Germany in Winter

We were stationed in Germany for 6 years and had our own car. Driving in the countryside was reasonably easy and often rewarding. I hated driving in the cities. Congestion, large pedestrian zones, limited parking, and confused street layouts that often predated autos made driving in cities torture for me. For our return visits to Germany in recent years, we have used the efficient, user-friendly train system. We are visiting the cities that we learned to avoid. The train station is usually at the city center with many of the sights and a wealth of hotels and restaurants. Traveling by train into a city is far more pleasant. In addition to snow on the roads, you must also consider slick roads from rain (sometimes freezing rain) and fog during the winter. We have visited Christmas Markets in three recent winters, only because we learned to use the train system.

Why drive? It will just cost you more. All major cities in Germany are connected by the best rail network in Europe. There are hourly (or better) trains on the major lines. And you don't want or need a car in cities; they have excellent public transportation. Start getting familiar with the German Rail (Bahn) website.

There will probably be considerably less snow then might think. The only areas of Germany that see consistent snow fall in the winter are southern Bavaria and some of parts in the east-central that sit at higher elevations. Otherwise, snowfall is patchy and doesn't usually accumulate much. That being said, snow tires are mandatory for winter driving in Germany.