Whenever we visit a new place, there are always things that surprise us. Germany was no different. Here are a few things that surprised us about Germany.
If you’re visiting Munich, getting a beer at the world famous Hofbrauhaus is a must!
1. People drink beer and wine at all times of the day.
In the United States, it’s generally frowned upon to have a beer in the morning, but in Germany, people drink beer with their breakfast or have a mulled wine in the morning. No one thinks twice about it. Several states here won’t allow you to buy alcohol before or after a certain time of day. In Germany, it was sold basically everywhere at all times of the day.
2. It’s perfectly normal to see people walking around with beers
Yep, walking around the streets, on the train, on the buses. It’s a normal thing to do in Germany. In the States, due to lawsuits and over-regulation, we have so many rules on where you can drink.
Despite the lax rules in Germany, we didn’t come across one person who was super drunk or acting belligerent. The rules around alcohol in the States cause people to act like fools because alcohol, in a lot of ways, feels forbidden or naughty. Maybe if we loosened up the rules and made alcohol not a big deal, people would treat it as such.
3. Public transit is an “honor system”.
Not really, but kind of. You’re supposed to pay for a ticket, but unlike other countries, we saw no machines to scan or validate those tickets. If you wanted to ride, you simply walked on. According to what we read, occasionally there are people checking tickets, but we didn’t come across any. That said, don’t be a jerk and pay to ride the public transit.
The storefronts are beautifully decorated around Christmastime!
4. Most stores are closed on Sunday
In the US, most stores are open every day, but that’s not the case in Germany. Many stores are closed on Sundays there. If you plan on visiting, be prepared to do your shopping on other days.
