EUR 75 to EUR 160 for a mid-range double, more during trade fairs and Oktoberfest. By law you must hand over a physical passport or ID card at check-in - a photo of it is not legally sufficient.
- Bring the physical passport to check-in. German law obliges hosts to inspect the original document - a photo or scan on your phone is not sufficient and a desk may refuse you.
- A mid-range double is EUR 75 to EUR 160, a hostel dorm bed EUR 25 to EUR 55.
- Trade fairs wreck the market. During a Messe in Frankfurt, Duesseldorf, Munich or Cologne, and during Oktoberfest, rates double or triple and availability collapses.
- Tourist taxes are charged on top - Berlin 5% of the net room rate, Frankfurt EUR 2.00 a person a night, Hamburg on a sliding scale.
- In Berlin, Mitte puts you in walking distance of everything, Prenzlauer Berg is quieter, Charlottenburg smarter. In Frankfurt, do not book blind in the Bahnhofsviertel just because it is cheap.
Bring the physical passport to check-in. Section 29 of the Federal Registration Act obliges every commercial host to record foreign guests on a Meldeschein and inspect the original document. A photo or a scan on your phone is not legally sufficient and a reception desk may refuse you.
| Type | Price per night |
|---|---|
| Hostel dormitory bed | EUR 25 to 55 |
| Private budget room | EUR 50 to 80 |
| Mid-range 3-star double | EUR 75 to 160 |
| 4-star and above | EUR 180 to 450 and up |
- Trade fairs wreck the market. During a Messe in Frankfurt, Duesseldorf, Munich, Cologne or Hanover, and during Oktoberfest from late September to early October, rates double or triple and availability collapses. Check the fair calendar before fixing dates.
- Booking platforms: Booking.com and Airbnb dominate; HRS.de is the German platform worth checking for independent hotels.
- Tourist taxes are charged on top: Berlin 5% of the net room rate, Frankfurt EUR 2.00 per person per night, Hamburg EUR 0.50 to EUR 4.00 per person per night on a sliding scale. Business travellers can often be exempted with an employer letter.
Where to stay for a first visit
- Berlin: Mitte for walking distance to the Brandenburger Tor, Museum Island and the Reichstag; Prenzlauer Berg for quiet 19th-century streets and cafes; Charlottenburg for the calmer, smarter west around Kurfuerstendamm.
- Munich: Altstadt-Lehel beside Marienplatz and the museums; Maxvorstadt for galleries and student life; Haidhausen east of the Isar for a residential feel and old taverns.
- Frankfurt: Innenstadt and Altstadt around the Roemerberg for the centre; Sachsenhausen across the Main for apple wine taverns; Westend for a quiet, elegant base near the Palmengarten. Avoid booking blind in the Bahnhofsviertel just because it is cheap and next to the station.
Comments
No comments yet. Share the first one.
Share a tip
Sign in to continue.