Guten Morgen
GOO-ten MOR-gen
Good morning
Greeting someone until about late morning
Travel guide
Learn Germany before you go
Castles on the Rhine, Christmas markets, great music and good bread, in the heart of Europe.
CapitalBerlin
CurrencyEuro (€), since 1999 (notes and coins since 2002); before that, the Deutsche Mark, introduced in 1948
Official languageGerman, set by federal law for public offices and courts. Danish, North and Saterland Frisian, Sorbian, Romani and Low German are recognised regional or minority languages
Drives on theRight
Calling code+49
10 phrases to learn
In German (Deutsch). Capital letters show the stressed part. Tap the heart to practise a phrase later.
Guten Tag
GOO-ten TAHK
Hello, good day
A polite greeting during the day, in shops and offices
Guten Abend
GOO-ten AH-bent
Good evening
Greeting someone in the evening
Gute Nacht
GOO-tuh NAHKHT
Good night
Saying goodnight before bed or when leaving late
Auf Wiedersehen
owf VEE-der-zay-en
Goodbye
A polite goodbye
Bis später
biss SHPAY-ter
See you later
When you will see someone again soon
Wie geht es Ihnen?
vee GAYT ess EE-nen
How are you? (polite)
Asking after someone you address formally
Mir geht es gut, danke
meer GAYT ess GOOT, DAHN-kuh
I am well, thank you
Answering 'How are you?'
Vielen Dank
FEE-len DAHNK
Thank you very much
Thanking someone warmly
Entschuldigung
ent-SHOOL-dee-goong
Excuse me, sorry
Getting someone's attention or apologising for a small thing
At the table
- Before eating, people wish each other 'Guten Appetit', enjoy your meal, and wait until everyone has been served.
- When drinking together, glasses are raised with 'Prost' (for beer) or 'Zum Wohl' (often for wine).
- Tipping is usually modest: round up the bill or add about 5 to 10 percent, and tell the server the total you want to pay, rather than leaving money on the table.
- Supper is often a simple cold meal of bread, cheese and cold meats, called Abendbrot.
- Coffee and cake in the afternoon, especially at weekends, is a cherished social custom.
Local tips
Shops close on Sundays
Most shops, including supermarkets, are closed on Sundays and public holidays. Bakeries often open for a few hours, and shops in large railway stations and airports stay open, so plan your shopping for Saturday.
Bottle deposit (Pfand)
Most drinks bottles and cans carry a deposit: 25 cents on single-use bottles and cans, and 8 to 15 cents on reusable ones. Take them back to the machine in almost any supermarket and you get a voucher for the till.
The Deutschlandticket
As of 2026, the Deutschlandticket costs 63 euros a month and gives unlimited travel on local buses, trams, U-Bahn, S-Bahn and regional trains all over Germany. It generally does not cover long-distance trains such as the ICE and IC, apart from a few IC routes paid for by some states. It is a monthly subscription that you can cancel.
Driving
Germany drives on the right. Many autobahn sections have no general speed limit, only a recommended 130 km/h, but posted limits must be obeyed, and speed limits in towns are much lower.
Tipping
Tipping is modest: round up the bill or add about 5 to 10 percent. Tell the server the total you want to pay when you hand over the money or before they run your card, or say 'Stimmt so', keep the change.
Plugs
Germany uses round two-pin plugs (Schuko, type F) and 230 volts. Visitors from Britain, Ireland and North America will need an adapter.
Emergencies
Call 112 for an ambulance or the fire brigade, and 110 for the police. Both numbers are free.
Dishes to try
- Currywurst: A grilled or fried pork sausage, cut into slices and covered in a warm tomato sauce spiced with curry powder, with more curry powder dusted on top. It is eaten standing at a street stall, with chips or a bread roll.
- Weisswurst (Weißwurst): A pale sausage of minced veal and pork back fat, flavoured with parsley, lemon, onion and mace. It is heated in hot water, not boiled, and served with sweet Bavarian mustard, a soft pretzel and a wheat beer. The skin is not eaten.
- Pretzel (Brezel, Brezn): A knotted bread dipped in a lye solution before baking, which gives it a shiny brown crust and a special taste, then sprinkled with coarse salt. Bavarian pretzels have thick, soft arms; Swabian pretzels have thin, crisp arms and a thick 'belly'.
- Maultaschen: Large square pasta parcels filled with minced meat, spinach, onions and breadcrumbs, seasoned with parsley and nutmeg. They are served in broth, or sliced and fried with onions and egg.
- Cheese spätzle (Käsespätzle): Soft egg noodles, traditionally scraped from a wooden board straight into boiling water, layered with melted Emmental cheese and topped with crisp fried onions. It is usually served with a green salad.
- Sauerbraten: A pot roast of beef marinated for several days in vinegar or wine with onions and spices, then slowly braised. The rich, sweet-sour gravy is served with potato dumplings, red cabbage or spätzle.
- Beef rouladen (Rinderrouladen): Thin slices of beef spread with mustard, rolled around bacon, onion and pickled gherkin, browned and braised until tender in a dark gravy. A classic Sunday dinner, served with potatoes or dumplings and red cabbage.
- Swabian potato salad (Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat): Warm sliced waxy potatoes soaked in a dressing of hot broth, vinegar, onion and oil, served warm or at room temperature. In the north, potato salad is more often made with mayonnaise, egg and pickles.
Cities to see
- Berlin (capital): The Brandenburg Gate, The Reichstag and its glass dome, Museum Island.
- Hamburg: The port and the Speicherstadt warehouses, The Elbphilharmonie concert hall, The Beatles' early years in the 1960s.
- Munich: The Oktoberfest, The Glockenspiel on Marienplatz, The English Garden.
- Cologne: Cologne Cathedral, Carnival, Kölsch beer.
- Frankfurt: The European Central Bank, The Frankfurt Book Fair, Apple wine and green sauce.
- Stuttgart: The Mercedes-Benz and Porsche museums, Vineyards inside the city, Swabian food such as Maultaschen and spätzle.