Germany Travel Myths Debunked: With the strong Euro a Germany trip is very expensive
Categories: General Travel Info
The Euro/Dollar conversion rate of roughly 1.4 (pay $1.4 for 1 Euro) has been relatively steady for a while now. Sometimes the rate goes up, and then it goes down again, but it keeps that 1.4 ratio on an average over time. That of course means that in general certain things in Germany are more expensive compared to buying them in the US - unless you're lucky and live in a country which has a more favorable exchange rate (e.g., in the UK). However, even with that exchange rate many items in Germany are still cheaper or relatively inexpensive.
Lets start with accommodations: A great way to safe a buck or two is by searching with our new search feature on the Live Like a German site. The enhanced Germany travel search engine makes it easy to find better vacation rental deals close to famous and popular tourist spots for a lot less than your expected prices in the most wanted places. You may have to drive a little (or walk) but your deal is better when in a village that is right in the tourist center!
For example, imagine you're planning to visit Heidelberg (Heidelberg vacation rentals | Heidelberg travel guide). Did you know about the town of Ladenburg (Ladenburg vacation rentals | Ladenburg travel guide), that has nice and affordable holiday apartments and has only 8 miles distance from down-town of Heidelberg? Here you can substantially save, sometimes 30%-40% per night. There are typically great public transportation options available to make it easy visiting popular attractions or shops.
Second, while staying in Germany many food items and groceries are priced reasonably. Also, eating out is not that expensive in general. For example, for 10-12 Euros on average you'll get a real nice dinner for 1 person. We feel though, that you often get a better meal for the value of your money than in many other places in the world as well as mostly better quality. In addition, we recommend preparing your own German meal. To make that easier we compiled a collection of "Eat Like a German" recipes on our site. Just go there and browse that recipe collection to see which ones you like. The ingredients and groceries needed can be obtained from the local grocery store or supermarket. Preparing your own food is a great way to save money and a fun family activity that lets you experience a part of daily German life.
There are a few items that are generally more expensive. For example, if you're used to lower gas prices unfortunately you will be disappointed to see high prices of 1.50 € per Liter for Superbenzin. We recommend to drive small cars that are economic and use less gas, or run run Diesel (which is cheaper compared to regular gas.)
To sum up, if you can save on accommodation using the Germany Travel Search on Live Like a German to find an affordable Germany vacation rental, preparing your own food for most of the time, you can still have a relatively inexpensive vacation while still enjoying lots of Germany and its culture.
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About this Article
This travel guide has been written by 
Bettina Kraft.
Bettina Kraft likes to write Germany related travel articles on Live Like a German - a site for exploring Germany, to learn more about its culture / language, and to find a great Germany vacation rental or holiday apartment when going on a Germany vacation. Bettina likes to help visitors from all over the world to experience Germany in a different, more personal way, and make it easy for them to do so by providing detailed travel tips and advise.
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