Germany ??

[Grianan]

We’re setting off for Germany in a couple of weeks. Our route is likely to be circular - down Rhine, then East towards Regensburg, then north through Czech Republic and finally west through old East Germany back to Holland.

Couple of questions.

1) Are we likely to need cash rather than card for campsites and Stellplatz? If so, is 30€ a night likely to cover it - 2 Adults initially then picking up a (our) 15yo in Regensburg
2) Do cafes, restaurants, small shops, supermarkets accept cards?

Thanks ?

 

[Landy Andy]

You need cash for Germany. They love it, and hate cards. Was there last week, and was very surprised how cash needy they are. Even when spending a couple of hundred euros. Supermarkets and fuel is ok for cards.

 

[rb62]

We've been to Germany five times up to now,plenty of free stellplatz although we do pay at our favourite, €5 at Wald near Marktoberdorf

 

[bigtree]

I don’t think it’s that they are cash needy I think it’s that they only spend what they can afford and not get in serious debt like hundreds of thousands of Brit’s using credit cards. When I got some repair work done at the Frankia factory a few years ago I had to pay cash and it wasn’t two bobs worth.

 

[hilldweller]

The way things are shaping up I'd take a big sack of deutchmarks.

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[The Dudess]

30 euros will probably buy you 3 nights if not longer on most stellplatz, but, yes you need cash.

 

[Landy Andy]

It’s not due to getting into debit, as most purchases are debit card, not credit cards, it’s due to the fact that they have to pay such high charges on card transactions. Which they refuse to do. The system wants their money.

 

[Snowbird]

Cash is still king in Germany . They have to pay a monthly fee for credit cards, even if the full balance is paid off each month. Having bought several vans in Germany, many will not even except a bank transfer and demand cash. I do really like Germany for there cash is king attitude.

 

[sueandjohn]

You need cash for Germany. They love it, and hate cards. Was there last week, and was very surprised how cash needy they are. Even when spending a couple of hundred euros. Supermarkets and fuel is ok for cards.

Cash!! Definitely

 

[tacr2man]

This one might be useful https://www.campercontact.com/de/de...stfalen/soest/852/wohnmobilplatz-am-citymotel easy access off 44 about 4 km . BTW Leipzig is brilliant for shopping

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[DangerMousy]

You definitely need to carry plenty of cash in Germany: of the 14 paid-for places we have stayed in Germany (Stellplaetze and campsites) 10 have been cash only. Campsites have cost us about £28/€31 per night on average and Stellplaetze £7.70/€8.50 (there are plenty of free ones, but the ones near major cities are often expensive).

Supermarkets take cards - I haven't found one yet which doesn't. Cafes and small shops.....it varies hugely. In cities you'll find most places (but not all!) will take card, but in smaller towns you're best to plan for cash (and if they take card its a pleasant surprise), One pattern we've observed is that places which attract a lot of American tourists (or visitors from nearby American bases) tend to take cards more often than other places.

 

[49780]

This why motorhome users are excellent targets for 'local feral life'.

 

[EuroTrotters]

From experience, Stelplatz range from free to around €10 a night, sites a lot more.

I have rarely had an issues with cards, and we have been traveling by road to Germany since we had our honeymoon there 30 years ago. Though many say they have had issues.

I have had problems in the past at Aldi and LIdl with cards. Of all places! They did not take Visa or Mastercard, only SOLO. Same with train tickets on the Dutch border.

 

[LesW]

Make sure that you have plenty of one and two euro coins.

We spent two weeks recently staying on 'aires' and payment was generally with coins.

Didn't use campsites so can't comment on them.

 

[Garfields]

Take some ear plugs for the Rhine if you are a light sleeper
Some great places to visit but you're never far from the railway lines
They are both sides of the river and run 24/7

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[Lenny HB]

Apart from Stellaplatz with coin machines we have not much trouble using cards over the last 5 - 10 years apart from supermarkets but since Aldi & Lidl started taking cards that has changed.

30/40 years ago even fuel stations didn't take cards. Anywhere that did take cards charged an extra 2.5 - 5% I remember buying a Sony C7 video recorder in the early 80' s had to pay an extra 3% but still over £200 cheaper than in the UK.

 

[sueandjohn]

We didn’t find a single cafe or bar that took cards last year in the Mosel and most strllplatz needed cash. It was so bad bad we were on the point of borrowing euros off other funster . No bureaux de change , eventually found a bank

 

[Garfields]

We didn’t find a single cafe or bar that took cards last year in the Mosel and most strllplatz needed cash. It was so bad bad we were on the point of borrowing euros off other funster . No bureaux de change , eventually found a bank

Never had any issues getting more dosh out of bank cash machines in Germany
May not always be the best exchange rate but prefer not to be carrying big amounts of money at one time
More concerned about loosing it as being mugged though

 

[49780]

Strange that such occurencies like theft/robbery rarely go reported here, probably due to embarrasment, it shouldnt be so, if one experience reported here saves another or few from it happening its a sucess. I have a friend who works for the Bundesjustizamt, its a the main judiciary in Germany for short, a recent FOI on tourist robbery/theft showed that tourists traveling with motorhomes and caravans are more likely to have an incident than other road users, because they are more likely to carry large sums of cash, awareness and diligence is key, there are always more eyes on a cashpoint than the one authorised to take it out.

 

[Garfields]

Strange that such occurencies like theft/robbery rarely go reported here, probably due to embarrasment, it shouldnt be so, if one experience reported here saves another or few from it happening its a sucess. I have a friend who works for the Bundesjustizamt, its a the main judiciary in Germany for short, a recent FOI on tourist robbery/theft showed that tourists traveling with motorhomes and caravans are more likely to have an incident than other road users, because they are more likely to carry large sums of cash, awareness and diligence is key, there are always more eyes on a cashpoint than the one authorised to take it out.

Agree you still need to be vigilant anywhere but no more than I am at home
Railway stations / main tourist sites etc you need a bit of common sense

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