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Germany

2,869 bytes added, 19:14, 8 February 2012
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There are showers in most ''Raststätte'' and ''Autohof'' service stations on and near the autobahn. Prices are between 2 euro and 5 euro.
 
== Telephone and Internet ==
 
=== Telephone ===
 
{| style = "float:right"
| [[File:Station multimedia Allemagne 2006.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Public surf terminal with telephone]]
|}
{| style = "float:right"
| [[File:TelefonzelleFrankfurt060422.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Different kinds of phone booths]]
|}
Phone booths that accept coins are still available all over Germany. The older ones are yellow, the newer ones are mostly glass and display a pink T. They are more expensive than using a prepaid card for your cell phone. A nice feature is that you can send SMS, faxes and e-mails even with the oldest types. Input is a bit cumbersome, however.
 
A cheaper option is to buy a German prepaid SIM card. They are readily available from mobile shops like ''e-plus'', ''vodafone'' and ''t-mobile''. A lot of supermarket chains like ''Aldi'', ''Netto'' and ''Lidl'' also have their own brands that use the network of the bigger providers. Check beforehand how to register the SIM card. Sometimes the seller wants to see an ID. If you prefer not to give out your real data you might for example buy a SIM card at ''Aldi'', which you can register via Internet with fake data.
 
If you want to make calls abroad there are some stores offering international phone booths in bigger cities. They are usually located in migration areas and often include an internet cafe.
 
=== Internet ===
 
==== Without laptop or smartphone ====
 
There are still some Internet cafes in the bigger cities. Rates are around 2 euro per hour.
 
In most cities you will find pay per use surf terminals like in the image to the right. They offer internet and telephone services.
 
==== By laptop or smartphone ====
 
There are almost no unsecured Wifis in Germany because people might be made responsible for illegal actions done through their internet access.
 
Most German prepaid cards also have a data option if you own a smartphone or a surfstick for your laptop, which also can be bought for about 30 euro. It's often better to buy a single day flatrate for two to five euros instead of using the data tariff. Details depend on your provider.
 
Some ''Burger King'' restaurants offer free Wifi without any registration. At ''McDonalds'' you get free Wifi for one hour per day without consuming anything. Sometimes the restaurants are located on service stations, you can look them up [http://www.mcdonalds.de/metanavigation/mcfinder/mcfinder.cfm here]. Enter a lokation in the search mask and make sure to check the option ''WLAN'', the German abbreviation for Wifi. Once there, connect, type in any adress and you will be asked for a valid German mobile number, through which you will receive your access code. Take care: in both cases the connection is not encrypted so anything you send in clear text, e.g. when using a browser or e-mail tool without SSL, can be easily recorded by others nearby.
== Language ==
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