In planning mode - how much budget should I keep in mind for Germany - any experiences?
I’d say if you're on a budget, aim for €70-€90/day. Mid-range comfort? Around €120 - €150. If you're doing day trips or want to enjoy local beer halls, budget a bit extra. And definitely download DB Navigator and check for regional transport passes - they can save you a lot.
My partner and I did a more mid-range trip last summer - 10 days between Munich, Nuremberg, and Lake Constance - and we averaged about €150/day for two people, staying in B&Bs and eating out once a day. We mostly used cards, but kept about €100 in cash for bakeries, kiosks, and smaller towns where card wasn’t always accepted.
In planning mode - how much budget should I keep in mind for Germany - any experiences?
I stayed in hostels mostly and budgeted around €25 - €35 a night. A decent döner or currywurst lunch is €5 - €8, while sit-down dinners go from €12 to €18. Trains were the most unpredictable cost, but the €49 Deutschlandticket saved me a ton - unlimited regional transport for the month, super worth it.
I spent about €70 - €100 a day while backpacking across Germany. That covered hostel stays, transport (mostly regional trains or FlixBus), food, and the odd museum or beer garden stop. In bigger cities like Berlin or Munich, it crept closer to €100-€120, especially if I had a few drinks or did paid tours. But outside the cities like in Freiburg or Leipzig - I got by on €60- €70 comfortably.