What are the pros and cons of living in Germany?

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camknows

Pros:
-The biggest pro is all the travel opportunities you have over here. Germany is right in the middle of Europe, so all of the other European countries are easily accessible.
-The food is great! I love bratwurst and schnitzel.
-Autobahns. They are fast and are easy to navigate on.
-I've never had a problem with the people. Some of the Germans can be a bit rude, but overall they are quite friendly and helpful. Most also speak English which is nice.

Cons:
-Germany is not convenient at all. There is no such thing as a 24-hour grocery store which kills me sometimes. Some thing with a lot of the fast food restaurants. Sometimes you just want a nice big burger at 2 in the morning.
-Germany is really expensive. Everything from the housing to the food is crazy.

Neshani

I just moved out here a little over a month ago, so many things are new and exciting now. These things, over time may end up wearing on my nerves, time will tell

PROS: You can walk down the street with a beer in your hand and not get busted for it.
Clubs stay open as long as they want. If that's your thing, you can party till sunrise.
Transportation is well run. I don't have a car and have no problems getting to work, going to clubs, or visiting my friend who lives 60 miles away.
The country is beautiful. Almost everything is very clean. This place looks like a story book land.

CONS:
Everything but restaurants closes at 4 or 6pm. This makes it difficult to get anything done if you work full time. Forget about doing anything at all on Sunday.
Things are pretty expensive. I spend about $400 - $500 a week on food, transportation, going out to clubs and bars.

UNDECIDED:
I've heard from a lot of people that the Germans are pretty cold. So far I haven't experienced it for myself. The people I've come in contact with have been just as friendly or rude as the people I've come in contact with in the USA. Some are nice, and some are jerks.

sidulrike

OK, there have been some pretty good answers in my opinion but I do have to say that I donÂ´t think that germans raise their children to be rude. They are outspoken and sometimes a bit blunt but at least theyÂ´re honest. Children are always sort of cruel by the way no matter where, thatÂ´s just the way they are until they grow older and realize certain things.
But back to the pros :-D
You can walk down a street in Germany wearing your best jewelry without somebody mugging you.. at least the chances for that are slim to none! This goes for most places at most times of the day or night! :-D
Your children can play outside without you having to drone over them.
There are so many things to discover if you only look for them! Alot of the cities and towns have alot of history, some of them over 2000 years of recorded existence! If you happen to have read Julius Cesars books you have read about alot of the places already being there in his days such as Trier and Mainz.
Overall, people will treat you the way you treat them but you generally have to approach them.
Another pro is the food.. hmmmm.. so many pounds waiting to be put directly on your hips from eating those luscious Black Forest Cherry Cakes or Geschnetzeltes or goose with red cabbage and KnÃ¶del.. hmm.. mouth watering
Not to forget CHOCOLATE! Among the best in the world!
Well, personally I think the good outweighs the bad here but everyone has to make up their own mind about that. Yes, it would be nice to go grocery shopping on Sundays but oh well. Most of the stores stay open until 8 p.m. and thatÂ´s plenty.
Hope you enjoy your stay in Germany!

mervisfemale

From a Brit who has been living here for 23 years - the pros? Good wine, excellent history, super location for travel to other European countries (central Europe). The cons? HORRIBLY RUDE PEOPLE - one only experiences this as a resident. They raise their children to speak their minds no matter who it hurts, no manners, have never heard of please and thank you and between children and adults - ZERO respect! They also believe they are a rather superior race - hmmmmm.

turelie02

Pros- There is so much to experience. Its a completely different way of life compared to what you are used to in America. If you are military you will have the advantage of keeping some comforts of home, such as 24hr shoppettes and things of that nature, however if you are not you will not have that luxury. The people are just like the people in the US, some are very nice and helpful while others are rude and insensitive. If you think this is just a German thing you are VERY wrong! There are people like that ALL OVER! I lived there for 2yrs and my landlords (an old German couple) LOVED Americans! I was their adopted grand-daughter, they took great care of me! Each town is sustainable almost entirely on its own. They have a bakery, a butcher and a pharmacy, etc. The cities are a lot of fun! So much to do, but that is just like the US. Again I will say, like everyone else, it is centrally located. No matter where you are you are near at least one or 2 different countries that you can easily drive to (on the autobahn no less, which saves a lot of time). And those that you can't you can take a train and see the country side, or fly for a lot cheaper than you would from the states.
Cons- Exchange rate from dollar to euro is EXPENSIVE. Not as bad as the pound, but still expensive. The prices that you see in a store however have the tax included in them, and (again) if you are military you won't actually have to pay the tax. You are exempt from it. However if you buy a car tax free over there and bring it back, expect to pay the taxes on it when you register it in the US. You will need to learn basic phrases in the language, so that if nothing else you can get yourself out of a bad situation (i.e. you are lost, or you are hurt) Most people speak English, but if you also make an attempt to speak it and they speak English they will be grateful that you are trying.
I loved it when I was there, although like I said as military I had a few of my comforts from home. It is a once in a lifetime experience and I highly recommend it!! Good luck!!

beautiful sadness

Pros: Everything runs really efficiently and it's near France

Cons: They have no apparent sense of humour and the food isn't up to much. They have one of the ugliest sounding languages on the planet.

Oberlehrer

The other answers touch much important/interesting things, so i do not repeat it...

Be precise and you will get precise information.
Be prepared and in time ;-)
You are in the Center of Europe with perfect transportation.
Beware of the bureaucrats...
Respect german language and culture.

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