Page 552 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Germany

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Communications and Media a roaming facility enabled. Internet cafés, where online
North American phones will access can be obtained for a
Postal and telecommunications services in Germany work only operate in Germany if small fee (typically €1–2 per
very efficiently. Though it may be necessary to queue for a few they are tri- or quad-band. hour), can be found in most
minutes for service, letters and postcards are usually delivered Making and receiving calls towns and cities.
within the country in 24 hours. Public phones are simple to outside your home country can Wi-Fi access is increasingly
available in Germany. Expect
be very expensive and travellers
use, many with foreign language instructions, but they are should check roaming charges to find Wi-Fi at many cafés,
becoming rarer due to the popularity of mobile phones. The before travel. If you are planning libraries, hostels and hotels. Most
distinctive yellow mail-boxes are a common sight. to use your phone frequently, it networks are password-
may be economical to buy a protected and an access code
local SIM card with a German is required, although it is often
telephone number from a local provided free of charge to the
provider such as Base. Aldi customer. Free Wi-Fi hotspots are
and Lidl supermarkets across located in public areas around A kiosk selling newspapers and cigarettes
Germany offer various budget most larger towns and cities. It is
prepaid SIM-card packages that best to refrain from doing any local post only, the other for all channels, such as BBC World,
are cheap to buy and easy to torrent downloads in Germany other destinations. CNN and NBC Super Channel.
recharge with vouchers from that may be legal in your home For quick delivery of a package, German sports channels often
these shops. Check with your country, as you may be held look for one of the courier show soccer highlights, and
service provider to ensure your liable for high fines. services. DHL is the national major sporting events can be
phone is SIM-unlocked and parcel delivery service. Packages watched at most sports bars.
compatible with local can be sent via DHL from post Very little English-language
technology. Anti-terrorism Postal Services offices or DHL-affiliated retailers. radio is available terrestrially,
laws have made it more Dedicated Deutsche Post offices Federal Express or UPS are also although BBC World and NPR
complicated for non-residents have virtually disappeared available, but they are more can be picked up in most
to buy a SIM card, as travellers and postal services are instead business-oriented. parts of Germany.
will need a valid ID and a offered by Postbank
German address (a hotel Finanzcenter, newsstands and DIRECTORY
Telekom phones at Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof address should work). some other shops, including Newspapers and
Magazines
If your phone is Wi-Fi capable, selected supermarkets. These International and
International and Local Depending on the time and day, you can save on roaming costs retailers also sell phone cards, Every city or state has its own Local Calls
Telephone Calls different tariffs apply to local, by locating a free Wi-Fi (wireless postcards and mailing supplies. newspapers and listings
Public telephones are serviced intercity and international calls. internet) network and making Stamps are sometimes sold magazines. In Berlin the most Deutsche Telekom
by Deutsche Telekom and can The most expensive period to calls with Skype. Bear in mind with postcards, or can be widely read newspapers are ∑ telekom.com
still be found in busy places make a call is between 7am and that as useful as a smartphone bought from vending machines. Berliner Zeitung, Der Tagesspiegel
like railway stations and malls. 6pm. Calls cost less between can be overseas, all data use will It costs €0.80 to send a postcard and Berliner Morgenpost. In Mobile Phones
Most phones will only accept 6pm and 9pm, and later in the be charged at a higher rate. or small letter anywhere abroad. southern Germany it is BASE
telephone cards, which can be evening they are even cheaper. It is wise to carry your mobile When posting a letter in a Süddeutsche Zeitung. Popular ∑ base.de
purchased at Telekom shops, Likewise, calls are cheaper on provider’s contact details so you mail-box, be aware that some national newspapers include
fuel stations and newsstands. weekends than on weekdays. can deactivate your card if your boxes have two slots – one for Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung Skype
Some older telephones however, phone is lost or stolen. and Bild. Der Spiegel, Germany’s ∑ skype.com
are coin-operated and require leading news magazine, has an
a minimum deposit, which is Mobile Phones Internet and Email English-language version online. Internet and Email
the cost of a single local call. Mobile phone coverage is Major German cities have a
Travellers can also purchase an generally good throughout the Many hotels include internet listings magazine called PRINZ – Wi-Fi hotspots
international phone card, which country, although the signal access in their room rates, but Postbank logo where PRINZ is not available, ∑ hotspot-locations.de
is valid in several countries and may be weaker in more remote this varies, so be sure to check Information plaque ask for the Stadtmagazin. Postal Services
can be used when calling from areas. German mobile phones in advance. Some hotels have indicating the Foreign language publi-
a public telephone, a mobile or use standard European internet terminals allowing collection times cations, such as the DHL Express
a hotel phone. The cards offer frequencies, so UK phones guests to check emails and International New York Times, Tel (0)1806 34 53 001 (national).
low rates on calls abroad and will work provided they have go online for free. Opening for Opening for the Guardian, Le Monde, Tel (0)1806 34 53 003
have a prepaid balance – ask to local letters long-distance El País, and Corriere della Sera, (international).
see call rates before purchase. Useful Telephone Numbers mail are available at kiosks, railway ∑ dhl.de
Call shops are common in stations and airports.
all major German cities and • Directory enquiries, national numbers: 11 833 or 11 837 FedEx
provide an economical way to (English service). Tel (01806) 111 800.
make international calls. They • National telephone directory (White Pages): Television and Radio ∑ fedex.de
usually charge a small initial fee, www.dastelefonbuch.de German television is exclusively Postbank Finanzcenter
and then offer a low rate per • Directory enquiries, international numbers: 11 834. in German – all foreign movies ∑ post.de
• International calls: Dial 00, wait for dialling tone, then dial country
minute, which is paid at the end code, area code + number, omitting first 0. are dubbed rather than subtitled.
of the call. These shops also sell • Country codes: UK 44; Eire 353; Canada and US 1; Australia 61; Non-German broadcasts are UPS
international phone cards and South Africa 27; New Zealand 64. The distinctive yellow mail-box of hard to find, but hotels usually Tel (0)1805 882 663. ∑ ups.com
often double as internet cafés. Germany’s official postal service provide some English-language

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Practical template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.7)
Date 5th March 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm