01Free
The 30-second card
TimeUTC+1UTC+2 the rest of the year The capital’s time. The country has 2 time zones.Source: IANA Time Zone Database · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Emergency · tap to call
Source: GOV.UK · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗Water at restaurantsRestaurants charge for water; free tap water is not the norm.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗
SIM and eSIM
Prepaid SIMs need ID registration; without a German address, PostIdent at a Deutsche Post branch is easiest.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗Apps locals use
Too Good To Go: buy leftover food from restaurants and bakeries at a big discount.Busradar: compare long-distance coach trips across bus companies.eScoot: find the nearest rental e-scooter from most operators on one map.Free Now: book rides in German cities, alongside Uber, Bolt and Sixt Ride.BlaBlaCar: share car rides between cities, often cheaper than the train.
Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗Cards or cash
Mostly cashMostly cards
Step 2 of 5: Cash and cards are both widely used, so carry some cash as well as a card.Source: Wikivoyage · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗Money in Germany
Euro · € · EUR
Avoid independent ATMs run by Euronet, Cashzone or Cardpoint; use bank ATMs instead.
If a card machine offers a currency choice, pay in euros to avoid hidden conversion mark-ups.
Return empty plastic bottles at a supermarket to reclaim the deposit, usually 0.25 euros each.
One monthly Deutschlandticket covers all regional trains plus local buses and trams nationwide.
Collect Euro in CointryOur sister app for coin and banknote collectors · cointry.appOpenPublic holidays in the next 12 months
Wed, 18 Nov 2026 · Repentance and Prayer Day Buß- und Bettag
Fri, 25 Dec 2026 · Christmas Day Erster Weihnachtstag
Sat, 26 Dec 2026 · St. Stephen's Day Zweiter Weihnachtstag
Fri, 1 Jan 2027 · New Year's Day Neujahr
Wed, 6 Jan 2027 · Epiphany Heilige Drei Könige
Mon, 8 Mar 2027 · International Women's Day Internationaler Frauentag
Fri, 26 Mar 2027 · Good Friday Karfreitag
Sun, 28 Mar 2027 · Easter Sunday Ostersonntag
Mon, 29 Mar 2027 · Easter Monday Ostermontag
Sat, 1 May 2027 · Labour Day Tag der Arbeit
Thu, 6 May 2027 · Ascension Day Christi Himmelfahrt
Sun, 16 May 2027 · Pentecost Pfingstsonntag
Mon, 17 May 2027 · Whit Monday Pfingstmontag
Thu, 27 May 2027 · Corpus Christi Fronleichnam
Sun, 15 Aug 2027 · Assumption Day Mariä Himmelfahrt
Mon, 20 Sept 2027 · World Children's Day Weltkindertag
Sun, 3 Oct 2027 · German Unity Day Tag der Deutschen Einheit
Sun, 31 Oct 2027 · Reformation Day Reformationstag
Mon, 1 Nov 2027 · All Saints' Day Allerheiligen
02Free
Safety today
Germany, the US and the UK publish their travel advice openly. Here is what those that cover Germany say, side by side, checked daily.
U.S. Department of State says
Exercise increased caution
Calm
Caution ●
Serious
Don’t go
Level 2 of 4
Source: travel.state.gov
Updated 12 May 2025 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Updated 12 May 2025 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
UK Foreign Office says
No advice against travel
Source: GOV.UK
Updated 11 Aug 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Updated 11 Aug 2026 · Checked 24 Oct 2026Official page
Scams to know
Counterfeit banknotes
Get cash only from banks, ATMs or official exchange offices, and count your change.
Source: GOV.UK · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗Countrywise is a summary. The official page is authoritative.
03Free
Health
Only routine vaccines are needed; check they are up to date.
Vaccinations
Only routine vaccines are needed; make sure they are current before you travel.
Talk to a travel clinic 4–8 weeks before you go.
Source: CDC
Checked 23 Oct 2026Official page
Checked 23 Oct 2026Official page
Summarised from the CDC’s Travelers’ Health pages. Using them does not mean the CDC endorses Countrywise.
04Travel layer
In the app: the travel layer
The travel layer
Read a country like someone who’s been there.
What’s different from home, and what’s the lawMust-see places, free entry and World Heritage sites20 words to remember, with pronunciationStrange and surprising factsThe anthem and national symbolsSaved for offline use
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05Free
Deep facts
| GDP | ≈ $5.1 trillionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Per person | ≈ $60,496Source: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Top exports | cars, vehicle parts/accessories, packaged medicine, plastic products, vaccines (2023)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Population | 83.5 millionSource: World Bank · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 46.9 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2025 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Life expectancy | 81.9 yearsSource: The World Factbook (archive) · 2024 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Religions | Roman Catholic 24.8%, Protestant 22.6%, Muslim 3.7%, other 5.1%, none 43.8% (2022 est.)Source: The World Factbook (archive) · 2022 figures · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Area | 357,022 km²Source: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Climate | temperate and marine; cool, cloudy, wet winters and summers; occasional warm mountain (foehn) windSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Terrain | lowlands in north, uplands in center, Bavarian Alps in southSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
| Type of government | federal parliamentary republicSource: The World Factbook (archive) · as of 2025/26 · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
|---|---|
| Calling code | +49Source: libphonenumber · Checked 23 Oct 2026 ↗ |
About the data
Written from the sources we link, and checked against them before each release. Countrywise summarises public sources. We are not an official source. For safety and entry rules, always follow the official page we link to.
From your foreign ministry when it publishes its advice openly (Germany, the US, the UK). Otherwise we show those three side by side. Checked daily, with the date next to every entry.
CDC · 23 Oct 2026 ↗GOV.UK · 23 Oct 2026 ↗IANA Time Zone Database · 23 Oct 2026 ↗libphonenumber · 23 Oct 2026 ↗Nager.Date · 23 Oct 2026 ↗The World Factbook (archive) · 23 Oct 2026 ↗Unicode CLDR · 23 Oct 2026 ↗Wikidata · 24 Oct 2026 ↗Wikivoyage · 23 Oct 2026 ↗World Bank · 23 Oct 2026 ↗
Flag artwork from flag-icons (MIT licence).
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