Munich

In Germany, a value-added tax called “Mehrwertsteuer” (abbreviated MwSt.) of 19% is applied to almost all products. It is 7% for books and foods. Visitors who meet the predesignated requirements can complete paperwork to receive a refund of the value-added tax. (With the deduction of handling fees, the actual rate is about 10%. It is about 2 to 3% for books and food). Incidentally, it is the tax paid when shopping that is refunded. Taxes paid for hotel and restaurant fees are not refunded.

Fees charged in places such as restaurants and hotels include a service charge, so a tip (called “trinkgeld” in German) is not always required. However, there is a custom of tipping to show gratitude to the person providing a service. The amount differs depending on whether a special request was made or the level of satisfaction with the service, but the following values serve as references.

The region code for Blu-ray Discs in Germany is Region B, and discs bought in Germany cannot be played on regular Blu-ray players in Japan that is Region A. Can be played on a region-free Blu-ray player.

There are many national holidays related to Christianity. Note that some national holidays fall on different days, depending on the year. There are also public holidays exclusive to certain states.

Below are guidelines for general business hours, which differ by shop around 30min. to 2 hours.

Although it varies by bank and branch, they are generally open from around 9:00 to 16:00 on weekdays (Monday to Friday), with some closing for lunch. They are closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.

Around 10:00 to 20:00 Monday to Saturday for department stores. Around 10:00 to 18:00 Monday to Saturday for other stores. Both are closed on Sundays and public holidays. However, some shops in central train stations in big cities are also open on those days.

Lunch is from around 11:30 to 14:00, dinner from around 17:30 to 23:00.

In Germany, alcohol is prohibited for those under 16 (under 18 for spirits) and smoking is prohibited for those under 18.
Age limitations for rental cars depend on the rental company and vehicle type.

In Germany, greetings are important. When entering a store or restaurant, the clerk or waiter is greeted with “Guten Tag,” “Danke” is said when being served, and “Tschüß” is said when leaving. The attitude of persons serving visitors changes just by observing these customs.