14
Communication
Postal and telecommunications
services are very well developed in
Germany. German phone numbers
have area codes up to six digits long,
beginning with 0 followed by a local
number of five to nine digits,
depending on the region. When
dialing within the country, use
the full area code.
Public telephones are serviced by
Deutsche Telekom. Some accept
coins, others require credit cards, or
phonecards, which can be purchased
at post offices. Coins of smaller
denominations are not accepted and
unused coins are returned, but no
change is given. Card-operated
phones are located at central
locations in cities as well as at
airports and train stations. It might
be useful to have a mobile phone
when traveling in Germany,
especially in remote areas. Travelers
should discuss their requirements
with their domestic network provider
beforehand. Charges vary according
to the facilities and coverage offered.
Be aware that roaming charges are
higher than at home. If from an EU
country, tariffs should be less than 50
cents per minute; outside the EU,
they may be substantially higher.
A money-saving option would be to
buy a local SIM card in Germany.
Deutsche Post operates most
postal services in Germany. Post
offices are usually open Mon–Fri
from 8am to 6pm and 8am to noon
on Saturdays. Internet cafés can be
found in all bigger cities and most
hotels offer Internet services to their
guests. An increasing number of
hotels, restaurants, and cafés provide
Wi-Fi access to their customers.Above Old clock face on half-timbered
building, Limburg an der Lahn, HesseTourist Information
A very well-developed network
of tourist information centers
exists in Germany. These are usually
run by the city or regional tourist
authority and can be found all
over the country. Tourist
information centers have
different names in Germany,
such as Touristeninformation,
Fremdenverkehrsamt, or
Fremdenverkehrszentrale. They
provide information on opening
hours of monuments and museums,Banks and Money
The Euro (€) has been Germany’s
currency since 2002. There are seven
denominations of Euro banknote:
the grey €5, the pink €10, the blue
€20, the orange €50, the green €100,
the yellow €200, and the purple
€500. There are eight coins: €2 and
€1, 50 cents, 20 cents, 10 cents, 5,
2, and 1 cents. The 2- and 1-Euro
coins, are both silver and gold in
color. The 50-, 20-, and 10-cent
coins are gold. The 5-, 2-, and 1-cent
coins are bronze.
ATM machines can be found all
over the country, but it is best to
check with your bank or
credit card company for
fees. Travelers can
change foreign currency
at a bank or at exchange
bureaus called
Wechselstuben. There are
no restrictions on the
amount of foreign
currency that can be
brought into Germany.
When changing cash,
a commission may be
charged for the transaction. It is
best to check this before undertaking
an exchange.
Most banks are open Mon–Fri from
9am to 3:30 pm with a lunch break
from noon to 1pm. However, in
larger cities they may keep longer
opening hours. Exchange bureaus
are located at airports, and train
stations, as well as at many places
that are frequented by tourists. It is
advisable to take advantage of the
services of the Reise Bank, which
has branches at airports and railroad
stations. It is common to use
travelers’ checks when travelingBACK ROADS GERMANY
in Germany, even though taking
money out at ATMs is more popular.
One can cash checks at banks and
exchange bureaus. Credit cards can
be used for payments
almost every where, but be
aware that some restaurants
and smaller shops might
not accept this form of
payment. Credit card
companies and banks are
increasingly vigilant against
fraud, so it is wise to let them
know that you will be using
the card abroad, so that they
do not put a block on further
use. It is also a good idea to
carry another card as a back up.Sign for Photography
Museum, Deidesheim