Travel guide, from the UK

Germany

Germany is a country of big cities and old towns. Berlin tells the story of the Cold War and the Wall, Munich mixes royal palaces with beer gardens, and Cologne gathers around its cathedral on the Rhine. Beyond the cities you will find castles, half-timbered towns, vineyards along the Rhine and Moselle, and 55 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Fast ICE trains link the main cities, so one trip can easily take in two cities.

Photo: Adam Vradenburg, Unsplash License

Berlin's TV Tower rising above the red-brick Rotes Rathaus and church spires of Mitte at sunset

When to go: Spring brings blossom and the asparagus season, which runs from April to June. Summer is the time for beer gardens and beaches, though the cities can get hot and stuffy. Autumn means wine festivals and turning leaves, and Munich's Oktoberfest runs from 18 September to 3 October in 2027. Winter is cold, but the Christmas markets make up for it: in 2026, Cologne's cathedral market runs from 16 November to 23 December and Munich's from 20 November to 24 December.
Getting there from London: Direct flights to Berlin Brandenburg leave from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, London City and Southend and take about 2 hours. Munich is also about 2 hours away, with flights from Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton. Frankfurt and Cologne Bonn are each about 1 hour 30 minutes, and Düsseldorf and Hamburg have flights from Heathrow and Gatwick too. By train, the Eurostar to Cologne changes at Brussels and takes just over 5 hours.

What to do in Germany

1Cologne CathedralIt took 632 years to finish, and its towers are 157 metres tall. Since July 2026, tourist visits need a timed ticket, bookable up to three months ahead, though entry for prayer stays free. Climbing the tower, 533 steps with no lift, needs its own ticket.
2Museum Island, BerlinFive museums share one island in the centre of Berlin, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. The Pergamonmuseum is closed for renovation; part of it, including the Pergamon Altar, is due to reopen on 4 June 2027.
3The Berlin WallAt the Berlin Wall Memorial on Bernauer Strasse you can see 70 metres of original Wall with its border strip and watchtower. Then walk the East Side Gallery, the longest surviving stretch, painted by 118 artists and open around the clock.
4Neuschwanstein CastleKing Ludwig II's castle at Schwangau joined the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2025, together with his other palaces. You can only go inside on a guided tour, so book online before you travel. From Munich, allow about three hours each way by train and bus.
5Munich's old town and the English GardenWatch the Glockenspiel on Marienplatz, which plays at 11:00 and noon, and at 17:00 from March to October. Then walk to the English Garden, 375 hectares of parkland, where surfers ride the Eisbach wave.
6Christmas marketsMarkets fill the old squares through Advent. Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt on the Hauptmarkt runs from 27 November to 24 December 2026, opening with the Christkind's prologue, and Cologne holds a market beside the cathedral.

Getting around

ICE high-speed trains run hourly between the big cities. Frankfurt to Cologne takes about an hour, and the fastest ICE Sprinter trains link Berlin and Munich in under four hours. Book long-distance tickets on the Deutsche Bahn website or the DB Navigator app. For local and regional travel, the Deutschlandticket covers buses, trams, U-Bahn, S-Bahn and regional trains across the country for a monthly fee, but not ICE or IC trains. It is a subscription, so cancel it by the 10th of the month if you only need one month. If you hire a car, many cities have low-emission zones that need an emissions sticker.

Living in the UK on a non-UK passport? You'll need a visa for Germany.

Germany visa from the UK →