Planning your dream vacation to Germany can be exhilarating, but figuring out what to pack? Not so much. That’s where this handy packing list for Germany comes in, your go-to guide for traveling through Germany prepared and stress-free.
Germany offers a rich tapestry of experiences, from the enchanting Black Forest to the bustling streets of Berlin. The diverse climate and range of activities mean packing requires a bit of thought. You don’t want to find yourself shivering in Munich’s Marienplatz or overheating on a sunny day in the Rhineland.
Or forgetting something essential.
Luckily, I’ve navigated the packing pitfalls so you don’t have to.
I’m here to break down the essentials, the weather-specific gear, and the surprising must-haves for your German adventure, all in simple, easy-to-understand terms.
Whether you’re soaking in the arts and culture, hiking through breathtaking landscapes, or indulging in culinary delights, I’ve got you covered. So, let’s dive in and make your packing process as smooth and enjoyable as your upcoming vacation.
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Things To Consider Before Packing
There’s a couple of things to consider before packing for Germany. They have an impact on how much you need or should take.
Before I walk you through them, I can’t emphasise enough how less is more when it comes to luggage. Germany is not an easy place to travel with luggage and you’ll be thankful for every pound less that you don’t pack.
This is especially the case if you plan to travel by public transport.
You have to be prepared to carry your luggage up and down stairs, into awkward spaces and to stand holding onto it on trains for hours if you are unlucky.
While train stations tend to have elevators, these are not always operational or may not go to every platform. I tried to always use elevators at stations on my last trip to Germany to save my bad ankle (when I used the great 49 Euro Deutschland ticket), but there were plenty of times that it was not possible.
Inside trains, I had to carry it up and down stairs too, and there aren’t luggage racks on regional or local trains. Sometimes, I had to stand awkwardly trying to hold onto it.
Or I’d do very uncomfortable things like this to stop it rolling around:
I only took a smaller suitcase of about 12kg, and it was still a major hassle.
Even if you drive, you’ll find it impossible to avoid stairs, uneven pavement/roads and more.
One hotel I booked had the worst, steep narrow stairs I have seen. It was a huge (painful) effort taking my suitcase up and down with no one able to help.
So trust me, you’ll be thankful for every item you left at home.
The other thing to consider is how often you are happy to wash your clothes. Obviously, the more often you can do washing, the less you need to take.
If you book holiday rentals/apartment-style accommodation, I recommend trying to book something with a washing machine. This makes life a lot easier.
Otherwise, I recommend you factor in time to visit laudromats in your itinerary. Thankfully, these are in many places in Germany, but you may be out of luck in smaller places. Work out how often you are happy to do this to know how much clothing you need.
Again, while clothes washing on vacation is a drag, the less you can take the better!
You can also consider some hand washing in your hotel room to help as well.
Luggage Essentials For Germany
In this section, let’s talk about your actual luggage – that is suitcases and backpacks.
Whether to take a suitcase or a backpack is a personal preference. I preferred backpacks when I was younger for my main form of luggage.
Now, I much prefer a suitcase. It’s easier to be organized, but it is more painful when dealing with stairs/uneven ground.
Ideally, stick to a carry-on sized suitcase with wheels and a luggage handle and then a backpack for items you want easy access to and for exploring places during the day.
Suitcases I recommend:
- Carry-on size. I love this! There is a choice of colors too so you don’t have to pick pink like me if you don’t want to 🙂
- Full hard suitcase. Hard suitcases can be great for extra protection. This is a top quality choice.
- Full soft suitcase. This is what we use when traveling with our kids. There is less protection with a soft suitcase but you can squish more items inside it more easily as well as more awkward size items. This was invaluable when we had to carry around bottles/baby gear.
For a backpack great for carry on/day roaming, I like this option. I like backpacks that have a special compartment for my laptop to keep it safe/less likely to be damaged.
Some people like packing cubes. I personally prefer not to use them as I find they make it hard to use all the space in my case effectively as they don’t tend to squish into any available space.
However, I can find them useful to help separate items when I travel with my kids.
I have these packing cubes and I recommend them if you want to use them. I like the most lightweight option that easily fits into my bag when not using them.
I also like having a proper toiletry bag with sections that’s super lightweight and takes up no extra space. It’s also handy to have a hook to hang it, although I’m not always able to hang it.
This is my recommended toiletry bag. I have the large one since I often travel with kids. Otherwise, the small version would be sufficident.
I also recommend a luggage lock if your case doesn’t come with one. While I’ve never had any problems whatsoever in Germany, it gives me peace of mind to know my suitcase is locked when I leave it at hotel receptions or on luggage racks on ICE trains.
I also like traveling with a small handbag that I can wear across my body so I have easy access to my phone and cash. I pick whichever is my favorite at home at the time. There is no need for a specialized travel bag unless you want one.
Absolute Essentials
As long as you pack the items in this list, you’ll be ok if you forget everything else 🙂 The reality is that you can buy anything you forget in Germany.
Absolutely make sure you pack:
- Passport
- Some cash – I like to take a couple of hundred dollars in cash just in case something goes wrong with my cards
- Debit/credit card you can use overseas to withdraw cash and pay for purchases. Ideally, at least two of these
- Some type of wallet to safely store these items
- Day-to-day walking round town purse/wallet
I recommend you have cards to access the majority of your cash via ATMs. This will give a better exchange rate than exchanging cash, but it is handy to have some cash from home just in case you have issues with cards.
I have traveled a lot, and there have been times I have misplaced a card or it just randomly doesn’t work. Some cash gives me peace of mind.
For a card, the Wise card works great in Germany and gives great exchange rates. You can read more about it here.
For keeping your passport and cash safe and secure, I have tried many options over the years. I know you can by theft-proof pouches and a whole array of weird bags that you’d never use at home.
Honestly, after a zillion years of travel, traveling to 99 countries and many times in Germany, I don’t bother with any of that as it’s just never been necessary. Being aware of your surroundings and not leaving your wallet in your pocket are basic tips, and I don’t find that an expensive “theft-proof” bag is worthwhile.
I have a good pouch for my passport and cards I’m not using day to day just to stop damage and to know where it is – like this. When I’m traveling with my family, we use this big one.
For day-to-day, I use a small coin purse which fits my credit card and a bit of cash which I’ll keep in my handbag or backpack.
I also keep a small amount of cash in my pockets for easy access, but ONLY small amounts that I’d be happy to lose. It can just be easier to have money to buy a coffee or whatever right on me.
Still, no one has ever stolen it from me.
There is one more thing you must remember to pack which is important medication. More about this below.
Tech Must-Haves
While you can definitely travel with no technology if you wish, I think this can be hard to do these days!
If you have something like the Deutschland ticket (more info here) for public transport, you’ll need to be able to display it on an app on your phone. And really, there are many small ways life would be more difficult traveling without a smart phone today.
So I recommend you take a smart phone. You may want to take a laptop or tablet too.
Now, power outlets in Germany are the standard EU one like this:
So you’ll need a travel adapter too unless your plugs already use this. Here’s a great option.
Another thing to consider is if you need a power converter.
In Germany, the standard voltage is 230V and 50Hz. In North America, it is 120V and 60Hz. If your devices are from somewhere where the voltage is lower, you’ll need to check if they will work in Germany or not.
Many devices that you’re likely to take, such as smart phones and laptops are likely to be dual voltage which means they will work fine in Germany without a power converter.
If they are single voltage and make for 120V and 60Hz, you will need a power converter.
So check any electronics that you are taking to see if they are single or double voltage. Items such as hair dryers are likely to be single voltage and will need a power converter.
If you don’t use a power converter when it’s needed, your device will probably not work or you may blow up your device or can start a fire.
I also highly recommend taking a small, portable charger so you can charge your devices on the go.
I forgot to take one on my last trip to Germany and ended up buying one at a super touristy place and wasting a lot of money.
You may think your phone battery works fine for being out and about during the day. But you need to take into account that you are likely to use your phone so much more when traveling for taking many photos, videos, maps and more. It’s easy to churn through your battery much faster than usual.
A portable charger is invaluable to not have the stress of your battery running out when sightseeing.
You also may want to take a camera. I tend to just use my smart phone for photos as they are great quality, but it’s up to you.
So you need to pack:
- Phone
- Possibly laptop or tablet
- Possibly a camera
- Charging cords for each device
- Travel Adapter – This one is super handy as you can charge multiple devices at once as well as USB A and C making it all that you need
- Converter (here)
- Portable charger (here)
- Earphones – for your computer and any other devices
Other Must-Haves
Here are some other random items I recommend:
- Reusable cloth bags – one or two lightweight bags you can use for shopping, especially for buying groceries. You can also use one for laundry
- Water bottle – a reusable water bottle is handy
- Washing powder – I use a zip lock bag to bring some washing powder from home so I’m set to go and don’t need to buy a big box of washing powder while in Germany
- Waterproof bag – for any wet items during the trip
- Sunglasses/glasses – plus a container to keep them safe
- Travel pillow – for the long flight to get there. I prefer an inflatable pillow so it doesn’t take much space while I’m in Germany. Find one here
- Eye mask – an eye mask that doesn’t sit on your eyes is much more comfortable for a long haul flight. Find ours here
- Towel – this is optional and is only if you are planning to visit beaches or pools outside your hotel. You can usually use your hotel towel otherwise. You can buy a small, microfiber towel to save space, but I must admit, I really don’t like tiny towels. This is a good option just to have one just in case. Find mind here.
- Pens – take a couple. They can come in handy
- Umbrella/rain coat – ideally both. You’ll need them in Germany
- Book or two
Toiletries & Medicine
Mandatory things to take is any medicine you need. This is essential as you really don’t want the stress of trying to get essential medicines while you are there.
I recommend you visit your doctor, make sure you are able to buy any medicines you need before you leave, that all medicines are clearly labelled with your name and prescription and also get a letter doctor from your doctor with permission for what you need.
Also be sure you aren’t taking any medicines that are not not legal in Germany.
I also recommend you take some paracetamol or medicine like this just in case you get a headache or something similar. While you can buy simple medicine like this in Germany, if you suddenly have a bad headache, you’ll be glad you have supplies already.
I also recommend medicine like this suitable for children if you are traveling with them.
As for toiletries, these are items to consider:
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Dental floss
- Hairbrush/comb
- Hairbands/clips
- Shampoo
- Conditioner
- Moisturizing cream
- Makeup
- Nail clippers/scissors
- Tweezers
- Bandaids/adhesive bandage/plaster – just in case!
- Lip balm
- Razor
- Shaving cream
- Small pack of tissues
- Pads/disposable napkins/tampons
Clothing
This can be quite personal and, like I said above, the less you can take the better.
Exactly what to take also depends on the time of year. Think layers and a warm jacket/coat for colder months.
Here is a starting point that you can edit for your needs:
- Good walking shoes
- Shoes to wear out
- Possibly flip-flops or sandals depending on season and activities
- Underwear
- Bras
- T-shirts
- Sweaters
- Trousers/jeans
- Skirt
- Dresses
- Long sleeve shirts
- Stockings
- Coat/Jackets
- Swim suit
- Socks
- Thermal clothing for winter
- Pyjamas
With your bags packed, guided by our ultimate Germany packing list, you’re ready to embark on a stunning adventure across this remarkable country. From the essentials to the the things that will make your life easier, you’re equipped to experience Germany’s diverse offerings without the worry of unpreparedness weighing you down.
Considering going ro Germany at Christmas time? Read why you should here. Or find out which cities in Germany are best for city slickers. You can also find all our guides to planning a trip to Germany here.
