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Local Germany
an hour ago
- Local Germany
Hotels, transport and food: How the cost of travel in Germany is rising this summer
The price of a summer holiday in Germany is rising once again this year, with hotels costing between 20 and 30 percent more in 2025 than five years ago, according to analysis by Budget Your Trip . For example, in 2025 the average price of a hotel room in Germany is €90 to €110 per night for a standard room - up significantly from five years ago when the average price was approximately €65 to €75. It's possible to pay a lot more, of course, and rooms can still be found for €30 to €50 per night in budget hotels. READ ALSO: How to save money on a camping holiday in Germany Higher transport costs Travelling by car or train remains a cost-effective option for many, especially for longer or interregional trips, but even here the overall trend is toward higher travel expenses for residents and visitors alike. The most visible change this year was the rise in the Deutschlandticket price to €58 a month, but road travel has also been affected by higher fuel and parking costs. COMPARE: Is it cheaper to fill your fuel tank in Germany or across the border? Eating and drinking out According to Germany's statistical office and current industry analyses, restaurant prices in Germany have risen by an average of around 30 percent since 2020, approximately double the rate of inflation over the same period. Even simple dishes like lasagne or salad have become around 20 to 25 percent more expensive and side dishes such as fries have seen an even greater increase. The steep rise in prices – driven by high energy costs and labour costs as well as inflation – is especially marked when it comes to drinks. The price of beer, in particular, has risen dramatically, with the cost of a litre of Helles set to hit a record high of €15.80 at this year's Oktoberfest. READ ALSO: Major German beer brands announce price increases Advertisement How are Germans reacting to the rising costs of a holiday at home? Germany remains the favourite travel destination for German tourists, accounting for 36 percent of all leisure trips taken by Germans in 2024. But the number of people choosing to holiday abroad continues to grow. A stand-up paddler sails on Lake Constance (Bodensee). Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Felix Kästle According to the ADAC Travel Monitor, one in every three Germans is now prioritising saving when it comes to planning their summer holidays, with a growing number of people looking at more affordable destinations including Bulgaria, Tunisia, and Egypt. Germans are also booking their holidays earlier to take advantage of early bird deals. According to the ADAC, 44 percent of German holiday makers booked their main vacation four months in advance in 2024, compared to 39 percent in 2022 and 35 percent in 2020. The most important criterion for people in Germany booking their summer holiday remains uncomplicated arrival and departure - named by nearly three-quarters of German travellers. For people holidaying in Germany, Bavaria maintains its position as the number one destination among the federal states. READ ALSO: Eight of the most beautiful German villages to visit this summer Advertisement Following an analysis of German tourism by the Stiftung für Zukunfstfragen (Foundation for Future Studies) , Professor Ulrich Reinhardt summed up the domestic travel trends in Germany: 'classic destinations such as the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts or the Alpine region remain popular, but lesser-known destinations are becoming increasingly important. "More and more citizens are consciously choosing new places away from the busy holiday areas and are looking for more individual travel experiences.'
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
To keep Russia out and America in, NATO must spend more
The first head of NATO, Hastings 'Pug' Ismay, reputedly said the alliance's purpose was to 'keep the Soviet Union out, the Americans in and the Germans down'. Today, no one wants to keep the Germans down. But as NATO's 32 members gather in The Hague on June 24th, most agree that the still-essential task of keeping the Russians out requires keeping the Americans in. And that is no longer straightforward. At one point the summit was in danger of being scrapped. In February President Donald Trump, along with his vice-president, J.D. Vance, and his defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, launched a series of verbal attacks on America's European allies, culminating in the humiliation of Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, whom Mr Trump threw out of the White House. Vladimir Putin was doubtless delighted. NATO suddenly looked more vulnerable than ever before in its 76-year history. Relations have been mended since then. America has quietly continued intelligence-sharing and modest arms shipments to Ukraine. The rhetorical attacks on allies have dried up. Mr Trump, having given up on his campaign promise to end the war in Ukraine in a single day, is no longer pressing Mr Zelensky to accept terms that would amount to surrender. Mr Trump is still likely at some point to pull out some of the 80,000 American troops stationed in Europe; yet he has gone quiet about it. The president is right that it makes no sense for 340m Americans to carry the main burden of defending 600m Europeans. Europe's economy is about as large as America's. The nation threatening it has only 140m people and a GDP smaller than Italy's. Russia is Europe's problem, and the surest way to ensure that America continues to help out with the things that only it can provide, such as heavy-lift aircraft and intelligence-gathering, is for Europe to be seen to be paying its fair share for its own defence. At the summit, European governments will take a step in this direction. Mark Rutte, who now heads NATO, appears to have secured agreement from its members to raise their target for defence spending from 2% of GDP to an impressive 3.5%, which is even more than America spends. On top of that, there will be an agreement to commit an additional 1.5% of GDP to defence-related categories, such as infrastructure (strengthened bridges and roads for carrying heavy equipment, etc); better cyber-security; and support for defence industries. A headline figure of 5% will be something for Mr Trump to crow about, which matters. Commitments are one thing; fulfilling them is another. The 2% target was agreed to in 2014, but it took pressure from Mr Trump in his first term—and the shock of Mr Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine—for Europeans to take it seriously. Even now, France and Germany barely spend 2%; Italy and Spain spend far less. Mr Rutte's task is to secure a hard date for the new spending target of 3.5% of GDP. Early chatter suggests it may be as far off as 2035. Since Russia is already gearing up for the next conflict after Ukraine, this is rash; 2030 would be more prudent. Even better would be a series of interim targets, as with curbing carbon emissions. None of this will be easy. Gung-ho countries like France and Britain face huge budgetary constraints; Germany, which can afford to act, has a history of reluctance to rearm. Italy is both reluctant and broke. Raw numbers, anyway, are only part of the puzzle. The money needs to be spent wisely, avoiding duplication and with a good portion allocated to innovative kit and training to give the alliance an edge over Russia's mass armies (and extraordinary tolerance for casualties). But you can't do anything without money. If it is to pass an updated version of Pug Ismay's test, NATO needs to up its game—starting next week. Subscribers to The Economist can sign up to our Opinion newsletter, which brings together the best of our leaders, columns, guest essays and reader correspondence. Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines to 100 year archives.
Scottish Sun
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
British blokes have forgotten how to dress for the sun – follow these tips for a more stylish summer look
BECK TO BASICS British blokes have forgotten how to dress for the sun – follow these tips for a more stylish summer look Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) REMEMBER when we used to laugh at German blokes on holiday? You could spot them a mile off, with their mullets, vests, questionable moustaches, beer bellies and skimpy swimwear. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 12 Follow David Beckham and his neutral bomber jacket, white T-shirt and pleated linen trousers Credit: The Mega Agency 12 Leave the short-shorts to Paul Mescal — because even he doesn't look good in them Credit: Getty 12 Michael B Jordan in an animal print shirt with cool tonal trousers and leather shoes Credit: Getty Well, now they are laughing at us because while they discovered style, we stole their look and made it worse by adding football shirts and Crocs. Germans now cut a dash with their stylish minimalism. The French embody effortless chic. The Italians and Spanish dress with cool Latin style. We, meanwhile, have become the poorly dressed man of Europe. British men have forgotten how to dress for the sun and stock our summer wardrobes with football shirts, muscle tees, bucket hats, skinny jeans, ¾-length trackies and oversized sunglasses. Our identity crisis is a national disgrace. On Spanish beaches our kids don't bury us in the sand because it's fun. They bury us because they're embarrassed by us, like cats burying their mess. Not so long ago, summer used to be a stress-free affair for men of my age — I'm 55. On beaches we disappeared into the background, unnoticeable behind expanding midriffs and cloaks of matted body hair. We sat behind windbreaks, vests on, knotted hankies on head, trousers rolled up, reading the Racing Post. I'm a men's fashion expert - these style mistakes are ruining your look and could even damage expensive items No one expected anything of us. Women fretted about swimwear while we were allowed to gracefully surrender into middle-age spread. We only had two beach role models, Peter Stringfellow with his thong, and David Hasselhoff, who spent half the 1980s sucking in his stomach and the other half driving a talking car. But today more is expected of us. Blame social media if you want. The world has moved on. Men are expected to care more about how they dress. But in the UK it seems we didn't get the memo and while Europeans got more stylish, British blokes spun off at a tangent, like a divergent timeline in Marvel's Loki series. But you can do better. Some men try to break the mould, but get led astray trying to emulate celebrity role models. 12 Timothée Chalamet in cargo-shorts-socks-and-sandals ensemble Credit: BackGrid 12 Ryan Gosling makes it look easy with plain shirts and chinos Credit: Getty 12 Brad Pitt in his garish tie-dye tracksuit while out in New York City Credit: Getty Timothée Chalamet can get away with his cargo-shorts-socks-and-sandals ensemble because he's Timothée Chalamet — but you are not. Leave the short-shorts to Paul Mescal — because even he doesn't look good in them. And despite what the fashion mags tell you, bold matching tops and trousers do not look good on men over 25. Just look at Brad Pitt in his garish tie-dye tracksuit while out in New York City earlier this month. If a Hollywood superstar can't pull it off, you definitely can't. There are celebrity outliers, however. Take some pointers from Ryan Gosling, who makes it look easy with plain shirts and chinos, or David Beckham and his neutral bomber jacket, white T-shirt, pleated linen trousers and white trainers, or slightly more daring, Michael B Jordan in an animal print shirt with cool tonal trousers and leather shoes. Now we are re-establishing better relations with our continental brethren, it's time to smarten up our act — and the good news is, it's not hard. How do I know? Because I did it. I too was once like you, a hopeless summer fashion victim. I wore cargo shorts, West Ham footie shirts pulled over my dad-bod beer belly, and athleisure sandals. My swimwear of choice was below the knee board shorts. 12 The Sun's Nick is all set for summer Credit: Supplied On one holiday to the South of France I flirted with budgie smugglers after a traumatic experience in a French open-air swimming pool where board shorts were banned. I didn't realise and was frog-marched from the pool by lifeguards who made me purchase tight trunks from a vending machine. Walking back into the pool in my tiny new Lycra swimwear was like the walk of shame in Game Of Thrones. Today a 5-inch inseam is as daring as I get (which is good style advice for any man). My fashion salvation happened after I met a younger, stylish woman, who is now my wife. Stephanie, 45, knocked me into shape and taught me how to dress. It didn't take a lot of effort and I even get compliments occasionally from my 23-year-old daughter and 18-year-old son. So, as you head off for your hols, take a few tips from me. Ditch the football shirts, no one in Mykonos cares about Burnley FC. Ditch anything with big logos on it. Wear leather sandals or espadrilles. Choose linen or seersucker short-sleeved shirts. You can't go wrong with a polo shirt and tailored shorts in neutral palettes. Replace your battered baseball cap with a Panama hat. Treat yourself to some understated sunglasses. Bodies should get some attention too. Before 2006, we could get away with a hairy dad bod, but then the film Casino Royale hit the big screen, and when Daniel Craig emerged from the sea like God chiselled from marble he ruined it for all of us. Now we're expected to look presentable in swimwear. So, get your back waxed, manscape your chest hair. Have a fake tan, but don't go mad. Ask for a light one. Get your eyebrows shaped and tinted. It's not unusual any more and makes a big difference, I promise. No one is going to think any less of you. Maybe swap a pint for a glass of rosé occasionally, or a mojito. Just a few small tweaks and the new stylish you will fit right in on beaches from the Costas to the Greek islands. Make the UK cool again, just don't mention Brexit. WHAT TO BUY NOW 12 Panama, £10, Tu at Sainsbury's Credit: supplied 12 Sunglasses, £5, Peacocks Credit: supplied 12 Shirt, £14, Primark Credit: supplied 12 Shorts, £15, Matalan Credit: Matalan
The Irish Sun
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
British blokes have forgotten how to dress for the sun – follow these tips for a more stylish summer look
REMEMBER when we used to laugh at German blokes on holiday? You could spot them a mile off, with their mullets, vests, questionable moustaches, beer bellies and skimpy swimwear. 12 Follow David Beckham and his neutral bomber jacket, white T-shirt and pleated linen trousers Credit: The Mega Agency 12 Leave the short-shorts to Paul Mescal — because even he doesn't look good in them Credit: Getty 12 Michael B Jordan in an animal print shirt with cool tonal trousers and leather shoes Credit: Getty Well, now they are laughing at us because while they discovered style, we stole their look and made it worse by adding football shirts and Crocs. Germans now cut a dash with their stylish minimalism. The French embody effortless chic. The Italians and Spanish dress with cool Latin style. READ MORE ON MEN'S FASHION We, meanwhile, have become the poorly dressed man of Europe. British men have forgotten how to dress for the sun and stock our summer wardrobes with football shirts, muscle tees, bucket hats, skinny jeans, ¾-length trackies and oversized sunglasses. Our identity crisis is a national disgrace. On Spanish beaches our kids don't bury us in the sand because it's fun. They bury us because they're embarrassed by us, like cats burying their mess. Not so long ago, summer used to be a stress-free affair for men of my age — I'm 55. Most read in Fabulous On beaches we disappeared into the background, unnoticeable behind expanding midriffs and cloaks of matted body hair. We sat behind windbreaks, vests on, knotted hankies on head, trousers rolled up, reading the Racing Post. I'm a men's fashion expert - these style mistakes are ruining your look and could even damage expensive items No one expected anything of us. Women fretted about swimwear while we were allowed to gracefully surrender into middle-age spread. We only had two beach role models, But today more is expected of us. Blame social media if you want. The world has moved on. Men are expected to care more about how they dress. But in the UK it seems we didn't get the memo and while Europeans got more stylish, British blokes spun off at a tangent, like a divergent timeline in Marvel's Loki series. But you can do better. Some men try to break the mould, but get led astray trying to emulate celebrity role models. 12 Timothée Chalamet in cargo-shorts-socks-and-sandals ensemble Credit: BackGrid 12 Ryan Gosling makes it look easy with plain shirts and chinos Credit: Getty 12 Brad Pitt in his garish tie-dye tracksuit while out in New York City Credit: Getty Timothée Chalamet can get away with his cargo-shorts-socks-and-sandals ensemble because he's Timothée Chalamet — but you are not. Leave the short-shorts to Paul Mescal — because even he doesn't look good in them. And despite what the fashion mags tell you, bold matching tops and trousers do not look good on men over 25. Just look at Brad Pitt in his garish tie-dye tracksuit while out in New York City earlier this month. If a Hollywood superstar can't pull it off, you definitely can't. There are celebrity outliers, however. Take some pointers from Ryan Gosling, who makes it look easy with plain shirts and chinos, or David Beckham and his neutral bomber jacket, white T-shirt, pleated linen trousers and white trainers, or slightly more daring, Michael B Jordan in an animal print shirt with cool tonal trousers and leather shoes. Now we are re-establishing better relations with our continental brethren, it's time to smarten up our act — and the good news is, it's not hard. How do I know? Because I did it. I too was once like you, a hopeless summer fashion victim. I wore cargo shorts, 12 The Sun's Nick is all set for summer Credit: Supplied On one holiday to the South of swimming pool where board shorts were banned. I didn't realise and was frog-marched from the pool by lifeguards who made me purchase tight trunks from a vending machine. Walking back into the pool in my tiny new Lycra swimwear was like the walk of shame in Game Of Thrones. Today a 5-inch inseam is as daring as I get (which is good style advice for any man). My fashion salvation happened after I met a younger, stylish woman, who is now my wife. Stephanie, 45, knocked me into shape and taught me how to dress. It didn't take a lot of effort and I even get compliments occasionally from my 23-year-old daughter and 18-year-old son. So, as you head off for your hols, take a few tips from me. Ditch the football shirts, no one in Mykonos cares about Ditch anything with big logos on it. Wear leather sandals or espadrilles. Choose linen or seersucker short-sleeved shirts. You can't go wrong with a polo shirt and tailored shorts in neutral palettes. Replace your battered baseball cap with a Panama hat. Treat yourself to some understated sunglasses. Bodies should get some attention too. Before 2006, we could get away with a hairy dad bod, but then the film Casino Royale hit the big screen, and when Daniel Craig emerged from the sea like God chiselled from marble he ruined it for all of us. Now we're expected to look presentable in swimwear. So, get your back waxed, manscape your chest hair. Have a fake tan, but don't go mad. Ask for a light one. Get your eyebrows shaped and tinted. It's not unusual any more and makes a big difference, I promise. No one is going to think any less of you. Maybe swap a pint for a glass of rosé occasionally, or a mojito. Just a few small tweaks and the new stylish you will fit right in on beaches from the Costas to the Greek islands. Make the UK cool again, just don't mention Brexit. WHAT TO BUY NOW 12 Panama, £10, Tu at Sainsbury's Credit: supplied 12 Sunglasses, £5, Peacocks Credit: supplied 12 Shirt, £14, Primark Credit: supplied 12 Shorts, £15, Matalan Credit: Matalan 12 Sandals, £30, Marks & Spencer Credit: supplied
Scottish Sun
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
‘Just smash into them' – England U21s star Charlie Cresswell reveals his plan to bring pain to Spain in Euros showdown
CHARLIE CRESSWELL says England have nothing Tou-Louse and vowed to bring the pain to Spain and 'smash' straight into them. The Young Lions went down 2-1 to Germany on Wednesday in Slovakia to finish runners-up in Group B. 3 Charlie Cresswell vowed to 'smash' into Spain on Saturday Credit: Getty 3 The star says the Young Lions showed a lack of fight initially against Germany Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Lee Carsley's side are now on a collision course with the much-fancied La Roja, the team they beat to win the U21 Euros in 2023, in Trnava on Saturday. The boss revealed that he let his players have it as they trailed 2-0 to the Germans at the break but was pleased by the response as Alex Scott almost sparked a late rally. And Cresswell, 22, insists that there won't be a repeat of the 'lack of fight' they started with when they go to battle with star-studded Spanish Armada. The honest defender, who has starred for Toulouse in Ligue 1 since joining from Leeds last summer, said: 'It wasn't good enough from everyone, myself included, it was a collective thing. We just needed more fight, more determination. We can go press them high and get the ball back. We needed more of that and you saw that in the second half.' READ MORE ON FOOTBALL THREE LIONS SHOCK England u21s Germany clash suspended as stadium plunged into darkness On the content of Carsley's dressing down, he continued: 'Show some fight, you're playing for England, let's run harder than them, work harder than them. I was saying to the lads 'just smash into them', 'I don't know you're there' and 'let them know they're in a game'. 'We showed that in the second half, but we've got to take that into the next game. 'You can't give Germany that, otherwise look what they did. That's the thing with European competitions, you get punished and you've got to be at your best game.' Cresswell, whose father is a former Leeds star, acknowledged that many will have England down as the underdogs. BEST FREE BETS AND BETTING SIGN UP OFFERS But he, along with Harvey Elliott, were part of the squad that toppled them in Georgia two years ago and he's relishing another fierce battle. He added: 'We go into each game wanting to win. We respect every team. It's going to be a different group from two years ago and they'll be a good side and we've got to be at our game. Lee Carsley hailed for 'best football England have ever played' as fans say 'can we rip up Tuchel's contract-' 3 Omari Hutchinson is targeting a 2-0 victory over the Spanish Credit: Getty 'Of course Spain are a top side. The first team as well, it runs through their system. You know when you play against Spain what they're going to be like. They're going to pass it around and try to make you move. But we've got to stand strong and take the game to them. 'We've got quality in that dressing-room. We know we can beat them. 'Everyone has their weaknesses, you know. We've got to make sure we're at our A game. 'It was good [in 2023], I know it got a bit fiery at some points and I'm pretty sure it'll be a fiery game. I enjoy that stuff though. I was saying to the lads 'just smash into them', 'I don't know you're there' and 'let them know they're in a game'. Charlie Cresswell 'I said to the lads, it doesn't get better than this. You're playing for England Under-21s, against Germany and next will be against Spain. It doesn't get better than this. We'll look back on this time and want to live this point again so it's important we stay right here right now and enjoy every moment.' Ipswich winger Omari Hutchinson, whose trickery produced the assist for Scott, added: 'They're very good on the ball, so we want to be dominant. We're gonna have to try to take that away from them. We can be physically better than them. We've just got to physically outrun them and take them to the final whistle. 'Cars is big on that. He said last time they played each other it was a tough game. We just want to be able to dominate and win by two goals really. 'It's my biggest game for England so I'm looking forward to it.'
