Germany: German Tourist Scams

Germany tourism information in regard to tourist scams in Berlin, Munich, and other parts of Germany. Scams & things travelers should look out for when they head to Germany.
Filmed in Freiburg, Germany
Copyright Mark Wolters 2019
#germany #travelscams #woltersworld
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[@daaaaaaaaaaavid]

You said the "hallo" perfectly. Almost wanted to look around if there was a concerned German walking towards me.

[@SassiKokus]

David He really did! I’m working as a cashier here in Germany and this Video made me realize I do the “hallo!!!” quite a lot (classic: when someone forgets their debit card in the card reader) 😂

[@marteast]

Absolutely! I thought I'd forgot to pay for something 😄

[@QWERTYOP80]

I believe he lived in Germany for a while.

[@jereyt8219]

Most certainly an old granny :)

[@Normalguy1690]

David dirty EU swine

[@Handom1]

HALLO!? YOU CAN NOT FILM AUF THE DEUTSCHE BAHN BAHNHOF OHNE DREHGENEHMIGUNG!!

[@Samlez]

learn german !

[@lolman2425]

Fun Fact: You can but it's prohibited to use tripods.

[@nikolaydonin2558]

@@lolman2425 Wow. Haste dich informiert?

[@lolman2425]

@@nikolaydonin2558 it's common knowledge for train enthusiasts

[@nikolaydonin2558]

@@lolman2425 ah. Ok, that explains everything

[@clemensdelfabro1629]

I'm from Germany but I've never heard of the mustard scammer

[@muk242]

Clemens Del Fabro At big Weihnachtsmarkts

[@PascalGienger]

I had that in Belgium: Brussels Gare Du Midi. A guy told me my jacket was dirty and I should go to the restroom to clean it. Of course I noticed the finger sign he gave to another guy near the lavatory entrance. I just continued to walk to catch my train to Frankfurt and in the train I saw a color spray line on the back of the jacket. Difficult to clean. Beware of this all over in Europe.

[@sharkmusic9636]

Me too, i have never been scammed in germany we really help eachother

[@johncatty6560]

Me neither...

[@johncatty6560]

@@sharkmusic9636 Same here. When I see a tourist is trying to get a ticket on a vendor machine and it takes him very long and the queue is getting longer and longer then I offer my help. Because some people won't be nice if they are about to miss their train....

[@very_spopy3015]

as a german I can approve all of this. however, one thing to add: in many public places, old people "gift" you roses or other flowers, just to charge you a few seconds later. Dont take any flowers from them.

[@emlyn1728]

"Wolle Rose kaufen?"

[@JedestoLP]

@@emlyn1728 NEIN!

[@Skillbombe]

Bastian Priegnitz das ist zwar eher der Fall in Städten wie Rom Paris Venedig etc

[@Ebbelwoy]

@@Skillbombe das ist mir letztens in Köln passiert

[@GBlockbreaker]

Nimm die Rose, sag "Bruder muss los" und renn

[@RobS2k8]

As a German, I really like your videos and saying that Germans are nice and opened up not like the stereotypes that going around. Thank you Mark, big thumbs up for all your videos, not just the ones about Germany 😊

[@emermbiemer302]

RobS2k8 I thought that about Germans as well ,even though in my home country ( Albania) Germans are well liked .but still the stereotype is that you are cold or stoic. Recently I have come in contact with some Germans here in New York City where I live now , and the complete opposite is true they are warm , funny and outgoing I was pleasantly surprised. Good people 👍🏻.

[@thrakiamaria]

Unfortunately they are still cold and unfriendly, in some cities are little better but yeah they are polite and no racists.

[@Kroetens]

@@thrakiamaria Maybe people just misunderstand that behaviour.

[@thrakiamaria]

@@Kroetens You mean my behavior? Let me just say what just concluded 6 years living in Germany. Of course they are the only negative things in Germany.

[@Kroetens]

@@thrakiamaria No our behaviour. (I am german).Like being cold or seemingly unfriendly : )

[@andiwand7954]

Diese Kommentarsektion ist nun Eigentum der Bundesrepublik Deutschland.

[@s1lent718]

@Clipworld damage multiplier x100

[@yannick7097]

Germany in the Title: Nobody: Comment section: Germans: hippidy hoppidy this is now our property

[@lennarts6170]

I approve of sis message *gottverdammt* !

[@prunabluepepper]

🤣😂😅adorable that you think we Germans would say hippidy hoppedy. No, but srsly, best comment, made my day, thank you 😘

[@yannick7097]

@@prunabluepepper I am German myself haha

[@prunabluepepper]

@@yannick7097 i think we Germans have great humour, just don't tell anyone. :D

[@ichmagautos1803]

Jaa

[@theavandenberg6876]

Not much scamming going on in Germany. Never had a problem there

[@jonanjoy1457]

Natürlich wir sind ja auch nett

[@CritiXYT]

I'm from germany and all I can say is that this video is just on point! There are not many tourist scams but some like thos handicap baggers (never give money to them) and you should keep an eye on your valuables when you are at a train station or a crowded christmas market! Good video, thumbs up! :-)

[@horseplop9]

Whats Better to Visit.. Munich Cologne or Berlin ?? thanks

[@IntyMichael]

@@horseplop9 Every of this cities is a unique experience.

[@horseplop9]

@@IntyMichael cool thx

[@skylineXpert]

I say NJET when i see that fake handicap beggar.

[@johncatty6560]

@@horseplop9 I add one more: Hamburg. But as the user IntyMichael wrote already: all of the mentioned ones are unique. It depends on what you would like to see ;)

[@Tipko]

I lived in Germany for some years. My experience is Germans are some of the friendliest and most well mannered people in Europe. I have to admit I quite miss it

[@whattheflyingfuck...]

maybe one day you will come back?

[@19mangas83]

you're probably white and/ or female, right?

[@whattheflyingfuck...]

@@19mangas83 you're probably a racist, right?

[@misanthrope8803]

@@19mangas83 dumbest comment I have ever seen wtf

[@maxmustermann-zx9yq]

don't worry if you can't come to us, we come to you *Marching Song intensifies*

[@caspa7]

There is a more dangerous version of these petition scammers: when you sit in a cafe or anywhere at a table and they see your phone on the table they come over and very craftfully hold the signing notepad or board above the table and when you say "no" (or even yes and sign) your phone will go along with their signing pad.

[@EibaProductions]

Yeah, I also know these "disabled" beggars. Ignoring them is fine, as they are just pretending. Quite "common", where I live, is the "way-too-small-crutch" scam: Somebody limps around with a small crutch, and with that a humpy back. (Also realise: In Europe, there's universal health care. Anyone with that kind of condition could go to any hospital and get treatment for free)

[@MRTNLZL]

Not really :)

[@rediponto9588]

Free treatment unless you aren't rich enough to pay nearly 200 euro a month

[@DronkenKater]

@@rediponto9588 in the netherlands / germany its around 100 p.m.

[@MRTNLZL]

@@DronkenKater nop, germany aok ist nearly 200 euro.

[@adalmar]

Not really true. If you have no income, and don't sign private insolvency and go into social security, you have to pay 190€ per month. If you don't pay you will have debts, and eventually your medical treatment will be reduced to just emergency treatment.

[@dobersziel2044]

The reselling of a ticket isn't necessarily a scam. You just need to know if the ticket is valid or not. I actually offered people my day ticket for free at Munich airport, as I was done using it, and they all ran away like little pussys. Someone gave me their day ticket in Vienna at the bus station when they were leaving for free and I was so happy. At the same time everyone else thought it was a scam - ehm no it was somebody being nice. And besides he was Korean.

[@thundergod111]

I always give away my metro passes with time left on them when I'm leaving. Some people are skeptical, but most are appreciative.

[@AK-cc9rx]

The same here! If someone gives you a ticket for free you can take it. I do it at airports or train station when I am about to leave and don’t need mine any longer. Bayern Ticket is now different, because people were reselling them DB required the people to sign their name on it. But in 99% no one is checking the names. There is something else that can get people confused: you will see people ask you whether you want to share the group ticket with them, like Bayern Ticket. I did it back as a student, in this case you meet up at the train station they seem to be certain spots (usually in front of the ticket machines from DB) and share the ticket and the price of the ticket (you pay after the ticket was bought). The one who is going the furtherst (geographically) keeps the ticket, you just get of the train at your destination. This is legal and you see it often at certain stations. Greeting from 🇧🇦, so sad you don’t have any videos about this part of Europe they would be so helpful in mine preparation for the travel. You should come the food is great. Merry Christmas y‘all 🎄

[@drstihl2007]

In Hamburg there are sometimes people offering to put you on a group ticket to Kiel. You pay 10€ which is cheaper than the normal ticket (21-22€ i think) and the dude who buy the ticket and "shares" it with you travels for free basically and maybe makes some extra money. However he has the risk as he'll need a certain number of people for him to make a profit. In the end for you personally it is low risk especially since in the cases i used it the money was to be handed over after the trip. The only one scammed here may be the German railway.

[@dobersziel2044]

@@drstihl2007 as long as the ticket is valid, DB cannot be scammed. They profit enough with their monopoly anyways.

[@drstihl2007]

@@dobersziel2044 Yeah technically they should not care. However they prohibit sharing it and act as if they are scammed.

[@tedspradley]

Agree about Germans keeping all aspects of life in order! I worked in Germany on & off for a year. Loved it. I would sit & watch with amusement if someone left something out of place in the company cafeteria like a carton of milk & watch how long it took for a random person to come along and put things back in order without thinking about it. :)

[@elonmush4793]

Ordnung ist das halbe Leben. ;)

[@Rayalboon]

Who are you trying to fool, you left that milk carton there just out of amusement, just admit it :P. We notice, but fulfil you that pleasure anyway ;)

[@Thrakall]

I just came back from Stuttgart. While in the Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof trying to validate my ticket for transport it wasn't clear where I was suppose to do that. Lucky for me an opa noticed my confusion, and came right over to help me. With my very tiny German vocabulary I tried to explain what I was trying to do. He checked to see if I could speak french to help the communication barrier. Unfortunately I do not. But he was eager to help. The first validation box he took me to was broken so he showed me to another. I was then able to validate my ticket and be on my way. My entire trip there every person I encountered was truly amazing. If people think the Germans are cold or uncaring then they haven't really met one.

[@selbststandicherabbeitslos6880]

I'm German and I think the German are cold and uncaring.

[@schrbtschtaeter3367]

@@selbststandicherabbeitslos6880 Most of all, Germans like to complain about Germans. ;)

[@RioMuc]

@@schrbtschtaeter3367 This is so true!!! Wanna find a "typical German"? This is the one who's saying "Ich bin nicht typisch Deutsch!". "Complaining" (in the triathlon version: nörgeln, jammern, meckern) is Germany's sport no. 1! Plus: the majority of Germans want to be on holiday somewhere where they don't meet other Germans. But then they will complain about the local cuisine and desperately search for German food.

[@PeterAuto1]

I think many Germans don't like to start conversations with strangers with out reason, so we often seem cold.

[@johncatty6560]

I remember that you have to "validate" the ticket in Stuttgart. I Hamburg you would be surprised: there is no validation :) The only thing you should consider: buy the ticket before you board the metro / subway. You cannot buy it today and use it tomorrow because date and time is written on the ticket and it is intended for immediate use.

[@grinsekatze3085]

I usually give the "Toilettenfrauen" a 1 or 2 Euro-Tip with a smile and a Thank you. Sound like a lot, but if you've ever had to go to one of those really filthy Autobahn-Restrooms and had to pay 50 cents just to be able to go inside the filthy, yucky stall, then you GLADLY give those ladies a bigger tip and an honest Thank you, because you were able to go do your business FIRST in a very clean, often even very COZY, toiletstall. And let's just face it: Who actually LIKES cleaning up toilets after someone used it? So, I think 1 to 2 Euros is more than a fair tip

[@michael_house]

As a Berliner - that was very interesting and on point. Thank you very much! Of course - you can avoid most scams in germany if you don't look like a tourist. Walk fast and with determination and they will leave you alone. :D

[@elonmush4793]

I think that is true for any country. If you look like a tourist your chances of getting scammed rise. By the way: What do tourists look like? I think a dead giveaway would be a "I

[@emilpashov1040]

Elon Mush a backpack screams tourist!

[@elainelouve]

Trainers/sandals, shorts and a t-shirt or a tank top, possibly unwashed and smelly, seems to be a standard tourist outfit for the summer. Combined with not behaving like a local. Though that "I

[@water9584]

@@emilpashov1040 Not necessarily. I always go around my hometown area with a backpack. Almost everyone in Germany does that. Either with bags or backpacks.

[@edelzocker8169]

2:00 weiter geben von Fahrkarten oder zurück lassen an Automaten wenn diese *NOCH GÜLTIG* sind wird oft gemacht

[@afox5319]

to add to this, on the christmas markets, there are ladies going around handing out roses. DO NOT TAKE THEM they will then follow you and tell you that you got to pay for them

[@michelbruns]

A Fox Never Senn or heard anything like that

[@QWERTYOP80]

Michel Bruns Happened to me in Athens.

[@michelbruns]

@@QWERTYOP80 not in germany

[@Digrient]

@@michelbruns So sure? kzbin.info/www/bejne/h5DXn5ulpsaDjMU

[@drstihl2007]

@@michelbruns They are definitely here in Germany. I saw them in Kiel too but apparently the people there were not as gullible and i haven't seen them in quiet some time. Sadly they never approached me, i would have loved to just deny giving them anything and if they demand the rose back to snap it in two pieces and just throw it on the ground and walk away.

[@Ljonja9Leonid]

The Trainticket "scam" isnt really a scam. It saves money for both sides.

[@Digrient]

So does stealing.

[@Rayalboon]

Well selling your ticket to another Person is not allowed by the DB. Also if you sell a single use ticket that isn't valid anymore then it is a scam.

[@saschamayer4050]

Total scam it is. Many tickets are only valid for the people that wrote their names on it. Do not pay for a second hand ticket!!!

[@Rayalboon]

@@saschamayer4050 i don't know if you ever visited munich but on some like the munich xxl ticket you don't have anything to confirm the individuals that bought the ticket. Yes i wouldn't encourage buying a ticket from a stranger but please don't post wrong information.

[@116graceandglory]

Mark always providing us with quality content!

[@woltersworld]

Thank you

[@lukasmihara]

As a German, I'm not a big fan of the "Toilettenfrauen" actually... don't they get a salary..? Japan for example has cleaner and more high-tech toilets for free. That's just part of the service.

[@ulrichrenner6256]

Maybe Japan doesn´t have people who would come in just to use the toilet. If you provide good service for free, your paying customers will have to pay for it. I can´t even remember when and where I last saw a Toilettenfrau. It is not a very common sight to me. When they are employees, not freelancers, they legally have to be paid at least minimum salary.

[@helgafalckenberg6635]

Lukas Mihara dont service ppl get a salary too?, but they are happy to get a tip- Btw, Lukas, some have a non profit contract, they are allowed to put up they note, but they do NOT get any salary from the “POT-OWNER”

[@wjzav1971]

Honestly, I am willing to pay 50 cents for a clean toilet to use after having seen the unattended toilets.....

[@helloweener2007]

They are self employed or an employee or family member of the person who owns / rented the toilet. A friend and I had to use the toilet at a station in a smaller town. It was one big room with the toilet, urinal and sink. You had to put 50 cent into the lock to open the door. There was a lady near it and she was cerafully watching that nobody tries to cheat like keeping the door open for the next one like we tried it. We were annyoed that she tried to stop this and complaint to her that the Deutsche Bahn should provide toilets for free. Then she said that she rented the toilets. I guess this is the sitiation for many of this toilets. They are not run by the Deutsche Bahn, Gas station or mall but by 3rd companies or persons who want to earn money with it. So the money is the income for these companies / people.

[@wjzav1971]

@@helloweener2007 And again, if you look at how unattended toilets look on train stations look like.....

[@mariohendriks1]

For me the Deutsche Bahn timetables are the biggest scam in Germany. I rarely travel by train in Germany, but when I do there's at least a minimum 20 minute delay. Makes me appreciate the train punctuality here in the Netherlands. :D

[@solidstate9451]

Freiburg is beautiful.

[@musikkritik6316]

@@klaro3001 hahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahaha

[@frequenz9856]

Im from Freiburg and IT IS very beautiful.

[@pyrodyro1726]

@@klaro3001 nooo

[@Darkstar2342]

The re-selling of train tickets is actually not necessarily a scam. If you check that the ticket is legit (i.e. not a copy, just compare with one of your used tickets from the day before), that the date matches, and that the ticket has not been stamped/crimped/invalidated yet, you are usually safe. I have done this a few times when visiting Berlin. But if you want to be on the safe side, of course, go with the "buy your own ticket" route :)

[@kastenfrog]

One begging scheme I encounter a lot at bigger train stations in Germany is foreign people approaching you with a print of a certain train connection. They explain to you that they're supposed to meet their family at the destination or something and just need a bit more money to buy the ticket. But they're obviously parts of organised groups

[@christopherefird1517]

I lived in Germany while in the US military... I am taking my wife next year for her first trip. I was wondering if you could do a video on interacting with Polizei and courtesies at traffic stops and in buildings.

[@desertrose1609]

It made me really happy when I saw that you filmed this in my hometown! Freiburg is a small city and I'm afraid often overlooked but it's beautiful and has its own charm, so thanks for visiting and showing it in your video! :)

[@19Lillith]

When you yelled “hallo” 😂 Love your videos and I’d love something about Switzerland 🇨🇭 😀

[@uriulrich4918]

I always give away my parking ticket, when it is a day ticket, and I am departing before end of park time (for free of course). So don't be overly afraid, most Germans are probably just nice, when you are getting something for free.

[@gnhansen29]

Hearing about fewer scams will encourage me to visit Germany.

[@user-bl4oq7fd8d]

to try out your own new scams?! lol

[@ThatKindaGuyTravel]

I love Germany so much and have been many times. I've never experienced an obvious scam and have always felt really safe even in the big cities. Coming from London I find it quite surprising after having gone to Rome,Paris Barcelona etc Germany as a whole has barely got any scams compared to those places.

[@jasondouglas6873]

I am from Germany. Reselling the train tickets is of course not 100% legal because the train operators don‘t want it. But for the seller and for you it can be beneficial. As long as the tickets are not personalized you can use the resold ticket without any problems.

[@Chihiro99685]

In the metro in greece the ticket lasts for 1.5 hour so when we are done most of the times we will leave the ticket outside of the metro or we will give it to someone for free so dont be scared to take it.Coming from that mindset it was really helpful that you mentioned the situation in germany so once again thank you wolter :)

[@quastroo8584]

Don't forget about the scams at Christmas markets where they sell things in grams and kilos. You order something like 200 gram of nougat and they'll give you half of a kilo saying they weren't able to slice it better and they'll go on and charge you a lot of money

[@Verspassungsschutz]

Never happened to me (German here). Sounds more like Prague

[@quastroo8584]

@@Verspassungsschutz Unfortunately, it has happened to me once in Germany

[@ulrichrenner6256]

@@quastroo8584 Never happened to me either. Also, how could that even work? People would just walk away without taking or paying the stuff, unless they had far too much Glühwein. Maybe some British people might be too polite to do that.

[@swanpride]

??? What a nonsense...either the stuff is pre-packaged that that it weights exactly as much as written on it, or they weight it right there in which case they ask you if your are okay with the weight (which is usually either a little bit less or a little bit more than requested, they are good, but hitting a specific measure is difficult). You can just say "nope, I wanted less" in which case they will take some away for you, or you can accept it. It's not a scam, just insist how much you ordered. But I have never seen anyone being off by more than double the original order.

[@tardeliesmagic]

The card on the table scam i've seen in Ibiza,Spain and i asked a friend in a restaurant as i go to Ibiza alot and we know each other along time....my mate said he's not mute at all.The clip board scam was funny as the man spoke completely wrong for a deaf person.How did i know? He just made a noise like he was really drunk and i spoke to deaf people before....plus most of the signatures written down had the same handwriting and i spoke to a mate nearby and they were talking when they walked up the road as they were in a small gang.

[@30AndAWakeUp]

Germany is awesome....going to be heading there for a month in 2020. Thanks for letting us know what to look out for.

[@woltersworld]

That's cool! You will have a great month

[@30AndAWakeUp]

@@woltersworld Absolutely!

[@boomme3598]

There are no scams to worry about in Germany. The people are very honest. It is one of the safest countries in Europe.

[@mtlicq]

You'll be fine in Germany. IF you go to Paris, keep your wallet and passport close to your skin and pay attention at every moment if it is still there or not. IF you go to Paris, keep your eyes or your hands on your luggage at all times when you're walking around with it.

[@boomme3598]

@@mtlicq also be careful of the paris suburbs, you could land in a ghetto and it could be scary. Although compared to US ghettos, I guess they are not comparable.

[@picklepickle2025]

Freiburg is one of my favourite cities in the world!!

[@juice5951]

I'm a polish guy and I've visited Germany many times. Nothing bad ever happened to me.

[@beatapogorzelska1241]

They learnt their lesson?

[@lilli4060]

@Beata Pogorzelska Impudent comment!

[@beatapogorzelska1241]

@@lilli4060 Politically incorrect at most.

[@musikkritik6316]

@@beatapogorzelska1241 Ignorant and out of place

[@beatapogorzelska1241]

@@musikkritik6316 Didn't they?Maybe I am ignorant and they just didn't.

[@benrybak481]

2:25 But if anyone got a ticket that is valid for the whole day, a day ticket, and they already used it, it is still valid for the rest of the day and it is not by name so if someone offers you their day ticket, they just try to be nice and friendly.

[@stevebartley8594]

We had a ‘mute’ come into our store at least once a year in Arizona.

[@crappiefisher1331]

i have to point out that i sometimes give my day ticket (ticket valid for a whole day) away for free. where i live 2 single rides from A to B cost the same as 1 day ticket. so most of the time i simply buy a 1 day ticket do my few rides and when i arrive at the station again - and know i am done for today - i simply give it away.. but i won't ask you for money if i do so... and thx for pointing out that germans are not cold. germans are reserved and probably will not hug you right away and act as if they know you their whole life already even tho you just met for the first time like in some other countries. most germans will most likely also not start a 20 minute small talk with a stranger but if you need help and ask someone most germans still will gladly try to help you out. don't confuse being reserved with being cold. in germany it is actually considered polite to not be into other peoples faces right away and bother others. also sometimes even germans do small talk. a few days ago i waited for my tram/streetcar and a woman desperately tried to get on a tram that just arrived and i told her that it was only "Fahrschule" (driving school). she then told me that she does not speak german and i told her in english that the tram was just a new driver learning to drive and that he wont take us with him. she then told me that she just moved to the city and is still concentrated so much on even finding the right bus stop that i could tell her anything and she would believe me. i told her that i would never do such a thing and asked her where she needed to go and told her which 2 trams she could use.. she then went on how she likes public transport but how she is still confused sometimes, i told her she will for sure get the hang of it and then she mentioned that she will start to make her german driving licence very soon and so forth. we talked about 10 minutes till 1 of the trams she could use arrived and i told her she could use that one and that it will have the same stops as the other one and that only the 3 last stops of these 2 trams are different, because they split routes exactly where she needs to get out

[@dhblan8591]

To avoid having people putting scam cards on your tables or begging at McDonalds, Burger King, Starbucks in Germany, my best advice to Americans is stay the hell out of those places! You are in Germany! Enjoy local eateries.

[@LibertyDino]

Some advice if you end up in a dangerous situation. When someone comes up to you and says ''nice watch/jewlery'', keep an eye on them, get to an area with more ppl and don't EVER start to argue with them. They want to rob you and they are armed and they don't hesitate to put your life in danger. And another advice for Taxi services at the airport, Either figure out a local Taxi company before and call yourself one or go where the queue is. The ones that will offer you to not stand in line are going to take more money from you. Also with legal Taxi drivers there are issues. If the destination will ''only'' get them 20 euro they still need to take you. It is in their contract.

[@nyanhp]

The thing with the tickets is a bit sad. I always give my partially used tickets away when e. g. arriving at the airport while they can still be used to get into the city. Sometimes there really are nice people who just want to give someone their still usable train ticket :(

[@AndrewKNI]

Merry Christmas Wolters World and family. Enjoy Germany. Ho Ho Ho :-)

[@thomashadleigh2575]

The "Hullo" cracked me up. 😂 Good job and cool kids btw. Thanks Mark.

[@ThomasRichterMedia]

2:37 He is a very good elbow sneezer. A lot of people don't know how to sneeze properly. Big up for the boy!

[@lilywei7388]

These are all so true and accurate! Another one I thought of is the flower scam. It's where someone will just hand you a flower, and if you accept it, they will end up charging you 15 dollars for it.

[@berndhoffmann7703]

1:00 well it is mostly not a Scam, but I have encountered some which were a Scam. The point is at public locations, like a festival, open-air venues, on the motorway (partially refund), or huge Biergardens, at public places - like areas which have huge pedestrian traffic one is asked for Toilettenbenutungsgebühr, at Tankstellen one usually has to ask for the key, but does not need to pay. In a Restaurant off the beaten path, it has to be always free, as it is paid via your consumption. At places were people who are not consuming anything but can easily access the restrooms (e.g. a separate entrance from outside) it mostly is a sign kindly asking for one to pay some cents at a counter - as they have to clean the toilets more often. I personally was told to ask in a Restaurant if I can use the toilet when I am not wanting to consume something in that Resto, I even offer some money. I have never been turned down, and maybe on our way back or next time we had decided to eat at this Resto. If all people would have followed that - all restrooms would still be free in Germany ;)

[@Knallteute]

The one with the ticket Automaten isn't necessarily true. I often helped people who had problems with their ticket or needed a connection. But sure be sure to have your stuff together.

[@peterpain6625]

Same. Often when i am at the airport and see desperate tourists at those german Fahrkartenautomaten i try to help. Also those things were designed by some sadist for sure ;)

[@Knallteute]

@@peterpain6625 yeha even I have to cancel a ticket bc I remember that there is a cheaper/more convenient option

[@peterpain6625]

@@Knallteute Oh i see you experienced the labyrinths of madness of "how to get a reasonable priced ticket for the german bahn" ;)

[@Knallteute]

@@peterpain6625 yep. Its one of the best ways to show german bureaucracy.

[@WcHDICE]

I need to visit Germany someday cuz it's been 20 years and also the drinking age 16 how lucky of me when I was a teenager

[@jessicanippes1730]

Thank you very much,as a German I love tourists from all over the world and it is helpfull to know some things 😊

[@quaffie]

all of those scamers are usually middle eastern or east europeans

[@peterrabbitn787]

Great and legit video! But I only pay the toilet lady after I leave the toilet and only if the toilet is clean. As he states it is a tip. They earn enough and the tip is extra. I live in a small touristy town. And in the summer and Christmas time a lot of Bulgarians come to our city on the weekend to beg on the streets. The police is trying to get rid of them but they'll come back after an hour or two. You do have to shake your head when they all group up at the beginning and end of the day swapping babys, dogs and / or crutches

[@ginbo33]

I studied in Germany as an Erasmus student and I miss it so much! It felt so nice just to see the train station as I used the trains almost daily so it is so nostalgic for me. Ugh I wanna go back sooo much! I actually wanna move there later but Im only gonna be able to be a tourist next year :D

[@drsnova7313]

Went to an open air theatre even in Germany recently. Tickets had to be bought online. I printed them out, assuming there was a place for them to be checked. Nope. No-one checked any tickets, it was just assumed that if you went there, you have already paid. And given that they were sold out, and the number of people seems to have matched the number of seats (some were empty, but also a handful of people decided to stand or sit on the ground), was impressive.

[@jizowest6718]

Wenn jemand schlecht über Freiburg redet. Dennis boxt ihn

[@rainerwahnsinn8411]

jizo abitur Wer ist Dennis

[@jizowest6718]

@@rainerwahnsinn8411 Sandro kennt ihn

[@Tritachion]

Small clarification regarding "buying tickets on the transport": Your best bet is to use this rule of thumb - if you are in a *long distance* train, you _can_ actually buy the ticket _on_ the train, that is if you yourself tell the personel on the train that you still need one, right when boarding the train. If you sit down and they come to check on your ticket later and _then_ you tell them your story, you might (this depends on the personel, but it's perfectly legal to issue a fine in this case) get a fine (usually 60€ / double standard fare [whichever is higher]). On _local_ traffics, like subways, busses, trams and the likes, in 9 out of 10 times it is neither allowed nor possible to buy or conduct a ticket inside the transport. There _may_ be some esceptions to this rule, but since there is a different company that does public transports (so-called Verkehrsverbünde, or Public Transport Associations) just about every 100-200 kilometres, one should better be safe than sorry and buy a ticket in advance. Oh and if you ask nicely ("Sprecken Sie maybe english?"... this is like, so adorable!), just about every staff member can talk at least a bit of English, so just ask for help. ;) One last sidenote: Reselling of tickets is another thing which is not outright _illegal_ to do(as per civil/commercial state laws), but a) you're setting yourself up to receive an already used up ticket (as you mentioned) and b) just about _every_ company prohibits this in their terms and conditions. The ticket you mention, the 5-person-1-day one? A customer is required to write down at least 1 name onto the ticket. So if there's a "Lieschen Mueller" on your ticket, and you'd show that to the conductor, you'll be in for a fine again.

[@Tritachion]

exceptions* Damnit. -.-

[@mikebaginy8731]

A scam when driving: a car is broke down on the side of the road, when stopping and offering aid, the driver claims to be out of fuel and asks for a few Euros to buy gasoline. Usually there is a family of sobbing mother and children in the car to add theatrics. Happened to me twice - first time I gave some cssh, the driver wanted more, offering jewellery. Often these folks are from south eastern European countries. Hard to shake off once I stopped and inquired what's happened. Now I no longer stop to offer aid, bad for anyone truly in need.

[@lossofwill]

I spent two weeks in Germany and loved it there.

[@Cyc0de]

hey, german dude here. most stuff you mentioned isn't really related to a scam (more to thiefes and gangs) and most stuff too seems not just existing in germany but also elsewhere. and we have tickets you stamp a single time and then you can use it for a specific time...so of you don't need it anymore you give it to other people.. that's a normal thing here and not rly a scam (just make sure it's still valid! don't use invalid ones)

[@robschneider266]

>makes video about scams in germany >films on a train station subtle, but spot on

[@alishavornbrock2533]

Germany is amazing. I went there with my school in 2017 and 2018. To prepare I watched all of these travel videos and they helped so much.

[@johncatty6560]

Since you have been on a train station: it is not a scam but can be annoying when one or two guys enter the metro, start their kind of mobile karaoke machine at high volume, start to sing a song and maybe play an instrument along and at the next station they go around and ask for money. Although it is forbidden to play loud music in the metro in Hamburg they do not do anything against such people. Fortunately there are just a few of them.

[@MagnificentGermanywithDarion]

Hallo !!!!!!!! I love all of your Germany videos as well as all of your videos. You are always on the Mark. No pun intended.

[@janicereynolds1291]

Wear your backpack on the front, not your back. I was in a tourist trap store near Check Point Charlie's looking at some t-shirts. I noticed a girl walk behind me, but not past the other side. I also knew there were no shelves behind me. When I turned around quickly, her hands were up as she was trying to unzip the top pocket of my backpack. By the way, she got nothing and I chased her out of the store. LOL

[@Thomas-zg6sf]

Standing at a train station and talking about scams for 5 mins while not containing or showing any scams. That is what I call click-bait. It is that hard to find scams in Germany. :D

[@hallquiche]

If you have the means, exposing your kids to traveling and different cultures is one of the best things a parent can do. Great video!

[@msv_kuhlschrank8587]

Some people: say hallo cuz its literally hi Tourist now: so you have chosen death?

[@dreeevor]

Its the way you speak it ,a long haaalllooo means you did something wrong,the man speak it perfect.

[@CarstenBauer]

After I landed at Munich Airport, I bought the wrong ticket without thinking. Bought a 3 day 3 zone ticket. But the airport is in zone 5 or something. Ticket inspectors boarded and I got caught. I offered to pay for the ticket but they said no, 60 Euro fine. Told me to go to the DB office at Munich Hbf, they lady told me she could fix it for a small 10 euro admin fee, she felt sorry for me. I was very lucky. All in all, it worked out cheaper than if I had bought a 5 zone ticket lol.

[@Andrea_Selena]

Hi Mark, was great to see your advise on beggar and scammer. Love to see your video's pop up, each time something new. By the way, thanks for visiting Freiburg, it's nice to see you there. Hope the little "Bächle" (Lil creeks through the old city) have been interesting to you and your children.

[@teederify]

I hate Toilettenfrauen. I love Hong Kong for example where you can find tons of clean toilets for free. Same applies to Poland where I am currently staying. Germany? Being charged for toilets in malls is a scam. I'm German, by the way.

[@olympicmuseum4354]

Greetings from a Freiburger :)

[@rice_frying_shrimp]

LENGTHY, HUGELY IMPORTANT ADDITION: The Ticket scam is only a problem in cities where you have to stamp your ticket to validate it yourself. In Hamburg where I live, the tickets come out of the machine with a date stamped on already, so they are only valid for that day, which also means if someone is trying to sell you a ticket, you can buy it with no concerns, so long as it applies to the correct range and has the right date stamped on. Would I recommend that you do it, specifically as a foreigner? Probably not, but it's important that you don't disregard theses people or tell them to the face that they're trying to rip you off, because there's huge regional differences with public transit around here. The BVG (Berlin's public transit system) operates differently in almost every major way from the HVV (Hamburg's PTS). Just pay attention to date, range and that it's not a one way ticket, but rather a daily ticket and then -at least in Hamburg- you can safely buy scam-tickets, because buying them the legit way is seriously overpriced and can cost you a hefty percentage of your vacation budget, so plan for that in advance.

[@BiffBuffchest]

We had beggars camped out in front of the ATMs in the Turkish quarter in Munich. They were women on their knees with their face buried in the sidewalk. It was sad.

[@limes194]

Most probably belonged to a Romanian beggar syndicate. Couldn't keep what she got. Being picked up later by her handler in a Merc

[@dx5018]

Where is a Turkish Quarter in Munich???

[@ishowyouapple]

Way to be racist

[@BiffBuffchest]

@@dx5018 just south of the main train station.....i thought that is what it was called.

[@mtlicq]

@@limes194 more like obeying their husbands so they don't get stoned to death.

[@maryamcavitt6888]

Yes, There are not many tourist scams in Germany. I love love Germany and always have good experience there. I love people, food, beer, weather,,, almost love everything. Hope one day can move there 💕

[@mattball2700]

Rick Steves refers to Freiburg as the city in Germany where you think, "I could live here." It is great -- love it! Thanks so much for these videos.

[@ccityplanner1217]

The word "hallo" has only been a standard greeting since Thomas Edison decided its phonetic properties made it the best word to use to check telephone signal quality. It originated as a hunting cry to command the hounds to pursue the quarry, so some older Germans consider it very rude to use to greet someone anywhere other than over the telephone, although this has mostly died out now.

[@dontravis5657]

Nice to see location shots of Freiburg! I agree with you Mark that one is not likely to run into scams in Germany. I have been to Germany seven times and have never been scammed (as far as I know). Great country to visit! Any time I have bought train tickets, my name was on the ticket and the conductor asked for my passport to verify who I am. Even when buying in station, they ask me to write my name on back of train pass.

[@brucesi]

Professional beggars are all over the US too. I used to live in Atlanta. You figured them out really quickly. They love using props to help their case... Like a pair of crutches.

[@jenslorenz9857]

Thanks. Will take the chance to wish you and your family a Merry Christmas.

[@mikegehre570]

As a German Americans are amusing. They tend to stand out and are too loud. Tourists drink too much and get really loud. I lived by an American base and in town they caused problems with drinking and being not nice to the locals. And yes most of us speak English we learn it in school. We’re not cold we are reserved until we know you. Scams are done to tourists because tourists are easy target. If something happens go to the authorities and they will help. Last thing - travel outside large cities and you will enjoy the Cenery and the friendly locals. Tschuss!

[@johnrooney507]

When I was in the US Army I choose to go to German October Festivals far away from fellow service people.

[@marcushoflmayr30]

Thank you for your fair video Mark! By the way... How many Germans does it take to change a light bulb? One! We are efficent and have no humor! Will you bin in Munich?

[@woltersworld]

love it :) i may be in Munich next November, but not before. I will be in some other parts of Germany though

[@marcushoflmayr30]

@@woltersworld Ok. Let me know if you want me to show you around as a local!

[@wingedhussar1117]

One more advice: Be especially careful at ATMs. Recently I was approached by a "deaf" lady with a list while I was withdrawing money from the ATM, luckily my mind was very sharp on that day so I anticipated that the woman was trying to distract me while someone else would have taken my money out of the ATM and run away with it, so I did not fall for the trick. Be also careful at ATMs because sometimes the machines get manipulated by criminals (spy cameras over the keypad etc.)

[@KingOskar4]

Thank you winged hussar 😍❤️... I saw your comment because I switched to Newest comments first. 1) Thank you for the advice. I will withdraw my ATM monkey from my home village, we have no beggars or scammers or spy cameras there... Maybe not that last one oooopsie 😳🤔. 2) For the three months this comment exists, barely anyone saw it 🥺 I am sorry

[@mysteryman5826]

I was desperate one day when in Munich for the toilet admittedly this was about ten years ago. But it was one of the worst public toilets that I have ever used. there were no attendants and as i opened the door and walked in but There was such a strong acid smell, it started to burn my nose it was awful. I had no choice though I really needed a wee and there was nowhere else to go. I held my nose and tried to hold my breath being as quick as I could be. I was so glad to get out of that toilet.

[@MrSloika]

Be honest Mark, most of those people are not Germans. At best they're Roma from Eastern Europe or immigrants/refugees from the Mideast, Asia, Africa.

[@TheRubsi]

German here, i think you nailed it pretty much. The reselling of a ticket is sometimes legit, also sometimes people will offer it to you for free. I have also shared my parking ticket with strangers when i noticed them searching for cash while i was about to take off. Another common thing is that grannies and students often have tickets that allow them to bring (at least) 1 additional passenger with them on the subway, bus, etc. So if somebody offers you to ride with them on the subway it should be legit aswell.

[@loupax]

I'm moving to Berlin in a couple of months and now I'm binge watching those. Can't wait :D

[@henelect]

I just returned from Germany, very difficult interacting with citizens, I fell into the Bayern Fussen Train Ticket scam

[@Nuggetmonk]

2:14 the "ticket sam" is not necessarily a scam. the "bayern ticket" for example has a printed line on it where you supposed to write down yor name. normaly you dont get fined if you forget it so a lot of people just leave it free so they can "resell". if they ask to show it they will say " oh i totaly forgot" the DB-Personal then will give you a pen you write your name down. done. so if someone will sell you their ticket WITHOUT a name on it and its still viable for the day you can go for it. we used to do that too when we were younger. its basicly win/win if it works. buy the ticket for 30€ (or whatever) and then resell für about 10-15.

[@coffeecigarettes9422]

2:00 Well, at least in Hamburg it can happen to you that someone offers to you a full day ticket for free just because he or she just wants to be nice and doesn't need the ticket any longer although it is valid for the rest of the day. So don't be afraid to take and use it unless you are asked to pay for it of course (and check if the ticket is really valid for this day). Same with parking tickets with a fixed validity period. Some people don't just throw it away when they return to their car earlier but try to hand it over to the next one who is arriving at the parking area. It is just nice, no scam.

[@knishknish66]

In Berlin, the biggest thieves are a lot (not all) Taxi drivers. They will take you to un-necessary routes to increase fare and if one doesn't know the city, well, get a map.

[@R_A120]

Had a few 'buddhists in Berlin' try to give me 'free' books and then ask for donations of 20 euros, not a terrible experience but fairly annoying

[@emperorsascharoni9577]

The selling the ticket most of the time isn't a scam as they will sell time restricted tickets for example a card that is usable for a whole day, but as most people don't need the card for the whole day they try to safe some money by selling it for a bit to people who can use the remaining time.

[@Mary-gm2cl]

Mark your videos are always so helpful. I wish I had been on a fraction of your travels !

[@woltersworld]

Thank you Mary

[@KundaSandy2010]

Germany is an amazing country. People misunderstand them. Love from India!

[@Ggthb]

It is usually cheaper and easier to buy train tickets using trainline website and just scan the QR codes on your phone in the DeutscheBahn App or buy it in the app directly if you know how, flixbus is another alternative if you are low on cash and want to go from big cities to other cities cheap.

[@JohnsGoated]

I'm german, have lived here since i was born and i gotta say, I hate it here, the only good thing about this country are the cheap grocery prices and and healt insurance. The people here are really cold and unfriendly. They dont look out for their surroundings while walking and look at you in a really judgemental way. USA is way friendlier in that regard, i cant wait to move there soon

[@peterpain6625]

If you want even less judgmental visit New Zealand. Least judgmental country i ever experienced...

[@rvrebel1929]

Hi. From a ex truck , in German Best time of my life. Late start out of Terier 80km stopped by police He said he musty fine me, then said 60km phour is the limit maybe 70km when he is not there, but not 80km. The fine was small as well Great friendly people