Germany and cards

[Brian Kirby]

We are planning a circular (ish!) trip around Germany. We have crossed several times, but not spent any real time touring the country. I have noticed that credit cards are generally accepted for fuel, and at some sites, but gain the impression that they are not that useful for meals and general shopping. I also notice that supermerkets as in UK / France seem relatively unusual, with a preponderance of smaller chains mainly locally based.

 

We are going (roughly) Trier, Koblenz, Freiburg, Fussen, Augsburg, Regensburg, Nurmburg, Dresden, Dessau, Berlin, Lubeck, Bremen, and back via Amsterdam. Can anyone please say what experience they have with credit card use in these parts of Germany. I need to work out how much cash to get! :-)

 

I'd also be grateful for any comments on German supermarket chains other than the ubiquitous Aldi/Lidl. What is the quality like, generally (or by chain), and do they tend to stock a full range of foods etc, or only some? Thanks.

[Guest JudgeMental]

We are there this weekend so will have a Mini reeky for you. Penny market a popular chain of supermarkets

[lennyhb]

Never had any problems in restaurants only places I've found where they don't take cards are food shops, camp sites 50/50. I think Rewe Supermarkets take cards. Never come across any Hypermarkets, but found the old larger supermarket in the centre of towns not much good in a Motorhome.

Paying Stellplatz either cash in meter or a man comes round collecting cash.

We have found most German supermarkets have a bit more range than Lidl or Aldi but not that that great, better shopping in the small shops.

 

Don't forget most shops close about 1:30 on Saturday through to Monday, nowadays food shops are often open Saturday afternoon but don't count on it if you are in a remote area.

 

Surprised you haven't done a search Brian it's come up before on quite a few threads. (lol)

[biggsy216]

See you plan to go to Bremen. Will you use the Kuhhirten stellplatz on an island between the two arms of the River Weser? If you've not been there we can recommend it. Within easy reach of the old town, with a ferry nearby that takes you across the river in the summer. Also nearby is a REWE supermarket, which is the size of a large Aldi with an excellent range of food and drink on offer at good prices. It's a chain, but I'm not sure how widespread it is. We've certainly seen it in Berlin. They were quite happy to take a credit card, but you would need cash for the stellplatz.

 

We are going ourselves in June, spending a few weeks in the Black Forest and Bavaria. Hope you enjoy your trip.

[laimeduck]

Brian - From my recent travels, major fuel stations ie Autobahns and larger roads will be OK with credit cards, but some smaller off the beaten track ones will be cash. Best ask before filling. Same with eateries. We didn't really see any supermarkets other than Aldi/Lidl so I can't comment.

 

I would be very interested to hear you thoughts on the Baltic coast. I believe it is stunning, but only told by people who live there!

 

I drove to and worked in West Berlin in the early 70's & had to drive in through the Wall via the Hannover corridor. The roads were abysmal then & the Politzie were very unfriendly! (Mind you I was in a Triumph Spitfire!)

 

Hope they've changed.

[spospe]

It may no longer apply, but last June Koblenz was difficult due to extensive flood defence road works which made getting to the camp site / stellplatze difficult (the one opposite to the Kaiser's statue at Deutsches Eck ).

 

I agree with other comments, credit cards are less widely accepted than cash, especially at sites (due it is claimed to high bank charges).

 

Baltic coast is good and if you follow it all the way to the Polish border, make sure to visit Potsdam and Colditz castle on the way back. The guided tour of the castle is worth every cent.

[Porkbrain]

Brian, if you see an Edeka supermarket then try it.

They are usually larger than the smaller chains and have an excellent range of quality foodstuffs.

 

Think Waitrose v Lidl.

[Bojitoes]

Brian

At the risk of being shot down by a host of others who will swear blind to the contrary our experiences concur with most of the above but go further.

 

We were on the Mosel, Rhine & Heidelburg in 2012 and found very few outlets, except fuel stations, accepted cards- particularly the stellplatz who all wanted cash. In this area we also found it very difficult to find ATM's which dispensed cash against UK debit cards. We were advised by the locals that the Germans still have an inherent distrust of banks and the usury they practice and would only use local banks whom they did trust.

 

Last year we went to Berlin via Arnhem & Hamelin and found absolutely no problem in paying by card either in the city or en route, although most campsites & stellplatz again wanted cash.

 

It seems to me that attitudes and acceptance may differ whichever part of Germany you are visiting.

Enjoy your trip & thanks for the advice you have given me the last few years.

Bob

[Zydeco Joe]

Hi Brian,last year we spent some time in Germany and found problems using credit cards, paying for fuel was ok but many food supermarkets did not accept UK cards or did campsites. We don't have a "EC" logo on our UK cards, think it stands for Euro Cash !!! so they will not accept them.

In May or June in at least one national daily paper this made some small headlines as a journalist got caught out as his car broke down and he could not pay the repair bill with his UK card. We now have a cc that is in Euros but have not used it yet but plan on using it in Germany and Austria as we did have a few small problems in Austria as well as Germany with our normal UK cards.

We did enjoy Germany and hope you do as well.

Regards

John

[maggyd]

Brian I only ever had a credit card (was it last year or year before) 8-) I found it was only excepted in large Supermarkets, as you have said Aldi/Lidl No fuel stations it was mostly excepted but we did find a couple of unmanned fuel pumps that just rejected the card . It worked out more expensive to obtain cash from ATM,s than my debit card that I usually use,! but rather that than travelling with huge amounts of cash in the van, Camp sites I have never offered any card I prefer to pay cash in those places, Some of the Spa stals also will except cards, I was amused when on the Mosel when we stopped at a Stal that was attached to a Pension I was told without offering it " We don't except Credit cards " (lol) I don't think they are trusted!! we also had to pay cash for a new TomTom when ours went kaput at Bad Konigshofen we offered the Credit card first that was rejected and then the debit card with the same result (lol) it might have been something to do with the fact we were on our bikes with my small computer notebook trying to get onto the internet and TomTom Home to sort out the TT we had.

 

So Id make sure you have access to your bank account at an ATM.

[mgnbuk]

There are a number of national supermarket chains other than Aldi & Lidl - Edeka, Penny Markt, Norma, Netto & Rewe spring to mind. I think that Norma may have been taken over or merged with Lidl, but the Norma shops were still branded Norma last year.

 

We seem to have gravitated towards Edeka on the last couple of trips - more choice in their bigger stores than the other discounters, who are all very similar to Aldi/Lidl (although Aldi/Lidl have more choice than we get in those stores here). Rather like UK supermakets, Edeka have smaller outlets ("Nah und Frisch" IIRC- may be franchises) in small towns or villages.

 

Worth noting is that many supermarkets only sell a very basic bread offering, but have an outlet operated by a local baker in the foyer. These frequently have a cafe & make for easy "lunch on the go" with (generally) ample car parks attached. As has been stated already, supermarkets shut Saturday lunchtime & don't generally open Sundays, though the Aldi in St. Johann/Tirol (Austria, I know) was opening 10-2 Sundays during the holiday season a couple of years ago. Some local bakeries open Sunday mornings - Germans don't seem able to function without fresh breakfast rolls. Some Cafes & Konditoreis (coffee and cake shops - well worth a visit !) also open Sundays.

 

Be aware of the "Ruhetag" where restaurants are concerned - the seemingly random "day off" that can catch you out if you are planning to eat somewhere & didn't see the little sign in the window as you perused the menu, then turn up in the evening to find the place shut.

 

IIRC the larger Edeka stores took credit cards, but we usually budget to have enough cash for provisioning & look upon the ability to use the CC as a bonus. I cannot recall not being able to use a card for fuel in any German filling station. Main road & motorway filling stations are open Sundays, but smaller outlets may not be. I cannot recall having seen the automatic unattended pumps that seem to be popular in Belgium there. LPG is widely available (and called LPG - be aware that CNG or "Erdgas" is also available - not the same thing !) & uses the Acme screw type fitting.

 

Unlike the UK, fuel mainly comes from filling stations & not supermarkets. Shell, Esso, BP, Total & Jet branded as the UK, but also BFT, Dea, Agip, Raiffaisen & Aral (often with a Petit Bistro cafe) are national operators.

 

Bigger campsites, restaurants & attractions (museums, cable cars, boat trips etc.) take credit cards. I think the situation has improved over the last few years. We have taken to starting with enough cash to cover the first 2-3 days assuming no CC coverage & then get more cash as required from cashpoints - originally using our UK cashcard, but last year used a preloaded FairFX card. I can't recall having seen withdrawal limits, but have not had problems getting 250 Euros at a time with either card.

 

You didn't say when you were intending to travel, but be aware that there are many local festivals, fairs etc. that can "alter" your plans. The wine growing areas have Weinfests in September & the Mosel/Rhein gets very busy then - found that out the hard way in pre-motorhome days arriving in Boppard on the weekend of their Weinfest. No accomodation to be had for miles around. Last time we travelled that way in September 2012, all the stellplatz along the Mosel were crammed & the commercial sites were both crammed and tired (no grass, just worn earth due to heavy usage). Camping Sonneneck on the Rhein (between Koblenz & Boppard, just after the village of Spay) is a bit more spacious, well kept, has a reasonable restaurant but (like all of the Rhein gorge) is noisey 3 ways - river, road & railways never sleep.

 

IIRC Freiburg is a problem for parking - we have not stayed there but all the Black Forest area public transport is free for tourists when you get the "Kurkarte" from your campsite. You pay a couple of Euros per person per day in tax (Kurtax) as part of the camping charge & the card is valid for the duration of your stay on local buses & trains. May be less stressful to stay outside the city & use the public transport to get there and back.

 

We did stay in Fussen last October at a commercial "stellplatz" in a commercial area about 20 minutes walk from the town centre & about 10 minutes from the lake. Not great surroundings (a big gravelled carpark, basically, with room for 70 - 80 vans) but sub-20 Euro a night with hookup & water a Euro for 120 litres. Resaonable (if basic) restaurant on site, bakery, Aldi & Lidl on the same estate.

.

We are heading for Dresden late September this year. We have not been that far east before, though have stayed in Chemnitz & Crimmitshau in pre-van days and Quedlingburg, Wernigerode & Thale in the Harz with the van last year. The old GDR is noticably quieter than the west, with less traffic & better roads than the west since the post reunification rebuilding.

 

Sorry for the long post ! Germany is a fantastic place & we look forward to getting back there again.

 

HTH

 

Nigel B.

[nowtelse2do]

They seem to prefer Mastercard over others. We just use Lidl, Netto or Aldi (Hofner) but cash only. Never had problems with our debit card at atm's

 

Dave

[lennyhb]

Agree with Nigel Germany is a fabulous country, one thing we have always found is that the old East Germany everything is a bit cheaper than the west, the locals are much friendlier. Only downside not many speak English their second language is Russian.

 

As Dave says they prefer Mastercard much more acceptable than Visa if buying anything expensive on a cc they will often add their commission charge of 2 - 5%.

[ollybear]

Hi,

 

most of the comments in this thread are based on personal impressions or experience after a visit to one or more areas in Germany. They are very helpful, but dont show the whole picture. I took some trouble to search the web and would like to add to the diskussion with some figures that I have found. Do note take this figures too serious, as they come from different sources and different years, it is only meant as an interesting comparison.

 

Use of credit cards. Our federal bank (Deutsche Bundesbank) says: Private persons pay 53% of their expenses cash, 28%(UK 50,4%) by girocard (former EC-card or debit card) and 7% (UK 23,4%) by credit card. The average amount of cash in a german purse amounts to 103 Euro. Most people pay smaller amounts (up to 20 or 30 Euros in cash, larger amounts by card).

Mastercard and Visa are equally spread (each around 500 000 shops etc.)

 

Supermarkt chains. There are 3 chains that dominate, Edeka, Rewe and Metro, they have a national turnover between 45 and 30 billion Euro each. (as a comparison Sainsbury 23 billion Pounds). Aldi follows with 26 billion, and Lidl with 18 billion.

 

[Thai Bry]

Hi Brian

The route that you are taking is very similar to the ones that we have done in the past over the years.

Whilst in Germany, I have never had any trouble with using a debit card, but we also take a Euro cash card with us as back up.

However, this year over the Christmas break, we did encounter a couple of shops in a large town - Bingen - that refused to take my MasterCard or Visa debit cards, even they were not sure about my Euro cash card, but when I explained, they did try the card and all was O.K.

Thank goodness for my Thai/Germanish speech.(He, he)

It does seem a sporadic issue, and like others I have never had an issue in some of the larger supermarkets like a larger Edeka store. The smaller shops still prefer cash a la Lidl/Aldi.

But if you draw out of any ATM using your debit card all should be OK.  I normally tend to use the Sparkesse bank's ATM. Never had an issue here at all when drawing money off my debit card.

Hope this is of help.

[Brian Kirby]

Thank you all for the information, and especially to Nigel for his detailed reply and to Manfred for branching into English with his facts. I think I'm now getting a much better picture of what to anticipate.

[Zydeco Joe]

Now you know what to expect money wise look at going to the Berchtesgaden area well worth a trip.

Have fun. B-)

[Homenaway]

Hi,

We toured around Germany in 2012 including the Baltic coast, Potsdam and Dresden, all interesting, and had a problem with an ATM in Lubben in Spreewald, (the gherkin capital) where only €50 was allowed with our Visa debit card, but an assistant in the branch managed to override the limit so we were able to draw out €150. Some banks' ATM's didn't work so try in a large town with several different banks. Rewe shops accepted cards and the only large supermarket we came across was a Famila (now part of Kaufland) on the outskirts of Kiel.

here's our trip report :http://www.motorhomeandaway.com/europe_12.html

Steve

[Guest JudgeMental]

Have just been in Germany for a few days as we were collecting our new van...

 

Fuel was round 1.31-1.35 €. We stopped on an Aire/stellplatz behind a fuel station and thought we would fill up in the morning but by that time it had gone from 1.31 to 1.39 (we filled up in Belgium at 1.31)

 

on the 2 occasions we got fuel they would not take visa or mastercard and explained only a Eurocard was acceptable. it was the same shopping. So i would bring lots of cash. Germany always seems good value, drinking and eating out etc...and shopping seems cheap, and certainly a lot cheaper than Belgium. While the beer is great! Oh but for the food......still not impressed, the choice limited and not to out tastes. the amount of salt they use incredible! we were in a pizzeria and struck up conversation with a couple next to us and they were complaining that the english dont use enough salt. my pizza was more or less inedible

[maggyd]

I agree judge the Germans apply salt by the handful :-D one of the reasons I prefer to cater for ourselves each evening and only snack during the day.

 

We usually at the ATM withdraw 300 euro at a time no problem, and that has been in France/Germany/Belgium/Switzerland and Austria ! sometimes hubby will withdraw the same amount on his card :-D only thing there though you are paying double the charge around £6.45 it has worked out each, but what the heck at least it comes out of your bank account not the sum you are withdrawing.