travel information
ARRIVAL GERMANY
IN GENERAL
Start your Germany travel plan by reading important travel information HERE
FACTS
*
In Germany we drive on the right-hand side. Watch out the cyclists!
*
The currency in Germany is the Euro (EUR) €
*
As an Australian you do not need a visa to enter Germany or Europe for that matter
*
Your Passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your intended stay
*
There are no recommended additional vaccinations you need for Germany
*
Similar to Australia there are no large animals in Germany only cute foxes, rabbits and deer, of which non are poisonous.
*
Poland is only 105km away from Berlin
*
In July the temperatures in Berlin hit an average daytime high of 23°C and nighttime low of 15°C. Pack your summer cloths along with a jumper and some long pants. Don’t forget your umbrella and leave your 50+ sunscreen at home.
*
Berlin is in the CEST time zone and is 8 hours behind Canberra in July
*
The Emergency Call is 112 in Germany
*AIRLINES
We recommend Scoot Airlines.
Scoot is a cheap provider from Singapore but has a very good service and something for all budgets. Singapore also makes a fantastic stopover if you want to break up the long journey.
If you want to treat Adam and Janine your miles, use their KrisFlyer Numbers when booking your flights.
Adam: 8885996143
Janine: 8878377284
*This can also be done if you already have booked your flight.
VISA
Australian citizens do not need a visa for the Schengen area, which includes Germany, for an intended stay of up to 90 days in a 180 day period as long as your passport is valid for 3 months beyond your intended length of stay and you do not engage in any gainful employment.
MONEY & BANKING
In Germany you unfortunately often have to pay in cash, especially when you are eating out, when you visit markets. Therefore, it is wise to always have about 50 – 100 Euro in your purse. Luckily, unlike in Australia most ATM-transactions are free. Most Australian banks are setup very well for overseas transactions and don’t charge fees when paying with your card. However, their currency conversion rate can be very high. Therefor we recommend to get a Transferwise travel card. You can charge the travel card with Australian Dollar and convert these into Euro within seconds without paying high conversion fees.
MOBIL & WIFI
We recommend that you get an ALDI Talk Sim Card upon arrival in Germany. This means you can use the O2 network cheaply (comparable to Optus in Australia). You can buy the SIM card at the checkout in any ALDI store for 9,99 Euro (incl. 10 Euro credit) and then top it up as you wish with a simple registration online. The ALDI Talk plans all incl. EU-Roaming, so you can use the SIM card all over Europe.
TRAVEL SECURITY
In Germany we drive on the right-hand side, we have no poisons animals and in general Germany is a very safe country with lots of helpful people. Nevertheless, there is a safety warning in place in relation to terrorism, so when you travel highly touristy places in Europe, it is always worthwhile to lookout for unusual behaviour and attend large gatherings with caution. We recommend to get travel health insurance.