A few years back, in 2014, I was working for a huge company and had an opportunity to work in Germany for a year; in particular, Dortmund. It is an industrial city within the North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) region near the cities of Essen, Bochum and Dusseldorf. This year, my wife and I embarked in this journey back to Germany but in a completely different city of Bremen.
Bremen is a city near the North Sea within the region of Middle Weser. Being a city near the North Sea, the water plays a vital role to the society. Similar to any German states, the river plays a huge role. The “Rhine” in NRW pertains to the Rhine river that stretches from France all the way to Germany. Similarly, Weser is a river that flows from Lower Saxony to North Sea by Bremerhaven.
But enough of the introduction, here are some of the tips while in Germany.
German time
If you are meeting a German folks for a social gathering or for business, always keep in mind that German’s are, on average, always punctual. If the gathering is 10:00 in the morning, it will start 10:00 in the morning. Because of the cold weather, the food will get cold easily if left on the open. So, they time the process like engineers so that you get the optimal temperature of the serving at the right time. As such, if the brunch is scheduled at 10:00 in the morning, then the brunch start at 10:00 in the morning. Usually, they will not take offense if you are late but do not be surprised if they start without you.
As for business, it will always start on time. Honestly, everyone should follow this everywhere.
Transportation
If you are staying at one city for longer times, it’s a good idea to buy all-day/all-week/all-month tickets. The cost of single trips can accumulate easily without you knowing. Most, if not all city, will have this day tickets (tagesticket). The best place to buy this tickets is in the main train station (Hauptbahnhof or Hbf). Remember that the transportation routes will usually gravitate around Hbf. Even if you are reaching the city by plane, always keep in mind where the Hbf. If you are moving from city to city, Hbf is the main connecting station between cities.
Stay away from the “Tourist Card” if you want to get the free transport only. Major cities will always have a kind of Tourist card but this are usually more expensive.
If you have a long travel plan (2 week non-stop travelling), my usual travel tip is to save your legs. Instead of walking for 30 minutes to reach from one place to another, it is better to take a train ride.
If you can compute right away the number of rides you need in a certain town, then you can compute if the day tickets are cost effective. Keep in mind that for some cities, the center is compact that you don’t really need to ride from one stop to another. For bigger cities, a bus / tram / train ride might make sense.
As for long distance travel, DB or Deutsche Bahn is quite efficient. You can go to a lot of place via DB and it’s reliable and safe. If you are staying for a month or so, I suggest to check of the Bahncard trial (Probe Bahncard 25). It’s about €20 something and gives you 25% off to your ticket payments. This is valid for 3 months but make sure to cancel it before the 3 month period expires.
Language
It is definitely nice to know a few words but the German language is not critical to your success especially if you are vising the bigger cities. Most shops will have some kind of English language knowledge for you to survive. However, it’s good to equip yourself with some words:
Usual greetings / Phrases
- Guten Tag / Guten Morgen / Guten Nacht / Morgen / Moin (north) – Good day / Good morning / Good night / Morning / Morning (in the north). This is the most usual first greetings.
- Danke schön – Thank you
- Bitte – You’re welcome / Please / Pardon? / May I help you?
- Ja / Nein – Yes / No
- Kein problem – No problem
- Entschuldigung – Sorry / Excuse me
- Sprechen Sie Englisch? Ich spreche kein Deutsch – Do you speak English? I do not speak Deutsch
- Alles Klar / Alles Gut – All clear / All good
- Ich möchte bitte bezahlen / bitte bezahlen – I would like to pay please / (shortened version)
- Ein große wasser und ein klein bier, bitte – One large water and one small beer
- Kannst du mich helfen? Ich habe mich verlaufen. Ich wohne im <hotel name>. – Can you help me? I am lost. I am staying in <hotel>
Cash is King
While you can use credit card is bigger shops, expect that some small stalls or restaurants will not accept credit cards. They might accept EC / Debit cards but best if you bring cash.
Save the environment
If you see this sign in your bottle, it means that there’s a 8 to 25 cents deposit on the bottle. It’s quite easy to refund them as well. Go to your nearest supermarket (Aldi, Rewe, Netto, etc) and get the refund back. Germans really take recycling seriously.
All wastes are segregated in Germany so, take a closer look on where you throw your trash. But keep in mind not to throw trash in the wrong time as it might wake up your neighbors.
The bins are color coded in:
- Blue / blue lids with label “Papier / Pappe” for paper
- Yellow / yellow lids / yellow sack with label “Gelbe” for plastics or nonbiodegradable (packaging, etc)
- Brown with label “Bioabfälle” for organic waste / biodegradable
- Black lid with label “Restmüll” for household waste
- Glass has three types of bins: braunglas (brown lid), Grünglass (green) and weißglas (white)
As for supermarket, better if you can bring your own bag. The plastic bags in most groceries are not free. Another thing is bagging your own groceries. The Germans are quite efficient and does everything with speed. You will need to bag your items quickly else it will fill up the shelf. Bagging of groceries might be stressful for some but after a few times, it will be like reflex.
Water is not free and expensive
First and foremost, Germans are addicted to carbonated water. The water in tap is potable but they will still buy water from the groceries. So, if you don’t like carbonated water, make sure you buy a “still” water or ohne gas/kohlensaure. Secondly, water in restaurants are quite expensive. It’s much cheaper to drink beer than water. They will not offer free water as well. Lastly, if you are at a restaurant, do not bring out water out from your bag. They will definitely remind you of that. But if you must, then act like a lost tourist that does not anything German.
Sundays
You would expect most shops to be close on Sunday. This is common regardless of the size of the city or the number of tourist. There are some exceptions like a few holidays in a year but most of the time, most the shops are closed. Even the groceries and supermarkets are closed on sundays. However, tourist attractions are usually still open. So, some museums and zoos are still open. If you really need to buy something, the best place to go is the Hbf. Some of the stalls inside the train station will still be open on Sundays. Some of the fast food chains are also open. So, plan ahead if you are in Germany for shopping as Sunday is really a down time. If you are planning to transit to another city, this is the best time to do it. Else, you can see the city attractions on this day.
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