A cultural travel guide to the world

Etiquette & taboos

Etiquette & taboos

Understanding local customs is where a journey begins. Find the topics that matter to you and feel at ease wherever you go.

Germany

3 rules found

Local customsEveryday mannersCountry-wide guidance · 德国

Germany: Greet with a handshake and use Herr or Frau with the surname

Do

  • Greet new people with a firm handshake and eye contact
  • Say Guten Tag in formal settings; Hallo is fine among friends
  • Address people as Herr or Frau plus their surname
  • Switch to first names only when the other person suggests it
  • In Bavaria you can reply with Grüß Gott; in the north, Moin is common

Don’t

  • Don't hug or kiss on the cheek at a first meeting
  • Don't use first names before a relationship has been established

Getting it wrong is rarely a big deal, but being too casual at a first meeting can seem rude. Guten Tag is the safest choice in formal settings.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Fly Homes: How to greet in Germany

Local customsTippingCountry-wide guidance · 德国

Germany: Tell the server the total including tip; don't leave it on the table

Do

  • When paying, tell the server the total you want to pay, tip included
  • For example, on a €24.80 bill, say "28"
  • Around 5%–10% is usual; for small bills, just round up
  • By card, choose a tip on the terminal, or pay the bill by card and tip in cash

Don’t

  • Don't leave the tip on the table
  • Don't feel bound by the terminal's preset percentages
  • Don't add 15%–20% as you might in the US

A tip is a voluntary thank-you: no one will reproach you for not tipping, and you can skip it for poor service. German restaurants generally don't add a separate service charge, and prices usually include tax.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: German to Go: In cafés and restaurants

Local customsEveryday mannersPlace-specific guidance · 德国

Germany: most shops close on Sundays

Do

  • Shop for food and essentials on Saturday
  • If you need to shop on Sunday, go to shops at railway stations, airports or petrol stations

Don’t

  • Planning a shopping trip for Sunday

There is no penalty — you will just find everything closed. Sunday is protected as a day of rest by the constitution, and each state allows only a few 'open Sundays' a year.

Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Library of Congress law blog: Germany's shop opening laws

Site-specific notes 16

Taken from the "don'ts" on each site page here. Open a site for its full etiquette and background.

Neuschwanstein Castle

  • Private photography and filming are banned inside the castle
  • don't bring large backpacks or pushchairs inside
  • drones are banned in the castle area.

Brandenburg Gate

  • Never give a Nazi salute or display Nazi symbols (a criminal offence)
  • don't climb on or fool around at the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
  • don't cross on red (Germans are very particular about this).

Cologne Carnival

  • Shouting Düsseldorf's "Helau" in Cologne
  • running into the float procession
  • walking against the flow on parade routes

Port of Hamburg

  • Do not enter dock working areas
  • do not stand outside the ship's railings while under way
  • do not touch museum exhibits

Sanssouci Palace

  • Do not touch the furniture or furnishings
  • do not take prams or strollers into the exhibition rooms
  • do not walk on the lawns or flower beds

Black Forest

  • Do not pick protected plants
  • do not enter private woodland or hunting grounds
  • do not head for high ground during thunderstorms

Upper Middle Rhine Valley

  • Do not enter private vineyards to pick grapes
  • do not climb over the guardrails at castle ruins
  • do not fool around at the edge of the deck

Dresden

  • Do not talk loudly inside churches
  • do not touch museum exhibits
  • do not take photos where photography is prohibited

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

  • Do not make noise
  • do not touch exhibits casually
  • do not climb the protected walls or go beyond the tower railings

Cologne Cathedral

  • Don't cross the nave or use flash photography during Mass and prayer times
  • don't count on storing suitcases and bulky luggage — there is a security check at the entrance and large luggage is refused entry
  • don't graffiti or carve on the south tower walls or the square's steps — the square is under round-the-clock surveillance

Museum Island, Berlin

  • Do not imagine you can properly see all five museums in one day — Berliners universally recognise this as the "greed trap"
  • do not touch exhibits or lean on display cases, which applies equally in the large stone-carving galleries
  • do not wander around the entrances of galleries closed for renovation looking for a way in — check the open list on the official website before setting out
Show 4 more

Nymphenburg Palace

  • Don't walk on the lawns or flower beds
  • don't feed the swans and waterbirds on the canal
  • no flash inside the palace

Marienplatz and the New Town Hall

  • It gets crowded during the show, so watch your belongings
  • don't climb the railings around the Mariensäule
  • don't cycle through the crowds on the pedestrian street

Nuremberg Christmas Market

  • Don't linger taking photos in front of crowded stalls
  • the square is extremely busy, so watch your belongings
  • avoid bringing pushchairs at the busiest times

Munich Oktoberfest

  • Don't bring large bags: only bags up to 3 litres and no bigger than 20×15×10 cm are allowed
  • don't walk off with the beer mugs
  • don't force your way into full tents in the evening — entrances may close temporarily