Yes, they’re as prevalent in Germany as they are back in the USA. You’ll see people walking around with their heads buried in their phones in little villages just like you’ll see them bumbling along the sidewalks in Manhattan.
While you’re visiting Germany, I’d encourage you to keep your heads up and eyes wide open. You’ll never know when you’ll see something you’ll want to remember about your visit.
Having said that, there are a couple of ways you might want to keep using your American cell phone available while you’re here.
First, you can check with your American service provider and ask them about international service if they happen to offer it. Germanyhas a robust cell capability in the major cities. Having said that, from my little village (of about 60 residents), I don’t have reliable cell service with any network. Not to worry, most modern cell phones allow you to make Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) calls without direct access to a cellular network. Normally this is referred to as WiFi calling and you’ll probably be able to see this in your smartphone settings.
Second, you can look into picking up a German/EU pre-paid SIM Card to support your needs for data and calling while you’re here. You’ll have a number of options
When you’re out at a restaurant or even at a business like a garage, it’s always nice to recognize good service when it’s received. HOWEVER, this is one of those points where there’s a significant difference in how we do things in the USA vs. how it’s done in Germany.
Forget about the 15-20% rule. If you do this, you will make the waiter/waitress very happy, but you’ll also run the risk of perhaps offending. How/why so? Because you’ll look like a “rich American” throwing their money around. One of the goals here is to help Americans fit in and shed the “ugly American” impressions.
If you’re ordering something like a cup of coffee that costs 2.50 Euros, paying your server 3 Euros is more than generous. Yes, I know that’s a 20% tip, but you can afford it, like most Germans. However, when you run up a tab of 50-100 Euros out at a nice restaurant, you won’t be leaving 10-20 Euros as a tip, you can probably easily throttle this back to 5-10 Euros and not be perceived as “stiffing” the service.
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This post is for those of you living here for an extended period of time. This means you’ll be paying rent, utilities, cable/phone bills, and shopping locally on the economy. The coin of the realm is the Euro and while your US-based bank will provide the service, I think you can do better and keep more of your money in YOUR pocket.
There are the two American banks that you’ll find on our installations. They’re both fine banks and I’ve had accounts with them both, but if you rely on them to pay your way in Germany, you’re very likely to overpay for their services. If you don’t mind burning 2-3% of your purchase in transfer fees or less than optimal exchange rates, then stick with them.
Paying your bills to German merchants, vendors and companies is normally done through “bank transfers.” At the bottom of every bill, you’ll see something called an IBAN (International Bank Account Number). The vendors providing your goods or services give you this so you can send your payments directly to their accounts rather than deal with a cash or credit card scenario. If you an account with an “on base” bank you’ll also have an IBAN number associated with your account as well. They also provide online International Bill Pay services to make things easier.
But, to make sure I was telling the truth I ran a quick test to compare the “value” of two different transfer methods. See the table below:
As you can see, the transfer with Service Credit Union costs almost $3.00 more than what Wise charges for a 100 € transfer.
If you consider an average rent payment is likely 2000 € every month, by using a third-party vendor like Wise would save you about $56.90 every month. To me and most other people, that’s a significant savings.
I’m not pointing this out to cause problems with on-post/base banking establishments. I just wanted to give you another option so you can save money transferring money between your US-based account and a typical German account.
The banks operating on US bases have told me that they’re forced to offer an exchange rate that’s defined by the US government. I’m not sure who’s making the “extra” money they charge their customers, but I’d like to think I’m doing our fellow Americans a solid by pointing this out.
Trust me, I learned this late in my overseas life, but I don’t mind sharing this with you from the first day you set foot in Germany. I’ll make the wild assumption this information alone is worth over $2000 provided you’re here for a normal three-year tour.
I’m looking at ways you might want to thank me with a small contribution towards the cause, but if you choose not to…think well of me for sharing when you’re maybe using that $2000 for a cruise, taking the kids to Euro Disney, or just setting it aside in an investment account. That too, is thanks enough.
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Of course, it’s Germany. How can you hack beer? Let me give you a few pointers…
Be careful. This stuff is much more powerful than what you’re probably used to. Alcohol content normally runs between about 5-8%. It’s also normally served in half liter bottles, mugs or glasses. An exception to this is the “Mass” pronounced “Mahss.” That’s a full liter, slightly more than a quart, of beer.
Don’t order more than one “Mass.” Order one, have someone take your picture with a big stuff-eating grin on your faces…then go back to ordering the half-liter or “Hall-bay” sized glasses that are only a half liter. I picked up that trick several years into my first tour here and can thank a former hockey teammate for pointing it out. Ordering a Mass almost ensures you’ll be drinking warm beer, long before you want to.
I’m hoping to share some of the important things to know about visiting or living in Germany if you happen to come from an English-speaking country.
I currently live here and want to share my 10+ years of experience of navigating “the system” and the people you’re likely to come in contact with if you’re here for a short visit OR if you happen to be a long-term visitor.