Safety & PracticalitiesBy Clever Tourists · Published
Germany is safe for everyday tourism, with crime levels the UK Foreign Office describes as similar to the UK, but the official terrorism warnings are among the strongest in Western Europe and you should know what they say. The US State Department lists Germany at Level 2, Exercise Increased Caution, citing terrorism; the FCDO does not advise against travel to any part of it but states that terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks. A vehicle attack on a Pride event in Berlin in July 2026 killed one person and injured dozens. The risks you will actually meet are pickpockets at stations and in crowds, street games in Berlin, counterfeit notes and drug laws. We spent about 19 days in Germany in July 2023: Berlin (3 days), Bremen (2), Frankfurt (3), Wurzburg (2), Ulm (1) and Munich (5), with Heidelberg as a day trip.
The US State Department lists Germany at Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution, citing terrorism. We could not load the State Department site directly in October 2026 and relied on secondary reports (including a Newsweek roundup of 2026 advisories), so check the live page before you fly.
The UK Foreign Office page was last updated on 11 August 2026, with new information on the European Entry/Exit System. There is no advice against travel to any part of Germany. The FCDO's safety page says terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks in Germany, listing possible targets including restaurants, markets, shopping centres, places of worship, sporting and cultural events and crowded public gatherings. It lists recent attacks including a July 2026 vehicle attack on a Pride event in Berlin (1 killed, 29 injured), a 2024 knife attack in Solingen and the 2020 Hanau shootings, and notes that authorities regularly report disrupting planned attacks. Press reports on the Berlin attack gave differing injury counts and motive details in the first days, so treat early figures as preliminary.
Follow instructions from police and event staff, don't linger in unattended crowded spots, and give extra time at entrances. Plan around major events using our Oktoberfest 2027 guide and Christmas markets guide, where crowd density is highest.
The FCDO says to take precautions against mugging, bag snatching and pickpocketing, especially at airports, railway stations and crowded places, and never leave bags unattended. Visit Berlin's official safety advice recommends keeping valuables in inside coat pockets and holding bags tightly on crowded transit. In the warmer months, fraudsters run shell games around tourist hotspots such as Alexanderplatz; the official advice is to stay clear, since you will always lose. Traveller guides name the area around Frankfurt's main station as the part of that city where street crime concentrates, so keep your bag zipped and in front when you arrive there. See our Berlin airport guide for the first transfer.
The FCDO's only fraud warning on its Germany safety page concerns counterfeit currency. Change money only at banks, ATMs or official exchanges, and check your change when paying in cash. British nationals have been arrested for trying to pay with counterfeit notes, even unknowingly. Germany still uses cash more than many countries; see cash or card in Germany and tipping in German restaurants.
• Drugs: illegal drugs, including cannabis, carry severe penalties according to the FCDO: long jail sentences and heavy fines, including for transit through airports. Don't assume German domestic cannabis rules apply to visitors or travel.
• ID: you aren't legally required to carry ID, but police can escort you to get your passport if you can't show identification.
• Social rules: see what is considered rude in Germany and things to know before visiting Germany.
The FCDO safety page does not cover protests, Nazi-symbol laws or floods; its separate getting-help section has those, so read it before you go.
Berlin (3 days), Frankfurt (3), Munich (5) and the smaller cities of Bremen, Wurzburg and Ulm are all large enough for ordinary city precautions and small enough to walk. Heidelberg was a day trip on our route. Our best time to visit Germany page helps pick between summer festivals and winter Christmas markets, and how much a trip to Germany costs sets your budget. Keep data on for maps and tickets; see Germany eSIM for tourists.
Take normal late-night precautions when travelling alone and use official taxi ranks or apps. In an emergency dial 110 for police and 112 for fire and ambulance, the numbers Visit Berlin lists. Keep travel insurance details handy; see travel insurance for international trips.
Yes for everyday tourism. The US State Department lists Germany at Level 2 because of terrorism, and the UK Foreign Office does not advise against travel but says terrorists are very likely to try to carry out attacks. Petty crime is the usual problem.
Generally yes. Watch for pickpockets on crowded transit and for shell-game fraudsters around tourist sites such as Alexanderplatz; the official advice is to stay clear of them.
The UK Foreign Office warns that illegal drugs, including cannabis, carry severe penalties, including long jail sentences and heavy fines, even for transit through airports.
Not legally, but police can escort you to get your passport if you can't show identification.
110 for police and 112 for fire and ambulance.
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