I would like to move to Germany. Any suggestions?

Question

I had a question that, I thought may be you could help me out with. I am thinking about moving to Germany sometime in August. I am an american citizen, but I also have german citizenship. I have not used my german citizenship in a long time being that I have lived in the U.S. for about 14 years. I am in the process of getting my german passport renewed so that it hopefully would be eaiser for me to move abroad without a visa due to the european union. Would you have any suggestions on what I should look forward to when moving there? Even, what should I get prepared for before the move. This is a big step for me and I am kind of scared. Thank You before hand. ;-)

Answer 1

I'm an American who has lived in Germany for three years. It sounds as if you're committed to moving here, so I won't try to talk you out of it, but will attempt to offer some practical advice.

- American electrical devices with motors won't work unless you get voltage transformers for them. (Americans connected with the US military in Germany can get these, and American military personnel leaving Germany often want to sell theirs. If you know someone on a US military base here, that would help.) Even with a transformer, motors will run slower here than in the US.
- Energy prices are about twice as much here as in the U.S.
- Building products, especially lumber, cost a lot more here than in the US, and there's less variety of lumber available at the German equivalents of Lowes and Home Depot.
- Value Added Tax (VAT, essentially a sales tax) is 17%, going up to 19% on January 1 2007.
- The climate is rather damp here. Get a good raincoat and a bunch of wool clothing.
- German law requires snow tires on your car in the winter. Actually, the law says cars must have "tires suitable to the weather." The norm here is to put snow tires on all four wheels.
- If you don't remember autobahn driving, you're in for a shock. The speeds are astounding to the American eye, and the drivers are often quite aggressive. Worse, you can get stuck behind slow trucks in the right lane, and be unable to get into the left lane because there's so much fast-moving traffic.
- The recycling program is really good here, and mandatory. The government makes it easy for you to be Earth-friendly. The air and the tap water are clean.
- Public utilities and roads work better here than in the US. Power outages, phone outages, and internet outages are very rare (but there's not much cable internet here yet; DSL is typically the fastest high-speed internet available in most towns).
- The phone company is slow and unresponsive. It takes about a month to get a phone hooked up. The fundamental enigma of Germany: the same people who will wait patiently for a month for phone service haven't got 1/10th of a second to wait behind you in traffic. If you can laugh at this, you'll be OK.
- There's a tremendous amount of history and culture packed into a small area here. There's quite a bit more to do than in most places in the US (but less space to do it in).
- Germany imports food from all over the EU. There's more variety of really delicious and interesting food available here than in most places in the US.
- Don't worry about reserved people. If you speak the language, you can break that ice.

Answer 2

I had been to each, Germany might be my option. My time in Colorado Springs was once as a running civilian and hae now not been on Carson. The surrounding discipline is my rationale for the alternative. Germany does get snow however now not up to Carson. Germany has plenty extra in the way in which of areas to consult with. Even a small child must be inspired by way of Nueschwanntstien or the summer season bi-weekly burning of the fortress in Heidelberg. Oktoberfest is only a gigantic carnival with bier. They serve beer on the county gala's right here so that's now not soooo so much distinctive.....besides the OOhhmmpa bands. If you get to head flying with the Blackhawk crews the cruise down Schloss Strasse among Mannheim and Darmstadt one hundred' over the fortress tops is plenty extra amusing then the plains east of the Springs. Pikes Peak to KS is fugly individually. SSG US Army seventy three-eighty two Germany seventy four-seventy six AVIM Bn

Answer 3

Don't go. I spent six years living there and speak the language. Cost of living is high, people are reserved (what we would call cold). YOur freedoms are limited. Socialism is in full force. You would be taking a step backwards. You are either American or German. Pick one. If you pick German, the Germans will look at you as "Americanized", which, in their mind is a bad thing. If you are American, good luck on living there because you will always be at the end of their food chain. Try Italy.

Answer 4

you should really think about which kind of people you want to meet, so then think in which part you move. In Berlin people are very international, in cologne they are very open, direct and friendly, in bavaria and north germany they are very reserved. Living in germany is easy, all you need is the same like in usa..a job because everything is expensive. but you have here still the freedom to do what you want, a fact many people miss meanwhile in the usa.in the bigger cities you will have a good nightlife (in cities like berlin and cologne is no closing time, so you can dance till early morning)
You find here all the typical us fast food (kfc, mcd, burger king, subway) and many other food.

so, before you move you maybe have to do a longer holiday and travel across germany to see which part you like the most.

Answer 5

I took German for 5 years in school and from what my teachers said about Germany, it sounds like an amazing place! I would love to go there myself one day! You gotta check out the beer haha, that's a given! Also, the Oktoberfest is huge in Munich! Good luck with everything!

Answer 6

Ya don't go

Listen, I'm all up for Europe, I would move there in a heartbeat.
But here's the problem:

Germany is full of a bunch of douches. It may be the home of beer but ever go into a pub and exit hammered, that's it, they will call the cops on you in a second. (not to say I abdicate drink driving, just saying you would think they are a bunch of happy drunken fools but they are really a bunch of tattle tales.)

I say pick a different place in Europe, maybe Greece or Portugal.

Answer 7

if this is what you want ? do it ! but make some plans as to where you would like to live ? do you have any relatives there ?
a job in sight ? there are alot of things to consider first ........
one live only once ........ but prepare yourself for some changes .......all !
so ? are you saying that you used to live in Germany ? than you know the country ?
i lived in the USA a long time .......and went back to France ,it was hard to get all settled again , bank ,papers , apt looking , furniture ,
but ? you should it you are serious about it ? sure !
i do not regret it
mind you ? it is hard to start all over again ........but ? it is worth it !

Answer 8

Having a German passport really helps. I say go for it. But get your university education finished first.

Answer 9

If you love hi taxes, limited freedoms and high cost of living. your gonna love Germany. Are you a Democrat?

Answer 10

practice your german.. =D i would talk you out of it but u seem determined so do what youwant...really..listen to yourself oonly :D