How to Travel like a German Local

I am going to be doing a lot of traveling around Germany next month and as my local German friend Hinako said, trains and buses are the way to get around! Although flights within Europe are super cheap, there is something calming about seeing the land zoom by on land transportation. A plane might be faster travel time, but by the time you add the transportation to and from the airport, the security check, the waiting, the delays, you have missed the sights by land. Hinako mentioned these three companies that I should use to get from city to city.

Thalys Train

Destinations 

Big cities within Germany, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, United Kingdom

Tickets

1. Flex (in Comfort 1)
2. Semi-Flex (in Comfort 1 or 2)
3. No-Flex (in Comfort 2)

• Board ticketless, with an ID.

Beers around Germany

Germany is the capital of beers, lagers, and ales. Although I prefer wine, I look forward to becoming more educated on beers. I am going to go about this venture by becoming familiar with the German beer terms and then order the most local or popular beer at every joint. I will probably get so spoiled by German beers, that I won’t want to drink the ones we have here in the states. The name of the beers are linked to a website with more information or a video.

Popular Cuisine from Germany

Food is one of my passions and I want to dedicate this post to it. The idea of endless combinations of ingredients to create delicious dishes is so exciting. I love trying new ethnic cuisines and experimenting with new recipes. I’m quite adventurous when it comes to food. I have tried a pigeon stew in Italy, a cow's tail in France, and a crocodile sausage in New Orleans to name a few. So you can imagine that when I travel, my taste buds are in heaven!

Germany will be no exception. I’m looking forward to going to different regions and tasting their unique cuisines. Each state has distinct ingredients than vary their dishes. 

Germans are known for their hearty and meaty dishes with tons of sausage and potatoes. Below, I have chosen four regions I will be visiting and explored their local foods dishes. The links on a few of the foods will lead you to a recipe. Maybe you will want to give one of these German specialties a try.

Top 3 German Cities

Fun fact: Germany is the 5^th most traveled to country in Europe and the 7^th more visited worldwide. It is one of the safest travel destinations worldwide.

The goal of this post is to give an introduction to three major cities in Germany I plan on visiting. I will be in Germany’s capital, Berlin, for two weeks attending a contemporary dance workshop at the State Ballet School of Berlin. I am looking forward to this exciting opportunity to explore a country I’ve never visited before and dance in a country I never have before. Following the program, I plan on traveling to several of Germany’s other great cities, including Munich and Cologne.

Berlin is the capital of Germany and indeed the largest of its cosmopolitan cities. Its population is close to 3.5 million and has become the center of politics, culture, media, and science of the country. It is the home of the renowned Berlin Opera and Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. The city’s most famous landmark is the Brandenburg Gate; it used to be a symbol of separation, but now the gate is the scene of artistic and cultural inspiration. I look forward to wandering the charming streets of Berlin and making feel like home for two weeks.