The maps below are designed to help you with your Germany travel planning. The top map shows the cities we recommend visiting, and the annotations will guide you to essential visitor information such as tipping, transportation, weather and climate, and finding lodging in Germany. If you're traveling by train, the next map shows rail routes and is annotated with rail information for Germany. A driving vacation can be planned using the distance information on the third map, and the rest of the maps are of the best German states to visit and roads to explore.
1. German Cities Map and Travel Essentials
The first question you should ask youself is "where on Earth do I want to go?" This map will show you our favorite cities in Germany to visit, along with information on the customs you'll find in Germany. How much do I tip? When is lunch? Are there speed limits on the autobahn? What in the world is an ICE train? There is information on Germany's tourist roads like the "romantic road" and the "castle road." And finally, if you're planning an off-season trip to Germany, you'll want to know the weather and historic climate for those cities. It's all available on this map page.
2. Germany Rail Map
Germany has fast and efficient rail service to all major cities and quite a few smaller cities and villages. Find out about public transportation on trains, train types and rail passes. One advantage to rail travel is that stations are generally in city centers, right where you'll want to be. No parking hassles, no long bus or taxi ride to your final destination, just drop your bags at a nearby hotel and start touring.
3. Germany Driving Distances
Here's a map and driving distance calculator for those who prefer getting out into the countryside in a car. German autobahns are fast and free--well, most are fast although there is some congestion in modern times near some of the larger metropolitan areas. One advantage of car travel is that you'll get to explore some of the German specialty roads, like the castle road or the romantic road. Gas is expensive, so look into diesel cars; diesel is widely available in Europe and European diesel cars are amazingly skimpy on fuel usage.
4. Germany States Map
While other countries have regions--Italy, for example, has the Tuscany region all dolled up for tourists--Germany has states. There are 16 of them.
Perhaps the best know of the states is the state of Bavaria. Tourists love the quaintness of the countryside and the attractions of its major city, Munich. They drink excessive amounts of beer there during Oktoberfest. But if you prefer wine, you might be better off exploring the Pfalz wine region in the state of Baden - Wurttemberg, for which, of course, there's a map.
5. Germany's Castle Road
This map shows the cities along Germany's famed Castle Road. If castles are your thing, here's a driving route that can be continued all the way to Prague. You can even do the Castle Road by bus if driving is a bother. We descibe the sites so you don't have to stop at the ones that don't interest you.
6. Romantic Road Map
Closely following an ancient trade route, the Romantic Road leads you through some of Germany's most compelling small cities and villages, including Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
The entire drive is a little over 260 miles, and takes you from the town of Würzburg in the Franken wine growing region to Fussen, where you can stay while visiting the castle called Neuschwanstein.
7. Bavaria Map
Of all the German States, Bavaria is the most known by tourists and potential tourists. It's also the largest of German states. Anchored by the compelling tourist destination called Munich, Bavaria is in some ways the "outback" of Germany: from moutains to plains, farmland to forest, the excitement of Oktoberfest to the sobering Dauchau, there's something for everyone here.
8. Baden Wurttemberg Map
Baden Wurttemberg is in some ways my favorite "state" of Germany. Here you'll find wonderful wine regions along with the good food that always goes along with them, spa towns like Baden Baden that have been around since Roman times, the Black Forest and old University towns like Heidelberg with its romantic castle ruins overlooking the river city. End up at Lake Constance (Bodensee) and you can drive around the enormous lake and see charming villages, islands full of gardens and butterflies and even an Island devoted to the monastic life--and vegetables.
