There are a number of specific features of self-catering accommodation in Germany, which is not always geared to the needs and expectations of non-German visitors.

Below is a list of the main things – and how the apartments at British owned Bavarian Forest Holidays in Bayerisch Eisenstein differ:

Accommodation is mainly in apartments (Ferienwohnung). Houses (Ferienhaus) are much rarer. Accommodation at Bavarian Forest Holidays is all in self-contained apartments. The 2 and 3 bedroom apartments each take up a complete floor of a house.

Websites: a high proportion of holiday apartments in Germany, especially in country areas, do not have websites and if they do, they are in German only and often contain just a basic description, rarely updated and no booking form. Bavarian Forest Holidays has completely separate German and English websites, with complete descriptions of the apartments and a photo of each room, prices and availability, and a booking form.

Payment: many will require only a small deposit or no deposit at all and then cash payment while you are staying (cheques are almost never used in Germany and places which take credit cards are rare outside the cities). Even if you do not pay in advance, you are still liable for 90% of the rental fee even if you cancel. At Bavarian Forest Holidays, we do require a deposit at the time of booking and the balance at least 2 months before arrival. However, we allow cancellation at any time, for any reason and return to guests the amount which we have received for the new booking(s) with no deductions, up to the full amount paid. A number of guests have benefited from this for cancellations for reasons not covered by travel insurance. We accept payment by Visa or MasterCard or bank transfer.

Beds: the standard German bed is a single, usually 90cm wide and 200cm long. Double beds usually consist of frames 180cm wide and 200cm long, with 2 x 90cm mattresses, side by side. Double beds are usually made up with 2 single sheets and duvets, making them suitable for people who would normally book twin rooms. Duvets and pillows are generally filled with feathers and down. Be aware that it is not considered unusual to have to to pass through one bedroom to get to another. Nor is it unusual to have more than 2 adults sleeping in a bedroom and a sofa bed in the living area – apartments said to sleep 6 people may actually only have 2 rooms: a bedroom with 4 beds (2 people may be sleeping on a sofa bed) and another sofa bed in the kitchen living area. At Bavarian Forest Holidays, all the beds have been bought since 2005. We have some UK doubles (4’6″/140cm wide), especially where bedroom space has been taken for ensuite bathrooms. Duvets and pillows all have synthetic fillings, suitable for people with allergies. All of the bedrooms in our apartments are completely separate, and each has its own door.

Dining room/sitting room: Germans socialise around a ‘dining table’, usually while drinking beer! Sofas and armchairs are only really used when a family is alone and watching TV. Therefore, if space is limited, German accommodation wil tend to have a dining table and chairs for eating and socialising, at the expense of a sofa and armchairs. TVs are usually small. At Bavarian Forest Holidays, all of our apartments have a dining table and chairs and separate comfortable sofas and armchairs, appropriate for the number of guests sleeping in the apartment. Our TVs are all modern with 70cm+ screens. Most are LCD. All have DVD players.

Bathrooms: many bathrooms in holiday rentals have not been modernised since the 1960s/1970s/ Bathroom suites may be orange or avocado. Shower cabinets are the norm, bathtubs are rare. Showers can have extremely deep trays, for washing feet or babies, which can be difficult to get in or out of. Toiletries are rarely provided and if they are, are very basic. Towels are often small and thin. At Bavarian Forest Holidays, all of our bathrooms have been completely renewed since 2005. The shower cabinets are modern with low trays and thermostatic controls for the showers. Many of the basins and taps are now top of the range (Villeroy & Boch, Hans Grohe). All suites are white and we provide very good quality, thick dark blue towels. Our toiletries (liquid soap and shower gel) are environmentally friendly Duchy Originals from the UK.

Kitchens: kettles and teapots are rare but there will normally be a filter coffee machine. Many apartments are not really fitted out for cooking – there may be only 2 eletric rings (sometimes 4) and ovens are not common. Pots, pans, glass and chinaware is often limited in range, old fashioned and may show considerable signs of wear. At Bavarian Forest Holidays, all of our kitchens have kettles, toasters, filter coffee machines, microwaves and a full cooker with 4 ring hob and oven. We supply high quality glass and chinaware, pots and pans, all in good condition, clean and matching.

Smoking is still considered normal and acceptable in Germany and many apartments allow smoking. Many also allow dogs. At Bavarian Forest Holidays we do not allow smoking anywhere on our properties, indoors or outdoors, and dogs may not be brought.

Cleaning: holiday apartments are often offered by guest houses and B&Bs, in the same building. In this case, cleaning may be done on a daily basis, along with the other letting rooms. Final cleaning will always be done after departure by the owner or staff. However, the final cleaning cost, which is unlikely to be more than €50 and often less, may be added to your rental cost but this should be stated in advance. At Bavarian Forest Holidays, we offer a free mid-stay clean if you stay 2 weeks or more and fresh towels mid stay for stays of more than 1 week. Final cleaning is included in the rent and not charged extra unless you stay for less than 4 nights, in which case there is a one-off charge of €35.

Support: apartments in rural areas may provide tourist attraction leaflets but these will normally be in German. Owners may not be able to communicate with guests unless they speak German. At Bavarian Forest Holidays, we provide a large file of specially written information in English on the area and recommended places to visit, good restaurants etc. We have also translated a number of local menus into English. We are normally available at our main reception area, to give advice, sell train/bus tickets, postcards/stamps etc.

Tourist tax – this is levied in many areas. Sometimes it is included in the price, sometimes it is charged extra. It is unlikely to be more than €1-2 per person per night but best to check when booking as it could make a tidy extra sum for a family over a couple of weeks. At Bavarian Forest Holidays, tourist tax is included in all our prices and never charged extra.

In summary, be careful. If a place seems very cheap, there is likely to be a reason: perhaps it has not be modernised or updated for decades. The accommodation may be very small, with little privacy for a family or group. Perhaps there are lots of extra costs: bedlinen & towels, final cleaning, tourist tax. (Electricity and heating are usually included in the basic price but may sometimes be charged extra). Of course, there are good quality gems to be found for very little money in country areas but most cheap places have a downside. At Bavarian Forest Holidays, our apartments are not the cheapest for the area but the price buys quality accommodation with lots of extra facilities, all-in prices and complete peace of mind. The only extras are purely optional: mountain bikes, laundry, sauna, massages and facials, food and drink, postcards, maps, guide book and phrase book. Everything else (including breakfast on your first morning and incidentals such as tea, coffee, sugar, soap, toilet rolls etc for the whole of your stay) is included.