Schwerin Castle and bridge in a golden hue during a blue sky day

The Perfect 7-Day Road Trip in Northern Germany

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Do you want to explore Northern Germany by road? Then you’re in the right location.

I love doing road trips! No one else is there; I don’t have to rely on public transport and can change the itinerary on short notice without worrying too much.

My home country, Germany, is a great country for road trips. There is plenty to see, big roads, and no tolls. What more do you want?

In this post, I’ll provide a 7-day Northern Germany road trip itinerary that will give you wonderful insights into this beautiful country and make you want to spend more time there.

Of course, it also depends on where you’re coming from and whether you have your own car or are driving from a different country (or within Germany). 

You can adjust the itinerary to suit your departure country and choose your starting point based on the closest point for you.

Before we dive in, here are a few questions that should be answered before driving in Germany.

Is Germany a good Place to drive?

Absolutely. The roads are fairly big, the Autobahn (highway / motorway) networks is good and you don’t have to pay for tolls.

Are foreigners allowed to Drive In Germany?

A lot of foreigners are allowed to drive in Germany with their domestic or an International Driving Permit if they’re visiting temporarily. Check out this government website for more information.

Can you turn right on red in Germany?

Across Europe, it’s illegal to turn right on a red light, unless a sign or signal tells you otherwise.

What is the zipper rule in Germany?

This rule exists when there is a need for cars to merge into one lane. The zipper rule (Reißverschluss) states that both lanes feed into one lane and no lane has priority over the other, so the cars have to alternate between letting the other one in.

What to do in a traffic Jam?

It is very important to leave space between the lanes in a traffic jam, especially on the Autobahn. It’s always the furthest to the left that has to go left and the next to the right.

The space between the cars is used for emergency vehicles that quickly have to go somewhere.

What is the minimum speed on an Autobahn?

To even be allowed on a motorway, your vehicle has to be able to drive at a speed of at least 60 km/h.

On a six lane road, i.e., 3 lanes in each direction, the fast lane has a minimum speed of 110 km/h, the middle lane is 90 km/h, and the slow lane is 60 km/h.

This can of course be ignored during a traffic jam.

I hope the answers to these questions helped you prepare for your trip to Germany and now the road trip itinerary.

Road Trip Northern Germany – Day 1 – Hamburg

Hamburg Elbphilharmonie building during sunset from the pier

Let’s start with the lovely city of Hamburg. In my opinion, Hamburg is an undervalued tourist destination.

There are so many things to do and see, but foreigners, especially, usually don’t have Hamburg on their bucket list. Let’s change that!

The, in my opinion, most important things to see in this beautiful city are:

  • Miniatur Wunderland is a miniature train world that shows you Hamburg, the Baltics, the US, and now even Monaco. Even if you’re not into trains, this one will keep you entertained for hours.
    Book your ticket in advance; otherwise, you might have to stand in line for a few hours to get in.
  • The Elbphilharmonie is a music hall with a free (!) viewing platform that provides a wonderful view of the harbour and the city. It also looks super stylish from the outside.
    You can get your free ticket at the entrance. If you’re into classical music, check out their website for information on show times. I’ve not actually seen a show yet, but I heard they’re great. Link to Elbphilharmonie.
  • Planten un Blomen is a park in the city centre that offers tranquillity after a long walk around the city. 
    There is a rose garden and a Japanese garden. If you fancy some evening entertainment, you can see one of the water light shows from 10 PM on—and best of all, the entrance is free.
  • One of the things that Hamburg is most widely known for is the red light district, the Reeperbahn.
    As an introvert, I only like to go there during the day and keep a lot of distance during the night. It’s loud, it’s crowded, and many drunk people walk around there.
    If you want to go to a party, that’s the place to be.
  • You should also visit the area around the Town Hall. The historic centre of Hamburg with the Alster flowing through it.

You could spend more than one day in Hamburg, but one week is short to explore Northern Germany, so I suggest you stay the night here and then depart early the next morning for your next destination.

Road Trip Northern Germany – Day 2 – Sankt Peter-Ording & Flensburg

After an early-ish start, St. Peter-Ording is the next destination, which is very different from Hamburg. The drive takes about 2 hours.

Sankt Peter-Ording is home to a 12km long sandy beach along the North Sea seaside. 

Although it is more of a summer destination, if you like walking along the beach, St. Peter-Ording is worth visiting at any time of the year.

And the colder the temperatures, the fewer tourists there are.

Next to the incredibly long sandy beach, this city is known for its houses on stilts that stand on the beach.

If you’re into kiting or other wind-related water hobbies, then you’re at the right place in SPO (the abbreviation under which Sankt Peter-Ording is known).

They regularly have championships in windsurfing and kiting here.

One note: be aware of the tide. If you stroll through the Wadden Sea – which you should – be sensible and know when the tide comes back in. 

The sea can come back in a short amount of time, and suddenly, you’re surrounded by water and don’t know where to go. So keep an eye out and stay safe.

SPO is only the first stop on day 2 of the Northern Germany road trip. I suggest you continue to Flensburg and stay the night there.

The drive takes about 1.5 hours, and you’ll reach the lovely town of Flensburg. It offers a beautiful Old Town and a historic harbour, only 8km from the Danish border.

Flensburg harbour during a clear day

Flensburg is very walkable, so leave your car at your accommodation and explore the town, just wandering around. 

Some places to visit are:

  • As mentioned before, the Historical Harbour. It’s wonderful just walking around and seeing these old boats and ships.
  • The Große Straße is a pedestrian zone and shopping area.
  • The Rote Straße is a quaint traditional alley with craft shops and independent restaurants.

Flensburg has plenty of accommodation options to choose from. If you choose to do this road trip with a tent, then you might want to head over to Denmark to stay on this campsite

Half a day with a later evening should be enough to give you an impression of Flensburg and be ready to leave for the next destination.

Road Trip Northern Germany – Day 3 – Lübeck

One of the most famous towns in Northern Germany is Lübeck.

Lubeck Holstentor from the ground during a blue sky day

Home of the super delicious marzipan—I don’t care what 90% of the world’s population thinks—marzipan is delicious.

The former capital of the Hanseatic League, Lübeck, still has a lot to offer. I recommend staying the night here since there is so much to see.

The drive from Flensburg to Lübeck takes about 2 hours, depending on traffic. And parts of it are unrestricted, so your speedster heart can go all out (or maybe not if you’re not used to the speed).

Sights to see in Lübeck are:

  • The Holstentor is a gate in Lübeck, which is also home to a museum. I’ve never visited the museum, but the gate is a great photo spot.
  • The Marienkirche is a beautiful church in the city centre, and entry is free.
  • Lübeck is home to several churches and even a cathedral, and its logo is a seven-tip symbol of the buildings.
  • The Old Town where the Marienkirche is located is wonderful to walk around. Many cute stores, especially in the Hüxstraße where there are many independent shops.

    The Old Town became the first to be named a World Cultural Heritage site in Northern Europe.

  • Walking along the Obertrave. Lübeck’s city centre is actually surrounded by water, which made it easier to defend in historic times. So you can walk along a river almost anywhere, but I do recommend the Obertrave for a lovely stroll with plenty of sailing boats and picturesque views.

Boat tours are also available if you like such things. I always try to do something on the water.

There is also a music hall in Lübeck which offers plenty of entertainment if you want to have an evening out.

Road Trip Northern Germany – Day 4 – Wismar & Schwerin

We will remain along the Baltic Sea on Day 4 with a short one-hour drive to Wismar. 

Wismar is another town that was part of the Hanseatic League and is located near Rostock.

A street with historic buildings in Wismar

The town offers a beautiful old harbour, a lovely historic town centre, a zoo, and a few churches that are worth a visit.

Many buildings were built in medieval times and are an impressive sight.

Places to visit are:

  • The Wassertor is a water gate and the last one still standing.
  • St. Marien-Kirchturm, the St. Mary’s church tower that can be visited.
  • Another great photo spot is the Gewölbe. It’s an old building that looks stunning but cannot be visited.
  • The Old Harbour which still looks like it did in medieval times. It’s a great place to eat if you like seafood.

Just walking around the town centre will already fill you with appreciation for this lovely town; there are so many big and small things to see.

You could stay the night here, but I suggest moving further to Schwerin. 

The drive only takes about 30 minutes, and you’ll move away from the Baltic Sea to the middle of Mecklenburg Western Pomerania. 

Depending on your arrival time, you can either use this opportunity to just walk around the city or explore some of the stunning buildings there.

The castle in Schwerin is definitely a stunning sight.

Schwerin Castle and bridge in a golden hue during a blue sky day

Other places to visit are:

  • The St.-Marien-Dom zu Schwerin, a cathedral in Schwerin
  • The State Museum
  • If you’re into firefighting, then the International Firefighting Museum
  • The inner lake in Schwerin
  • And the Ludwigslust Palace

I recommend staying here also into early noon on Day 5 of the itinerary as there is so much to see.

Road Trip Northern Germany – Day 5 – Schwerin & Rügen

Once you’ve feasted your eyes on (almost) everything Schwerin offers, the next stop is Rügen. 

Rügen is an island on the Baltic Sea coast that has an incredible number of things to offer.

If you like the beach, then places like Binz or Sellin are recommended.

The beach palace on the pier in Binz during an overcast day

If you’re more into nature walks, then I would recommend going to the smallest German National Park, Jasmund National Park.

The National Park has white chalk cliffs like the Königsstuhl and beech forests. It is such a wonderful area to be in.

If you want another castle to visit, Granitz Hunting Castle is the right destination for you. 

There are so many things to see and do on the island of Rügen, which is why I recommend staying the night here.

It all depends on what you want to see or are in the mood for, so I only provide recommendations.

Road Trip Northern Germany – Day 6- Option 1 – Rügen & Berlin

Some people think that Berlin belongs to Northern Germany – I’m not sure. So, this is an optional stop on the itinerary road trip through Northern Germany.

It’s about a 4-hour drive from Rügen to Berlin, so not the quickest “detour”. And to be honest, I don’t think that Berlin is a nice place to visit (please excuse my obvious bias). 

However, if you like to see the German capital and maybe visit the Reichstag, then you should go to Berlin.

It’s a city for hip people – so I’ve been told – and you can party there if you want.

Berlin Siegessaule exposure shot during sunset

Other places to visit are:

  • The Brandenburg Gate
  • The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe
  • Berlin Cathedral
  • Berlin Wall Memorial
  • Charlottenburg Palace
  • Berlin Zoological Garden
  • Berliner Fernsehturm is a TV tower that can be visited – brilliant view from the top.

And many more. As there is so much to see and the drive is quite long, I recommend spending the night in the capital and using day 7 to explore the rest of the capital and return to base – wherever that may be.

Road Trip Northern Germany – Day 6- Option 2 – Rügen & Lüneburg

The other option, if you don’t want to visit the capital, is Lüneburg which is definitely a city in Northern Germany.

Lüneburg was also part of the Hanseatic League due to its salt production.

View of historic buildings in Lueneburg along the river

It is another wonderful old town with narrow streets and a canal flowing through it.

The drive is a bit shorter – but not much, at 3.5 hours.

Places to visit are:

  • The Old crane in the harbour
  • The German Salt Museum
  • The Lüneburg Water Tower – you have a great view over the town from the top.
  • The Town Hall
  • The Abbey

Depending on when you left Rügen and how the traffic was, you probably need some of day 7 to see most things in Lüneburg. 

I definitely recommend going up the Water Tower to get the stunning view of the town. I did struggle a bit with my fear of heights, but I managed.

Road Trip Northern Germany – Day 7 – Bremen

And last but not least day 7 of the road trip through Northern Germany if you didn’t go down the Berlin route.

The last stop is Bremen. Bremen is not only a city but also a Federal State (Bundesland). And it’s where I went to university, so it’s an incredibly important city.

The Bremer Town Musicians statue - A donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster one above the other.

But more than that, it offers the Bremer Town Musicians statue, half-timbered houses in the Schnoor, a historic town centre, and lovely strolls along the Weser.

Places to visit are:

  • The Bremen Market Square, where the town hall is, and the Town Musicians are close by.
  • The Schnoor with its narrow streets and culture and history
  • The St. Petri Dom 
  • If you like science museums, then I can recommend the Universum Bremen. The ticket isn’t cheap at 18 Euros but it’s one of the good science museums.

And this brings us to the last stop on the Northern Germany road trip itinerary.

I hope you like this itinerary and use it as inspiration for your visit.

Northern Germany has lots to offer at any time of the year.

Road Trip Northern Germany – Recap

From beaches to big cities, Northern Germany offers everything a road-tripper’s heart could desire.

From the maritime beauty of Hamburg to the sandy beaches of St. Peter-Ordring, from close to the Danish border in Flensburg to an island near our Polish neighbour with Rügen, there is lots to see in only 7 days and many things to explore.

And you can even see Germany’s capital – if you think it’s part of the Northern part.

Other Northern Places to Explore

As I said, this itinerary gives an impression of Northern Germany, but there are other places to visit.

Maybe you’ve been to Hamburg already, so here are a few other places that are worth a visit if you want to switch this itinerary up:

  • Stralsund
  • Warnemünde
  • Kappeln
  • Glückstadt
  • Lübecker Bucht

Road Trip through Northern Germany – FAQ

Are there any unique experiences or activities to enjoy during a road trip in Germany?

Yes, you can opt for a day trip to enjoy a boat trip on the serene waters or relax in a sheltered straw ‘beach basket’ seat (Strandkorb) by the coast.

What should I know about driving in Germany during my road trip?

Before embarking on your road trip, familiarize yourself with driving in Germany. Follow the traffic regulations, plan your road trip carefully, and ensure you know the rules. There are unrestricted speed stretches on the motorway – don’t take advantage if you can’t handle your car.

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