Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with germany and resolved

Budgeting for Berlin trip - how much for food?

GenericUser — Sun, 05 May 2013 06:10:19 -0800

I'm planning on taking a solo trip to Berlin for a week. As a general guideline, if I stick to cafes (and the occasional doner kebab) how much should I expect to spend on food?

A trip to Hamburg and Berlin

dubold — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 14:40:41 -0800

Our family is heading to Hamburg and Berlin. What should we see? I'm interested in things that aren't necessarily top of the list in guidebooks; I can look up tourism websites to find out where the major landmarks are, etc. I'm thinking more of street markets, interesting architecture, neighborhoods to walk around in, or things that might interest a 4 year old.

Outdoor webcam for construction site?

chillmost — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 17:01:06 -0800

I need an weather proof outdoor webcam. I have intermittent power and wifi. What are my options? We will be renovating and building onto a house here in Germany. We would like to install a webcam to make a time lapse movie at the end and also to check up on things as we live about an hour away. It will also let my family in the US see what's going on.

I would like to take about 1 picture an hour and upload it to a server. I might be able to use the neighbor's wifi, but they are on vacation right so I won't be able to ask them until next week. I also have a USB UMTS stick at my disposal in case I need to use the 3G network, but I would prefer not to.

If Internet, wifi UMTS or otherwise, is not an option, it would be OK to store the pictures on an a card that is in the camera and then unload it every few days or so. I would like to stay under 300€ if possible. I have seen a few options but they seem to be mainly for industrial building sites, our rigs, etc and way out of my budget.

If I have stable power and WIFi, what should I get?

If not, what are other affordable options for UMTS or on-camera storage?

Identification of this tool?

uncaken — Fri, 06 Jul 2012 19:09:58 -0800

Can anyone tell me what this is? I've had this for many years but now am clearing out my "collections" so my kids won't have to. Before I send this off I'd like to know what it is, and that would probably help interest someone in having it. Only marking is "Germany".

Sausage tourism in Munich and Austria?

Philosopher Dirtbike — Fri, 29 Jun 2012 08:21:20 -0800

I'm a big fan of sausage - all kinds of sausage. Street vendor sausage, fancy sausage, pork sausage, chicken sausage, beef sausage. I am traveling to Munich, Salzburg, and Vienna for a few weeks in July. Where can I get the best (for whatever definition of "best" suits you) sausages, whether it be a quick lunch at a vendor between sights or a sit-down dinner?

Christmas time is here... auf Deutsche!

mostly vowels — Sun, 24 Jun 2012 17:37:24 -0800

Help me plan an awesome Christmas vacation to Berlin! I've been wanting to visit Germany since taking German in 8th grade, and am trying to figure out the best way to do it during the Christmas season (I am an American, and my university employer is closed between Christmas and New Years; going at that time is ideal because I won't have to use up any of my vacation days). I'm thinking of sticking to Berlin -- I've been told that there's plenty to do there, and I'm OK with seeing other parts of Germany another time. I am also thinking that given how big Berlin is, more will be open when I visit.

Relevant details:
--Young female traveler who will be going solo. I've traveled on my own before abroad, though most of my experience in non-English speaking countries has been in groups. I'm very comfortable in hostels (though prefer quieter ones to party places, and try to stay in private rooms since I'm a super light sleeper) and would prefer to stick to them for the camaraderie and to alleviate any "Alone on Christmas" loneliness.
--I can speak/read the tiniest bit of German, and will keep practicing until I leave.
--My favorite things to do when I travel are sample the local beer and specialty local foods. I also love visiting museums, libraries, greenhouse conservatories, etc. I am also totally down with any well-done historic walking tours. I've read all the MeFi questions pertaining to Berlin, and have bookmarked all the general "traveling in Berlin things to do" stuff.

Questions:
1. How much does Berlin close down between December 24-26? This will likely be right in the middle of my trip. I am totally OK with spending 1-2 days taking it easy at the hostel and reading some good books, but wouldn't want to miss out on more of the city life than that. I've heard that Germans "do Christmas" on the 24th, so will it be impossible to find places to eat on the 24th? Will I be limited to sad donner kebab shops? Does the public transportation shut down, or go to limited hours?

2. Has anyone stayed at any of the following hostels: St Christopher's, Heart of Gold, Pfefferbett, or baxpax downtown? These seem to fit my criteria for the dates I plan to be there (roughly 22-29), availability of private rooms, and things like a bar on site. Any other hostel recommendations?

3. What can I do Christmas-wise on the 24th/25th? I've seen a couple schedules for Christmas markets that appear to be open those days, and some concerts/operas. I'm not religious at all, but I think it'd be fun to attend any midnight Christmas eve services.

4. I'm very comfortable here in the States going into a bar by myself (as a mid-20s lady) and ordering a beer and hanging out with a magazine, but is this considered weird in Germany? If so, are there any lady-friendly places to do it?

5. How cold will it be at that time of year?

Danke schön, Metafilter!

Care package!

Fister Roboto — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 11:05:49 -0800

American ex-pats living in Germany, what things that can be mailed did you miss from/about the US? I have a BFF who recently moved to Germany and I'd like to send her a surprise care package. The thing is, I'm not sure what she misses about America while in Germany (she's been there before).

I know people will differ, but generally speaking, what types of things would an American living in Germany miss? I'd prefer not to ask her in order to retain the element of surprise. Thanks!

Tips on moving to Germany

frimble — Thu, 24 May 2012 07:12:05 -0800

I will be moving from Canada to Germany later this year, and would like to gain from your collective experience. Do you have any tips on making a long-distance, semi-permanent move, or things that you wished you'd known ahead of time? I'll be moving there as the spouse of a German citizen. My German is comically bad, and I'll be taking the Integrationskurs (integration/language class) as a part of the process.

While I have a plan outlined, and already know people there other than my wife, I'm happy to hear even trivial suggestions.

Advice for teaching English in Germany?

edguardo — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:04:40 -0800

I'm getting my CELTA in July in Germany, and I'd like to teach English there afterwards. Help me be a good applicant for teaching jobs and an attractive tutor for freelance work! Relevant info about myself: I'm male, 25 years old, and have a BA in Philosophy with a minor in German Studies. I speak German fluently and studied abroad there in 2007-2008. I've never taught classes before, but I'm not scared to speak in front of a group or classroom.

I'll be doing my CELTA in Hamburg during July, but after that I'll be moving to Baden-Wurttemburg for at least a few months. I'll be based in Heidelberg starting out (I know the city and a few people there), but I'm ultimately willing to move just about anywhere in Germany.

Questions:

How can I make myself most attractive as an applicant for teaching positions at businesses or educational institutions?

To what kind of places should I apply?

Where can I work with a CELTA?

What should I wear to interviews? In the classroom?

What should I emphasize on any applications?

How can I make myself attractive as a freelance tutor?

Where should I advertise?

What else should I know but haven't asked about?

Vielen Dank!

Is there a testAS study guide?

bonczkowski — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 11:44:41 -0800

Are there any study guides available for the TestAS? I'm hoping to apply as an international student to the University of Hamburg (Germany). The testAS is a recommended academic aptitude test. Other than where the available test taking centers are, I can't seem to find any information on the test itself.

Does anyone know of a resource with example problems or of any specific study guide?

Join the Army! See Korea...I Mean See Germany!!!

Hanuman1960 — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 05:44:28 -0800

Would the Army have kept my father in Germany if he was supposed to go to Korea? The whole story is inside... The recent death of North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, caused me to remember a story that my father related to us about his time in the Army.

He was in the military during the Korean Conflict, and was supposed to have been sent to Korea. However, he somehow got put on the wrong plane(?) and ended up in Germany instead. He told us that when the military realized their error, instead of sending him to Korea they just re-assigned him to a post in Germany!

My father passed away a couple of years ago, and since then the family has come to find out that a few of the stories that he told over the years about his life were, to be kind, "embellished". He definitely was in the Army and was stationed in Germany. We have letters and photos to prove that much.

So my question, Hive Mind, is how likely is it that my father's story about this military snafu is true? Would the military just reassign someone who was sent to the wrong base in the 1950's?

Nostalgic German gifts

Laura Macbeth — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:48:41 -0800

Looking for a present that will remind a grandmother of her German heritage. My husband's grandmother was born to German immigrants in 1924. She's lived in Minnesota her whole life, but grew up in a fairly traditional German farm household. I'm not sure which part of Germany her parents are from, but they were farmers in Germany, and settled as farmers when the immigrated. I'd like to give her something nostalgic for her upcoming birthday that would remind her of her childhood. This can be a baked or food item, holiday decoration, clothing, you name it.

Do you know a gift that would make her reminiscence about growing up with German parents in that time period? Thanks for any suggestions.

Soft Pretzels

ericb — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 22:34:05 -0800

Oktoberfest is here. Looking for recommendations for mail order purveyors of 'Philly' and/or 'Bavarian' soft pretzels in the U.S. Which companies/websites do you recommend?

Dresdner Zug Frage

ethnomethodologist — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:58:02 -0800

What should I expect for a 4+ hour "RE" train ride in Germany? Nürnberg to Dresden. I'm heading to Germany for several weeks at the end of this month. In my itinerary is a leg from Rothenburg o.d. Tauber to Dresden, and the only way to train this route is with what seems like a ridiculously long leg on a "Regional Express" from Nürnberg to Dresden. No IC or ICE options exist, according to the DB website.

I've been on "Regio" trains for short trips (Krefeld to Duisburg, for example) and they were fine but on the comfort level of an S-Bahn, maybe a little better, but that was for a trip of maybe 30 minutes. We're talking 4 hours and 15 minutes here. No reserved seats and I'll have a fairly big suitcase with me.

Has anybody had experience on this train specifically or on RE trains generally? Will there be a place to put my luggage or am I going to have to hold onto it like a cello case the whole 4+ hours? Do RE trains have toilets (please God say yes)? How about dining cars? As my itinerary now stands I have a 23 minute change in Nürnberg so I certainly pick up some food there but still wonder if there's food on board.

Money in Berlin

outlandishmarxist — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:21:35 -0800

I'm moving to Berlin for the summer, and I need to know how I should go about transfering living funds over. I'll be getting 3000 Euro when I get there, but that will not be enough to live on for the entire summer. Should I exchange them into Euros? Should I use my US credit card? Should I get a German bank account. I would love any advice you can give me.

How happy are German cows?

amanda — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 09:40:04 -0800

I'm heading over to Europe in a few weeks and I'm curious about the differences in food quality and food ingredients as compared to the U.S. What will I find there that might be emblematic of a different system or attitude toward food? I saw this Ted talk from Robyn O'Brien about her kids and their specific allergies to food and her search for answers in the American food system. It's got a slightly hysterical tone (of course, that's what They™ want us to think, amirite?) but I think the most important thing to take away is that something weird is happening with food allergies and it would be fantastic if we could get to the bottom of it.

We are staying the whole time in Germany so anything particularly relevant to that country would be great. But, I imagine that most of the EU will have similar food policies? Also: how do you say "high fructose corn syrup" in German?

Prost!

amanda — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 12:53:22 -0800

Visiting Germany -- Munich, Garmisch, Frankfurt -- your favorite places to stay, eat and see! We are headed to Germany in a few weeks and the tentative plan is to hang out in Munich for a few days then down to Garmisch and then back up to Frankfurt. We will have our 6 month old daughter with us. We are looking for interesting architecture, beer and wine experiences and I'd love to visit a cheese maker if possible. We will have a car once we leave Munich.

Lastly, if you had a place you stayed in any of these cities that you loved, please lay it on me! Anything else that we can't miss?

Help me plan my European vacation?

mewohu — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:05:35 -0800

Where should I go on my trip to Europe and how do I pack for it? I plan on flying to somewhere yet to be determined in Europe. I'll have 10 days before I have to be in a relatively small city near Frankfurt for a two week long school program. My problems are these:

1) I don't know which countries/cities to visit and what is reasonable in 10 days. I haven't been to Europe since I was a kid (London and Paris) and while I have taken car trips by myself, I have never done it by planes and trains. Any recommendations on where to go and what to do?

2) I need to pack relatively nice clothes for some day trips to government institutions. This means business attire. I also plan on packing a cocktail dress and nice shoes for social functions. Will I be able to carry everything I need for a nearly month long trip in an internal frame backpack without it wrinkling?

3) I may need a computer for the school part of the trip and I'll need to check my email every so often on the way there. My laptop is pretty big and heavy. I don't want to buy a netbook, so I'm planning on using my droid (data turned off) and wifi. Will there be sufficient wifi in the average city for this to work?

I need recommendations for a quick, relaxing weekend in Western Europe

Tomorrowful — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 01:34:47 -0800

I'm a mid-twenties American working near Frankfurt for a couple of weeks; I have the weekend off, and I had plans, but they've apparently slipped away. Looking for suggestions for somewhere to go to relax and sightsee a bit. I was supposed to hang out with a friend of a friend in Switzerland, and crash on his sofa, but those plans were never solidified and at this point I have to consider them officially dead.

Basically, I'm looking for a city I can hop to in a Friday night or Saturday morning train ride, grab a bed in a hostel, hang out, check out local sights, maybe have a beer with local or tourists. My stress level is pretty high during these trips, so "easy" is a higher priority than "interesting/authentic." For reference, on a previous trip I took some time afterward and went to Amsterdam, spent most of my time sightseeing and hanging out with Canadians, Australians, and the occasional Dutch person - very much a tourist experience. That kind of thing would be pretty perfect right now; not necessarily "authentic" in that I didn't have a lot of intersection with actual local culture, but after an extremely stressful work schedule, I couldn't have cared less.

When I travel for just-plain-fun I like being a little adventuresome and negotiating language barriers, but by the weekend I'm going to be a twitching stressed-out mess and looking mainly to relax. The last time I was here I day-tripped to Trier, which was fun, but some social interaction would really be great - the work is pretty isolating and the idea of an actual conversation about something that isn't shop talk makes me positively giddy.

I'm not in Frankfurt, but I can get to it (and its train stations) easily enough by train. I have a car but I dislike driving, and I'd rather not deal with it during my only real time off, especially considering how extensive my train options should be from Frankfurt.

What is the cheapest way of getting my bike to Germany?

jonesor — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 06:17:23 -0800

What is the cheapest way of getting my bike to Germany? I want to send my bicycle from the UK, to Germany. The cheapest courier I've found so far is £120. This seems quite expensive to me.

Speed is not of the essence; I don't care if it takes a couple of weeks, or even a month, to get there. Just as long as it gets there eventually!

My bike is well-packaged in a cardboard bike box and ready to go.
The bike weighs 10.06kg, but with the box, some tools etc. I guess the package weighs 12-13kg.

Can you recommend a good cheap courier, or suggest any other solutions?

So what's like in an area of Germany with large American military bases?

Carius — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 18:22:04 -0800

How are the relationships between the American military personnel and the local population in Germany? I'm very surprised to learn that the United States still has 57,000 soldiers in Germany. I want to know how do the local German population view those soldiers. I'm interested in this question because from what I understand most of the area with large American military presence usually provoke very hostile reactions from the locals (e.g. Okinawa, South Korea).

So what's like in an area of Germany with large American military bases?

More amicable relationship or equally hostile like Okinawa?

Do I need to clear UK Customs?

vansly — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:10:24 -0800

I'm flying from Canada to Germany through Heathrow. Will I need to clear customs at Heathrow, or do I just transfer flights? I am booked on BA from Vancouver to Berlin via Heathrow. I arrive at terminal five and leave from terminal 5 at Heathrow.

I have a 2:20 layover, and I would like to know if I will have time constraints due to having to clear customs in the UK.

9mm casings in my doorway.

molecicco — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 10:48:30 -0800

Shooting guns out in the street for fun on new year's eve in Berlin? Is this legal? Normal? Am I mistaken? New year's eve in Berlin is always accompanied by lots and lots of fireworks and firecrackers. Last night I heard a lot of fireworks that I thought sounded like guns (I have never fired a gun before, so I can't be sure). I woke up this morning and the street by my house was littered with literally hundreds of spent P.A. Knall 9mm Geco casings. No blood no crime scene, so I assume they were fired into the air for fun.

Is this legal? Normal? Should I lodge a complaint with the police? Could they even do anything about it? I'm pretty sure that these are not blanks - as I mentioned, they are inscribed in the back with P.A. Knall 9mm Geco.

travelling in germany this christmas?

asymptotic — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 03:05:20 -0800

I'd like to travel around Germany for a few days before ending up in Berlin on 28th December for New Year's. Assuming I can actually leave the UK and get to Germany does anyone have suggestions for places to go, things to see; someone recommended Christmas markets to me?

Ich bin ein Berliner... well, not quite.

titantoppler — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 23:11:06 -0800

Going to Germany for 6 days, absolutely clueless. Further to my earlier question, I've finally firmed up my itinerary for London (yay!).

I have a gap of 6 days from 5th to 10th January free, which I'm intending to Germany. However, I am totally clueless. Unlike London, AskMeFi doesn't have many questions on touring Germany, so I don't really have much base material to work from.

The rough sketch looks something like this:
5th: Depart London and arrive in Berlin
6th: Berlin
7th: Day trip to Dresden
8th: Day trip to Potsdam & sleeper train to Munich
9th: Munich
10th: Munich and flight back to London

Are there any obvious flaws in this plan? E.g. are the day trips feasible? Will this be too taxing/expensive?

I'd greatly appreciate advice on what to see, do, eat etc. on the cheap if at all possible. Any miscellaneous tips are welcome too!

P.S. As of now, nothing has been booked, so my plans are pretty flexible.