Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Left
Bayerische Landesbank, Brienner Straße
Centre
Letterbox
Right
ATM
Banking & Communications
!
Banks
$
Credit Cards
&
Mobile Phones
Most German and
many international banks
have branches in Munich.
Banks are generally open
from 8:30am to 4pm Mon-
day to Friday, although
hours can vary depending
on the day of the week.
The main branches of the
larger German banks are
as follows: Bayerische
Landesbank, Brienner
Straße 18; Commerzbank,
Maximiliansplatz 19; Deut-
sche Bank, Promenade-
platz 15; Dresdner Bank,
Promenadeplatz 7. Two
ReiseBank branches, one
at the Hauptbahnhof and
one at the airport, have
longer opening hours.
All hotels, with the
exception of small bed-and-
breakfast establishments,
most department stores,
and boutiques, as well as
restaurants accept major
credit cards. Cash is still
required in smaller estab-
lishments and most beer
gardens. Posted outside
the entrances to restau-
rants and stores are the
logos of the credit cards
accepted within.
%
Travellers' Cheques
T-Mobile, Vodafone,
O2 and others provide
service through most
of Bavaria. A note of
caution: reception may
still be difficult in some
remote areas. The use of
mobile phones on all
public transit is allowed,
although reception may
not be good. Check with
your mobile phone pro-
vider before leaving home
to find out if your phone
can be used in Germany.
*
Post Offices
Travellers' cheques
are a safe method of pay-
ment, although they are
only accepted at large
hotels and major depart-
ment stores. Otherwise,
you can exchange trav-
ellers' cheques for cash
at a bank.
Post offices no longer
exist in Munich. Instead,
retailers (“Partner Shops”)
handle postal services.
You can also buy stamps
at automated dispensers
and in some stationery
shops. The yellow
letterboxes have two let-
ter slots - one for mail
within the city and the
other for outbound mail.
@
Exchange
For visitors from other
European countries, the
days of currency exchange
are a thing of the past. All
non-EU travellers can
exchange foreign currency
into Euros at exchange
bureaus, for example, at
the railway station, or
banks. Several currency
exchange machines are
available downtown. A note
of caution: fees and ex-
change rates vary, tending
to be highest at hotels.
£
ATMs
^
Payphones
Deutsche Telekom
operates all public pay-
phones, which accept
coins, phone cards, and
sometimes credit cards,
although coin pay phones
are being phased out.
At some high-tech tele-
phone booths you can
make phone calls, surf
the Internet, and send
and receive e-mail. Phone
cards are sold at post
offices, tobaconists, and
in some supermarkets.
d
Directory enquiries:
Germany, 11 833; Outside
Germany, 11 834
• Country dialling codes:
0043 (Austria), 0044 (Unit-
ed Kingdom), 001 (US and
Canada), 0039 (Italy)
• Within Munich:
089 or 89
(
Internet
All museums, and
many hotels and restau-
rants are listed on the
Internet. Many hotels
offer Internet access to
their guests, but there
is often a fee.
)
Internet Cafés
Bank machines are
widely available through-
out the city, and even in
smaller towns. You can
withdraw money by cred-
it card with your PIN, or
by using any card show-
ing a global banking sym-
bol, such as Cirrus. ATMs
are accessible 24 hours.
In Munich you will
find many Internet cafés,
including one that caters
to gays and lesbians
(see
p63)
. The easyInternetcafe
at Bahnhofplatz 1, across
from the central railway
station is open 24 hours.
d
easyInternetcafe,
Bahnhofsplatz 1, Map J4
136
A list of Internet cafés can be found on the website
www.easyeverything.com/germany
