https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Germany in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Running late and vastly over budget, a mammoth rail project stands as a monument to what critics say is Germany's glaring failure to tackle long-standing infrastructure woes. https://www.thelocal.de/20250216/late-trains-old-bridges-no-signal-germanys-infrastructure-woes Sun, 16 Feb 2025 19:04:07 +0100 late-trains-old-bridges-no-signal-germanys-infrastructure-woes Hundreds of thousands of people pass through Germany's main stations every day and many are impacted by long-term construction work on the aging stations. But why does the work take quite so long? https://www.thelocal.de/20241027/why-does-building-work-at-german-main-stations-take-so-long Sun, 27 Oct 2024 17:30:55 +0100 why-does-building-work-at-german-main-stations-take-so-long Germany might not be well-known as a top European holiday destination. But the stunning nature and historic sights make it an excellent choice for a getaway, The Local readers told us. https://www.thelocal.de/20240819/readers-tell-us-why-germany-is-a-great-holiday-destination Mon, 19 Aug 2024 18:55:16 +0200 readers-tell-us-why-germany-is-a-great-holiday-destination If you’ll spend some time abroad this year, it may be worth checking if your German health insurance will cover you while travelling. Many German health insurance policies offer some coverage abroad, but not everywhere. https://www.thelocal.de/20240611/does-my-german-health-insurance-cover-me-if-i-get-sick-abroad Tue, 11 Jun 2024 11:45:16 +0200 does-my-german-health-insurance-cover-me-if-i-get-sick-abroad Whether you want to catnap in a castle, sleep in a sportscar or bunk in a brewery, it is all possible on a holiday in Germany. https://www.thelocal.de/20240305/ten-unforgettable-places-to-stay-in-germany Tue, 05 Mar 2024 10:17:04 +0100 ten-unforgettable-places-to-stay-in-germany Germany is home to 51 UNESCO World Heritage sites, the third-most in the world. Here are our top picks of the ones worth visiting, whether in the form of ice caves or a cathedral. https://www.thelocal.de/20230522/10-must-see-unesco-world-heritage-sites-in-germany Mon, 22 May 2023 13:10:38 +0200 10-must-see-unesco-world-heritage-sites-in-germany From canoeing in the Spreewald to hiking high up in Saxon Switzerland to just napping at a Baltic Sea beach, a new survey reveals Germans' top picks for a holiday outdoors in their own country. Here are the top picks to inspire you on your next German getaway. https://www.thelocal.de/20230509/revealed-germanys-favourite-spots-for-a-short-staycation Tue, 09 May 2023 18:48:52 +0200 revealed-germanys-favourite-spots-for-a-short-staycation No matter which index you consult, a German passport is regularly counted as one of the most powerful in the world. Here's just how far a German passport can take you. https://www.thelocal.de/20230116/how-powerful-is-the-german-passport-2 Mon, 16 Jan 2023 18:22:19 +0100 how-powerful-is-the-german-passport-2 Germany has a reputation for efficiency and punctuality - but for anyone who has taken the train recently, that couldn't feel further from the truth. So how exactly has German rail travel gone downhill so fast, and what is being done to solve it? https://www.thelocal.de/20220818/a-disaster-how-did-train-travel-in-germany-get-so-bad Thu, 18 Aug 2022 18:35:50 +0200 a-disaster-how-did-train-travel-in-germany-get-so-bad The ADAC has warned drivers in Germany to expect long queues on Thursday and bank holiday Monday, while Deutsche Bahn has reported particularly high demand for tickets over the Easter weekend. https://www.thelocal.de/20220414/heavy-traffic-and-busy-trains-expected-over-easter-in-germany Thu, 14 Apr 2022 16:25:15 +0200 heavy-traffic-and-busy-trains-expected-over-easter-in-germany Several train services in the northern half of the country are being cancelled due to severe weather warnings. https://www.thelocal.de/20220218/trains-in-northern-germany-cancelled-over-storm Fri, 18 Feb 2022 17:51:18 +0100 trains-in-northern-germany-cancelled-over-storm Several political parties in Germany have said they want to bring back sleeper trains in order to meet carbon emissions targets. https://www.thelocal.de/20210918/could-sleeper-trains-offer-germans-cheap-low-carbon-travel-across-europe Sat, 18 Sep 2021 15:09:13 +0200 could-sleeper-trains-offer-germans-cheap-low-carbon-travel-across-europe The Robert Koch Institute's (RKI) latest travel advice released on Friday confirmed that South Africa will no longer be considered an 'area of variant concern', meaning travel from the will once again be possible for non-German citizens. https://www.thelocal.de/20210731/germany-lifts-ban-on-travel-from-south-africa-offering-relief-to-students-and-cross-border-couples Sat, 31 Jul 2021 13:54:16 +0200 germany-lifts-ban-on-travel-from-south-africa-offering-relief-to-students-and-cross-border-couples More than 250 students and long-term visa applicants from Brazil have been barred entry into Germany since January. Now they are calling for an urgent exemption from the Covid travel ban. https://www.thelocal.de/20210720/brazilian-workers-and-students-demand-end-to-german-travel-ban Tue, 20 Jul 2021 11:17:22 +0200 brazilian-workers-and-students-demand-end-to-german-travel-ban Second homes in the mountains or on the coast of Germany were already in demand before the coronavirus crisis. Now the pandemic is increasing the desire for people to keep distance in their own vacation property. https://www.thelocal.de/20210203/holiday-homes-in-increasing-demand-in-germany Wed, 03 Feb 2021 10:47:35 +0100 holiday-homes-in-increasing-demand-in-germany As travel begins to open up in Germany, doctors are urging people to avoid visiting places where the Delta Covid variant is rampant. https://www.thelocal.de/20210622/german-health-experts-warn-against-travel-to-covid-delta-variant-areas Tue, 22 Jun 2021 12:08:00 +0200 german-health-experts-warn-against-travel-to-covid-delta-variant-areas Germany will reopen its borders later this month to non-EU nationals who have been vaccinated against Covid-19, the government announced Thursday. https://www.thelocal.de/20210618/germany-set-to-open-borders-to-vaccinated-non-eu-nationals Fri, 18 Jun 2021 11:21:51 +0200 germany-set-to-open-borders-to-vaccinated-non-eu-nationals The “Deutsche Weinstraße”, now a popular holiday spot and wine region, was created by a notorious Nazi party leader. Should more be done to talk about the dark side of the wine road's history? https://www.thelocal.de/20210618/why-germanys-most-famous-wine-tour-has-such-a-problematic-past Fri, 18 Jun 2021 14:14:36 +0200 why-germanys-most-famous-wine-tour-has-such-a-problematic-past Germany will lift its pandemic travel warning for most countries from July 1st, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Friday, bringing back more normalcy as residents are increasingly vaccinated against Covid-19. https://www.thelocal.de/20210611/germany-to-lift-covid-travel-warning-for-most-countries-from-july Fri, 11 Jun 2021 16:12:35 +0200 germany-to-lift-covid-travel-warning-for-most-countries-from-july All Austria's states will no longer be considered Covid-19 risk areas by Germany from Sunday, allowing travel between the countries. https://www.thelocal.de/20210611/austria-removed-completely-from-germanys-risk-list Fri, 11 Jun 2021 17:32:00 +0200 austria-removed-completely-from-germanys-risk-list