Anyone with Experience Living in Germany?

HI R.!

Our first duty station was Germany, so I have many fond memories of that time. We didn't have children then, so it will be somewhat different for you. One - try to learn some German before you get there. It's amazing how many Germans speak English, but they won't let you know that until you try to speak German, then they can't do enough to help you. You didn't mention where in Germany you will be going, parts of Germany are different, just like in the states. I think a positive attitude is what you really need. Learn as much about the area you will be going to as you can. If they offer you a sponsor, take it. They will be assigned to answer all of your questions, show you around, and basically be the "welcome wagon" for you. If your kids attend school on post, they will make friends fast. Also, if you live on post, don't be surprised if everyone comes to "check you out" when you move in. They mean well and can be wealth of information. make sure you take your winter gear, or plan on buying some there. It is much cooler than most areas of the US. I thought the German clothes were pretty cool, but my husband thought they were a little too colorful. Everyone has their own opinion. We loved German food, but they have Burger King, Pizza Hut, and Kentucky Fried Chicken just like everyone else. Usually, there is not enough child care to go around, so you should have no problem working there, too, if you choose. This is a great opportunity to travel all over Europe and experience so many things. I am sooooo jealous! Your children will learn so much. I think life is what you make it. If you expect great things, they will come. One thing, it takes awhile for your household goods to arrive, so plan accordingly. I highly recommend a sponsor. Have a great time for me, too! L.

3 moms found this helpful

My son in law wants to go back to germany, he really truly misses it, so from that aspect, it sounds like it would be a great tour, enjoy yourself, and remember it is a once in a lifetime experience. We were stationed in Iceland and we loved it, It was an experience and I hope some day we can go back.
Enjoy being overseas, and do alot of sightseeing.
B.

3 moms found this helpful

Hi R.. I am also a military spouse. Though I have never lived in Germany I am hearing so much about it because my cousin, his wife and kids are there right now. They like it so much they just uped it for 4 years. They have 3 kids under the age of 5 yrs and she is pregnant again. They want a girl. Ok besides the fact that she is nuts...lol......they are having a great time there. The apartments are kinda outdated on base. They are several stories high and no elevator. She said that her and the other ladies take turns watching kids when it is grocery time because anything you buy has to be carried up several flights of stairs. They live on the 5th floor. Imagine carrying an infant and holding a hand of a 3 yr old and expecting a 4 yr old to just follow you up 5 flights of stairs. She says it works out most of the time. Things are a little more expensive there so expect that. She said it is no more expensive than in Alaska. Alaska is a very fun place to live. I have also found that even though someone else likes or dislikes a place does not mean I will feel the same. Enjoy the experience because who but a military person or spouse would get a chance to live in Germany?

3 moms found this helpful

i am going to have my daughter respond to you too, she was stationed in germany for three years, she is getting married to a Lt in feb, when he gets back from iraq she will be going back to germany to join him, i know she loved germany as does my 6 yr old granddaughter, write to me and i will connect you with becky,who knows maybe ya'll will be at the same place? are you in the ft. knox area? let me know but i think you will like it there.

3 moms found this helpful

Hi R.,

I'm so jealous of your opportunity to live in Germany! I would go back in a heartbeat! I spent 4 years over there when I was younger (my dad wasn't in the military; he was just transferred over there for work) and have been back several times since. The most important piece of advice I can give you is to please expose your children to life off base and the German language as much as you can. I was 6 when we moved there, and I'm still bilingual (26 years later) as a result of my parents choosing to enroll me in a German school instead of the school on base in the town where we lived. It's one of the best things my parents ever did for me, and I'm so grateful to them for it. Regarding Germany itself, I have to concur with everything you've been told so far - the country is gorgeous, the people are friendly, and most speak at least some English (even the gas station attendants, we found out when my husband and I visited in 2006!) The food is amazing - if you pass a street vendor selling sausages, BUY ONE, because that's some of the best food EVER! The beer, of course, is wonderful, and practically every town has their own brewery. They do have very strange ideas about pizza, as somebody else already told you. :-) Wiener Schnitzel = yum! Getting off the food kick, please do as several other people have advised you and travel all you can. One of the neatest things about living in Europe is how easy it is to get to other countries - when we were there, we took road trips to Holland, Denmark, France, etc. at least once a month. There's also a ton to see and do in Germany itself, and most towns and cities have an older section sometimes dating back 800 or more years! Anyway, it's a gorgeous country, and I hope you and your family have a wonderful time!

3 moms found this helpful

Hi R.

My family and I lived in Germany from June 06 to June 07. My husband actually left for Germany in February so he was there a bit longer than we were. My husband is a contractor and worked on the army post in Heidelberg. We had privileges to everything on post. Thank goodness. We were very close with a lot of families on base. I was a co leader of one of the girl scout troops. We actually lived off post about 10 miles away. We LOVED Germany and wish a lot of times that we were still there. The kids ages now 10, 7 , and 3 are always asking if we can move back. Most Germans speak English and are very nice. They like Americans. In the short time we were there we did lots of traveling. Going from country to country is like traveling between states here. We got to visit France, Switzerland, Austria,Ireland, Uk, Scotland, and the Netherlands. The germans take off a lot of days and businesses are closed a lot. Very little is open on Sunday, no grocery stores or dept stores; gas stations are open and some restaurants. Sunday is a day to be with family and no work, like cutting the grass, is done on this day. Their pace of life is much slower and more enjoyable. They ride bicycles everywhere, the store, church, work, school. They go the the grocery store almost every day. Food is fresher and foods like chicken and beef dont have a lot of preservatives and dont last but a day or two in the refrigerator. Pork is there favorite meat, but you can find other things at the store. I did a lot of shopping at the german markets. Everything is really cheap. Like $1.00 for a package of cheese. You have to pay to use a shopping cart. You insert a euro coin into a slot on the cart and it released the chain holding it together with the rest of them. Then when you are done, you return the card and insert a key at the end of the chain into the slot that has your coin and it returns it to you. You have to pay to go to the toilet at gas stations. You have to insert a coin at a turnstill just before you get into the bathroom, it gives you a ticket back and when you are done in the potty you take it to the gas station attendent and get your money back. we never did understand why the did this. German children run around naked all the time. We had a little boy next door who ran around naked while he played in his backyard. It was really hot the summers we were there and Germans do not have AIR CONDITIONERS. IT WAS MISERABLE. You had to open the windows but there are not screens on them. None of these things really bothered us, it is just totally different from anything here. Well, no A/c bothered us, but you can buy a portable A/c unit. They are not very good, but do provide some relief. The mountains and countryside are beautiful. There are floweres everywhere. The history there is amazing and incredible. it is so unimaginable when you go into a church that is 1000 years old. Christmas markets are wonderful and we really missed them this year. Well i could go on and on, but i hope this helps you somewhat. It was really scary when we first got there but didnt take long to get over the fear. Enjoy your time there. There are so many wonderful thing to experience.

3 moms found this helpful

I lived in Germany for 5 1/2 years and loved it. It was great. I loved the weather, because I love the snow. There is so much to do over there as well. You just have to leave post. The Germans are great people. Don't worry about. Enjoy it. I would go back in a heartbeat.

1 mom found this helpful

Oh R.!! You will absolutely love it! We look back fondly on our 3 short years there as the 'Golden Years' of our military career. What should you expect?
Well, drive as fast as you like on the Autobahn, and still Mercedes' and BMW's will pass you. German people are friendly, most are smokers, almost all young ones speak English. It's a picturesque country full of vibrant flowers cascading from window boxes, charming old towns with cobblestone roads, and more fantastic beer than you'll ever know. It's just as you see it in pictures, really!
You'll see churches built hundreds of years ago, eat apfel strudel to die for, learn lots of interesting history and do it all within an hour of your home. You'll learn that military families become just that--family, whether officer or enlisted, we all pull together and make bonds that are so strong they go with you wherever the Army takes you. You will make really close friends because you will be so far from 'home.' It's wonderful when you get your international drivers license and take everyone shopping for fine crystal and china in Weiden or Polish pottery in Poland. You can even go to the Czech Republic for some gaming in their casinos. We were in Hohenfels CMTC, also known as the Box. Lots of training went on there. It was a centralized location in Bavaria between Regensburg and Nurnburg. You'll become more efficient while you're there from recycling to using public transportation (so cool). Just start learning simple phrases now. Buy a pocket handbook of phrases, borrow cd's from the library and hit up a local German restaurant. Germans tended to speak English when we tried to speak their language first. Restaurants are quiet, so you can spot the noisy Americans a mile away. Dogs are allowed in restaurants, and children are seen and not heard. It's a great place to raise a family. I get so many compliments on my children, and I owe it to our time there. They were 8mo and almost 6yrs when we arrived. The kids and I cried when we had to leave. Make sure you stop by the Neuschwanstein castle. It's the one that inspired Walt Disney's famous castle.
There's so much more to tell. Some things you'll have to find out for yourself. Just remember: don't be afraid to get out and experience your surroundings. Eat, drink and be happy. Make sure you go to France and eat the most amazing croissants you'll ever have and visit one of the perfectly manicured WW II cemeteries. Try a crepe with Nutella. Visit a concentration camp. And whatever you do, go shopping with a tax exempt form and save that 16% that every countryman must pay. Buy a grandfather clock or a shrank to display all your keepsakes. I wish I could go with you! We've been stateside since 2004 and can't wait to go back. Write if you have any questions for me. LUCKY!!

1 mom found this helpful

My husband is a veteran. We were stationed in Germany for 4 years. We even had our daughter while we were there. There are so many beautiful places to see. The cities are so clean and most of the people can speak some English. If it hasn't changed from 2000, you can go on so many bus tours and weekend shopping trips to other countries for pretty cheap. Just about every city or county has a castle and there is a Romantische Strasse(Romantic Road) that has runs from Switzerland through the middle of Germany that is small towns and castles that have the Middle Ages feel where you enter the main streets from arched walk ways and stone streets. If you get a chance try to go to the Neuschwanstein Schloss(castle) in Fussen southwest tip of Barvaria, Germany to see the inspriation Walt Disney used to make Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella's castles. If you would like to talk more, please contact me.

1 mom found this helpful

I agree with most of you have been told so far. My husband had the opportunity to work in Germany for ten months and I stayed for about three months. It was before kids, but we had our dog with us! The only places she couldn't go were churches and castles. We travelled as much as we could. the people were so friendly and gracious and appreciated your efforts to speak German. Many Germans know a little English, but in smaller towns, not so much. It is a great way to learn a new language and culture. We felt very safe and loved it all. We can't wait to go back to visit the friends we made there. We were there in 1998 and visited in 2002. We had friends who were on base in Stuttgart. They could do everything and not really leave base, but that would be such a shame. They went everywhere and learned the language and loved it too. Learn the language and see as much as you can. It is so beautiful. They do have a lot of rules about driving, social settings, and responsibility that you should be made aware of just so you know how to respect the place and people where you are.
How exciting. We were in Bavaria. Where will you be?

1 mom found this helpful

My dad was air force (now, national guard), and we lived in Germany around Landstuhl for about 18 months or so when I was around 4. I hear my mom talk about her experience all the time, and after she majored in German and received both a BA and Masters in German, she goes over there a lot. She tells me how she regretted not taking full advantage of it while she lived over there. I have been over there to visit her while she did a few semesters of college. It is beautiful.

My advice is to try to pick up some of the language so you can ask for directions, order from a menu and other things like that. Another good thing to try to find out would be some cultural differences such as: the deposit on coke bottles (which you can return to get your money back for the deposit), tip is included in the price of your food for quite a few restaurants, how to use the train station itineraries and ticket machine (which all have English options.)

Be careful and have fun. Enjoy the opportunities that you are blessed with.

1 mom found this helpful

I haven't personally lived in Germany but my sister-in-law is German (my brother's in the army). If you know where you are going, I could find out some things from them and let you know what to expect. She lives in Hamburg. Good luck!

L. (USMC wife)

1 mom found this helpful

WOW!!! Can I go with you guys? I lived over there for 9 years... My husband and I were both military. Where are you going? Ramstein? What does your husband do? This will make a huge difference in your experience, believe me. Lots of Americans over there, no worry. Take only 1 car; buy the other over there (unless you're really upside down or can't sell). Reason being is that cars are cheap over there. Also, the car you ship over there will take 1 mo to 6 mo to get over there and that is a problem when you have kids. Renting can get expensive, so you'll want to buy a car upon arrival. You can buy new tax free, or have a huge selection of good, used cars from PCSing military or German-civians. If you live off base, "unfurnshed" means no kitchen cabnits, reffer, possibly stove, no closets, no window blinds- you get the picture? ALWAYS ask the landlord what "furnashed" includes. TMO will provide you w/ temp. furnature, (not blinds), w/d, reffer, ect... If you move on base, it's simular accomidations to a stateside appt. MAIL over whatever you and your family will need imidiately but can't take on the airplane. Keep in mind they have large BXs and shops there, so were taking things your family needs that would be expensive or a hassle to buy. Every day stuff. Plan on living in a on base or off base motel for a week or more; if there is no room for your family (housing), thats where you'll be until room is found for you, so better to be prepared. The military will remeburse, so save your documentation on everything. TMO will take 2 mo to possibily 1yr (trust me, I've got this down after all moving experience moving!) Take pictures of your stuff for proff incase it gets brooken. Keep all your families documentation in a folder on your person. Be prepaired for long wait times once you DEBOARD the plain; eveyone has to go through customs. As soon as you arrive, exchange some $$$ in case you need to get the kids snacks, diapers, whatever if you land in a German airport. Stores are not 24/7 if you land this way. I have to go....... I could go on for days. I love Europe and wish we were still there. :( let me know if I can tell you anything else (I could). Feel free to ask whatever questions you have! ____@____.com

1 mom found this helpful

Hi R.,
Congratulations! You are about to embark on a fantastic journey and living experience in Germany. Our family spent seven wonderful years in Germany! We spent 3 years in Stuttgart and 2 years in Augsburg from 1980 to 1985. We returned to Germany in 1989 to Hanau for 2 more years. We were there when the Wall came down! Recently, we had a fantastic trip to Berlin! You will love the German people as they love Americans! Your children will have the opportunity to learn the language and experience so much history! Where will you be stationed? Much has changed since we were there, such as the Euro and so many of the American bases being closed. However, there are so many things that are still the same! You'll love the food and the shopping! Let me know if there are any more specifics you would like to know such as to the location you will be stationed.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi R.,
My name is B. and I live in NC. I have a girlfriend that lives in Germany right now with her husband that is in the Army. I asked her if she would mind me forwarding you her email address. Please email me at ____@____.com and I will be happy to put you in contact with her. She has been a friend of mine for 30 years and has been living in Germany for over 2 years and loving it! She will would be a great contact for you I am sure.

1 mom found this helpful

R. I am soooo jealous!!! My husband and I were both stationed in Hohenfels, Germany and absolutely loved it! He was worried about me since I had only lived in small towns in Texas, but I fell in love! The country is just amazing. Everyone I served with tried to stay or returned as soon as they could. We tried 2 years ago but our son has a pacemaker and they just have no one there to follow his pacer care. My husband bought me a cell phone while there because I had a bad habit of filling the gas tank, getting marks, now it's euros, load our two very young daughters in teh car and disappear! The autobahn is fun, but I enjoyed the small towns off the main roads. When my family came to visit, they thought I had lost my mind, even my husband did not drive unless he was on the autobahn! But because I didn't mind buying a map, I saw so much of Germany that I don't think American's have seen since World War II!!! Don't be afraid to get out off base. Most of the Germans love Americans. We still keep in touch with our landlord and his wife, they consider our girls their grandchildren! And the Germans just love kids! The language is fun, too. I actually had to explain to my landlady who spoke no English what my husband was trying to say...he had the numbers mixed up! Too funny, considering he thought I would never adapt! Do you know where you are going exactly? My day care was a spouse with her own business. Paid alot because we were dual military but she was just wonderful.Oh, I could just go on and on. Visit everything you possibly can! There was one place I drove by, had gotten lost on our way to Landstuhl, that soldier never road with me again...lol, anyway, ended up driving by Koblenz(sp), GO VISIT for a weekend! I so regret not going back! It's on the Rheine river and is just beautiful! There is so much history to experience, please do see things. I had several friends that were too afraid to venture out, esp since our husband's were always working. My husband missed everything except a weekend in Garmish, and even then I tried to get him to go to the Eagle's Nest, but guess what....we had to leave the autobahn and he was too nervous. Would have been amazing to see! ok, enough! Just enjoy all you can! It's truly a wonderful place, and I hope your husband enjoys his job! Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

I lived in Germany and loved it! I didn't have any children at the time so we traveled alot. The Germans I met were so nice. It depends on your housing, we lived off base, so we had to drive the Autobauhn in every day. That was exciting. Never drive in the left 2 or 3 lanes. The bases were downsized when I left, but then they had everything you could ever need, I don't know what they are like now. You can take your dog anywhere with you even the grocery store and the mall! They do not keep thier drinks cold in the gas stations. Most of all the German stores close early, the pub and little places to eat are about the only thing open after dark. If you have any specific questions, just let me know. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful