Most banks are open Monday to Friday 9am to either 1 or 3pm. Most other businesses and stores are open Monday to Friday 9 or 10am to either 6 or 6:30pm and Saturday 9am to 2pm. On langer Samstag, the first Saturday of the month, shops stay open until 4 or 6pm. Some stores close late on Thursday (usually 8:30pm).

Currency and Banking
Currency (code) euro (EUR)

Exchange Rate euros per US dollar

03/2009             0.793903
12/2008             0.718442
12/2007             0.684791

Currency is the Euro (EUR). The notes are in denominations of 500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10, and 5 euro. The denominations of coins are 2 euro, 1 euro, 50 euro cent, 20 euro cent, 10 euro cent, 5 euro cent, 2 euro cent, and 1 euro cent. The easiest method of securing cash at the best exchange rate is to make withdrawals using a US credit card from the ATM machines found at the major banks and stores.

As a rule German banks are open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Thursdays to 5:30 p.m. or 6:30 p.m. Some smaller branches shut at lunchtime.

German banks are universal. In contrast to Anglo-American banks, they offer the consumer a very wide range of financial services beyond deposit taking and lending. At just about any of them you can exchange currencies, purchase stocks, bonds, insurance, travelers checks and precious metals, take advantage of portfolio and asset management, take out a mortgage, buy real estate and make electronic transfers around the globe.

Several large German banks operate “International Desks,” designed to cater to all the banking needs of English-speaking and other expatriates in Germany. They are a good source for information on the services and goods that are offered.