'How Germans Choose Their Holidays: Destinations, Habits and Travel
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Holidays in Germany are usually planned not as a rare event but as a normal part of the year: one long break, several short trips and carefully considered logistics in advance. According to Reiseanalyse 2026, in 2025, 80.5% of Germany’s German-speaking population aged over 14 took at least one trip lasting five days or more, and the average length of such a holiday was 12.8 days.
The basic pattern is simple: Germans more often spend long holidays abroad, while short trips of two to four days mostly remain within Germany. That is why different formats coexist: the sea and islands, the Alps and lakes, a city weekend, a family Bauernhof, camping, apartments and classic hotels, hotels and guesthouses.
Where Germans travel within Germany
Domestic tourism is not seen by people in Germany as a fallback option. It is particularly strong for short trips, family holidays and routes where a car, nature and an easy journey matter. According to Reiseanalyse 2026, Germany accounted for around 22% of long holiday trips in 2025, while domestic destinations made up roughly 72% of short breaks.
For long holidays in Germany, the states with the sea, mountains and nature routes lead the way.
| Destination in Germany | Share of long holidays in 2025 | Why people choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Schleswig-Holstein | 4.3% | Baltic Sea, North Sea, resorts, family holidays |
| Bavaria | 3.9% | Alps, lakes, thermal spas, hiking and winter trips |
| Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | 3.3% | Baltic coast, islands, peace and nature |
| Lower Saxony | 2.5% | North Sea, Wadden Sea, campsites and holiday-home stays |
| Baden-Württemberg | 1.9% | Black Forest, Lake Constance, cycling routes and wellness |
For mini-breaks, the logic is different: what matters is not a state’s ranking but a short journey and minimal preparation. That is why Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Frankfurt, spa towns, thermal spas, lakes and regions reachable by car or train within a few hours work well.
Why a Bauernhof remains popular
A farm holiday in Germany is still popular with families with children. It does not necessarily mean old-fashioned rural romance; it is a practical format: an apartment with a kitchen, safe grounds, animals, a play area and the chance to spend a week without a packed urban itinerary.
A Bauernhof is particularly suitable for people who want to combine nature with everyday comfort. Some farms focus on horses, others on orchards, wineries, mountain routes, cycle paths or holidays near a lake.
When choosing, people usually look at several things:
- whether there are animals, a playground and a safe space for children;
- how convenient it is to cook, do laundry and live as a family for several days in a row;
- how far the farm is from the road, a shop, a lake, the sea or hiking routes;
- what reviews say about the hosts, cleanliness and the actual condition of the accommodation;
- whether the format suits toddlers, school-age children or teenagers.
A holiday on a German farm helps urban families spend time closer to the countryside.
Where Germans travel abroad
For long holidays, foreign destinations remain the main choice. In 2025, according to Reiseanalyse 2026, trips outside Germany accounted for around 78% of long holidays. The main map is predictable: Europe, the Mediterranean, direct flights, familiar service and the sea.
| International destination | Share of long holidays in 2025 | Why people choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Spain | 15.0% | Beach holidays, islands, well-developed tourism infrastructure |
| Turkey | 7.8% | Sea, all-inclusive stays, value for money and service |
| Italy | 7.7% | Sea, food, cities, road trips |
| Greece | 5.6% | Islands, beaches, a relaxed summer format |
| Austria | 4.4% | Mountains, lakes, winter holidays and a short journey |
| Croatia | 4.3% | Adriatic coast, car trips, family holidays |
Long-haul countries also appear in German holiday statistics, but they do not define mass behaviour. For most people, reliable logistics, a clear budget, a familiar level of service and the ability to avoid spending a substantial part of the holiday on flights and adjustment matter more.
Short foreign breaks are more often built around neighbouring countries: Austria, the Netherlands, France, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic, Belgium or Denmark. It is a long-weekend format: two or three nights, minimal transfers and a quick return home.
How Germans plan their holidays
German holidays are often booked in advance, especially when school holidays, popular beach destinations, campsites, apartments by the sea or family accommodation are involved. There is no single scenario, however: some people buy a package holiday, some put together accommodation, tickets and car rental separately, and others combine both approaches.
Reiseanalyse 2026 shows that package and modular trips still occupy a significant place and online booking continues to grow. In 2025, services for pre-booked holidays were arranged online in almost 58% of cases, while in-person bookings remained important but represented a smaller share.
Work also affects holiday patterns. The legal minimum in Germany is 20 working days of holiday for a five-day workweek, but many employment contracts provide more days. A common pattern is therefore one full summer holiday, short trips around public holidays and several spontaneous weekends within Germany.
Families, Ferien and school rules
For families with children, the key constraint is compulsory school attendance. Holiday dates differ between the federal states: the Kultusministerkonferenz coordinates summer holidays, while the states set the other dates and submit them to the shared KMK calendar.
Because of this, holidays during Ferien are best planned earlier than usual. Family apartments, farms, campsites and direct flights sell out more quickly during school holidays, and prices for seaside and popular destinations usually rise. Unauthorised absence from classes in order to get a cheaper flight can lead to problems with the school and fines under the rules of the relevant state.
Practical preparation before a trip
In Germany, a holiday rarely begins with buying tickets alone. You need to check documents, insurance, mail, payments, rented accommodation and entry rules for the destination country.
A practical pre-departure checklist:
- check the expiry date of your passport, Aufenthaltstitel and children’s documents;
- clarify the destination country’s entry, transit and medical requirements;
- keep copies of documents separately from the originals;
- check how your mobile service and bank card work abroad;
- decide who will check the mailbox or how letters will be stored temporarily;
- for a car trip, check insurance, Schutzbrief, vignettes and low-emission zones.
For physical mail, Deutsche Post offers a Lagerservice: letters can be stored temporarily during an absence, usually from one day to one month, and the order must be placed in advance, at least five working days before storage begins. Before placing an order, check the current terms and price on the Deutsche Post website.
Insurance: what really matters
Before a trip abroad, people in Germany usually check not only their tickets but also the risks. Verbraucherzentrale calls Auslandsreisekrankenversicherung the most important travel policy for trips abroad. Even in the EU, the European Health Insurance Card and German statutory health insurance do not cover all costs, and medical repatriation to Germany is usually not included in standard GKV cover.
Other policies depend on the situation:
- it can make sense to consider Reiserücktrittsversicherung or Reiseabbruchversicherung for an expensive trip, a cruise, a holiday with children or prepaid accommodation;
- a Schutzbrief is useful for trips abroad in your own car;
- before an active holiday, renting a bicycle or an apartment, check whether Haftpflichtversicherung applies abroad;
- separate luggage insurance and ready-made Rundum-sorglos packages are often unnecessary, so it is better not to add them automatically when booking.
Choose insurance based on its terms, not price alone: exclusions, the coverage period, excess, rules for chronic illnesses and wording on medical repatriation home all matter.
How Germans get to their holiday destination
Transport depends on the destination. In statistics for long holidays in 2025, planes once again outpaced cars: according to Reiseanalyse 2026, planes accounted for 46.9% of such trips, cars for 40.2%, trains for 4.9% and buses for 2.6%.
This does not mean that the car has lost its importance. For trips within Germany, or to Austria, the Netherlands, France, Italy or Croatia, a car remains convenient: you can take children’s belongings, a bicycle and food, stop along the way and avoid depending on transfers.
German railways are more often chosen for city weekends and routes where the station is closer to the centre than the airport. On short trips, the train often beats the plane in overall simplicity: no luggage, security screening or journey from the airport.
What this says about German holidays
A German holiday in 2026 is not one universal style but a set of enduring habits. A long trip often leads to the sea or abroad, while a short one goes to a neighbouring city, a farm, a lake or a neighbouring country. Families plan around Ferien, employees around holiday days and public holidays, and many people take care of insurance, documents, mail and transport in advance before leaving.
