Hi JohnR,
Another tip : just before planning VFR flight to a German airfield, make sure they do RT also in English. Vast majority of airfields in Germany do so, but some of them don't. This information can be found at visual operation chart ("En/Ge means RT in English is available), or by phone call.
As someone already mentioned in this thread, phone call in advance is always a good idea.
Enjoy flying!
Alex