You need to know about this for your trip to Germany
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- Опубликовано: 8 июл 2024
- If you're planning a trip to Germany in the year 2024, there are a few things you may need to know. Or at least bear in mind.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:12 Train trouble
01:42 Excurse: the Deutschlandticket
02:19 Football frenzy
03:05 Cannabis caution
04:27 Epilogue
Music:
"Hot Swing"
by Kevin MacLeod incompetech.com/
Creative Commons Attribution licence
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Thank you for updating me even as a native
I'm a native, too. Andrew ist präziser, sorgfältiger und auf den Punkt als die meisten einheimischen Nachrichten.
Me too. I had no idea about the football tournament 😅
@@ForboJack I did so I planned my trip to a week before
I'm literally going to Germany this summer on an interrail trip, I'm convinced you were listening to me and just wanted to warn me about the train cancellations 😭
Luckily a friend told me about the football (which I didn't even know about cause I'm not a sports fan) beforehand or I would probably not have been able to get cheap hostels
If your train is cancelled you will be offered an alternative on any train that’s still running on that route for free- and there’s should not be an insane amount of cancellations - I was stuck in Basel during the strike and still managed to get where I needed to go eventually a few hours later
Why summer?
I watch a lot of _Jet Lag: The Game_ who are constantly running into problems with German trains.
Little loophole on the weed: as long as you don’t get caught selling or buying, you can say “you found it”. And the 25g posession should also apply to tourists… even though I suspect the cops, might hassle you, because even they could figure out that you either brought or bought the stuff. Just insist on your story of “finding it” in the park or smth. And they’ll have to let you go after a few hours tops. But don’t take that as encouragement for criminal offences…
Only Saxony and Bavaria announced plans to use this law as restrictively as possible. Those two states are Germany's Alabama and Texas.
The reality will be - cops will not care until you trigger them and you are not obviously near a school or playground.
In Bavaria, towns erect pseudo playgrounds where no kid wants to play - just to prevent weed.
Greetings from the US, where a cannabis shop is next to me and I'd never go there as for a foreigner on green card - it is still federally forbidden i.e. a controlled substance. So I could get deported smoking weed when a federal agent sees me and wants it.
@@PascalGienger saxony seems more like the german florida... Crazy conspiracy theorists, drug abuse and far right extremism...
Im ok with the Texas/Bavaria thing, but the german Alabama is still the Saarland...
This Easter it seems almost no trains are running at all in the Stuttgart region. I'm going to a two day interview and I have to take a bus replacement service. That said, the service has been pretty good, with a bus every 15 minutes between Stuttgart and Tübingen.
As you say though, it's still a great country, even if it does have a few issues that need dealing with at the moment.
Good luck with the job *thumbsup*
Train cancelations really are a thing in Germany. A few days ago I stood on a platform of a medium sized train station when five minutes before departure of the local train it was announced that the train was cancelled because of no personnel. The next train too. Fortunately, the DB navigator app helps a lot to reschedule. But it was still a big nuisance. On other days evry thing works smooth like butter, but still...
I also recommend you put the DB app on your phone. You can find alternative routes should you be delayed or your train is cancelled
I love that somebody informs about Germany in perfect understandable precisely pronounced British English.
Bless you!
¡Salud!
Gesundheit!
I study city planning so when I hear "see effects in a few years" I go Oh? That fast? Because I am used to these things taking a very long time. Like a decade from concept to finishing is normal.
Only a decade?
@@SamAronow decade is for a smaller-scale project; obviously the bigger the project, the longer it is going to take.
Hamburg and Bremen both transformed former harbor areas into new districts/ are still doing so; a project like that takes several decades
7-8 years is the absolute minimum for just about ANYTHING.
I assume the plans for rail expansion have been on file for years, just waiting to get enacted.
Also I imagine the questions of ownership and permission are a lot quicker when you have it all in one hand. If you need to acquire more land, that will probably take way longer to realize.
@@MrHodoAstartes whenever you want to mess with the railway system there is a time period after you have decided to change the railways where legally you habe to send it to EVERY single organizations that is going to use the rails and wait if they habe something today (I'm kind of fuzzy on the exact amount of time they have rn but I'm pretty sure it's somewhere between 1.5-3.5 this is something one professor mentioned once years ago I really Cannot remember more right now)
This includes stuff like building a bridge across the railways.
But in general, dealing with trains/ railways makes an inherently messy and sow moving profession even messier and more slow moving.
We're talking about cross-country routes rather than urban city planning. But the government and DB are trying out some new techniques that should speed up progress immensely: it's currently being trialled on the main Frankfurt-Mannheim-Basel line, and so far it's looking good.
Most of the work is on upgrading existing lines rather than constructing new lines, so there shouldn't be any delays caused by nimbyism, which is a major factor in Germany.
I think the UK also experiences delays, cancellations and strikes (since June 2022). Over 15% of trains ran at least 5 minutes late which is what the definition of on time by UK standards. In case of delays/cancellations, a (partial) refund is available. It either has to be cancelled (a full refund) or delayed by at least 15 minutes (depending on the length of the delay and what ticket was purchased). [edit:] and also, UK is constructing some of HS2 from London to Birmingham but initially went onto Leeds and Manchester before removing it from the plan altogether. The (main) purpose of HS2 is not speed but capacity since UK railways are full to the brim.
And all without the major upgrades...
Yes, but the remaining HS2 project is a separate route. In the case of Germany, the existing rail network is being intervened everywhere, and entire sections (e.g. Frankfurt-Mannheim, the artery to the south) are even being completely closed for months, because it is being rebuilt from scratch.
15% late? try >40% with DB last year 🥲
Also... they don't count cancelled trains as late, so these stats would be even worse otherwise.
@@MegaBanane9And that's only for the high speed trains. Your normal regional commuter trains aren't even in those statistics, because the lines where either pushed to subsidiary companies or outsourced to subcontractors.
5 minutes is not even counted as a delay for DB.
Me planning a Deutschlandticket city-hopping trip in April: I’m in danger *chuckle*
BTW, just for fun, I mapped out that 100-metre exclusion zone for my town. It covers a bit over 75% of the area. And if you want to linger in the remaining area, you need to stand around on the sidewalk. Although there's one bus stop that may have a bench, I'm not quite sure.
So that "in public" rule is what we call a "Blendgranate". Sounds good on paper, but in practice the exception is the rule.
According to the "Bubatzkarte", my city is also like 75% covered. But even our street running from a preschool to a playground has a nice side path going all the way to the forest (I'm sure the moment the conservative party takes power here, we'll get 1 slide and 1 swing on this path).
But the forest seems to be the only legal public place, every public part in my area has a slide and maybe a swing set (which is good I believe). If the... "art installation" in the main road counts, which I don't consider a playground but is made for kids, I'm surprised how we even have 3 gambling halls in the city. They're not allowed 200m from a school after all.
Basically, find a gambling ally or a forest if you want to smoke, and check with the bubatzkarte.
Better but a towel on that bench, then!
The 100 m limit is an upper limit only. The real rule is about line of sight. If there's a playground less than 100 m away but it's around the corner and not visible from your location, you're good to go.
@@fritzp9916 so if you smoke quite a lot and cover yourself in a cloud of smoke, you're good.
Great advice! :)
Great info. Thanks Andrew.
Thanks for the video, and info. I will not be arriving till July 16th. I enjoy traveling with trains, and have been looking at the DB notifications. The only main one that would affect my travels is the train to Köln. Looks that there will be some rebuilding of the rails during my planned day trip. Lucky most travels will be with RMV in Darmstadt and Frankfurt. Unless we go out to Odenwald.
Thank You for the reminder about the Euros. I'm going walking in the Alps from the 6th July to the 22nd. We are starting in southern Bayern and only passing through Munich and some other places hosting games on the train on the way so I expect I'll be fine.
Interesting video and information. Thank you! I'm not a tourist, I've recently moved here
Bless you
Bless you! 😁
Euro 2024: As you mentioned there always will be some drunk ppl who try to start trouble. But there will also be a lot of police around... I can just highly encourage ppl to visit the cities on a matchday. It's a big party and an experience you sholudn't miss.
Weed: Accurate. As a tourist it's impossible to buy weed legally. But... It will be also impossible not to get some if you really want some. And since you're allowed to carry weed with you and also to smoke it the only thing the police can come up with is the fact you bought it. But unless they really catch you in the act of buying it you theoretically can have found it lying around on the ground... Or a weird German stoner gifted it to you... I don't wanna encourage anyone to ruin their vacancy here. But I think smoking weed won't get you in big trouble. Follow the rules around consumption ( playgrounds, schools ) and nobody will care. Exception: Bavaria.
Especially for our dutch neighbors: You're still not allowed to bring weed with you from the Netherlands. Nothing has changed at that point.
Well, couldn't a dutch person just lose their stash at the border by throwing it over? On the German side then have that stoner experience: "Oh look, some moron lost their exact 25.0g of orange buds. I wonder who would ever be THAT dumb???"
thanks
An addendum to where it is allowed to smoke weed: it has to be "out of sight" of schools, playgrounds etc. That means either 100m away (so too far away for the poorchildren to see anything) or physically out of sight, like around the corner or the next street over.
I just travelling around Germany on db most route are been worked on trains have been long delays . 49 euro ticket is bargain. But national police are very tough and drinking out in public may be restrictions. North of Berlin and near leipzig have the biggest rail projects and heavy delays on rail as of this week.one final thing if you passport lost or stolen which happened to me allow 4 day at present to get emergency one thank you for great you tube chanel john
I'm taking the train to Munich for the Easter holiday today, and back to Zurich on April 1. Let's see how it goes. Luckily I don't smoke, tobacco or otherwise. Also, I've made a note to avoid Germany in June and July.
Heading to Germany for a month in a few days!
True, but you can finally smoke in public and no cop will bat an eye.
Wann kommt das nächste Video zu gesendeten Postkarten?
Gesundheit!
Also, smoking is forbidden in pedestrian precincts from 8am-8pm.
Not so. That was only so in a few places, and - most importantly - only during the Covid mask mandate.
We hope, construction sites will be part of the schedule, so not noticable by travellors. Just doing the same trip last year and this year, could give different experiences and travel times.
I just have a quick question, if someone out here could give me some clarity on. It is regarding the DB app. I'm trying to book an ICE train to Brussels from Frankfurt via DB app, but its not available. However, if I try to book the same ICE train through another app called Omio it is available for purchase. I really dislike booking trains/ flights through 3rd parties booking platforms. If someone out there could point me in the right direction. I would be very grateful. Thank you!
Comment written from inside a delayed DB train 😢
“However there is always a small number of people who might want to start trouble.”
Otherwise known as England supporters.
Only them? Apparently he only expects Krauts to be good-humored.
@@empymo the vast majority are, because they can hold their drink.
Question for coming Monday? What kind of April Fools are common in Germany, in comparison with the UK?
People are creative, it's very different from person to person. But newspapers, RUclips channels, Television, Radio etc... usually tell a fake or made up story on April fools.
Made up stories are quite often
Why did my harmless comment get deleted?
Individual people are usually very creative. And media outlets usually tell a made up story on April fools day.
I am frustrated because I want to answer you, but I can't 😢
Why do my answers disappear? They are absolutely harmless?
Basically there are no strikes until April 2025. EVG s agreement with DB is running out by 31.3.2025
True, but the EVG is usually less likely to actually strike.
Excellent public service announcement!
Not fantastic news since I am all booked in for a train to Berlin this year! Just in time for my arrival!
Nah, don't worry the regional and long distance trains are allways delayed and overly full in Berlin. U won't feel any difference. ^^
If it’s a long distance on a ICE or ICE I recommend booking a seat it’s only 4.90 euros ish per person per trip - if your getting a more local train I would recommend a bundle ticket depending on your areas your travelling and what transport association you are travelling though because there’s a lost of flexibility included like a state , city or region ticket eg Bayern ticket or berlin tageskarte
A few general tips for traveling by train in Germany:
- Buy your tickets early to get them at a good price.
- The cheapest tickets are only valid for one specific connection, but if your train gets cancelled or is late by 20 minutes or more, then you can use other trains of the same type or lower (ICE > IC/EC > RE).
- If you arrive at your destination with a delay of 60 minutes or more, then you can get a partial refund.
- Seat reservations are generally useless because of all those delays and cancelations - if you're alone and travel lightly! If you have a lot of luggage or are not alone, then you can reserve some seats - but another option is to upgrade your ticket(s) to first class, which is typically much less crowded.
- If you travel in the middle of summer, bring a USB-powered fan with you. The AC in the trains can still fail if it's exceptionally hot outside. Also, you might have to wait on a train platform, so prepare for the weather and pack something to drink.
- If you want to watch a film or series while you're on the way, download it onto your device before you leave. The trains have open WiFi, but it can be laggy if too many passengers use it at the same time, so streaming services may not work.
Fun fact: I booked a 18.65 Euro ticket to Berlin for the Saturday after Easter and just found out that my connection got canceled. So now I can switch to another connection of my choice.
arriving in Berlin this year should be possible
btw they have an airport now
Wann Bubatz really legal?
Andrew, the unreliable trains have become a problem to me. Not a big one because I mostly work from home, but when I have to show up at the company, I used to drive 15km to the railway station and take the train for the rest. But with trains being late or even cancelled, I started driving the 80km (one way) by car again, and no matter when I start, I'll either be too early or too late.
DB, you've ruined your reputation. Thoroughly. Continuous maintenance can't be replaced by expensive activism. That won't work.
that reputation was ruined decades ago,.. which you can see in some asian countries giving travel warning if you travel to germany about the unreliable train network...
I don't think DB had any reputation in the first place, judging by how people were talking about them the last years.
Thats what happens if the government decides to favor car infrastructure and neglects rail infrastructure for decades. Not surprising at all
@@UnnormaIwhile they were still a state owned company they were really reliable... none of that bs about "ooh snow in winter... every train gets delayed or canceled" or "oooh... leaves in autumn,.. cancel or delay" the trains were pretty much on time and you had little to no cancelation. when the state stepped back.. to be "competitive in private sector" they sold nearly all maintenance depots, personal, slowed the upgrades and laid off much personal... since then it went pretty much downhill, .. slowly in the beginning... but faster and faster as the years passed by
What activism?
And remember, brothels in Germany are legal and open 24/7 and only accept cash
4:00 Buying cannabis (
None of the above effects me. Yes, my son and I are going to Germany this year again but we go by car, neither of us is interested in blimming football so we arrive last week in August and leave first week in September and, finally, neither of us needs weed, not even for "medical" reasons.
A british guy telling that German rail infrastructure was bad. I mean he is totally right, but............................
I'll always travel by car cause it's much cheaper then an ICE train ticket, my journey starts the moment I want from where ever I want, I can take a break at any time and I don't have to sit next to annoying people for hours.
Hartmut Mehdorn 🤔🙄😕👎
the hero of BER?
While he did a lot wrong, don't make him the only scapegoat. His policies were the result of the wishes of the government, not just himself, and quite a few people believed a privatisation would wake up the "sleepy DB".
Nee, du kannst keine Aktiengesellschaft aus einem staatlichen Unternehmen machen, das geht nicht gut.
Und die Wartungsintervalle von 12 auf 14 Monate hochzusetzen, hat das ganze in eine Lage geführt, die für Mensch nicht unbedingt, dafür aber für Maschine schlecht ist... 🤔🙈🙉
Basically if you love massive delays and hard to access accommodations,packed roads,cramped trains, huge amounts of people that have no idea where anything is then come to Germany. 2024 is your year.
At least Russia knows where Ukraine is... 2024 is your year (and 2023 or.. 2022)
A comment from the outhouse empire...
@@s.l.9309 you know NOT every single Russian supports the illegal invasion of Ukraina right ? A sizable number have actually joined the Ukrainian army.
@@MATT-2042 So choose an other picture for your account.....
@@s.l.9309 why should i change my picture ?
Watch English football supporters. They're always the most drunk and therefore rioting...
smoking on trains is not allowed.
not very well thought through
Why isn't it thought through? I'd hate to be on a train with people smoking, whatever stuff it is they are smoking.
@@tillneumann406 join(t) in and relax
Smoking while being near other people, is harming other people around you. You are forcing people to smoke with you ,even if they don't want to. I find it very disrespectful to other people to force them to inhale your smoke.
Why do you find it okay to force other people to inhale your smoke, even if they don't want to? It's pretty egoistic, rude and disrespectful to force someone else to smoke against their will.
Germany was a great country I would advise avoiding it until the present government has been imprisoned or at least ousted from power. Unless, of course, you are very well off or rich. Oh! And expect chaos on the roads too.
Why would anybody want to go to Germany? If you can’t smoke weed and shoot guns that was the only interesting stuff you guys did.
You can shoot guns, you can earn a gun licence in Germany. Lots of people in Germany have guns. You can shoot guns recreationally in shooting sports clubs. We also have hunters in Germany.
You just get a licence, a mental health and background check. You can get a gun if you are not a criminal or a nutcase.
Some people are nice. Perhaps a nice German stoner can gift you some weed. Then it is legal for you as a tourist to smoke weed. Or you can also pretend you found the weed when you have some.
While the trains did work a lot better 40 years ago, because since then the wealthy have refused to make repairs in a timely manner, I used to smuggle hash and grass into the old BRD all the time. I hitchhiked across East Germany with lots of it on me, fer fooksakes, both of which activities were slightly frowned upon at the time. How difficult is any of this, really?
You know things have changed since then? You can't compare Germany 40 years ago to modern Germany today. 40 years ago I wasn't even born jet. And even 20 years ago I remember lots of stuff changed. Don't base your opinion about a country on experiences you had almost half a century ago.
This was almost half a century ago. And "East Germany"DDR doesn't even exist anymore. And there wasn't even an EU at the time. You can't compare this at all to Germany today.
@@sandralison7584
You're exactly right. There are so obviously no more unrepentant Nazis in Ostdeutschland. Was dachte ich ueberhaupt?
Bless you!
Gesundheit!
Gesundheit!