Fast Facts

Business Hours -- Most banks are open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 1pm and 2:30 to 4pm (Thurs to 5:30pm). Money exchanges at airports and border-crossing points are generally open daily from 6am to 10pm. Exchanges at border railroad stations are kept open for arrivals of all international trains. Most businesses are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and on Saturday from 9am to 1pm. Store hours can vary from town to town, but shops are generally open Monday to Friday 9 or 10am to 6 or 6:30pm (Thurs to 8:30pm). Saturday hours are generally from 9am to 1 or 2pm, except on the first Saturday of the month, when stores may remain open until 4pm.

Drinking Laws -- As in many European countries, drinking laws are flexible, enforced only if a problem develops. Officially, you must be 18 to consume any kind of alcoholic beverage. Bars and cafes rarely request proof of age. Drinking while driving, however, is treated as a very serious offense.

Drug Laws -- Penalties for illegal drug possession in Germany are severe. You could go to jail or be deported immediately.

Drugstores -- Pharmaceuticals are sold at an Apotheke. For cosmetics, go to a Drogerie. German pharmacies take turns staying open nights, on Sundays, and on holidays, and each Apotheke posts a list of those that are open off hours.

Electricity -- In most places, the electricity is 220 volts AC (50 cycles). You will need a transformer and a plug that fits the German socket for your U.S. appliances. Many leading hotels will supply these.

Embassies & Consulates -- The following embassies and consulates are in Berlin. The embassy of the United States is at Pariser Platz 2 (tel. 030/83050; http://germany.usembassy.gov; U-Bahn: Zoologischer Garden), open Monday to Friday 8:30am to 3pm. The U.K. Embassy is at Wilhelmstrasse 70 (tel. 030/204570; http://ukingermany.fco.gov.uk/de; U-Bahn: Anhalter Bahnhof), open Monday to Friday 8am to 4:30pm. The Australian Embassy is at Wallstrasse 76-79 (tel. 030/8800880; www.germany.embassy.gov.au/beln/home.html; U-Bahn: Spittel-markt), open Monday to Thursday 8:30am to 5pm and Friday 8:30am to 4:15pm. The Canadian Embassy is at Leipziger Platz 17 (tel. 030/203120; www.canadainternational.gc.ca; U-Bahn: Potsdamer Platz), open Monday to Friday 9am to noon. The Irish Embassy is at Friedrichstrasse 200 (tel. 030/220720; www.embassyofireland.de; U-Bahn: Uhlandstrasse), open Monday to Friday 9:30am to noon and 2:30 to 3:45pm. The New Zealand Embassy is at Friedrichstrasse 60 (tel. 030/206210; www.nzembassy.com; U-Bahn: Friedrichstrasse), open Monday to Friday 9am to 1pm and 2 to 5:30pm.

Emergencies -- Throughout Germany the emergency number for police is tel. 110; for fire or to call an ambulance, dial tel. 112.

Gasoline (Petrol) -- Gasoline or petrol is widely available throughout Germany, and service stations appear frequently along the autobahns. The least expensive gasoline is at stations marked SB-TANKEN (self-service), but remember that gasoline is much more expensive here than in the U.S. Of course, gasoline prices throughout the world, including Germany, are currently changing weekly.

Holidays -- Public holidays are January 1 (New Year's Day), Easter (Good Friday and Easter Monday), May 1 (Labor Day), Ascension Day (10 days before Pentecost/Whitsunday, the seventh Sun after Easter), Whitmonday (day after Pentecost/Whitsunday), October 3 (Day of German Unity), November 17 (Day of Prayer and Repentance), and December 25 and 26 (Christmas). In addition, the following holidays are observed in some German states: January 6 (Epiphany), Corpus Christi (10 days after Pentecost), August 15 (Assumption), and November 1 (All Saints' Day).

Language -- German, of course, is the official language, but English is widely understood. Germans start learning English in grade school. Chances are you won't need to invest in the Berlitz book for German.

Lost & Found -- Be sure to tell all of your credit card companies the minute you discover that your wallet has been lost or stolen. Your credit card company or insurer also may require that you file a police report and provide a report number or record of the loss. Most credit card companies have an emergency toll-free number to call if your card is lost or stolen; they may be able to wire you a cash advance immediately or deliver an emergency credit card in a day or two. Visa's emergency number, outside the U.S., is tel. 410/581-3836; in Germany it's 0800/8118440; or you can call collect. American Express cardholders should call collect at tel. 336/393-1111. MasterCard holders should call collect at tel. 314/542-7111.

Identity theft and fraud are potential complications of losing your wallet, especially if you've lost your driver's license along with your cash and credit cards. Notify the major credit-reporting bureaus immediately; placing a fraud alert on your records may protect you against liability for criminal activity. The three major U.S. credit-reporting agencies are Equifax (tel. 800/766-0008; www.equifax.com), Experian (tel. 888/397-3742; www.experian.com), and TransUnion (tel. 800/680-7289; www.transunion.com). Finally, if you've lost all forms of photo ID, call your airline and explain; they might allow you to board the plane if you have a copy of your passport or birth certificate and a copy of the police report you've filed. If you need emergency cash over the weekend when all banks and American Express offices are closed, you can have money wired to you via Western Union (tel. 800/325-6000; www.westernunion.com).

Mail -- General delivery -- mark it POSTE RESTANTE -- can be used in any major town or city in Germany. You can pick up your mail upon presentation of a valid identity card or passport. Street mailboxes are painted yellow. It costs 1.70€ for the first 5 grams (about 1/5 oz.) to send an airmail letter to the United States or Canada, and 1€ for postcards. All letters to the U.K. cost .70€.

Maps -- The tourist offices of every major German town or city will give you a map of their town. Most of these are adequate unless you're seeking the most obscure streets or lanes. If you're going on a road tour of Germany, you can purchase road maps at all gasoline stations and most major bookstores. In our experiences the most detailed and reliable of German road maps are published by either Falk Verlag or the auto club ADAC (by Shell).

Police -- Throughout the country, dial tel. 110 for emergencies.

Smoking -- Check before lighting up. Germany is in a state of flux regarding public smoking. Smoking is banned in public buildings. Restaurants and bars allow smoking only if they have set aside separate rooms.

Taxes -- As a member of the European Union, Germany imposes a tax on most goods and services known as a value-added tax (VAT) or, in German, Mehrwertsteuer. Nearly everything is taxed at 16%, including vital necessities such as gas and luxury items such as jewelry. Food and books are taxed at 7%. VAT is included in the prices of restaurants and hotels. Goods for sale, such as cameras, also have the 16% tax already factored into the price. Stores that display a tax-free sticker will issue you a Tax-Free Shopping Check at the time of purchase. When leaving the country, have your check stamped by the German Customs Service as your proof of legal export. You can then get a cash refund at one of the Tax-Free Shopping Service offices in the major airports and many train stations, even at some of the bigger ferry terminals. Otherwise, you must send the checks to Tax-Free Shopping Service, Mengstrasse 19, 23552 Lübeck, Germany. If you want the payment to be credited to your bank card or your bank account, mention this. There is no airport departure tax.

Time -- Germany operates on Central European Time (CET), which means that the country is 6 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time (EST) in the United States and 1 hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Summer daylight saving time begins in Germany in April and ends in September -- there's a slight difference in the dates from year to year -- so there may be a period in early spring and in the fall when there's a 7-hour difference between EST and CET.

Tipping -- If a restaurant bill says Bedienung, that means a service charge has already been added, so just round up to the nearest euro. If not, add 10% to 15%. Bellhops get 1€ per bag, as does the doorperson at your hotel, restaurant, or nightclub. Room-cleaning staffs get small tips in Germany, as do concierges who perform some special favors. Tip hairdressers or barbers 5% to 10%.

Toilets -- Use the word Toilette (pronounced twah-leh-tah). Women's toilets are usually marked with an F for Frauen, and men's toilets with an H for Herren. Germany, frankly, doesn't have enough public toilets, except in transportation centers. The locals have to rely on bars, cafes, or restaurants -- and using them isn't always appreciated if you're not a paying customer.

Visitor Information -- All cities and nearly all larger towns in Germany have tourist offices. The German National Tourist Board headquarters is at Beethovenstrasse 69, 60325 Frankfurt am Main (tel. 069/751903; www.germany-tourism.de or www.cometogermany.com).

In the U.S., they can be reached at 122 E. 42nd St., Ste. 2000, New York, NY 10017 (tel. 212/661-7200).

In Canada, tourist offices are at 480 University Ave., Ste. 1500, Toronto, ON M5G 1V2 (tel. 877/315-6237 or 416/968-1685). In the U.K., you can write P.O. Box 2695, London W1A ETN (tel. 020/7317-0808).