Germany (DE)

Germany is Europe's largest economy and most populous country — a federal parliamentary republic of 16 states (Bundesländer) celebrated for its engineering prowess, rich cultural heritage from Beethoven to Bauhaus, world-famous Oktoberfest and Riesling wines, and one of the most comprehensive social safety nets in the world.

Capital: Berlin

Region: Europe

Language: German

Currency: EUR (€)

Cost of living: Moderate (index 68)

Emergency: 112

Getting Around

Transport options for living in Germany.

Public Transport Overview

Germany has excellent public transport in cities (U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Tram, Bus) and intercity (ICE/IC trains, Fernbus). The national Deutschlandticket (€63/month from 2026) covers all local/regional public transport across the entire country — one of the best value transit passes in Europe.

Main operators:

Deutsche Bahn (DB)BVG (Berlin)MVV (Munich)HVV (Hamburg)KVB (Cologne)VGN (Nuremberg)Flixbus / Flixtrain

🎫 Transit Passes

Deutschlandticket €63/month (2026)

All local and regional public transport nationwide (U-Bahn, S-Bahn, Tram, Bus, regional trains). Not valid on ICE/IC/EC long-distance trains.

💡 Subscribe monthly, cancel anytime. Best value for regular commuters.

Semesterticket €50–200/semester (varies)

Full regional transit in university city. Included in semester fee at most universities.

💡 Automatically included in student enrollment.

DB Bahncard 25 €62.90/year (2nd class)

25% discount on all DB long-distance trains.

💡 Worth it if you travel intercity more than twice a month.

DB Bahncard 50 €244/year (2nd class)

50% discount on all DB long-distance trains.

💡 Worth it for frequent intercity travel.

Taxi & Rideshare

Taxis are metered. Starting fare ~€3.90, then €2.10/km in cities. Uber is available in major cities but more expensive than local taxis. mytaxi/Free Now is the main taxi app.

Rideshare (Long-distance)

BlaBlaCar for intercity rideshare. Very popular and cheap (e.g. Berlin–Hamburg for €15).

Cycling

Cycling infrastructure is excellent in most German cities. ADFC (German Cycling Federation) has city maps. Bike-sharing: Nextbike, Call a Bike (DB), Lime, Tier.

Intercity Trains

Deutsche Bahn ICE trains connect major cities. Berlin–Munich: 4h, Frankfurt–Cologne: 1h. Book in advance online for Sparpreis fares from €17.90.

Driving

No general speed limit on Autobahn (though 130 km/h is recommended). City: 50 km/h. Residential zones: 30 km/h. Winter tyres mandatory November–March (situational obligation — Winterreifenpflicht).

Airports

Major airports: Frankfurt (FRA), Munich (MUC), Berlin Brandenburg (BER), Hamburg (HAM), Düsseldorf (DUS). All well-connected to city centres by S-Bahn or express train.