Hanover Life and Visitor Travel Tips

(Hanover, Lower Saxony, Germany)

Hanover is a city where tourism is always encouraged, and as such, the city's various travel agencies and tourist offices are full of information about city life. Of particular interest, the Hanover tourist information centres sell the multilingual Red Thread guidebook, which takes you on a popular tour of the city, following a red line (roter faden), which has been painted along the pavements around central Hanover.

Passing many of the city's top sights, including areas of both the New Town (Neustadt) and Old Town (Altstadt), the 'roten faden' route stretches for just over 4 km / 2.5 miles. One of the most famous trade fair cities on the planet, Hanover's Expos are legendary and attract literally millions of visitors. Useful travel tips about life in Hanover are below.

Tourism and Tourist Information

When you first arrive the city of Hanover, a trip to one of the tourist information centres is time well spent.

Hanover Tourist Information Centre (Hannover Tourismus Service)
Address: Prinzenstrasse 6, Hanover, 30159, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 0511 1234 5111
Fax: +49 0511 1684 9709
Email address: info@hannover-tourism.de
Website: www.hannover-tourism.de
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 18:30, Saturday and Sunday - 10:00 to 18:30

Hanover Tourist Information Centre (Hannover Tourismus GmbH)
Address: Ernst-August-Platz 8, Hanover, 30159, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 0511 1234 5111
Fax: +49 0511 1234 5556
Email address: info@hannover-tourism.de
Website: www.hannover-tourism.de
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 18:00, Saturday and Sunday - 09:00 to 14:00

American Express Travel Agency - Georgstrasse 54, Hanover, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 0511 363 428

Main Post Office
Address: Kurt Schumacher Strasse 4, Hanover, Germany, DE
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 20:00, Saturday - 09:00 to 16:00

Hanover City Library (Stadtbibliothek)
Address: Hildeschimer Strasse 29, Hanover, Germany, DE
Tel: +49 0511 1684 2169

Currency

Prior to 2002, the Deutsche Mark was the local unified currency within the country of Germany and city of Hanover. Successfully replaced with the Euro, should you need to exchange your local currency, various exchange bureaus, banks and hotels will be happy to assist you and offer competitive rates. However, most people choose to only carry small amounts of Euros within Hanover and favour using either a credit card or debit card where possible, as we move towards a truly cashless society.

Language, Dialect and German Phrases

Locals in Hanover and throughout the country speak German, with definite regional dialects for some areas. Many words in the German language are extremely similar to their English counterparts, aiding communication and often making it easy to pick out keywords. However, when visiting Hanover, a simply pocket-size German phrasebook is always a good idea. Here are some German phrases that may be of use.

The bill please - die rechnung bitte.
Am I able to pay by credit card? - kann ich mit meiner kreditkarte bezahlen?
Where is the supermarket - wie komme ich zum supermarkt?
How do I get to...? - wie komme ich zum/zur ...?
Please would you speak more slowly - bitte, sprechen sie langsamer
What time is it? - wieviel uhr ist es?
Is there a taxi rank located nearby? - gibt es einen taxistand in der nähe?