You are not allowed to smoke in indoor public places.

Almost all restaurants will have outdoor eating areas where you can smoke.

As I understood it (or to be accurate, failed to understand it!) the original Federal Government total ban of 2006 was overturned by a Judge and the new Federal law only bans smoking on public transport. In other circumstances the 16 State Goverments have since introduced bans, they came up with different approaches and I think only Bavaria banned it completely. I know that in April in Baden-Wurttemburg segregated indoor smoking areas in pubs were permitted. However, there were several court cases going on at various levels so the current position may have changed. They also introduced new laws on the sale of cigarettes, one of which was that unsupervised machines (and there were thousands of them) can no longer take cash, only cards with PINs that are only available to over 18s.

Yes there are regional variations to the laws and there is still opposition to an overall ban and some bars have been turned into private smoking clubs to evade the ban.. I visit Baden Wurttemberg at least twice every week and haven't found many if any restaurants that provide smoking rooms, it's a case of eat or drink in a smokefree atmosphere or go outside. Even in the middle of our freezing cold winters you see people sitting outside restaurants having a cigarette.
I would advise a foreign visitor visiting Germany that most of Germany's public buildings and restaurants are now smoke free and it is not common to find establishments that provide both non and smoking rooms.

Hi all, we were in Germany in April, and I'm sorry to say that Koln, Dusseldorf, Bonn, and Munchengladbach are still allowing smoking in Kniepes, Bars, Restaurants and Brauhaus's, still a great place to visit though just need to sort the smoking thing out and it will be even better.

Regards
Sliema2

Nordrhein Westphalia is one of the last states to implement the ban, I believe it's July 1st this year so next time you go smoking in restaurants should be banned.

Vielen Danke und yipeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

So Cologne has banned smokey cars before smokey drinkers!! Won't be in NRW until September so hope it's sorted by then. Any idea of the current position in Rheinland Pfalz??

From what I understand there is no overall smoking ban, smoking is allowed in mini-kneipen, but in larger restaurants it is only allowed in seperate rooms. It will be allowed in beer tents(unlike here in Bayern where the Oktober Fest tents will be smoke free) and like most other states it it not allowed in hospitals, schools, movie theatres and public offices. I stopped off for a meal in the Pfalz in May but most people were eating outside as the weather was good so I can't say if the restaurant had seperate rooms.
It's becoming a real joke with loads of law suits from both individuals and pub owners. But as such a large percentage of germans smoke this was probably inevitable.

Love the way inMunich quite a few are becoming "clubs" so that smoking is permitted...especially in smaller outskirt bars. Pay 1 euro and get a membership card.

Judith, are you sure Oktoberfest will be non smoking? I really do wonder how they will police it. Having been a regular for the past 10 years or so I can see it causing a few "issues".

Nivsy

Apparently after a lot of discussion it's been decided that this year the smaller tents will provide zones for non smokers up to 1800hrs on weekdays, the large tents will allow smoking all of the time. In 2009 smoking will be banned in all of the tents and anyone caught smoking will be fined. Of course there is a lot of opposition to this ruling so we will have to wait and see if the powers that be change their minds.

Judith

Hi.

Well, the discussions on smoking and non-smoking clubs in Germany is still going on. Somehow a lot of smaller pubs turned into "somker clubs" as a pre poster already mentioned. But larger clubs often have an extra smokers room. And although I'm a smoker myself, I'd have to say that it really is much nicer somewhere, where not everything is full of smoke. Although the owner, especially of small pubs in small villages, should be allowed to decide whether he wants to have a Smoking or Non-Smoking Pub. That's still something that's being discussed in the German politics.

But hey, you're always allowed to smoke outdoors, except at train stations und things like that.

Hope I could help,

See ya.

Sophie

hi

i agree, despite bieng a smoker myself i find it much nicer to go to a clean smoke free bar but i must say the idea of a seperate smoking room is one that appeals to me, i have no problem with going out side for a cigerette but in those winter months it can become un bearable stood out in the wind and rain,

smokers are people too!