Anyone live in Germany?
Discussion
dan98 said:
Skeptisk said:
I don’t know where. Having a discussion next week. We have offices in some of the biggest cities but if there is a possibility I might not have a choice as most likely it would be where there is a need.
Then I wouldn't start to decide until you know which city - it's like not knowing whether you'll end up in Bradford or Bath for example.vaud said:
You would need to spend some time in the country to decide and it depends on partners/kids/etc.
I have only spent time in Cologne and Berlin. Both nice, I'm not a city person... but Berlin is one of the few cities I actually really enjoy. Low rise, lots of green space, good metro, great food, high standard of English spoken (I am multilingual but always struggled with German)...
Both wife and I lived briefly in West Germany and we are both fluent in German, but that is not far off 40 years ago and I am not sure how relevant it would be to today. I was working in hotels so very different from my current profession so no experience of German office life.I have only spent time in Cologne and Berlin. Both nice, I'm not a city person... but Berlin is one of the few cities I actually really enjoy. Low rise, lots of green space, good metro, great food, high standard of English spoken (I am multilingual but always struggled with German)...
Whenever I see your username I can’t help but think of Switzerland. And pronounce it “vo”
JMGS4 said:
Been living in Germany for nearly 50 years now. Here's my take...
Towns: avoid anything over 50000 population, (where they don't even know how to say good morning without glowering at you as if you're trying to mug them). Lived in Berlin for 10 years when it was still civilised (before the Wall fell), was good but was much younger then. If you're going to have to be based in a large city, try to live outside, somewhere smaller, and check your public transport into town (some don't run late)
People: Try to join a club (Verein), hiking, choir, music, sports... you'll find you'll get accepted much sooner, especially in a small town/village... language, try to speak german, trying is the operative word, they accept that and may well reply in a better English!!!
Traffic: getting bad in larger areas, used to be able to run speeds higher than 250kph, now rare purely due to poor Autobahns (a lot of 2-laners) and huge amounts of trucks, as Germany is Europe's largest transit country N/S and E/W!!
Beware of mad cyclists, not quite as bad as London but getting there!
Gatsos and equivalent are getting slyer but you MUST be photographed from the front identifying the driver.
Trains: used to be punctual, and ran to the minute... NOT that way now...
Airports: Greens and socialists trying to make it illegal to use planes for internal flights and force you to travel by train (unreliable, see above) Expect the Government to increase a boarding tax for ALL flights soon!!!
Work: depends on the branch, but usually conditions far better/stable than UK.. but change is taking place especially where AI could/will be used. If you have a qualified trade you'll be more needed than most degree qualified people. Pay usualy is 13 months (1/2 month Christmas pay 1/2 month summer pay). Pension/Tax/Medical all taken out before you see it. Private Medical insurance is to be recommended!
Sports: they don't know anything (almost) about sports unless it's soccer.... unless of course a german marbles team is playing in Fiji, then of course you'll get TV coverage (joke). BUT Germany is the Ice Hockey vice world champion and NOT A SINGLE GAME was on D-TV!!! Disgraceful!!!
Food: oop North not much variety (German food) but plenty of other national foods.
German bread is probably the best anywhere, the variety is massive, none of that ghastly white bread as in the UK!!
Fish good in north, otherwise poor fish distribution throughout. Southwest food VERY good due to French, Swiss, and Italian influences. Asian foods mostly poor, mostly generic seemingly run by chinese from Holland with godawful buffets and standardised sauces....and asian standards of hygiene!
Shopping: food shopping good, avoid the chainstore bakers, very good butchers (again avoid chains), clothing styles getting more european. Decent shoes a problem, I have to get my shoes from GB, otherwise overpriced asiatic junk. Shirts fine provided you are prepared to pay, otherwise order from UK.
NB!! ALL shops closed on Sundays and holidays
TV: mostly state run, relatively poor translations, bring a freeview box and get a dish if you want British TV. TV license coast €154 p.A. includes screen use (computers) but they have no vans!!!
Internet: in general poor, vastly behind other EU countries (my upload is just 1MB, download around 12 MB, although cable is on my property they can't seems to be able to get it to my router, using a 60y.o. copper wire!!). May be better in large cities... Beware!!! Telekom gives all it's poorer connections to their competitors, have cases of this in my street where people went with Telekom's competitors and they had breakdowns regularly!!
Radio: Traffic news excellent, german pop rather boring, monotonous...
Bureaucracy: feckin mad!!! you can get sent from pillar to post..... you have to know your rights and tell them so if necessary. As a Brit now expect to be treated as if you were a beggar due to Brexit
Politics: avoid it, but keep your eyes and ears open. They're screaming about the right nowadays (rightly so) but as usual completely blind to left terrorism. The Greens and Socialists here are so far left they want to turn the EU into the EUSSR, and think that's democratic!
Economy: slowing down rather badly!!
Feel free to send me a PM if I can help!
Thanks for that! Towns: avoid anything over 50000 population, (where they don't even know how to say good morning without glowering at you as if you're trying to mug them). Lived in Berlin for 10 years when it was still civilised (before the Wall fell), was good but was much younger then. If you're going to have to be based in a large city, try to live outside, somewhere smaller, and check your public transport into town (some don't run late)
People: Try to join a club (Verein), hiking, choir, music, sports... you'll find you'll get accepted much sooner, especially in a small town/village... language, try to speak german, trying is the operative word, they accept that and may well reply in a better English!!!
Traffic: getting bad in larger areas, used to be able to run speeds higher than 250kph, now rare purely due to poor Autobahns (a lot of 2-laners) and huge amounts of trucks, as Germany is Europe's largest transit country N/S and E/W!!
Beware of mad cyclists, not quite as bad as London but getting there!
Gatsos and equivalent are getting slyer but you MUST be photographed from the front identifying the driver.
Trains: used to be punctual, and ran to the minute... NOT that way now...
Airports: Greens and socialists trying to make it illegal to use planes for internal flights and force you to travel by train (unreliable, see above) Expect the Government to increase a boarding tax for ALL flights soon!!!
Work: depends on the branch, but usually conditions far better/stable than UK.. but change is taking place especially where AI could/will be used. If you have a qualified trade you'll be more needed than most degree qualified people. Pay usualy is 13 months (1/2 month Christmas pay 1/2 month summer pay). Pension/Tax/Medical all taken out before you see it. Private Medical insurance is to be recommended!
Sports: they don't know anything (almost) about sports unless it's soccer.... unless of course a german marbles team is playing in Fiji, then of course you'll get TV coverage (joke). BUT Germany is the Ice Hockey vice world champion and NOT A SINGLE GAME was on D-TV!!! Disgraceful!!!
Food: oop North not much variety (German food) but plenty of other national foods.
German bread is probably the best anywhere, the variety is massive, none of that ghastly white bread as in the UK!!
Fish good in north, otherwise poor fish distribution throughout. Southwest food VERY good due to French, Swiss, and Italian influences. Asian foods mostly poor, mostly generic seemingly run by chinese from Holland with godawful buffets and standardised sauces....and asian standards of hygiene!
Shopping: food shopping good, avoid the chainstore bakers, very good butchers (again avoid chains), clothing styles getting more european. Decent shoes a problem, I have to get my shoes from GB, otherwise overpriced asiatic junk. Shirts fine provided you are prepared to pay, otherwise order from UK.
NB!! ALL shops closed on Sundays and holidays
TV: mostly state run, relatively poor translations, bring a freeview box and get a dish if you want British TV. TV license coast €154 p.A. includes screen use (computers) but they have no vans!!!
Internet: in general poor, vastly behind other EU countries (my upload is just 1MB, download around 12 MB, although cable is on my property they can't seems to be able to get it to my router, using a 60y.o. copper wire!!). May be better in large cities... Beware!!! Telekom gives all it's poorer connections to their competitors, have cases of this in my street where people went with Telekom's competitors and they had breakdowns regularly!!
Radio: Traffic news excellent, german pop rather boring, monotonous...
Bureaucracy: feckin mad!!! you can get sent from pillar to post..... you have to know your rights and tell them so if necessary. As a Brit now expect to be treated as if you were a beggar due to Brexit
Politics: avoid it, but keep your eyes and ears open. They're screaming about the right nowadays (rightly so) but as usual completely blind to left terrorism. The Greens and Socialists here are so far left they want to turn the EU into the EUSSR, and think that's democratic!
Economy: slowing down rather badly!!
Feel free to send me a PM if I can help!
Lyons said:
dan98 said:
I actually consider it one of the *best* things - nearly everyone genuinely slows down on Sundays...has a lie in, potters around, gets time with the family, goes for a walk/cycle, does f-all basically. The streets go beautifully quiet and it's like a proper reset each week.
Coming back to the UK where every day is the same makes me wonder how people don't slowly lose their minds.
Yes, i appreciate it now too. Though i do miss not being able to wash cars on Sunday. Or at my house for that matter...Coming back to the UK where every day is the same makes me wonder how people don't slowly lose their minds.
Thanks for all the comments.
Anyone know which internet sites are good for looking for accommodation? I know immoscout.
I don’t think I will be able to convince the wife unless I can show her decent flats or houses. Part of our problem is that we have a dog (bought when we living in our own house in the UK, before we started working abroad again).
For those who have lived in Berlin. What is it like being surrounded by the former East Germany. Is it really noticeable?
Anyone know which internet sites are good for looking for accommodation? I know immoscout.
I don’t think I will be able to convince the wife unless I can show her decent flats or houses. Part of our problem is that we have a dog (bought when we living in our own house in the UK, before we started working abroad again).
For those who have lived in Berlin. What is it like being surrounded by the former East Germany. Is it really noticeable?
dan98 said:
There's also Immowelt.de
Berlin is incredibly difficult right now to secure a decent apartment - imagine between 30 and 60 people fighting for the good ones (mostly with perfect documents and a proven history of renting in Germany). With a pet, this will become exponentially harder I'm afraid.
I would insist that your company finds you an acceptable place otherwise you will face months/years of struggle.
You'll never notice the the world outside Berlin unless you specifically venture out there - rest assured it's pretty 'gentrified' and you wouldn't run into any trouble unless you were looking for it IMO.
That sounds dispiriting. One of the reasons we are wanting to move from Copenhagen is that we can’t find any decent accommodation Berlin is incredibly difficult right now to secure a decent apartment - imagine between 30 and 60 people fighting for the good ones (mostly with perfect documents and a proven history of renting in Germany). With a pet, this will become exponentially harder I'm afraid.
I would insist that your company finds you an acceptable place otherwise you will face months/years of struggle.
You'll never notice the the world outside Berlin unless you specifically venture out there - rest assured it's pretty 'gentrified' and you wouldn't run into any trouble unless you were looking for it IMO.
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