Where To Stay

TThe WunderHotel plans, including the new "Road of Emperors and Kings," feature hotels in Germany with some extensions into Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Vacationers who hope to manage a flexible schedule on a fixed budget can purchase vouchers for the total number of nights for which they require accommodations. Vouchers are accepted at more than 180 hotels. The basic rate starts at $59 per person per night, double occupancy. The price includes breakfast and, in some places, dinner.

Country inns and historic castle hotels are romantic choices, and there is an extensive network of youth hostels.

Transportation

Arriving & Departing: There are flights from many U.S. cities to Frankfurt Airport, one of Europe's major gateways. Nonstop flights also connect the U.S. to Berlin, Munich, D$uuml;sseldorf, Stuttgart and Hamburg.

Ferries connect to British, Scandinavian and Baltic ports.

S-bahn trains connect to the airports in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, D$uuml;sseldorf and Munich. German Rail offers direct train service to Cologne, Bonn and Nuremberg. The speedy S-bahn train connection to Munich runs every 20 minutes; the fare is about $11. Buses to Munich from Franz-Josef-Strauss Airport operate every 20 minutes; the fare is about $8.50.

Getting Around: InterCity Express (ICE) trains now speed 175 miles per hour between Hamburg and Berlin. ICEs also connect Hamburg with Munich, Cologne and Basel. From Frankfurt, ICEs run to Dresden and Berlin. InterCityNight ÒhotelÓ trains connect Berlin/Munich, Cologne /Bonn and Hamburg/Munich.

For information on German Railpasses, see by rail.

Germany has one of Europe's best highway systems, including the high-speed autobahns. Famous scenic routes include the Romantic Road (W$uuml;rzburg- F$uuml;ssen), the Fairy Tale Road (Bremen-Hanau), the Castle Road (Mannheim-Bayreuth-Prague) and the Franconia Beer Road.

Holidays

New Year’s Day, Good Friday (Mar. 28), Easter Sunday and Monday (Mar. 30 and 31), Labor Day (May 1), Ascension Day (May 8), Whitsunday and Whitmonday (May 18 and 19), Corpus Christi (May 29), Day of German Unity (Oct. 3), Day of Prayer and Repentance (Nov. 19), Christmas and Dec.26. (Additional official holidays are celebrated within various states.)

Money Matters

Banking hours are weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2:30 to 4 p.m. (5:30 on Thursday). The Deutschmark is divided into 100 pfennigs. $1 = 1.55 DEM as of Dec. 2, 1996

Free Literature

TODAY'S GERMANY: Basic travel facts about cities, culture, resorts, transportation, tours, sports, folklore and entertainment. Also available are road maps with city index, railway and ferry routes, brochures on cities and regions and a calendar of events.

German National Tourist Offices:

Visit our web page at: http://www.germany-tourism.de
or E-Mail us at gntony@aol.com