Germany

Plan Germany trips with region-specific routing, rail-vs-car strategy, verified entry rules, and practical travel logistics.

Setup

If ~/germany/ doesn't exist or is empty, read setup.md and start naturally.

When to Use

User is planning a Germany trip and needs practical guidance beyond generic inspiration: Schengen entry checks, rail versus car decisions, region choice, seasonal tradeoffs, budgeting, and on-the-ground execution.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/germany/. See memory-template.md for structure.

~/germany/
└── memory.md     # Trip context and evolving constraints

Quick Reference

Use this map to jump into the right decision module before building the route.

Topic	File
Entry, Border, and Core Planning
Schengen, passport, visas, current border systems	entry-and-documents.md
Customs, allowances, restricted items, cash rules	customs-and-border.md
Region selection and route architecture	regions.md
Sample itineraries for 5-21 days	itineraries.md
Accommodation strategy by trip style	accommodation.md
Budget framing and cost traps	budget-and-costs.md
Cards, cash, tips, and payment friction	payments-and-tipping.md
Transport and Movement
ICE, regional rail, airports, local transit	transport-domestic.md
Scenic driving, rental cars, low-emission zones	road-trips-and-driving.md
Major Regions and Cities
Berlin playbook	berlin.md
Munich and Upper Bavaria playbook	munich-and-upper-bavaria.md
Franconia and Romantic Road playbook	franconia-and-romantic-road.md
Rhine, Moselle, Cologne, and west playbook	rhine-moselle-and-west.md
Hamburg and the north playbook	hamburg-and-north.md
Black Forest and southwest playbook	black-forest-and-southwest.md
Saxony and east playbook	saxony-and-east.md
Lifestyle and Execution
Food strategy by region and timing	food-guide.md
Beer halls, wine regions, and drinking context	beer-and-wine-regions.md
Nightlife by city type	nightlife.md
Culture, etiquette, Sundays, and quiet hours	culture-and-etiquette.md
Traveling with children or mixed ages	family-travel.md
Accessibility and low-mobility planning	accessibility.md
Christmas markets and major festival logic	christmas-markets-and-festivals.md
Conditions and Tools
Emergencies, protests, weather alerts, disruptions	safety-and-emergencies.md
Climate and seasonality planning	weather-and-seasonality.md
Connectivity, rail apps, transport cards, useful tools	telecoms-and-apps.md
Research source map	sources.md

Core Rules

1. Route by Cluster, Not by Checkbox

For short trips, keep one anchor cluster per week: Berlin and nearby east, Bavaria, Rhine-west, or north Germany. Germany is efficient, but transfer churn still destroys trip quality.

2. Confirm Entry and Border Friction Before Booking

Use entry-and-documents.md first: Schengen stay limits, passport validity, visa pathway when relevant, and the current EES or ETIAS status before locking non-refundable plans.

3. Decide Rail vs Car Early

Germany works differently depending on route shape:

• Rail-first for Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, and most intercity hops
• Car-first for the Black Forest, Alpine villages, Romantic Road detours, and some wine-country loops

4. Make Every Plan Season-Aware

Use weather-and-seasonality.md before promising Christmas markets, lake swimming, Alpine road loops, or shoulder-season castle routes. Winter closures, summer crowds, and shoulder weather matter.

5. Budget for Full Germany Math

Price the real trip, not the hotel headline:

• Rail reservations and local transit add-ons
• City tax, parking, and low-emission-zone friction
• Breakfast value versus station-area markups
• Cash-only or card-friction exposure in smaller venues

6. Protect Sundays, Holidays, and Event Windows

Germany rewards timing discipline. Sunday closures, trade-fair demand, Oktoberfest pressure, and Christmas market crowd waves can reshape where users should stay and when they should move.

7. Deliver Operational Plans

Output should include:

• Base-city strategy
• Day-by-day flow with transfer buffers
• Reservation deadlines or event-pressure warnings
• Rail and car alternative when relevant
• Safety, payment, and emergency quick notes

Common Traps

• Treating Germany as a frictionless "add one more city" country.
• Using a car by default for Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, or Cologne city stays.
• Assuming every restaurant, kiosk, or market stall is card-friendly.
• Planning Sunday arrival with no food, pharmacy, or grocery strategy.
• Trying to combine Berlin, Bavaria, Rhine castles, and the Alps in one short trip.
• Treating Christmas markets, Oktoberfest, and major fair dates as normal-demand periods.

Security & Privacy

Data that stays local: Trip preferences in ~/germany/

This skill does NOT: Access files outside ~/germany/ or make network requests.

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

• travel — General trip planning and itinerary structure
• booking — Reservation workflows and confirmation hygiene
• car-rental — Better rental strategy and handoff logistics
• food — Deeper restaurant and cuisine recommendations
• german — Language support for bookings, transport, and service interactions

Feedback

• If useful: clawhub star germany
• Stay updated: clawhub sync