Cash Lodgings

Smaller locally run operations also take cards. Does it have to be cash only?

If you’ve reserved a room there’s no reason it would not be available when you arrive. It’s really no different than reserving online and paying upon arrival; you’re just paying in cash. Now, if you just pull up without a reservation, there’s no guarantee a room will be available.

There are still many small B&B lodgings that are cash only.

Thank you. Yes, several of the options we would like to stay at say cash only, no credit card. Holding a place without a card is just newer for us since having kids. And we want to be sure we are reserving smartly.

If they say cash only, and do not take credit cards, then just assume they will have a room. Generally they are smaller and their word is gold. Of course, then the converse is true, don't just willy-nilly decide you need to change plans and not show up, even with notice. They likely turned away stays for you, and would wind up taking a loss, having a vacant room.

"...smaller, locally run options provided in the Rick Steve’s guidebook."

For every one of Rick's picks, there are perhaps a hundred other such places. For me, the webpages of the official tourist office in Germany's towns and cities have always yielded great finds, providing a much wider choice of location and price than you can get by browsing only Rick's limited offereings. Booking.com has also been very productive as well. I have reserved via email or website without a deposit, paid in cash, and have never been turned away

Yes, they do hold a place, ie your reserved room without a credit card.

I went through that experience in Berlin in my Pension from 2009 -2019. It's based on the honor system. You call up make the reservation for how many nights, etc say the date of arrival and that's it.

It is an honor system and this Pension took only cash. Prior to 2009 it accepted the credit card as well. The proprietor told me she changed her payment policy in the early 2000s after the experience with Am Ex. I could tell she was livid talking about that

I was glad it had become a cash only place when I got there in 2009. Besides saving herself the credit card fees, this approach was the way I remember from the Germany in the 1970s , cash only, whenever I decided deviate from the hostel route to have a little luxury in a 2 star Pension.

I just stayed at 2 places that only take cash. I made the reservations 11 months in advance.

You might be able to direct deposit money into their bank account. It used to be the case that Germans were suspicious of credit cards (and still are judging by the example you bring up), but did virtually everything (paying for utilities and household bills) by direct deposit (bank draft). Your own bank may have a solution (as does mine but it is expensive), or you can look at some of the modern money transfer companies (Wise, Revolut, You Trip). The cost is minimal and exchange rates are good. I have a Wise account but the others have benefits also.

Lavandula

That happens not only in Germany, but other countries when you have small B&Bs. I currently have reservations at two B&Bs in Scotland for next year, and both have been confirmed by a simple email from the owner. No funds were exchanged, and I will pay them in cash when I am there.

I’m not worried about it at all. I’ve dealt with this in the past (in Germany) and it always works.

Since 2000, I've stayed 161 nights at 50 places - Hotels, Gästehäuser, Ferienwohnungen and Privatzimmer - in Germany (48) and Austria (2). I've always paid in cash and never prepaid by credit card. I can't say I've never used a card to guarantee payment, but I don't remember ever doing so.

Most of the places have been cash only.

Thirty-eight of those places have been in towns smaller than 20,000 population.

I've never had a problem with the accommodations not being available when I got there.

A couple caveats: My last name is identifiable as German, and I can read and write German, so all of the correspondence has been in German. They might think I'm German, if that makes a difference.

I've only once used an RS guidebook recommendation. That was in Prague (not included in the 50 places. I was not as confident in my ability to find accommodations in Czechia.) My experience with using a town's tourist office has been similar to Russ's. I've also had some success with finding places using Google Maps.

However, I've never used Booking.com (or any other booking website) to find accommodations; I've found their accommodation to be generally the more expensive places in town. A few times I've ended up in a place shown on Booking, but I've always gotten a better deal on my own (better price, spa admission or Halb Pension included for the same price as without on Booking) than I could have with Booking.