Germany

People opening their garden for tents: 1nitetent.com

You can also join the network of cycling friends in Germany: http://www.dachgeber.de. The deal is that in principle you also open your own house and / or garden to other cyclists free of charge. Advert: For an overnight stay at the farm, see http://www.heuhotelferien.de.

There are campsites almost everywhere. In the former GDR and Northern Germany, however, they are dungeonized. Most campsites are very large and noisy, with many caravans etc. usually there is a small field for hikers. Reasonable to do in the spring and autumn, outside the holiday periods and weekends. Most are closed between 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM (sometimes 5:00 PM). There is often a camp shop and a café or restaurant. Costs camping: approx. € 5 to € 10.

There are youth hostels in various places. During the week they can be quite packed with school groups. The accommodation is good: sometimes there are even single rooms, the rooms have a private bathroom, and the breakfast is usually classy. The prices are cheap compared to other accommodations (hotel / guesthouse). On average you pay between 15 and 20 euros for an overnight stay. On the downside, breakfast is served quite late, so if you want to get out early again, not an ideal option. Another disadvantage may be that if you stay in a youth hostel for the first time, you have to pay a supplement to become a member of the youth hostel organization. It is advisable to make a reservation. See also http://www.jugendherberge.de.

Illegal to camp with a tent in unprivate places, but sleeping outside under a tarp or in a sleeping bag is a legal grey area

Germany is a safe cycling country. Traffic rules are adhered to. Motorists are sympathetic towards cyclists, especially where there are no cycle paths. Officially they must keep a distance of 1.5 meter (2m outside town). Stay sharp. Connecting roads are sometimes busy, but it is generally easy to avoid busy roads. There are hardly any cars on "Nebenstrassen", sandy paths and bicycle routes. You will meet many other (older) cyclists on "easy" cycling routes.

Be cautios in big cities.

Germany might be the last country where you'll find corruption.

Nothing to worry about.

The bicycle can be taken on most intercity trains, but not on the fast ICE. Reservation is strongly recommended. A bicycle ticket costs 9 Euro. The bicycle can usually easily travel with regional trains. A clear pictogram on the train indicates where the bicycle can be loaded.

The price for bicycle transport in the regional train differs per region. In various regions, such as in Southeast Bavaria, the transport of bicycles is still free, in others you have lost about 4.50 euros. During holidays and public holidays, you should take into account that many people take a bicycle on the train.

During the weekend you can travel unlimited by train with a cheap "Schönes Wochende" ticket (maximum five people per ticket). The restriction is that only regional trains may be (RB, RE, S) and the ticket is valid for one day, so on Saturday or Sunday.