German questions

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German questions

by southernteach

Jul 23, 2018

How hard is driving in Eastern Germany? I'm thinking of the snow/ice. I'll be driving between complexes. I know for sure between Vilseck and Graf but possibly also Netzaberg. I'm from the southeast USA so not a whole lot of snow here. Also I'm having a hard time deciding what to take/leave. Anyone care to list things they wish they had brought, were glad they did bring, and what they wish they had left? I'm single so I don't have a lot of things to bring as far as furniture etc.

southernteach That should say Germany* questions oops

Jul 23, 2018

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haha You get used to it pretty quickly. The roads in general are in good shape and signage is pretty straightforward (just watch out for those tank trails going between Graf and Vilseck :S). The autobahn system generally runs smoothly and connects major areas, cities, towns, etc.

Snow conditions vary greatly from year to year. I grew up in So. ...See MoreYou get used to it pretty quickly. The roads in general are in good shape and signage is pretty straightforward (just watch out for those tank trails going between Graf and Vilseck :S). The autobahn system generally runs smoothly and connects major areas, cities, towns, etc.

Snow conditions vary greatly from year to year. I grew up in So. FL but then had a couple years as an adult in upstate NY to learn to drive in snow so weather was not a huge deal. Germans are very quick to plow roads but odds are you will end up having to drive in some type of less than ideal conditions at some point. Consider an SUV/AWD if you think if will give you more peace of mind (it did for us). Some people use all weather tires, some prefer to switch to snow tires and back every year. Roundabouts take a bit of getting used to.

It was easier to buy most smaller appliances there rather than bringing them and having to use a converter all of the time. Newer TV's, computers, etc. are generally good with any current so should not be an issue.

You might want to shop for warmer clothes, or might want to wait until you get there. We bought some great jackets made especially for the area and they have held up great.

Try to learn a little German. A little English is spoken most places but fluent English speakers can be more rare than you might think. Generally you can do what you need to on the economy. Things like coffee, alcohol and gas are rationed on base. We never used our full rations but it is different (felt very strange to not have to worry about it in Japan). Also the VAT takes some forethought when buying major purchases. You can get some of the tax reduced but you need a form you have to pick up from a specific office on base. Someone there can explain it better I'm sure.

Hopefully you like pork or can develop a taste for it. There is a lot of it served there and it's really good (pork knuckles, mmm). If you are a beer drinker you are also in luck. If not, try a radler. It's half beer, half lemon drink and very refreshing.

That's all I can think of at the moment.

Jul 23, 2018

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