Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Taxes & Refunds
Value-added tax (VAT;
Mehrwertsteuer
) is a 19% sales tax levied on most goods. The rate
for services is usually 7% and is always included in the price. If your permanent residence is
outside the EU, you may be able to partially claim back the VAT you paid on purchased
goods.
See (
Click here
)
for details.
Tipping
Hotels
Porters €1 to €2 per bag, room cleaners €2 per day
Pubs, bars and beer gardens
If self-service none, for bartenders and servers 10%
Restaurants
5% to 10%
Taxis
10%
Also see (
Click here
) for details.
Etiquette
Although Berlin is fairly informal, there are a few general rules worth keeping in mind
when meeting strangers.
Greetings
Shake hands and say 'Guten Morgen' (before noon), 'Guten Tag' (between
noon and 6pm) or 'Guten Abend' (after 6pm). Use the formal 'Sie' (you) with strangers
and only switch to the informal 'du' and first names if invited to do so. With friends and
children, use first names and 'du'.
Asking for help
Germans use the same word -
Entschuldigung
- to say 'excuse me' (to
attract attention) and 'sorry' (to apologise).
Eating and drinking
At table, say 'Guten Appetit' before digging in. Germans hold the
fork in the left hand and the knife in the right hand. To signal that you have finished eat-
ing, lay your knife and fork parallel across your plate. If drinking wine, the proper toast is
'Zum Wohl', with beer it's 'Prost'.
