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Part 1: Introduction
6.6: Munich -> Hamburg
7.6: Hamburg
8.6: Hamburg -> Lübeck -> Puttgarden -> Copenhagen
14.6: Copenhagen -> Malmö -> Trelleborg -> Binz (Rügen island, Germany)
15.6: Binz, Sellin (Rügen island)
16.6: Königsstuhl and Stralsund
17.6: Binz
18.6: Binz -> Stralsund -> Berlin
19.6: Berlin
20.6: Berlin -> Potsdam -> Berlin
21.6: Berlin -> Wittenberg -> Dessau -> Bayreuth -> Munich
Overview
and
overall impression
We usually don't travel much in Germany, choosing instead to visit far
away
places, even if Germany has a lot to offer in terms of natural sights
and cultural/historical sites. This year we therefore decided to do a
trip across Germany to have a look at some of the more interesting
places in northern Germany. We were rewarded by beautiful cities with a
rich history, impressive architecture and cultural heritage and very
scenic landscapes in the north of Germany at a relatively moderate cost
of travelling.
Costs
The travel expense in Germany is moderate if compared with the cost of
travelling in other European countries. Hotels are not cheap, but not
as pricey as for instance in Denmark or the Netherlands. The cost of
food in supermarkets is also relatively low and there are many
discounters.
Food
We ate in a number of restaurants, cafes and food courts and
self-catered in the apartment in Binz (Rügen island), sometimes at odd
times because we were busy sightseeing or travelling.
Accommodation
We chose moderately priced, but quality accomodation in Hamburg, Berlin
and Binz. That would translate in costs of around 100 Euro/night, given
that we were a group of two adults and two kids. The hotel in Hamburg
was too far away from the city centre, but on those dates it was
difficult to find moderately priced accomodation in central Hamburg.
The apartment in Binz was beautiful and in an idyllic setting.
Money
/ Exchange rate (June 2014)
1 Euro = 1.35 USD
For current
exchange rates
check
the Universal
Currency
Converter.
ATMs are everywhere, so that you can easily get cash with a
Cirrus/Maestro ATM card. You won't need traveller cheques.
Mobile
phones and prepaid cards
Like
everywhere else it is possible to buy prepaid SIM cards to avoid
roaming surcharges. Germany has four operators of nationwide networks
and several discounters reselling airtime.
Internet
access
I didn't use WLAN in the hotels because either it wasn't available or
it wasn't free. There I set up the 3G phone as a mobile
hotspot. The apartment in Binz had a good WLAN connection included in
the price.
Weather
We were lucky with the weather, because it was most of the time warm,
and sunny with a blue sky. Especially in Hamburg it makes a big
difference if the sun shines or not.
Health /
Vaccinations
None required for Germany.
VISA
/ Entry
requirements
Visitors
from developed countries can enter Germany without a visa or get a visa
on arrival. Visitors of other countries need to get a Schengen visa.
Security
No issues here. Germeny is a safe place where to travel.
Getting
around
We
drove across Germeny by car, even in the big cities. It was easy to
find parkings, even free ones, everywhere. But generally speaking,
public transportation is good.
Copyright
2014
Alfred
Molon
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