Virtually all conceivable types of lodging are available in Germany. The offer ranges from budget inns, flats and rooms in private houses in rural areas for rent, comfortable but reasonably priced hotels, to world-class hotel chains. Prices tend to follow the high season of June-September. Of course, during major business events, such as the Frankfurt book fair, it is next to impossible to get a decent room. Did you know the youth hostel was a German invention? The first one ever opened in 1912 on Burg Altena. Hotel establishments, ranging from small family-owned property to luxurious centres, do not follow a mandatory class system. There are optional stars hotels can take (one to five) but majority do not. However, this is after all Germany and inspections are harsh so do expect cleanliness and some comfort. You can also expect a TV set, with or without cable or satellite, a direct phone line, and in more expensive hotels, a minibar or a hair-dryer. In all but older private hotels, a private toilet is to be found.

If you intend to stay for a longer period of time, you can check the option of renting an apartment. For those travelling in more rural parts of Germany, or for those intending to spend longer periods of time in cities, a viable option might be renting a room in a household or a flat instead of a hotel room. Rooms available are well-kept and clean and come at prices that rarely exceed €35, but on the other hand afford little intimacy. That is, they might reveal more of your host than you would like to know. But this might be an interesting way to peek into lives of ordinary folk. Germany increasingly offers the so-called Ferien-Appartements, i.e. flats for rent. This applies only for those that intent to stay for a minumum of say one week. Arrangements for shorter stays are possible but with the proviso of having paid a surcharge. One further unconventional way of tourist lodging is a holiday on a farm. It is quite affordable and often offer the chance to the young ones to see their favourite animals. You can even choose the farm type: whether organic, equestrian or wine-growing for instance. Be careful, as the type advertised as Landurlaub is a farm no longer functional, but offers a country holiday instead.

The year if 1912 saw the opening of the world's first youth hostel ever. This occurred in Altena Castle in Germany. The Jugendherberge was part of the then German Youth Movement and was intended to allow city youngsters get some air, as well as allow them some exercise and build their character. The idea spread around the globe in an instant and the Hostelling International was created, a non-profit umbrella organization for youth associations worldwide. It is in these roots that day lock-ups of hostels need to be searched for, although this practice is getting increasingly more rare. In Germany one should differentiate between DJH hostels (Deutsches Jugendherbergswerk) and independent 'backpacking' hostels. If you intend to stay at a DJH hostel, you need to be a member of your home country HI (Hostelling International) or buy a HI card or the so-called welcome stamps. German youth hostels can nowadays be booked using a computer, at www.jungendherberge.de. Independent hostels on the other hand offer a service 'of the sort' and supply budget accommodation to all and sundry. The crowd is likely to be more international there. If planning to stay in either, plan for less intimacy than in a hotel. Also, utilities might be 'communal.' You will get fresh linen, but the offer for breakfasting varies. More to the light side, the 'seniors,' people over the age of 26 are usually charged an extra fee.