Safety in Germany

The general picture: Germany is orderly and safe, but watch your bag in the crowds at Alexanderplatz. Pickpockets work the U-Bahn and the main stations, where visitors are distracted by maps.

Certain areas: Gorlitzer Park in Berlin has a reputation for drug dealing and is not the place for a solo evening stroll. Stick to lit, busy streets in that part of Kreuzberg after dark.

Oktoberfest: theft spikes during the festival. Never leave a bag on a bench in a beer tent, and keep track of how much you have drunk, since that is what thieves are counting on.

Autobahns: the unrestricted stretches demand total concentration and closing speeds are higher than most visitors are used to. If you have not driven like that before, use the trains.

Healthcare: excellent, and expensive without insurance. Pharmacies close on Sundays, so carry a basic kit of what you actually use.

Fare dodging: travelling without a validated ticket is treated as a real offence and plain-clothes inspectors sweep carriages without warning. Never board without a ticket or an active app.

Schengen rules: non-EU visitors get 90 days in any 180 across the whole zone, and the new Entry/Exit System now logs the dates biometrically instead of stamping passports. Count carefully.

Germany has low street crime, and a tourist's main losses come not from fraudsters but from not knowing the rules. Still, a couple of schemes run.

Railway stations. Cologne Hauptbahnhof, Berlin Hauptbahnhof, Munich and Hamburg are pickpocket workplaces. The peak is the Christmas markets: dense crowds, mulled wine, unzipped coats.

The found gold ring. The Paris scheme again: a passer-by picks up a ring at your feet and asks for money "for the journey". The ring is brass.

Fake police. In Berlin and Munich, men in plain clothes with identification ask to inspect your wallet "for counterfeit notes". A real German officer will never check your money.

Ticket inspectors. Genuine ones wear plain clothes and show a badge — that is normal, not a scam. Telling them apart is easy: a real inspector issues a 60-euro penalty notice and will not take cash on the spot.

Bike and scooter rentals. Claims for scratches on return do happen. Film the condition before you ride.

Travelling without a ticket. Schwarzfahren is not an administrative matter but a criminal offence under section 265a. The penalty is 60 euros, and a repeat means a criminal case and a record. The main trap: in many cities the ticket must also be validated on the platform or in the carriage. A purchased but unvalidated ticket counts as no ticket.

Quiet hours. Ruhezeit runs from 22:00 to 06:00 and all day Sunday. Noise is prohibited literally: neighbours call the police, and the police come. This includes loud music in an apartment.

Nazi symbols. Displaying a swastika, giving the salute and similar acts are criminal under section 86a. Foreigners are detained for this regularly, including for a "joke" photo by the Reichstag. It ends in fines running to thousands of euros and deportation.

Crossing the road. Crossing on red with no traffic is a fineable offence. Germans wait, not out of fear but because children are watching.

Cycle lanes. The red strip on the pavement is a carriageway. Standing in it is physically dangerous: the cyclist has priority and will not brake.

Driving. Entering the centre of most cities requires an Umweltplakette emissions sticker; without one, a fine. On unrestricted autobahn stretches there is no speed limit, but the right-hand lane is kept strictly clear.

Vaccinations. None mandatory. For hiking in the forests of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, discuss tick-borne encephalitis vaccination with a doctor — those states are endemic.

Water. Tap water is drinkable and tightly regulated. Restaurants do not serve it; that is a cultural habit, not a sign of a problem.

Ticks. Southern Germany carries both encephalitis and Lyme disease. Check yourself after woodland, children especially.

Healthcare. Excellent. Emergency treatment is given to everyone, but an uninsured foreigner is billed in full at German prices. A policy is essential, and a Schengen visa requires one anyway.

How appointments work. You book ahead with a Hausarzt; at weekends the Notdienst on 116 117 covers urgent cases. The Notaufnahme emergency department is for genuine emergencies only.

Pharmacies. Apotheke, marked with a red A. Many familiar medicines require a prescription in Germany, and over-the-counter ones cost noticeably more than at home. Bring a basic kit.

Germany ranks in the upper part of the Corruption Perceptions Index. Bribes are not taken, and trying to settle a matter with money will sharply worsen your position.

Numbers. 110 for police, 112 for ambulance and fire. Both work in English.

Reporting theft. An Anzeige can be filed at any station, and many states accept online submissions through the Internetwache. The certificate for your insurer is issued immediately, and you will also need it to replace a passport.

Identity checks. Police may establish your identity. Carry a passport copy and keep the original in the safe. Stay calm during a check: German police are formal but correct.

Demonstrations. Berlin and Hamburg see large protests where water cannon are used. A foreigner is best off simply leaving the area.

What actually threatens your wallet. Not crime but fines: tickets, stickers, parking, noise. The German system runs automatically and makes no allowance for ignorance.