General: Germany

Advantages: Everything
Disadvantages: Nothing

Today’s my last day at work in Germany. A year after I arrived, I have to say good bye to my colleagues, pack up my belongings and jump on a BA flight back to Manchester. I’ll be taking a break for the next few weeks as I get back to life in the UK, so what better way than to step down, temporarily at least, than with an op on the place I currently call home? GETTING TO GERMANY With flights from 60 GBP return, there’s never been a better time than ...
...(or won’t) fly, you can drive, or come by train or coach. The main airport is Frankfurt international, but along with this there are also many regional ones (Berlin, Hamburg, Düsseldorf, Munich, Stuttgart) and thousands of little ones. If I wasn’t fussy about my destination I could chose to fly from any one of a dozen airports within 2 hours of my home (though some, it must be said, are in neighbouring countries). Getting around Germany is easy too, ... Read review

Advantages: Can be fun- very fun!
Disadvantages: Stau, speed limits, expensive petrol.

"The only difference between german Autobahns and british motorways is- the krauts drive one the wrong side." Well- not really. Far worse (and shocking, of course): germans do overtake on the left lane! So, if you ever go to Germany- here are some useful hints on surviving Autobahn-cruises: 1.) German Autobahns are described with an "A" and a number. I have no idea what the "A" stands for. If you think this letter is a grade of quality- forget ...
...condition. 2.) Did I mention to drive on the wrong side? 3.) Did I mention motorways in a lot of other european countries are the same stupid? 4.) The speed-suggestions (those can be easily recognized: with black numbers in red circles on a white ground) are given in "kilometers per hour". Kilometers are not the same as miles, the relation between miles and kilometers is about the same as pound to euro, but it doesn't change that much. Well, those ... Read review

Advantages: attractive landscape
Disadvantages: rudeness of people

You are planning a trip to germany? You have never been there before? You don’t know what to expect and how to behave? Let me help you. Warning: A little bit of humour may have crept inadvertently into this opinion. Anyone knows, of course, that we Germans possess no such thing, but I wouldn’t guarantee that what I have written is irreproachably humour-free. So, complaints will be graciously accepted, but to no effect whatsoever. No, ...
...A very wise man once declared that he liked Germany so much he’d rather have two of them. Well, he got his ways – up to 1990. Then the two German tribes called Wessi and Ossi (no, they haven’t got anything to do with Aussies) found themselves quite unexpectedly under the roof of one single state and one single boastful chieftain with language pronouncing disorders. (His super-human physical size enabled him to function as a roof ... Read review

Advantages: Excellent for walking and especially cycling
Disadvantages: Limited veggie food and too much smoking

I've always liked the sound of the cuckoo, at least I thought I did. But, when you get a cuckoo that gets up at four in the morning and insists on cuckooing until late at night, the novelty soon wears off. I'm talking about a cuckoo here that can even out power the local cockerel who leads the cacophony that is supposedly the dawn chorus. Cuckoo, blooming cuckoo, all day long. Coffee, there's another thing. A good thing this time though. The Germans ...
...Perhaps it's the water. I've bought the exact same coffee but in my flat it tastes different. It's strange what gets lodged in your mind after a trip somewhere, and it's not always the obvious. We (my boyfriend und ich) landed at Hamburg, with the helpful assistance of a British Airways A319 Airbus. It only took one hour twelve minutes from Heathrow. We were heading for northern Germany to stay with some friends, older friends. I speak very limited ... Read review

Advantages: Good people, like anywhere else in the world
Disadvantages: Bad people, like anywhere else in the world

As one of the few German users of Ciao UK and someone who has lived and studied in Britain, I have decided to exploit my position and engage in a piece of cultural crossover, exclusively for Ciao's UK community. Do not expect any descriptions of cultural, architectoral or historical sights here. The purpose of this article is the same as should be with every opinion at Ciao, i.e. to answer the question "Should I buy this?", or, as in this case, ...
...this question in the view of recent reports of xenophobia, neo-nazism and anti-semitism in Germany, thus I am focussing on the aspect of how safe it is to travel there, how openminded people are or not, and what kind of experiences you can expect to collect when interacting with German people. You can imagine that this is one of the most difficult articles for a German to write on a British website, and this opinion requires a lot of rational from ... Read review

Advantages: very different and very charming
Disadvantages: hilly

...I lived in Marburg for two years and I would recommend everyone interested in architecture and small town charm to go there. Marburg is situated 1 hour north of Frankfurt/Main by train and is practically in the middle of nowhere, with green hills all around. It is a medieval town unscathed by the Second World War, with a pretty castle on a hill in the town centre, the old town below it and the new town below the old one. It looks a bit like a wedding cake. The gothic church in the town centre is Germany's oldest. It is a university town and one quarter of the town's population is involved in the university in some way or another. Because of its student focus, it has the highest ratio of pubs per head in Germany, these are generally small, cosy and serve cheap and cheerful food. There is a large variety of restaurants, most of which... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: A nice little town just outside Stuttgart that represents 'Real Germany'
Disadvantages: The people that I came across spoke a lot less English than in Stuttgart itself

...Esslingen is a small town about half an hour on the train outside of Stuttgart city centre. As well as a much more modern area, the old town represents everything I expected of Germany before I went. For the general curious it is worth an afternoon there but little more, but is well worth visiting as part of any trip. Walking from the station into the old town you can see both the old and new Rathaus (Town Halls) with the Altes Rathaus being particularly nice with what appears to be a giant cuckoo clock on its front. Two churches dominate the old part of the city with the Frauenkirche and its odd spire and Stadtkirche St Diony's with its precarious walkway between its two towers. You can then walk up the town's defensive wall (Burgstaffel) which affords great views over the town, although you need to be fit to get to the top. I spent... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: wonderful
Disadvantages: too many tourists

...Sometimes - after I've read my bank-statements or when hubby didn't do the dishes - I'm in a bad mood. All I have to do then is looking out of the window - and I'm smiling again. I'm living in such a nice part of the world - in Devon. My first visit to England was 1979 and I fell in love with Devon, Dartmoor, cream-teas and the legends of the moor. In 95 I finally left my home-land and moved to Devon - wages are far less than in Germany; house-prices and living in general are far higher than in Germany - but I would never ever move away from here. The Southwest is a world of its own. Clocks are ticking slower and the people are very friendly down here. You don't need Prada or Chanel to nurture your soul - all you need is an eye for the beauty of this county to be happy. Our seaside towns are wellknown and pretty - but my favourite... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful