Crystal and Cookie

Although I liked Germany, there were definitely things I wish I had known before I went over. Here is a collection of tips based on the snafu’s I encountered in my time there. Many thanks to Tina, who contributed to this.

1. Have or get Euros immediately. In America, we can swipe our credit card for everything, including a $2 McFlurry at mcDonald’s. Not so much in Germany. Although I had called my bank before leaving America to make sure my Visa card would work, I was surprised at how many places didn’t accept credit cards and further… didn’t accept Visa. Mastercard and American Express seem to be the main credit cards.

2. Be careful at the ATM’s. Not only did I run into problems at the ATM accepting my Visa bank card, but the bank fees associated with pulling money out were ridiculous! Be sure to check before you go to what the fees are. Pull out cash in larger amounts.

3. Get your cell phone to work internationally before you go over. It is not as easy as anticipated to get a German phone. In buying prepaid minutes, the operator may not speak English and to recharge the card may require a German bank account.

4. Be prepared if you are a picky eater. There is a pizza place on every corner, so you won’t starve. However, day after day of pizza will get old. Go to the grocery store. I heard this is true in Italy as well – but when buying fruits and veggies, you have to weigh and price the items yourself on a scale and pricer. Don’t take the fruit up in bags to the register, unless you want rapid-spit-firing German/Italian to come out of the cashier’s mouth…

5. Rent a car with a GPS. The road signs in Germany do not tell direction (N, S, E, W). The signs often give direction by the next city… so if you aren’t familiar with the cities, then you can easily have problems.

6. Tipping is 10%… less than Americans.

7. Keep small change. Some places charge 50 cents to go to the bathroom.

8. Grocery stores, malls, shops all close on Sunday. It’s like Thanksgiving on Sunday. You can buy gas. Pretty much, that’s it. Grocery stores and pharmacies close between 6 and 8pm on regular workdays. I did not encounter any sort of place offering 24 hour service. (My point is… there may be one. Don’t email me with a list of 24 hr places in Germany. I’m just telling you… if you travel there, it will be hard to find.)

9. Germany is very rule oriented. Do not even think of crossing the street unless you are on a crosswalk and the light is in your favor. They WILL yell at you if you cross when or where you shouldn’t. DO NOT EVER walk on the RED BRICKS. This is the bicycle lane. You will be run over. Then you will die. Then you will be yelled at by the bicyclist as he pedals over your dead body. Some bicyclists try to ding a little bell at you, meaning “Get the hell out of the way, you idiot American”. Just remember. Hear a ding. Dive out of the way. Ding. Dive.

10. Tina swears by the Lonely Planet Guide for any place you travel. It contains all the useful tidbits of info, making life much easier. The Lonely Planet guides are the best $10 you could ever spend when traveling abroad.