A BRIEF WEB-GUIDE.
Germany offers a variety of entertaining options for visitors, whether
the trip is focused on historical sites, the culture, specific cities or
regions, or simply placing an emphasis on having a nice time. What
follows is a listing of some links to web sites (which in turn provide
other links to additional information) which might prove useful for tourists
planning a vacation of either a week or longer in Deutschland. Most
links provide information in a variety of languages, with English and German
being the most common. Some links primarily use German, but a pocket
dictionary should suffice to glean information from them, even for those
without much knowledge of the language.
There are several ways to quickly find some basic information on
Germany, such as by going to the site simply titled "Germany."
Here one can find general statistics regarding population, geography, religions,
languages, the government, economy, transportation, and other basic information
concerning the country. The prospective traveler can also find
the bandwaves of AM, FM, and shortwave radio frequencies readily accessible;
no need to be out of touch!
Another good source for gathering information before planning a trip to Germany is the German FAQ web site which provides a good table of contents, with links to German tradition and holidays, politics, history, and economy. Much of the information here is gathered from input by readers of the soc.culture.german website, posted monthly in the FAQ portion of the site.
There is also an up-to-date commercial web site which provides over-arching information on Germany: it can be found at All of Germany . This company is concerned with providing "all of" sites for many countries, Germany being one of them. It offers good links to topics like "art and entertainment;" business and the economy;" "education;" "entertainment;" "history;" society and culture," and "travel," to name a few.
The German Information Center might also come in handy. This center is particularly geared toward travelers/vacationers, with nice links to a media center, a "facts and figures" section, information regarding students, scholars, culture, and, maybe most importantly, a link to "travelers," which is accompanied by a link to "consular and legal services." (Hope no one will need the last one.)
The CIA World Factbook also has a good website to visit. The opening page of this site gives a nice map of Germany, with the biggest cities marked. This map can be helpful if one is unsure of the geography involved, as well as distances between places. Also included here is information regarding the country's politics, economy, the populace, and so on.
The U.S. Embassy's Germany
site might also prove useful. This is a good source for looking at diplomatic
issues regarding the country, as well as for giving a general overview
of the country. This is also a good place to look for questions regarding
visas and other red-tape type issues.
So, with background information in hand, how to plan a trip?
A good place to start might be by looking at the Germany-Wunderbar
site. There one can read about notable celebrations, festivals, and the
like. This is updated daily, and lists events around the country
on a day-to-day basis. It also includes weather updates and forecasts.
Perhaps most useful, the site provides planning advise for tourists (in
detail, even). An example is "showing you the 7 routes of dining
and drinking culture between the Baltic Sea and the Alps!" For even
more information on weather, check out the Deutscher
Wetterdienst .
Many tourist enjoy a theme-based vacation, and Germany provides ample opportunities (such as the 7 routes of dining and drinking" mentioned in the "Germany-Wunderbar" site). For example, Germany produces many fine wines. Going to the German Wine site will provide a visitor with basic facts and answers concerning the grape, information on different wine regions and wineries, and even links to bookstores specializing in wine literature. In fact, this page provides links to just about anything one would want to know about wine in Germany.
After perchance overdoing it at one of the wineries, penance can be made at one of the many historic cathedrals located throughout Germany. A good source of information on this topic is the Churches and Cathedrals in Germany webpage. This is basically a link to the biggies, like Hildesheim, Koblenz, Mainz, Worms, Speyer, and others (and, of course, Cologne). The site is very useful; not only do the links provide slides of the structures and a concise history, but also fairly detailed maps of the surrounding area, making them easy to find.
A similar site is Picturesque Towns and Villages in Germany, done by the same group as the Churches and Cathedrals page. It, too provides slides, histories, a nd useful maps for those interested in exploring Germany off the beaten path. For those interested in castles, especially those along the Rhine River, another similar webpage (with the same format as the above two) can be found.
What better way to access a country's culture and history (or even a city's, for that matter) than by visiting museums? Germany certainly has plenty to offer, and regardless of the areas or cities a tourist might pass through,, the Virtual Library Museen people have an exhaustive website. Although a bit clunky to use, if one is looking for a specific type of museum, this can be a useful fool. It is also quite inclusive.
Don't forget the local travel agency, either, when it comes to planning!
Once a region, city, or even a specific building (or the entire
country, for that matter) has been decided on as the vacation destination,
it might behoove one to find a place to stay. A great place to start
is by looking at Bookings
DE, which can be reached on-line. Here one can arrange for lodging
accommodations. The address also gives information on hotel searching,
maps, help and information, and even mentions special offers. Booking
can be made through other on-line sources as well, such as by going to
the Akzent Hotels site. (There
is also always the local travel agency.)
The option of staying in a bed and breakfast establishment is often enticing, especially for the romantically inclined. The Bed and Breakfast Ring website provides a lot of information on this topic. This site is especially useful in that it provides a map of Germany, the states of which can be highlighted. One can thus easily find information on a certain town, area, etc.
High rollers (or others with the requisite funds) can always opt for
top-line accommodations. These can be found by going to the
Top
International Hotels site. Information provided there will cover
various three or four star possibilities, as well as news, reservation,
and membership information.
Upon arriving in Germany, a visitor has many options in terms of
transportation. Decisions are usually determined by the type of vacation
envisioned. A good option for many is to simply take advantage of
the country's nice rail system. DB
Travel (Die Bahn), the national train organization, can be reached
on-line. Here one can purchase tickets on-line, or just make reservations.
One can even find information regarding trip insurance. The site
provides good tables of how to make connections, which are a great aid
in the planning of a trip. Die
Bahn has another website with more information (such as the different
types of trains running, services, FAQs, and so on).
The larger German cities usually have excellent public transportation. Some might take a short while to become familiar with, many travelers prefer the convenience of not having to deal with a rental car or cabs. A good example is public transportation system in Berlin, which can be visited on-line.
Many people, however, are most comfortable with renting a car through
one of the many commercial businesses (don't forget that gasoline is expensive
in Germany!) Bringing a good map is important. A good source
for information is also the German
Autobahn Page, put out by the government. It provides information
on routes, history, planning, road work, as well as links to the agencies
in charge of roads in each of the German states.
No matter what type of vacation one plans, the goal is always the same: VIEL SPASS!
Questions? Comments? Email
me. bitte!