Telephone Overview

Deutsche Telekom - Germany's one time state controlled telephone monopoly - has been privatised and forced to swim alongside other phone companies in the race for the consumer signature. Call costs have in turn come down and the range of services on offer make the German market very user friendly.

Be prepared to buy phone cards if you anticipate using phone booths as many now do not take coins. 5.00 or 10.00 cards can be purchased in post offices, TKS Shops, Telefonladens and various newsstands and stationery stores. Emergency numbers in Germany are 110 for police and 112 for ambulance and fire.

An English service Directory exists on 11833 for domestic calls and 11834 for foreign calls. Take care, however, as the calls are timed and start at 0.80 per minute for domestic calls and 1.20 per minute for foreign calls.

Driving while using a mobile phone without a 'hands-free' kit is against the law in Germany.

Mobile Phone Overview

The GSM 900/1800 system is the network standard for Germany; it is not compatible with North American or Japanese systems, with a few exceptions. The NMT system, which runs at 450mHz, can still be found in some areas of Germany. GSM coverage is comprehensive, with all major carriers. A daunting array of choices is available when it comes to hand-sets, long and short term contracts and pre-paid cards.