieren? Are there any cities or regions we should avoid as American travelers? Should I practice commiserating in German with locals about the state of American politics? Ich kann ein Bisschien Deutch, but based on my last experience, Deutsche Leute can spot an American and reply in English quite often and easily.

Guten Tag! Hostels and overnight trains remain great ways to explore Germany, offering affordability and convenience, though booking early is key, especially in summer. For an 8-day trip, consider a loop like Munich, Nuremberg, Bamberg, and Freiburg for a mix of history, culture, and scenery. Bamberg and Franconia are tops for Dunkelbier, try Spezial or Schlenkerla for authentic brews. As Americans, you’ll be fine everywhere, but smaller towns may feel more welcoming than some urban areas; no need to avoid anywhere specific. Skip political chats, Germans often prefer lighter topics, and your basic Deutsch will charm them, even if they switch to English.

 

[Dezor Inyan]

From personal experience:
- Don't let beggar gangs around major train stations get to the better of you. It's systematic and they won't be satisfied with the first 20€ bill. They're probably also lurking around airports!
- Personally, i'd stay away from any political events especially in big cities - any form of public demonstration, speech etc. (That includes football matches) It's ranging anywhere from mildly annoying to proper dangerous, and is basically where the bad news come from most often. In fact, i'd stay away from any big public event, even if it's something seemingly innocent to begin with. You never know when whatever bad actor will make their move, and whatever chain reactions may unfold from it. The point is simply that if you're not from the area, it's hard to stay somewhat in control of the situation once shit happens. But this is valid security advice for all over the world; keep half an eye open!
- German cops tend to be rather friendly and human, and are usually approachable without a need for paranoia. I'd not hesitate to inquire about directions or potential trouble hotspots.
- Long distance buses (ex. flixbus) are super cheap to get from one end of the country to the other, however they're comparatively slow to trains and imho usually less comfortable. Regardless of how much discomfort you can tolerate, i'd suggest to use the train for any journey that'd take longer than, say, 10 hours. Not sure if it's been changed, but in the past many of those buses had toilets where only peeing was allowed ^^ It can take several hours until the next rest stop. In the past, many of the paid toilets at Autobahn rest stops only accepted coins w/o return.
- Consider tap water undrinkable unless specified! Public wells may or may not have signage for it - in case of doubt, just ask a local.
- if you buy bottled beverages, don't bother if the plastic caps won't come off - that's a new thing they decided in the EU to reduce litter (one of their few sane decisions <3).
- if you like beer, make sure to try whatever local breweries! Supermarkets tend to also offer the local stuff. Kitzmann (from Bavaria) made great Dunkles back in the day, sadly the company seems to have poofed out of existence. I'd suggest to just try out different stuff, or - again - ask the locals for that secret tip.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask! Safe travels & viel Spass