How to get to Germany: airports, flights and border crossings

Match the airport to your first base. Germany's long-haul gateways sit in different corners of the country, and the train between them takes hours and costs real money.

Frankfurt (FRA) is the busiest and has the most nonstop routes from North America and Asia. It is the right choice for the Rhine, the Rhine Gorge, Heidelberg, Cologne and the Black Forest. The airport has its own long-distance station: 12–15 minutes to Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof, and direct high-speed trains onward to Cologne, Stuttgart and Munich.

Munich (MUC) suits Bavaria, the Alps, Neuschwanstein, Nuremberg and Salzburg in Austria. It is a large hub with nonstops from the US, Canada and Asia. The S-Bahn takes about 40 minutes to Munich Hauptbahnhof.

Berlin (BER) is the pick for the capital, Dresden, Leipzig and the Baltic coast. It has grown its long-haul list but still has fewer nonstops than Frankfurt or Munich, so many travellers connect once in Europe. The airport express reaches Berlin Hauptbahnhof in about 30 minutes.

Düsseldorf (DUS) is useful for the Rhine-Ruhr, Cologne and the Lower Rhine, with strong short-haul and some long-haul service. Hamburg (HAM) is a smaller option for the north, and Cologne/Bonn (CGN) mostly handles European flights.

From the US East Coast, nonstops to Frankfurt or Munich run about 7–9 hours; from the West Coast, 11–12 hours, often nonstop to Frankfurt or Munich and less often to Berlin. From Canada, Toronto and Montreal have nonstops to Frankfurt and Munich; Vancouver usually connects.

From the UK and Ireland, flights are short: about 1h 30m to 2h to Berlin, Frankfurt or Munich, with many daily departures from London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Dublin and regional airports. Budget carriers fly to smaller German airports too, but check the ground transfer before booking, since some of those airports are far from the city they name.

From Australia and New Zealand there are no nonstops. Expect 18–30 hours with one or two stops, usually through the Gulf, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong or Istanbul. From South Africa, one stop via the Gulf or Europe is typical.

Germany borders nine countries: Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. Trains and coaches cross all of them, and no advance booking is needed at the border itself. Inside the Schengen area there are normally no passport checks, but Germany has reintroduced temporary checks at some land borders in recent years, so carry your passport or ID card even on a short hop from Austria or Poland.

Long-distance trains from neighbouring countries arrive at the main stations: Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris to Cologne and Frankfurt; Vienna, Zurich and Salzburg to Munich; Prague and Warsaw to Berlin and Dresden; Copenhagen to Hamburg. Coaches are usually cheaper and slower, and arrive at bus stations that are sometimes outside the centre.

By sea, Baltic ferries link Germany with Sweden, Finland, Lithuania and Latvia, mostly to Kiel, Lübeck/Travemünde, Rostock and Sassnitz. North Sea ferries connect the UK, Norway and Denmark to Hamburg, Bremerhaven, Cuxhaven and the East Frisian islands. Crossings range from a few hours to overnight, and foot passengers are usually welcome.

Most visitors from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland can enter visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the Schengen area. Your passport should be valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure from Schengen and issued within the last ten years. Check the current rules before you book, since they change.

ETIAS, the EU's pre-travel authorisation for visa-free visitors, has been delayed and is not yet in force; check its status before you fly. Arrive at the airport with a return or onward ticket and proof of where you are staying, as border officers can ask for both. If you are connecting through another Schengen country, you clear immigration at your first Schengen airport, not in Germany.

Airport-to-city trains are covered by normal tickets, and a Deutschland-Ticket is valid on regional trains and S-Bahn but not on long-distance ICE or IC services. If you land at Frankfurt and your first base is Munich, a long-distance train ticket bought in advance can be cheaper than a connecting flight, and it drops you in the city centre.

Trains in Germany are frequent and punctual but not immune to delays; leave a buffer if you are connecting to a flight. For a first trip, fly into the airport nearest your first base and leave from the airport nearest your last, rather than doubling back.

Short answers to the questions travellers ask most about reaching Germany are in the FAQ below, covering airports, flight times and land or sea entry.