Short break: Lubeck, Germany

Germany is a traveler’s dream. The birthplace of the Autobahn boasts one of the most extensive, reliable and well-integrated transport networks in the world.

Western Europe’s most populous country doesn’t always spring to mind as a low-cost destination. However, in a place this big and diverse, there will always be a smarter way to spend your euros.

There is a long and rich tradition of rambling in Germany.

Germany is the world’s fourth-biggest economy, has a history that’ll take you a lifetime to unpack, a capital city that seems to be crawling into the future and a population of more than 80 million people, almost one-fifth of whom have an immigrant background – that makes it almost impossible to form any generalisations about a singular Germany. Instead, expect a country full of bewildering contradictions, quirky social norms and, in the capital especially, stereotypes turned on their head.

Germany, birthplace of the autobahn, is a wonderful country for driving tours. It’s big and varied enough to allow longer, more ambitious trips, yet has plenty of small, distinctive regions begging for in-depth exploration. Throw in a superb road network (including over 13,000km of autobahnen), an orderly and predictable driving culture and a wealth of rental options, and you’ve got everything you need for a driving holiday.

Germany is a country that embraces its seasons, with events and celebrations spread across the calendar.

Germany, western Europe’s largest country, is a boundless feast for travelers. Its endless variety of historic cities, dark, romantic forests and contemporary cultural riches can leave visitors bewildered. But, while you can never hope to see all this fascinating country’s highlights, you can cut to the chase with our guide to eight of the very best places to visit in Germany.

For grand castles and gritty industrial architecture, half-timbered taverns and edgy techno nightclubs, head to Germany.

Frankfurt is not the first destination most travelers think to visit when they’re headed to Europe. But many will end up there regardless, if only in transit, as the city is home to one of the largest and most trafficked airports on the continent. That’s not the city’s only claim to fame — Frankfurt is also the financial capital of the European Union, housing both the headquarters for the European Central bank and one of the world’s largest stock exchanges. Whether you’re passing through en route to somewhere else or are planning a trip to Frankfurt alone, there’s plenty to do that has more to do with culture than commerce, from touring its museums and galleries, to visiting its parks, to eating your way through the city that gave the world frankfurters. These are the Frankfurt Airbnbs to book during your stay.

For Americans traveling abroad, few countries are easier to navigate than Germany. Though not technically an English-speaking nation, you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone working in tourism who doesn’t speak English. The country has plenty of amazing places to visit, the cities are clean, and travel within the country is blissfully easy. Much of this is thanks to the system of German trains known as Deutsche Bahn: Germany national railway that connects visitors to pretty much anywhere in the country from anywhere else in the country.

For many visitors, entering Germany will be a straightforward procedure, especially for those who wish to stay fewer than 90 days.

Move over Paris Plage. Although media reports heap praise upon its strip of sun, Seine and sand, the North European city that has a better claim to be the spiritual home of the urban beach is Hamburg. Every April tens of thousands of tonnes of sand are imported as miniature seaside paradises appear in the heart of Germany’s second city. The doors open at the end of May and so begins another summer of beach bar hopping Hamburg-style.