Travelers looking for a unique experience basked in old European tradition will find many things to do in Darmstadt. Darmstadt is a city that has not yet bowed to the modern commercialized ideal of tourism, and offers its visitors a unique experience that is rife with authenticity, without being so staged that it becomes cheesy ( as seen in other small European tourist towns). The city of Darmstadt offers several festivals including Heinerfest which sprawls across the entire inner city for a week, and Schlobgrabenfest the annual musical festival. The nightlife of Darmstadt is contained to only a few different clubs that cater to various age groups. Special attention should be given to Schlosskeller, a club run by university students in the dungeons of a castle.

There are no big attractions that will draw visitors to the Darmstadt shopping district; in fact there is no shopping district in the traditional sense; rather Darmstadt shopping basically consists of local stores selling their wares to the tourists and residents. Visitors looking for large markets or big shopping plazas will want to look elsewhere. If however visitors are looking for an authentic old European experience than the various stories of Darmstadt will fit the bill quite nicely.

Like the majority of European cities, especially older European cities car parking in Darmstadt is virtually nonexistent and best left to the locals. As with the majority of European cities Darmstadt was simply not built with the automobile in mind therefore car parking- car hire in Darmstadt is virtually impossible and universally avoided. Fortunately a robust system of trams and buses provide cheap transportation that is known to be both punctual and reliable. These schedules can be found online and tourists will be pleased to note that nearly all locations are accessible by either tram or bus.

Visitors will find that Darmstadt hotel accommodations are quite pleasant, and offer a unique experience for guests not accustomed to small city lifestyle. There are no large-scale internationally known hotels in Darmstadt, however the local inns and hotels provide comfortable rooms at reasonable prices to anyone looking. Finding a quality Darmstadt restaurant is as easy as asking one of the locals what their favorite either is. Surprisingly there are a number of Asian influenced restaurants in Darmstadt offering everything from hot pots to sushi. Additionally a number of Indian restaurants provide a nice variety should visitors ever tire of the more traditional local food offerings.