Part of my goal for Kids Travel Books is to encourage families to travel. The books help. And so do tips. I’m publishing these tips on my blog because I think it’s important to see that, yes, we do travel with our kids. I also come across so many cool experiences that I need a place to share them, so why not share them on my site.
I’m starting with Germany. It is one of my favorite countries, where my children were born and raised for the first part of their lives, it’s where I lived twice (for a total of 8+ years), and a country I hope to return to again and again. As I continue to write about Germany for kids through books and other resources, I figured it only makes sense to write some of my personal travel tips for Germany.
As you read the post below, please keep in mind a few things:
- The items mentioned here are only a GLIMPSE of tips I have for visiting Germany.
- As I think of more things, I will add to this list.
- This means – this will always be updated.
Traveling to Germany? Here are some of my personal recommendations:
Top tips for families visiting Germany that you don’t want to ignore.
- Take advantage of the ElternCafes. ElternCafes provide play spaces for the kids and good coffee for the parents. Prices are usually super affordable and are the perfect place to get a truly local experience while taking a bit of downtime.
- Remember that many of the cultural activities and train transportation options are free for kids under 6. Check the website of the sites your visiting for more details. This makes Germany a super-affordable option for families.
- Speaking of trains, if you’re traveling with toddlers – check out the family rooms on IC or ICE trains. So nice to have extra space for things like strollers, or toddling toddlers.
Tips for Visiting NordRhein-Westfalen
If you’re traveling to NordRhein-Westfalen, the landen I called home for 5 years, I suggest checking out my old website BelleNRW. The area of coverage includes popular destinations like Aachen, Bonn, Cologne, and Dusseldorf.
However, the magic of the area extends well past those big cities. Some of my favorite “hidden gems” in Germany are in the less populated areas of NordRhein-Westfalen. My favorite is definitely the Externsteine. I also love Dreilaenderpunkt, the History Museum of the Bundesrepublik, and Gruga Park.
Hotel Recommendations in NRW
I don’t have many hotel recommendations, but the Courtyard Marriott in Duesseldorf was a nice home for us when we said goodbye to Germany. It was conveniently located to some of the city’s best sites, great views of the harbor (and Frank Gehry buildings), and had an exceptional staff.
Oh, and I wrote some guest posts, too. Over on Family Travel 411 you’ll find the 411 on Cologne with Kids that includes 6 individual recommendations (4 attractions, 1 hotel, and 1 restaurant). And I wrote about the town of Aachen for Chris Guillebeau’s site.
Tips for visiting Berlin with Kids
There are a ton of things available for visiting Berlin with kids. So, I’m going to try to offer some more unique options that our family really enjoyed.
Berlin’s simply one of my favorite cities. I’ve gone in all seasons and I love it in all seasons. Since I spent a good chunk of my college career learning about German history, Berlin and I just fit. So, what do I recommend?
Take your kids to the museums, or at least one
Anyone between the age of 2 and 102 should enjoy the DDR Museum. It’s interactive enough for the little ones, and informative enough for the older ones. I should know, I visited with my kids and parents and both of them didn’t want to leave. It gave great insight into the DDR which is a place I think many people visiting Germany are very interested about. It’s located on Museum Island.
(You can buy your ticket in advance here.)
Take your kids on a walking tour
Berlin’s tour companies offer a variety of walking tours to highlight anything you may be interested in. I’ve been on two: Red Berlin tour and the Third Reich tour. The Red Berlin tour shared so many stories of the wall and former East Germany that I had to buy a souvenir book to try to remember them all. The Third Reich tour, which I took as the kids slept in their stroller, included a stop at the famous Hitler bunker where he committed suicide. There’s now an apartment building with a playground above ground. And, yes, my kids were awake to play with the other kids at the playground.
Take your kids to the best chocolate shop
Ritter Sport is a very popular brand of chocolate bars in Germany, but is also available in other places around the world. However, I never thought a visit to a Ritter Sport store would be something fun. In fact, when someone from Berlin Tourism suggested it, I kind of wondered if maybe Berlin was lacking in child-friendly activities. It wasn’t until I took my parents around Berlin and they learned of the store that we made our way over there. It far exceeded my expectations. Since visiting Ritter Sport, I’ve also visited Hershey’s Chocolate World in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Even though Ritter Sport is much smaller, I think it’s a much more fun and complete experience. Find out why in a blog post I wrote on my old site: Ritter Sport Bunte Schokowelt Berlin.
Take your kids to Brandenburg Gate and the surrounding area
The Brandenburg Gate area is home to four things I really enjoy in Berlin.
- If you’re there during Christmas it’s a great photo-op in front of the humongous Christmas tree.
- It’s just down the corner from the Bundestag, home of the German parliament which offers free tours to those who arrange in advance.
- It’s a stop for the U-Bahn (subway). The U-55 train only stops at 3 stops: the main train station, Brandenburg Gate, and the Bundestag. The whole ride takes less than a few minutes and there’s only one train to go back and forth between those stations. It’s super fun.
- The Room of Silence is on the base of the gate. It’s a non-denominational room meant for quiet reflection within the more chaotic touristy Brandenburg Gate area. If you plan to visit, be considerate and keep children out of the room if you don’t think they can respect the silence.
Tips for visiting other areas of Germany with Kids
Visiting other areas of Germany with Day Trips and Skip the Line access
Here are some options for family-friendly day trips and some pay in advance/skip the line tickets to consider for your trip to Germany. I apologize in advance because I’m pretty sure I think everything I’ve listed is a “must-do”. However, I tried to curate the options to my favorites to make this a little less intimidating.
(These links are affiliate links.)
Hop-on/Hop-off Double Decker Bus Rides
Hop-on/Hop-off tours aren’t for every family and not for every trip. Here are my thoughts on hop-on/hop-off tours for family. Read that first and if you think they will fit your trip, you can check out the following options:
More information about Berlin’s Hop-on/Hop-off Double Decker Bus.
More information about Frankfurt’s Hop-on/Hop-off Double Decker Bus.
More information about Munich’s Hop-on/Hop-off Double Decker Bus.
Neuschwanstein with optional Hohenschwangau Castle visit or bike tour
I feel like Neuschwanstein is a must for any American or Disney fan. It is the most well-known castle from King Ludwig II. (Though, I like the Herrenchiemsee that’s modeled after Versailles a lot more.) This area of Germany is also really great for King Ludwig II fans (there’s his museum and another castle he lived in there.) And it’s just a beautiful part of the country. However, it is extremely touristy and I highly recommend purchasing tickets in advance if you care to tour the castle.
Want to visit? Here is one way you can do it and this way gives you access to the other, less popular castle or a bike tour around this beautiful area. Find out more here.
Rhein River Day Cruise from Frankfurt
I feel like the Rhein River is a Germany-must. This day cruise allows you to see it from the angle it looks best, from the water. There are two cruises available, a half-day and full-day. They both start in Frankfurt and include a meal, wine tasting (for those old enough to indulge), and a stop at one of the area’s scenic cities. If you go on this cruise… take me with you. More information here.
Germany’s Fairy Tale Route
I say skip the Romantic Road and visit Germany’s Fairy Tale route instead. Disclaimer: I haven’t gone on a fairy-tale-specific trip, but I’ve been to many towns and spots on other visits. So many stops are worthy of your time, but you can really make it what you want it to be. The Deutsche Marchenstrasse website is THE resource and it’s always updated.
Germany Links around the web
- My guest post on Chris Guillebeau’s site isn’t geared to kids only, but they are all family-friendly activities for a trip to Aachen.
- I wrote a guest post about Cologne with kids on the Family Travel 411.
- I also wrote a guest post about visiting Düsseldorf with kids on Walking On Travels.
- The World is a Book offers many stories about their families travels in Germany. Along with other attractions, she gives good tips for visiting German castles with kids.
- There are several posts on Arrows Sent Forth about Germany including a 3-day Munich itinerary and information about a bike tour through Munich with kids. She also suggests this 72-hour itinerary, as well.
- Have Baby, Will Travel shares the story from a guest blogger who visited Berlin with baby.
- Hatch Adventures has several posts about Germany with kids on their website.
- If you’re interested in learning more about both Germany and Austria with kids, check out Traveling Mel’s site.
- Thinking of road-tripping Germany? Check out this 15-day family itinerary for Europe that also includes stops in Switzerland and France.
- Hamburg is an awesome city to visit and Roadtrip with Families pinpoints some of the Hamburg’s best family attractions.
- I love the UNESCO Cities of Literature designations. There’s one in Germany, too! If you’re heading there, consider a trip to Heidelberg.
And don’t forget to check out children’s books set in Germany.
