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Accommodation
HOTELS: There
is a good selection of hotels in the Federal Republic
of Germany and comprehensive guides can be found at
the German National Tourist Office. They can also provide
the German Hotel Association Guide, published
by the Deutscher Hotel- und Gaststättenverband
(DEHOGA), Am Weidendamm 1A, 10117 Berlin (tel: (30)
726 252-0; fax: (30) 726 252-42; e-mail: info@dehoga.de;
website: www.dehoga.de). Approximately 50% of establishments
offering accommodation in Germany belong to the association,
which can supply further information on accommodation
in Germany.
A special accommodation guide for the disabled Hilfe
für Behinderte is available through Bundesverband
Selbsthilfe Körperbehinderter e.V (BSK), Postfach
20, 74236 Krautheim (tel: (6294) 68110; fax: (6294)
95383; e-mail: bsk.ev@t-online.de; website: www.bsk-ev.de).
Some hotels are situated in old castles, palaces and
monasteries. Alongside these are modern, comfortable
hotels on well-planned and purpose-built premises. Examples
of accommodation for a family on holiday is a country
inn offering bed, breakfast and meals. More demanding
visitors are also well catered for with medium to luxury
hotels. The German hotel trade is extremely well-equipped
with facilities from swimming pools and saunas to exercise
gyms. When touring the country with no fixed itinerary,
it is obviously often difficult to make reservations
in advance. Watch out for Zimmer frei (vacancies)
notices by the roadside, or go to the local Tourist
Office (usually called Verkehrsamt). Visitors
should try to get to the town where they want to stay
the night by 1600, particularly in summer. Grading:
Hotels are not graded as such, but every establishment
offering accommodation falls into a particular category
which stipulates rigid criteria regarding facilities
offered. The categories are as follows:
Hotel: Must
be accessible to all persons; must provide accommodation
and at least one restaurant for guests and non-guests.
It must also have a number of rooms for common use by
all residents such as a lounge etc. 27% of establishments
fall into this category.
A ?Gasthof' (inn) must provide the same facilities as
a hotel except for the common rooms such as a lounge,
etc. 30% of establishments fall into this category.
A ?Pension' must provide accommodation and food only
for guests. It does not have to provide a restaurant
for non-residents nor does it have to provide any common
rooms. 16% of establishments fall into this category.
Hotel garni: Provides
accommodation and breakfast only for guests. 27% of
establishments fall into this category.
HISTORIC HOLIDAYS: Information
about holidays in castles, stately mansions and historic
hostelries may be obtained by contacting the National
Tourist Office or by writing to European Castle, Hotels
and Restaurants, Postfach 1111, 67142 Deidesheim (tel:
(6326) 70000; fax: (6326) 700 022; e-mail: service@castle.de;
website: www.european-castle.com).
SELF-CATERING: All-in
self-catering deals are available that include sea travel
to a German or other Channel port, and accommodation
at the resort. The latter might be in anything from
a farmhouse to a castle. Details are available from
the German National Tourist Office.
FARMHOUSES: The
booklet Urlaub auf dem Bauernhof (Holidays
on the Farm) is published in conjunction with the
German Agricultural Society and can be obtained from
DLG-Agrartour GmbH, Eschborner Landstrasse 122,
60489 Frankfurt/M. (tel: (69) 24 78 83 05; fax: (69)
24 78 84 95; for e-mail and web site addresses, see
DLG-Verlag above.) Regional guides on most tourist regions
can also be obtained from the GermVerlag, Eschborner
Landstrasse 122, 60489 Frankfurt/M. (tel: (69) 2478
8451; fax: (69) 2478 8480; e-mail: dlg-verlag@dlg-frankfurt.de;
website: www.dlg-verlag.de or www.landtourismus.de);
Agrartour GmbH offers agricultural studies.
For more information, contact an National Tourist Office.
All aforementioned booklets are published in German
only. A basic knowledge of German will be required for
such a holiday. A catalogue with addresses for the whole
of the country, including 2000 addresses in the eastern
part, can be ordered from Landschriften-Verlag GmbH,
Landferien Tourist Center, Zentrale für den Landurlaub,
Heerstrasse 73, 53111 Bonn (tel: (228) 963 020; fax:
(228) 963 0233; e-mail: info@bauernhofurlaub.com; website:
www.bauernhofurlaub.com). It costs DM19.90 and is published
annually in December.
YOUTH HOSTELS: There
are 640 youth hostels throughout both eastern and western
Germany. They are open to members of any Youth Hostel
Association affiliated to the International Youth Hostel
Association. Membership can be obtained from the YHA
or Deutsches Jugendherbergswerk (German Youth
Hostel Organisation), Bismarckstrasse 8, 32756 Detmold
(tel: (5231) 74010; fax: (5231) 740 174; e-mail: service@djh.de;
website: www.djh.de). Reservation is advised during
the high season (and throughout the year in major cities).
CAMPING/CARAVANNING:
There are well over 2500
campsites in the Federal Republic of Germany. They are
generally open from April to October, but 400 sites,
mostly in winter sports areas, stay open in the winter
and have all necessary facilities. (Campsites in the
eastern part of the country are of a very basic standard.)
The permission of the proprietor and/or the local police
must always be sought before camp is pitched anywhere
other than a recognised campsite. It is not normally
possible to make advance reservations on campsites.
A free map/folder giving details of several hundred
selected campsites throughout the country is available
from the German National Tourist Board.
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