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Major city · Germany

SyltSöl

Give Sylt 3 nights if you want beach and dunes, 2 if you just want to see it. Skip if you want cheap seaside or city sightseeing.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
EUR
Best months
May–Sep
avoid Nov–Mar (wind, closures, few buses)
Airport
GWT
Nights
2–3
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Central Europe ↗Six of the nine countries here — Austria, Switzerland, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia — charge a time-based motorway vignette, mostly digital and linked to the number plate; buy it before the first motorway past the border, because cameras, not toll booths, do the checking.
  • Central Europe ↗Temporary police checks at internal Schengen borders are common in this region in 2026 (Germany, Austria, Poland, Slovenia among others — check): keep your passport on you on every cross-border train, bus and road even though there is no fixed control post.
  • Germany ↗Germany is in the EU and the Schengen area: check entry rules, the EU Entry/Exit System and any travel authorisation requirement for your passport on official sources.
  • Germany ↗Nazi symbols and gestures are criminal offences, including as jokes or souvenirs.
  • Germany ↗Many city centres are low-emission zones: a car needs the right sticker (Umweltplakette) to enter.

Sylt is Germany's most expensive island: a 40 km west-facing beach with dunes, red cliffs and heath, backed by mudflats on the east. It is a beach-and-walking destination, not a sightseeing one. Cars reach it only by train shuttle or ferry, and a beach fee applies in season.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Sylt, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee and cake€5–9 (≈ US$6–11)
  • BeerBeer, 0.5 l€5–8 (≈ US$6–10)
  • Budget bedHostel or campsite bed, a night, per person€35 (≈ US$45)
  • Mid-range bedGuesthouse or hotel double room, a night, per room€190 (≈ US$250)
  • High-end bedGuesthouse or hotel double room, a night, per room€380 (≈ US$450)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget €80 (≈ US$95) · Mid €150 (≈ US$180) · High €300 (≈ US$350)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

40 km of beach and dunesRotes Kliff red cliffsWesterland and KampenStrandkorb beach chairsGermany's priciest island
Airports
GWT Sylt Airport, Westerland (Mostly seasonal flights from German, Austrian and Swiss cities; the terminal is a short taxi ride from Westerland centre.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Sylt: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

4°C

0°C

12 rd

Feb

4°C

0°C

10 rd

Mar

7°C

2°C

10 rd

Apr

11°C

4°C

9 rd

May

15°C

8°C

9 rd

Jun

18°C

11°C

10 rd

Jul

20°C

14°C

11 rd

Aug

21°C

14°C

12 rd

Sep

18°C

12°C

12 rd

Oct

13°C

8°C

13 rd

Nov

8°C

4°C

13 rd

Dec

5°C

1°C

13 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Buses run island-wide and all except line 5 meet at Westerland station; an island day ticket costs €11.70 and a 3-day ticket €31.10, and the Deutschlandticket is accepted. Bikes suit the flat terrain and rent widely. Bring a car only if you must: high-season traffic and parking are hard, and the car train costs €40–54 one way.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Amrum

go

Door to door: 1.5–2.5 h

Ferry from Dagebüll or Hörnum (check the seasonal timetable)

Wide beach and dunes; a full day, or sleep over.

Föhr

go

Door to door: 2–3 h

Ferry from Dagebüll, then bus on the island

Greener and cheaper than Sylt; doable as a long day.

Pellworm

overnight

Door to door: 3 h+

Ferry from Nordstrand, then bus

Too far for a comfortable return day from Sylt.

Heligoland

skip

Door to door: A full day from the mainland

Ferry or seasonal flight from the mainland, not from Sylt

Treat it as its own trip, not a Sylt day out.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Westerland

Island hub: train station, most buses, shops, restaurants and the widest bed choice. Best for a first visit without a car.

Keitum

Old Frisian village of thatched houses, museums and the mudflat side; quieter, 2 stops by train from Westerland.

Kampen

Dunes, red cliffs and the Strönwai bar strip; the expensive end of the island.

Hörnum

Southern tip, youth hostel and camping; cheapest beds, but 30–40 min by bus from Westerland.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
€80–120 (≈ US$95–140) excl. bed
Mid
€130–200 (≈ US$160–250) excl. bed
High
€250 (≈ US$300)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Guesthouse or hotel double room1 × 3 nights × €190€570
Food, local transport, entries2 × 3 days × €150€900
Island bus day ticket2 × €12€23
Beach fee, one adult, one day in season2 × €4€8
eSIM, about a week of data2 × €10€20
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge€152
Trip total≈ €279 per person per day, bed included€1,673≈ US$2,000

2026 estimate in euro; travel to the island excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee and cake€5–9 (≈ US$6–11)
Fish burger takeaway€8–14 (≈ US$10–17)
Restaurant main, seafood€20–35 (≈ US$25–45)
Beer, 0.5 l€5–8 (≈ US$6–10)
Strandkorb rental, one day€15–25 (≈ US$18–30)
Bike rental, one day€10–18 (≈ US$12–25)
Train Westerland → Niebüll, one wayabout €7 (≈ US$9)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Sylt is a safe, low-crime island; the real risks are cold water, rip currents and groynes, windburn and sunburn, and cycling on shared paths in season.
  • Beach access is charged: about €4 (≈ US$5) per adult per day May–Oct, €2 (≈ US$3) Nov–Apr, less if prepaid at your hotel.
  • Concrete groynes sit under the water at high tide and are marked with cross signs; do not swim between the signs.
  • Stay on the marked paths in the dunes and heath; straying is forbidden and enforced.
  • Water rarely passes 20 °C even in summer, and wind hides strong UV: sunburn is common.
  • Book beds and the car train weeks ahead for July–August and school holidays.

Emergency numbers

Fire and ambulance
112
Police
110

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

SyltSöl

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Zu dieser Adresse, bitteTo this address, please

Emergency

  • Fire and ambulance112
  • Police110

Embassy

No embassies on the island; the nearest consulates-general are in Hamburg. US and UK citizens: check your Hamburg consulate before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Island bus day ticket: €11.70 (≈ US$14); 3-day €31.10 (≈ US$40); Deutschlandticket accepted
  • Car train Niebüll → Westerland, one way: €40–54 (≈ US$50–65) per car, more at peak
  • Ferry List → Havneby (Rømø): about €8 (≈ US$10) per adult, €48 (≈ US$60) per car

Say or show

  • Moin — Hello (moyn)
  • Dankeschön — Thank you (danke-shern)
  • Bitte — Please (bitte)
  • Die Rechnung, bitte — The bill, please (dee rekh-noong, bitte)
  • Kann ich mit Karte zahlen? — Can I pay by card? (kan ikh mit karte tsah-len)
  • Wo ist der Strandzugang? — Where is the beach access? (voh ist dair shtrant-tsoo-gang)

Beach fees and bus tickets can be paid at machines or at your accommodation; keep some cash for small kiosks.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Sylt. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: May–Sep · avoid Nov–Mar (wind, closures, few buses) · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 4 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for GWT: seasonal flight windows, taxi fallback and the Westerland walk-in rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: Westerland, Keitum and Munkmarsch, Kampen and the red cliffs, Hörnum and the south.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Denghoog, Sylter Heimatmuseum, Altfriesisches Haus, Uwe Düne) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Beach-fee and groyne-safety fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Germany

Sources