Germany
Medieval castles, Rhine valleys, Bavarian Alps and famous Christmas markets.
Best Deal of Germany
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Travel Guide
Germany is one of Europe's most varied and rewarding holiday destinations, sitting at the continent's geographical heart just 1 hour 45 minutes from London by air — served from over 20 UK airports into Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Düsseldorf. Located between France, the Netherlands, Poland and Austria, Germany combines Bavarian Alpine scenery, Rhine river valley landscapes, medieval walled towns and four of Europe's most culturally significant cities within a single country. City breaks to Berlin and Munich dominate the British market, while the Rhine Gorge, the Black Forest and the Bavarian Alps attract couples holidays and walking holidays year-round. The Romantic Road and the Christmas market circuit are among Europe's most popular self-drive itineraries for UK travellers. Germany's six UNESCO cultural landscapes, 49 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and the world's most serious beer and sausage culture make it as deep as it is broad. Johnson Holidays offers ATOL-protected Germany holidays and European city break packages from multiple UK airports.
✨ Why Visit Germany
- 49 UNESCO World Heritage Sites — more than any country except Italy and China — from the Cologne Cathedral and the Wartburg Castle to the Bauhaus sites of Dessau and the Palaces of Potsdam, the density of significant heritage is extraordinary.
- Berlin is Europe's most creatively charged capital — reunified in 1990, the city combines Cold War history (the East Side Gallery, Checkpoint Charlie, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe) with a contemporary arts scene, club culture and architecture that no other European capital replicates.
- The Bavarian Alps deliver Alpine scenery without Switzerland's price tag — Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Berchtesgaden and the Zugspitze (Germany's highest peak at 2,962m) offer skiing, hiking and lake swimming at significantly lower cost than comparable Austrian or Swiss destinations.
- Germany's Christmas markets are the originals and still the best — Nuremberg, Cologne, Dresden and Strasbourg's markets date to the 15th and 16th centuries; the combination of medieval architecture, Glühwein and handmade crafts in a snow-dusted Altstadt is an experience that copied markets elsewhere cannot replicate.
- A wine culture that most UK visitors never discover — the Mosel, Rhine and Franconian wine regions produce Rieslings of extraordinary quality; a wine tasting cruise on the Rhine or Mosel represents some of Europe's best-value fine wine tourism.
- Munich combines world-class museums with Europe's greatest beer culture — the Deutsches Museum (the world's largest science and technology museum), the Alte Pinakothek and three royal palaces sit alongside the Hofbräuhaus, the English Garden's beer gardens and the Viktualienmarkt food market in a single walkable city.
? What Makes It Special
Unlike France, Germany's cultural offer is distributed across multiple cities of roughly equal significance rather than concentrated in a single dominant capital — Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne and Dresden each have a distinct identity and a world-class museum offer. Unlike Austria, it combines Alpine scenery with major urban culture, Cold War history and a medieval town network that extends from Bavaria to the Baltic. Unlike the Netherlands or Belgium, it has genuine mountain terrain, a vast rural interior and a landscape range — from North Sea mudflats to Bavarian glacial lakes — that sustains walking and cycling holidays as readily as city breaks. The combination of 49 UNESCO sites, four distinct wine regions, Alpine skiing, the Rhine valley and Europe's most significant 20th-century history within a single country is found nowhere else on the continent.
? Key Areas to Explore
- Berlin — the reunified capital, with the Museum Island, the Berlin Wall East Side Gallery, the Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie and a contemporary arts and nightlife scene unmatched in Europe.
- Munich & Bavaria — the Bavarian capital with Marienplatz, the Deutsches Museum, the English Garden and Neuschwanstein Castle within 90 minutes; the base for Oktoberfest and Alpine day trips.
- The Rhine Gorge (Rhineland-Palatinate) — the UNESCO-listed stretch between Rüdesheim and Koblenz with 40 castles, Riesling vineyards and the Lorelei rock; Germany's most scenic river cruise route.
- The Romantic Road (Bavaria & Baden-Württemberg) — a 460km self-drive route through Würzburg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dinkelsbühl and Augsburg to Füssen and Neuschwanstein.
- Hamburg — Germany's second city and largest port, with the UNESCO Speicherstadt warehouse district, the Elbphilharmonie concert hall and the Reeperbahn entertainment quarter.
- The Black Forest (Baden-Württemberg) — a forested highland of spa towns, cuckoo clock villages and the source of the Danube; Baden-Baden's thermal baths and Freiburg's medieval Münster are the principal centres.
- Dresden & Saxony — the Baroque "Florence of the Elbe," rebuilt after 1945, with the Zwinger Palace, the Frauenkirche and day trips to Saxon Switzerland's sandstone rock formations.
- The Mosel Valley (Rhineland-Palatinate) — a sinuous river valley of steep Riesling vineyards, Roman ruins at Trier and the medieval castle of Cochem; Germany's most intimate wine region.
From Alpine summits and Rhine river cruises to Cold War monuments and medieval Christmas markets, Germany delivers more variety per itinerary than almost any country in Europe.
?️ Nature & Outdoor Activities
- Hike the Zugspitze summit (Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria) — Germany's highest peak at 2,962m reached by the Bayerische Zugspitzbahn rack railway and cable car; summit return from €59pp.
- Cycle the Mosel Valley wine route (Trier to Koblenz, 260km) — a flat, signed cycling path through Riesling vineyards and medieval villages; hire bikes in Trier from €15/day.
- Kayak the Altmühl Valley (Eichstätt, Bavaria) — a gentle river through the Jurassic limestone landscape of the Altmühltal Nature Park; canoe hire from €20pp for a half-day descent.
?️ Beaches
- Rügen Island (Baltic Coast, Mecklenburg) — Germany's largest island with the iconic white chalk cliffs of Königsstuhl, pine-fringed beaches and the restored Prora seaside resort; reached by train from Berlin in 3.5 hours.
- Sylt Island (North Sea, Schleswig-Holstein) — a narrow barrier island with 40km of North Sea beach, the upmarket resort town of Westerland and Germany's most exclusive coastal property market.
- Chiemsee Lakeshore (Bavaria, 80km East of Munich) — the Bavarian Sea — a 80km² Alpine lake with sandy lakeshore beaches, ferry trips to Herrenchiemsee Palace and clear mountain water; 1 hour by train from Munich.
?️ Food & Drink
- Order Schweinshaxe (SHVYNE-shahk-suh) — a roasted pork knuckle with crispy crackling, served with Sauerkraut and potato dumplings; the definitive Bavarian dish, €14–18 at any Munich Biergarten or traditional Wirtshaus.
- Try Sauerbraten (ZOW-er-brah-ten) — pot-roasted beef marinated for 3–5 days in vinegar, wine and spices; the Rhineland's signature slow-cooked dish, served at traditional restaurants in Cologne and Düsseldorf for €16–20.
- Drink Riesling at a Mosel estate — specifically a Spätlese from Weingut Joh. Jos. Prüm (Wehlen, Mosel); Germany's most celebrated Riesling producer; cellar door tastings from €15pp, book ahead.
- Visit Viktualienmarkt (Munich, Bavaria) — Munich's daily outdoor food market, open Monday to Saturday, with Bavarian cheese, white asparagus in season, fresh pretzels and six permanent beer garden stalls; free entry.
? Nightlife & Entertainment
- Berghain (Friedrichshain, Berlin) — the world's most famous techno club, housed in a former East Berlin power station; notoriously selective door policy; opens Friday midnight and runs until Monday morning.
- Hofbräuhaus (Platzl, Munich) — the 1589-founded royal brewery's main hall seats 1,300 and serves Hofbräu Bier by the Mass (1 litre, €12); oompah band plays from 11:00 daily; the most raucous and authentic beer hall experience in Bavaria.
- Elbphilharmonie (HafenCity, Hamburg) — the Herzog & de Meuron-designed concert hall opened in 2017 atop a 19th-century warehouse; the Great Hall seats 2,100 and is considered one of the world's finest acoustically; tickets from €15.
- Christmas market Glühwein circuit (Cologne Altstadt) — Cologne runs seven distinct Christmas markets simultaneously within the old town, each with a different theme; the Cathedral market directly below the Dom is the most atmospheric.
? Instagram-Worthy Spots
- Neuschwanstein from the Marienbrücke (Schwangau, Bavaria) — the classic castle-above-the-gorge photograph taken from the iron footbridge 90m above the Pöllat waterfall; arrive before 08:00 in summer to photograph without crowds.
- The East Side Gallery (Friedrichshain, Berlin) — the longest remaining section of the Berlin Wall (1.3km) covered in 105 murals by international artists; Dmitri Vrubel's Fraternal Kiss is the most reproduced image.
- Cochem Castle above the Mosel (Cochem, Rhineland-Palatinate) — the 11th-century Reichsburg castle on its vine-covered hill above the river bend photographed from the bridge below at golden hour.
- Bastei Bridge, Saxon Switzerland (Rathen, Saxony) — a 19th-century stone bridge spanning sandstone rock pillars 194m above the Elbe valley; one of Germany's most dramatic natural viewpoints.
Best Value Deals
? All-Inclusive Holidays
Traditional beach-resort all-inclusive holidays do not exist in Germany — the country's hotel culture runs firmly to city-centre boutique and business properties. UK operators bundle flights, hotel and sometimes a city card into packages from around £199pp for 2 nights in Berlin or Munich in shoulder season. For spa and wellness all-inclusive, Baden-Baden's Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa and the Schlosshotel Bühlerhöhe in the Black Forest offer full-board luxury packages from £450pp per night.
???? Family Holidays
Germany is outstanding for families with children aged 8 and above. Legoland Deutschland (Günzburg, Bavaria) is the country's most visited family theme park; Europa-Park (Rust, Baden-Württemberg) is Germany's largest theme park and one of Europe's most awarded. The Deutsches Museum in Munich has dedicated children's science floors; Neuschwanstein and the Romantic Road engage children with fairy-tale castle imagery. The Bavarian lakes — Chiemsee, Tegernsee and Königssee — add beach and boat-trip variety to any Munich-based family itinerary.
? Luxury Holidays
Germany's luxury hotel tier is concentrated in Munich, Berlin and the Black Forest spa resorts. Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa (Baden-Baden, Black Forest) — one of Europe's most celebrated grand spa hotels — and the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski Munich (on Maximilianstrasse, open since 1858) are the country's benchmark five-star addresses. In Berlin, the Hotel Adlon Kempinski (next to the Brandenburg Gate, reopened 1997) and the Das Stue (a Danish Embassy conversion in Tiergarten) represent the capital's upper tier.
⏰ Last-Minute Deals
Germany's city-break market generates strong last-minute availability outside the Oktoberfest period (late September) and the Christmas market season (late November to December). The best hotel discounts surface in January, February and November; savings of 20–30% within 3 weeks of departure are realistic for Berlin and Hamburg. Oktoberfest accommodation requires booking 12 months ahead; the Nuremberg and Cologne Christmas markets fill hotels 6–8 weeks in advance.
Why Book with us:
? Low deposits from £49pp
? Flexible payment plans with balance due 6 weeks before travel
?️ ATOL Protected — your money and flights are fully safeguarded
✏️ Free amendment window on selected packages
? UK-based customer support, 8am–11pm every day
? Best Time to Visit Germany
May to June and September to October are the finest months — temperatures of 16–22°C, long evenings and the full cultural season open without the peak summer crowds. The Rhine and Mosel valleys are at their most photogenic in late September when the vine leaves turn gold. July and August are the warmest months (22–26°C) and the busiest — Neuschwanstein and the Romantic Road are at their most crowded; book ahead for everything. The Christmas market season (late November to 24 December) is Germany's most distinctive travel period — cold at 0–5°C but compensated by Glühwein, Lebkuchen and medieval market atmospheres unmatched anywhere in Europe. Winter skiing in the Bavarian Alps runs from December to March; Garmisch-Partenkirchen is the principal resort.
? Where to Stay
- Families: Günzburg (Legoland), Rust (Europa-Park), Munich city centre (Deutsches Museum, Alpine day trips)
- Couples: Mosel valley wine villages (Bernkastel-Kues, Traben-Trarbach), Baden-Baden
- Luxury seekers: Brenners Park-Hotel Baden-Baden, Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Munich, Hotel Adlon Berlin
- First-timers: Berlin Mitte or Munich Altstadt for transport links and cultural density
- Christmas market: Nuremberg Altstadt, Cologne Cathedral district, Dresden Striezelmarkt area
? Getting Around
Germany has Europe's most comprehensive rail network — Deutsche Bahn's ICE high-speed trains connect Berlin to Munich in 4 hours (from €29pp booked ahead), Berlin to Hamburg in 1 hour 45 minutes and Frankfurt to Cologne in 1 hour. The Deutschland-Ticket (€49/month) covers all regional trains, S-Bahns, trams and buses nationwide — extraordinary value for multi-city itineraries. From the UK, direct flights to Berlin BER, Munich MUC, Frankfurt FRA, Hamburg HAM and Düsseldorf DUS operate from most major UK airports with British Airways, Lufthansa, easyJet and Ryanair; flight times range from 1 hour 45 minutes (London to Berlin) to 2 hours 15 minutes (London to Munich). Car hire from €30/day is the best option for the Romantic Road, the Black Forest and the Bavarian Alps.
? Travel Tips
- Plug type: Germany uses Type F (two round pins, 230V). UK adaptors required.
- Currency: Euro (€). Germany is within the Eurozone; card payments widely accepted though some traditional restaurants and market stalls are cash-only — carry €20–30 in small notes.
- Tipping: Round up restaurant bills or leave 5–10%; say the amount to the server when paying rather than leaving cash on the table — "stimmt so" (keep the change) is the standard phrase.
- Sunday trading: Most shops in Germany are closed on Sundays by law — plan supermarket and pharmacy visits for Saturday; bakeries and petrol stations are the main exceptions.
- The Deutschland-Ticket (€49/month) is the best-value transport purchase available to visitors — covers all regional rail, S-Bahn, tram and bus services nationwide; buy online from DB Navigator app before travel.
- Oktoberfest beer tent reservations: The main tents (Hofbräu, Augustiner, Paulaner) require table reservations made a year in advance; unreserved standing areas at the back of each tent are available without a reservation but fill by 10:00 on peak days.
Map Of Germany
Top Experiences
Neuschwanstein Castle at Sunrise
The 19th-century fairy-tale castle that inspired Disney's Sleeping Beauty; climb to the Marienbrücke bridge for the classic view; entry €15pp, book months ahead in summer.
The Rhine Gorge by River Cruise
65km of UNESCO-listed river valley with 40 castles, the Lorelei rock and terraced Riesling vineyards; KD River Cruises operate the full stretch from €25pp.
Berlin's Museum Island and Brandenburg Gate
Five world-class museums on a single UNESCO island in the Spree, including the Pergamon and the Neues Museum; combined day pass €29pp; the Brandenburg Gate is free.
The Romantic Road from Würzburg to Füssen
A 460km scenic route through medieval walled towns — Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Dinkelsbühl and Augsburg among them; best driven over 3–4 days in spring or autumn.
Oktoberfest in Munich
The world's largest folk festival runs for 16 days from late September; 6 million visitors, 14 giant beer tents and 7.5 million litres of beer consumed annually; book accommodation 12 months ahead.
Christmas Market at Nuremberg
Germany's most celebrated Christmas market, running from late November to 24 December in the medieval Altstadt; 180 stalls selling handmade toys, Lebkuchen and Glühwein since 1628.
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