Commuting between UK - Germany
Discussion
After a bit of reassurance ...
I am absolutely fed up of renting a house in Germany, you are treated awfully and our landlady is here every other day with some made up complaint, not picking weeds off the path outside the house (!?), the dog barked, the car is too loud, etc.
Previous rental was OK but the LL kept all of our deposit ...
Anyway, I am fed up, my partner is fed up and I want to move home.
Does anyone commute from the Uk - Germany? I am based in the North West and work in NW Germany, its appx a 14h drive or 18h including the ferry, or I could fly Man - Ham but would then need transport from Ham - place of work.
I am absolutely fed up of renting a house in Germany, you are treated awfully and our landlady is here every other day with some made up complaint, not picking weeds off the path outside the house (!?), the dog barked, the car is too loud, etc.
Previous rental was OK but the LL kept all of our deposit ...
Anyway, I am fed up, my partner is fed up and I want to move home.
Does anyone commute from the Uk - Germany? I am based in the North West and work in NW Germany, its appx a 14h drive or 18h including the ferry, or I could fly Man - Ham but would then need transport from Ham - place of work.
I did it for a couple of years, but I'd fly out on Monday, and back on Thursday or Friday. I had an apartment in Germany ,and left the wife at home. Every month or so, she'd come over for the weekend.
The only reason we didn't just live in Germany permanently was that I would be in the US for a week or so every month, and occasionally I'd need to be in the UK for a few days too, so I'd be almost as absent from home in Germany as I was from home in the UK.
ETA I flew Birmingham to Duesseldorf. For a while I had a car there, but it rarely got used, so I got a scoter instead. Which rarely got used. Taxi from and to the airport, walk to the office most days, bororw or hire a car if I needed to travel anywhere.
It helped that my company picked up all my travel costs; airport parking inthe UK, filights, taxis etc.
The only reason we didn't just live in Germany permanently was that I would be in the US for a week or so every month, and occasionally I'd need to be in the UK for a few days too, so I'd be almost as absent from home in Germany as I was from home in the UK.
ETA I flew Birmingham to Duesseldorf. For a while I had a car there, but it rarely got used, so I got a scoter instead. Which rarely got used. Taxi from and to the airport, walk to the office most days, bororw or hire a car if I needed to travel anywhere.
It helped that my company picked up all my travel costs; airport parking inthe UK, filights, taxis etc.
Edited by Doofus on Sunday 9th July 14:20
Thanks for that, my company will pay for my rental costs so that is the flat covered, as I took a local German contract l, I guess I will pay the commute.
Although, I am in the same boat as you, I will probably spend a week or two per month in China.
Were you classed as a UK resident or German and where did you pay your tax? (Staff or self employed?).
Although, I am in the same boat as you, I will probably spend a week or two per month in China.
Were you classed as a UK resident or German and where did you pay your tax? (Staff or self employed?).
I was initially employed in the UK, and paid tax there. This was legacy, really, because I'd been employed by a UK company before all but closing it down and taking on the Germany role.
After a year or so, I resigned, but continued the role in a self employed capacity. Still UK based.
After a year or so, I resigned, but continued the role in a self employed capacity. Still UK based.
Know someone who worked for a German phone company and they would do Mon to Weds in London, fly Weds evening, and Thurs to Fri in Bonn. Or a week in London and a week in Bonn. At first, they found it exciting and glamorous. And the airmiles came in handy. But the almost-constant travel back and forth to the same spot soon got old, and they quit after a couple years.
You obviously have your life there (you mentioned the dog, for example), so that has an impact.
You could try a staggered move back, and go from renting a house to a 1 bed apartment like I had, with regular travel back to the UK.
To be fair, I could do the drive, including the tunnel crossing in 10.5 hours, and would usually break the journey with an overnight in Aachen, and that's not really an option for you, without losing all your weekends.
The other way to look at it is that it's only a year. Stick it out, or move house, and balance the negatives of living there full time against the inconveneince (don't underestimste this) of travellung backwards and forwards continually.
You could try a staggered move back, and go from renting a house to a 1 bed apartment like I had, with regular travel back to the UK.
To be fair, I could do the drive, including the tunnel crossing in 10.5 hours, and would usually break the journey with an overnight in Aachen, and that's not really an option for you, without losing all your weekends.
The other way to look at it is that it's only a year. Stick it out, or move house, and balance the negatives of living there full time against the inconveneince (don't underestimste this) of travellung backwards and forwards continually.
Now we have a formal complaint logged I think the witch will log another in the next month or so and push to kick us out, that's a 3 month notice so takes us roughly to Dec.
Our current thoughts are my partner moves back with the dogs, as you say, I take an apartment by work and split my time for a few months; I can 'home office' 1-2 days per week and spend some time in China / Austria, but stuck for the moment until I start the new role at our current site.
If I fly, then it's home - man - ham - work, so still appx 7 hours, but better than a 14h drive.
A condition of taking the role is my new manager transfers the position back to my 'home' site, so that'll be by end 2018...
Thanks for the help.
Our current thoughts are my partner moves back with the dogs, as you say, I take an apartment by work and split my time for a few months; I can 'home office' 1-2 days per week and spend some time in China / Austria, but stuck for the moment until I start the new role at our current site.
If I fly, then it's home - man - ham - work, so still appx 7 hours, but better than a 14h drive.
A condition of taking the role is my new manager transfers the position back to my 'home' site, so that'll be by end 2018...
Thanks for the help.
Hello Elan, no, German law forbids this and I am at a level where I don't clock any time so no real benefit.
I spend a fair amount of time travelling anyway so am aware of the impacts, better to be away from home (UK), than away from germany with my partner here alone.
Waiting for the new manager to return from holiday, French and their 8-9weeks per year!
To take a UK role it will be appx 40% pay cut .. that's how much I want to come back!
I spend a fair amount of time travelling anyway so am aware of the impacts, better to be away from home (UK), than away from germany with my partner here alone.
Waiting for the new manager to return from holiday, French and their 8-9weeks per year!
To take a UK role it will be appx 40% pay cut .. that's how much I want to come back!
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