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Travelling to Deutschland: what to know before you go

Germany is a federation of very different regions: Berlin's restless creativity, Bavaria's Alpine villages, the wine valleys of the Rhine and Mosel, and Hanseatic port cities on the North and Baltic seas. It suits city breakers, rail travellers, hikers and anyone interested in European history, and its trains make it easy to see several regions in one trip.

Where to go

• Berlin. A capital shaped by the twentieth century: the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstag's glass dome, the remaining stretches of the Wall at the East Side Gallery and Bernauer Strasse, and the world-class collections on Museum Island.
• Munich and the Bavarian Alps. Munich mixes beer halls and the Englischer Garten with major art galleries.
• The Rhine and Mosel valleys. The Middle Rhine between Bingen and Koblenz is a UNESCO-listed gorge of castles, vineyards and the Lorelei rock, best seen from a river boat or the riverside railway.
• Hamburg. Germany's great port city has the red-brick warehouse district of the Speicherstadt, the Elbphilharmonie concert hall with a free public viewing plaza, and harbour ferries that double as cheap sightseeing boats.

Best time to visit

May to September is the warmest and busiest period, with long evenings, beer gardens and open-air festivals; July and August are school holidays and the Alps and coasts get crowded. Late spring and early autumn are often the best balance of weather and crowds, and September and October bring wine festivals and Munich's Oktoberfest, which starts in late September.

Staying online in Deutschland

Mobile coverage is good in cities and towns and has improved a lot along motorways and main rail lines, but rural areas, forests and hilly regions still have noticeable gaps, and data can drop out on trains between cities. Free Wi-Fi is available on most long-distance trains, in many cafés, hotels and some city centres, though it can be slow when trains are busy. Cash is still preferred in some small bakeries and bars, so a working phone for maps and card payments matters. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.