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‘Strong beer’: UK issues special travel advisory for Germany

In recently updated travel information for Germany, the UK government is cautioning Brits headed to the Euro 2024 Football Championships over German beer - prompting German and UK press to weigh in.

Published: 8 February 2024 15:49 CET

People celebrating at Oktoberfest

Visitors hold up their glasses as they celebrate Oktoberfest in Munich. The UK's Foreign Office has recently issued a travel advisory over German beer. (Photo by Christof STACHE / AFP)

The actual advisory is quite brief, appearing in the middle of an information page specially set up for EM 2024 that includes tips and advisories on everything from ticket prices to stadium entry.

A short section on alcohol reads: “Beer can be stronger than in the UK, so drink responsibly, know your limits and respect local laws. You may not be let into the stadium if you drink too much.”

But that was enough for one of the UK’s highest-circulating newspapers – The Sun – to take notice. Germany’s Bild then caught on soon after.

“Fans travelling to Germany should respect our hosts and their laws, as we expect those visiting the UK to do, but they don’t need nanny state advice to do so,” UK Conservative MP Kevin Foster told The Sun.

Around half a million British fans could be heading to at least one game in Germany, where EM 2024 runs for a full month from mid-June to mid-July. Cities all over the country will host. England and Scotland have already qualified, while Wales still has a shot.

The average alcohol percentage for a beer in the UK is 4.4 percent, while in Germany it rises to between 4.7 and 5.4 percent.

READ ALSO: Euro 2024: Germany to sell cheap train tickets for fans attending games

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Passengers in Germany urged to prepare for crowded airports over holiday weekend

The next major rush after Easter is coming up at German airports.

According to the airport association ADV, more than 2.5 million passengers are set to travel over the Whitsun long weekend.

Whit Monday or Pfingstmontag on May 20th is a public holiday across Germany, meaning most people have the day off work while shops will be closed. As the holiday falls on Monday, Germans often take a trip to make the most of the long weekend – or even take some annual leave around this time to extend their time off.

This year’s outlook on air passengers signals a five percent rise compared to last year. “The traffic development over the long Whitsun weekend shows that the desire for holiday travel is unbroken,” said ADV Managing Director Ralph Beisel.

Due to the rush, German airports are advising passengers to allow significantly more time to plan for their travel day.

“For a relaxed start to their holiday, passengers should not only allow more time on the way to the airport on the day of departure, but also plan a time buffer for their stay at the airport,” said a spokesperson from Munich Airport.

Passengers are advised to check in online before departure and to use online check-in for their luggage along the drop-off counter at the airport if possible.

Airports have also urged people flying to cut down on the amount of hand luggage they take so that going through security is faster.

Despite rising numbers, air traffic in Germany is recovering more slowly than in the rest of Europe since the Covid pandemic, according to the ADV.

Following the pandemic, location costs in Germany – in particular aviation security fees and air traffic tax – have doubled.

READ ALSO: Everything that changes in Germany in May 2024

“This is not without consequences,” said Beisel, of the ADV. “The high demand for flights from private and business travellers is offset by a weak supply from the airlines.”

READ ALSO: ‘Germany lacks a sensible airline policy’: Is budget air travel declining?

Passenger traffic at Frankfurt airport – Germany’s largest airport – in the first quarter of 2024 was also 15 percent below the pre-coronavirus year 2019.

In addition to snow and ice disruption at the start of the year, air travel from Frankfurt was particularly hit by various strikes, including by Lufthansa staff and other airport employees.

However, Fraport said it had increased its revenue in the first quarter of the year by around 16 percent to €890 million.

READ ALSO: Summer airport strikes in Germany averted as Lufthansa cabin crew reach pay deal

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