There are an enormous number of trips on offer. Obvious plus: you don't have to think about booking hotels, buying tickets, planning a cultural program, and, importantly, personally arranging a visa. True, in light of the current "visa scandal," the ripples of which continue to spread across Germany, travel agencies and their clients are being scrutinized more vigilantly at consulates. Groups of illegal workers heading to Germany, for example, have become a byword; their visa applications listed visits to Cologne Cathedral and the nearby amusement park Phantasialand.
Much has been said about the disadvantages of group tours. Of course, success—that is, a suitcase full of good memories and impressions—depends on the quality of the company organizing the tour. Most avid travelers to Europe probably have their own favorite firms. If you are a beginner tourist, it is advisable to ask friends and acquaintances. Personal experience and recommendations are worth their weight in gold.
The main drawback of group trips is that tourists are usually tied to the group and the program. Therefore, such tours are strictly contraindicated for "adventurers"—thrill-seekers who like to go their own way. But you have to pay for individuality. And if not with money, then with extra effort in thinking through and putting together your own unique program.
Speaking of uniqueness. It is precisely Germany, due to historical reasons and thanks to several million former Soviet Union emigrants living here, that is a very "Russified" tourist destination. For example, every more or less large city has "Russian" travel agencies, shops, and kiosks. And it would be a sin not to take advantage of the collective experience.
Germany's "Russians" have fully mastered the Internet, primarily for their own purposes. There are many practical tips in Russian online that can be useful for those heading to Germany not for permanent residence but for a visit. Allow me to offer a subjective assessment, but I believe the best Russian-language portal in Germany is the website www.germany.ru. It has been around for a long time and has established itself over the years as a reputable source of information about Germany in Russian. Since it operates as an online community, chat and forum participants can help you find the information you need to prepare for your trip. In addition, the site offers a large catalog of Russian-language and other online resources.
If you know exactly which cities you want to visit, you can check out the Russian-language version of the student website www.campus-germany.de. It offers practical tips and portraits of a huge number of German cities. A lot of useful information in Russian is posted on the website of the National Tourist Office of Germany in Russia and the CIS at www.germanyclub.ru.
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