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Electricity and Phones in Germany
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Electricity and Phones
Electricity:
- Electric sockets are 230 volts AC, 50 Hz
- European-style round two-pin plugs are in use
- You need a transformer and a plug that fits the German socket
Public phones:
Most public pay phones no longer accept coins but only Deutsche Telecom (DT) phonecards, which are available in denominations of € 5, € 10, and € 15 from post offices, newsagents, some tourist offices and public transport offices. You can also buy prepaid cards from other providers which can save money and are used by dialing a PIN. Credit cards can only be used from a small number of public phones.
Mobile phones:
Germany operates on a GSM network, which is compatible with the rest of Europe and Australia, but not with the North American or the totally different system in Japan. T-Mobile, Cingular and some other U.S. wireless firms do use GSM, but on different frequency bands.
A multi-band cell phone allows you to use the same phone in the USA and Europe. However, there are several alternatives, including buying or renting an unlocked GSM wireless phone just for use in Europe and other GSM areas of the world (about 190 countries).
The coverage is good in Germany, and there's a funny thing you should know: When Germans talk about their cell phones, they use an english word for it you may not understand: They call it "Handy".
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