bettyk

Look for the daily fixed price menus (Tagesmenu) posted outside many cafes or restaurants. In virtually every town we have visited, whether small or large, you will find these specially priced 2- or 3-course lunches/dinners. Prices are usually under 10E, depending on the location.

h2babe

For a quick snack, I like getting curry-wurst, very popular dish in Berlin. They're cheap and tasty.

Hans

Salwa: hereīs a link but I donīt think that really helps. If it's a small fair, the prices of most hotels wonīt be affected. But if itīs a huge fair as the Buchmesse in Frankfurt in half a year, you see it directly in the prices (itīs mentioned in the hotel booking tools as Messe-Preis), so no need to check via a list of the fairs. Still:

http://www.messebau-direkt.de/Messek...art/index.html

As for cheap breakfast: bakeries are everywhere and you can get a sandwich in all of them and often also a cup of coffee.

Kristinelaine

Great ideas! Thanks, we'll use them the next time we go to Germany, which I hope will be this fall.

ecp222

tagging

RosieinOz

Helpful, thanks to all
Rosie

Woyzeck

I don't have much to add given all the good advice here.

I save on lodging by seeking out vacation rentals and rooms rather than traditional hotels. One thing I've noticed is that, since I can speak German, I can access many more potential rentals on the Internet. As a result, I can tap into a greater variety of more affordable rooms and apartments. This seems to work best in smaller towns, where it is a real advantage to view all available Ferienwohnungen in the town, rather than the one that has an English language website...which is invariably at the top end of the price range. I'd advise, if possible, having a friend who can speak German help search for lodging alternatives if you are searching on the Internet.

I find that the municipal websites often list numerous good vacation rentals and rooms. That's usually where I start my search and I've had good results.

The other no-brainer which bears reiterating is to simply park yourself at a bakery for breakfast, where you can sample pastries, get a coffee, and even stock up on snacks and lunch options for the rest of the day.

One thing that Americans often don't factor in during summer travel is the evening light. Some of my most pleasant memories in Germany involve packing a picnic and finding a scenic spot to eat (and drink wine or beer) outdoors. I've sat in a park until 10 or 11 PM before it got dark just enjoying a peaceful and very inexpensive picnic meal.

It also pays to figure out public transit. Not just use it, but calculate whether, for example, it makes sense to buy tickets individually, or purchase group tickets, weekend passes, and the like.

And finally, one way Americans can really save some Euros is to figure out and accept the tipping system in Germany. I have watched in horror as friends leave WAY too much to the waitress at the end of a meal, or a cab driver at the end of a fare. My friend was perplexed when the embarrassed cab driver returned 10 Euros to him after he tried to give a 20-Euro tip after a ride from the airport.

Thanks everyone!

Kristinelaine

So, I have to ask, how much should one tip in Germany?

Larryincolorado

The best book I have found for understanding German menus for those who don't understand German is Menu Master by Marling. Amazon and Barnes and Noble don't seem to be carrying the book new and are selling used ones for $15-$25, more than the $9.95 new price. However, by doing a Google search, I was able to find some places, like Le Travel Store (http://www.letravelstore.com), carrying it for $9.95.

Larryincolorado

As for tipping, a few trips ago I asked the woman where I was staying, in a Privatzimmer (Logos), how to tip. I told her what I did, and she scolded me for leaving too much. She said the bill should <u>only</u> be rounded up to the next Euro. So, for &euro;12,90, you would leave &euro;13,-.

I find that a little tight. I'm sure she would scold me again, but I never add much less than &euro;0.50. So, for example, for &euro;12,50 I would say, &quot;dreizehn Euro&quot; (&euro;13) but for &euro;12,70, I would say, &quot;fierzehn Euro&quot; (&euro;14). I have never felt that a waiter was unappreciative of that method. In fact, when it's close to the next Euro, and I round it up to the following Euro, they seem quite appreciative.

And, by the way, in Germany, you never leave the tip on the table. The waiter will say the amount, or might write it down for you, and you tell him what you want to give, including tip. For &euro;12,70, you could just hand him &euro;14 and say, &quot;Stimmt so&quot; (that is correct), or you could give him a &euro;20 note and say, &quot;Fierzehn Euro.&quot; It would pay to at least learn the numbers in German.

laura45

Hi. I am an American who just moved to Berlin (from Italy). We have found a few money-saving things so far...

Outside of the U7 metro stop at Konstanzer Strasse there is a park. On weekend afternoons/evenings in the summer many of the Thai families gather and cook all of their authentic foods. The families all sit around and eat together, play cards, listen to music, etc but you can also buy the food! They cook on electric or gas stoves and the presentation isn't much but it is delicious and CHEAP! You can even buy a big bottle of beer from the old German men who sit on the outter path of the park for 1 euro! The park is way off the beaten path but well worth it.

If you go to the Villa in Wannsee (where the Nazi's decided the &quot;Final Solution&quot there is a beautiful hotel/restaurant next to the Villa. Further up that road is a large statue of a lion and next to it a small kiosk/rest. where you can get the BEST bratwurst and currywurst we have had yet. 2 euros for a wurst and 2 euros for a plate of bratkartolffen (pardon my spelling, i am still learning!) which are sauteed potatoes with onions. You can then sit at a table that overlooks the lake.

As for hotel bookings in Europe, we have always used www.venere.com. The rates are discounted and the hotels are -what you see is what you get- based on pictures and user reviews. I stayed in Sorrento, Italy a few years ago and the hotel owner said that because we booked through Venere we actually got a bigger discount then mentioning &quot;Rick Steves recommended this hotel&quot;.

I will try to recall some other things that we have discovered in Berlin. I really appreciate this thread and plan to take advantage of many of the suggestions you have all made! Thank you!

Larryincolorado

Ops! Before Logos jumps on me, I'd better correct my spelling. That <u>v</u>ierzehn, not fierzehn (pronounced the same, though). I shouldn't try to spell phonetically, even in German. In terms of phonetics German is really a pretty good language, but there are few &quot;problems&quot;.

Larryincolorado

<u>Note to editor</u>.

We need an edit function for postings. It is so easy to miss mistakes until after you've posted, and then it's too late.

logos999

&gt;fierzehn
you bet, I would have jumped on you!
That's just as bad as writing &quot;Standart&quot; when you mean &quot;Standard&quot;.

(Unless we're talking about different ways of standing).

Larryincolorado

Ow, logos, I love it, Stand Art, (or, in the new spelling, is it Standart)?

For those of you who don't understand what we are saying (or who care), the German number 14, <i>vierzehn</i>, is pronounced approximatlely &quot;fear'-tsane. 'v' and 'f' are both pronounced 'f', (an inconsistancy in an otherwise phonetically consistent language. When writing quickly, I incorrectly spelled the word according to the English phonetics, fierzehn.

Larryincolorado

BTW, I have been thinking about this problem of how to save money traveling in Germany, and I recently addressed it on my website, www.germantravel-info.com/save.htm.

lvillinois

bkmk

logos999

&gt;or, in the new spelling, is it Standart
No, it's still and only &quot;Standard&quot;

marisylvia

Thanks for the useful and sometimes quirky information.