I think that's partially because German houses are high quality compared to e.g. the USA. When you buy a house in Germany, you usually intend to live in it until you die. "Starter homes", like in the USA, just aren't a thing.
There are a lot of reasons. If you buy a house in Germany a lot of things are different. You are liable with your entire assets, Not only the house. You can't deduct any payments from tax. The prices don't rise constantly. There were long times - decades - with constant or even falling prices. These are only three things.
Isnt that kind of the same Reason.We rent because its more affordable then buying. Who needs a House if you dont have a Family. LIke who needs a House if you Live alone isnt that way to big
Regarding card payment -> even if card payment is accepted, that doesn't mean, that credit card payments are accepted. Most Germans use debit cards, instead of credit cards. So finding places where credit cards are accepted is far more difficult. edit: oh, the source video actually mentiones this.
Reasons behind, the european (debit) card system since the 70s, and the costs for accepting credit card payment. Some years ago the costs for card payments at the point of sale have halved, but it's still roughly 7 times more expensive to accept a credit card than a (German) girocard.
Wow. "... doesn't come, unless you specifically ask for it" Yes. How else are they going to know in a restaurant, that I am finished and that I want to pay and leave now? I can't immagine something more offensive, than a waitress throwing a bill onto my table and expecting me to pay and leave, because they think it's time for me to do so now. I don't get this about America. "The customer is king." But the waitress is deciding for me, when I have to go? Feels like getting kicked out of their establishment. What if I want to order some additional stuff and stay a bit longer? WTF?
Exactly. I remember at least one time where we just got our meal when the waitress already brought the check. We had some interesting times in the states. Then again the question "Darf es noch etwas sein?" has become oddly rare in Germany, too.
Yeah, because they kick you out of the restaurant with a big fake smile after they forced you to pay the bill + the enormous "tip", they think that is great service. "It was sooo nice to see you guys here, you made my life soo much better today .. and now move your ass out of here" And now i wonder, would they even love robbers if they smile at them, with the gun in the hand while robbing them, but when they also say : "Oh guys, its soo nice to see you, what a great day, and now please give me all your money". Also .. its more or less the same than what goes on in the restaurant, only minus the gun 😄😄
Busy restaurants in cities will do that in Germany too, though. If you come in at 6, theyll start coming to your table not so subtly hinting that you need to f off at around 8 because they want to clear the table for the second shift and start closing up around 10 in the evening.
"The customer is king" as long as he's consuming & spending money. He stops being king as soon as he's just sitting there without throwing money at the restaurant. 🙂
It depends, in cities often grocery stores are open until 10 in the evening and for a few hours on Sunday as well. In smaller towns yeah nothing is open on Sunday. I kind of like it, I dont need to plan ahead what I want to eat for the whole weekend, I can just go to the store between 12 and 5 and decide what I want to cook that day.
Yeah, I don't get why he said that. I understand that Americans tend to go grocery shopping about once a week - in a massive way. So the stores closed on Sundays should not bother them too much
@@TheSuperappelflapthat's not true. Only in train stations, supermarkets and co. Are open. But in cities, even Berlin or so, they are closed on Sunday.
In hospital the staff (June21th-July5th) was so wonderful nearly angelic and smiled at me most of the time. They did all they could to make sure I knew to be safe and well cared for. Really sweet. When I asked the "pastoral care worker"(?), she told me it was the other way round and I gave them happiness and smiles, made them feel good, despite having reason enough not to be happy. A good person from my past meant "you are both correct".
@@steemlenn8797 Not if you want bread. US *"Milkbread"* is a *'Yeast Pastry"* same as *"Brioch"* is or germans *"Hefezopf".* Btw. a *"Hefezopf"* is called in the US *"Loaf of bread"* 😮💢
What is *the function of bread?* • Be a Mainfood _(Potatoe/Rice/...)_ • Still hunger *by itself* > None of functions are within US bread. So it can't be smt it is not. Bread as well has a crust, which adds most of its taste to the bread. > US Toast *does not* have a crust but has *to fake it* by toasting it changing the structure from soft to bit crusty & add smt alike a crust taste. Since this still is all on the outside the taste still is bland & the *milksugar/added sugar,* still keeps its sweetness to it.
There are some american kinds of sliced bread, that would by law need to be marketed as cake in some european countries, because they contain that much sugar.
Soccer fans wouldn't go side by side in different team jerseys, without fighting or at least shouting each other... Luckywise hockey, american footbal, baseball and other sports become more and more popular in Germany, with different fans going to a game peaceful together.
As a German, the first time I came to the US and went to a restaurant with a friend of mine, I genuinely thought that the waitress was a really good friend of my buddy based on how she interacted with him. She seemed incredibly happy to see him! When I learned that they had never seen each other before and this was how all servers interact with their customers, I was floored. It seems so superficial and just plain wrong to me. Oh and I thought it was so rude when they brought me the cheque without me asking for it. I felt like they were kicking me out.
In former times, like 30, 40 years ago the servants used to smiÎe, too. Because that time "customer was king" and bosses asked you to. Nowadays most "servants" are acting like they are not working, get disturbed by you when talking to colleagues and do not want you to come.
These are observations, not facts. 2:46 In Bavaria, shops close early, but in the rest of the country you can still shop after 7 p.m.. Restaurants and cafes are open on Sundays... you won't starve. Museums, sports facilities and things like that are open, ...so not everything (!) is closed. Offices and shops, on the other hand, are indeet closed. Btw. electricity generation from renewable energies is well over 50% now. 6:54 Americans are usually wrong in their assessment of the UK. The Kingdom has long since lost its importance on the world stage, and it has also become a xenophobic country, there is hardly any foreign investment anymore, and people there earn an average of €8,500 less than in Germany or France. Furthermore, British car brands no longer exist either; they belong to German, Indian or American companies.
mhh did u just state your own observation there? Not even in Bavaria everything closes at 7 p.m. I live in Ulm and Neu-Ulm (Bavaria) is close. nothing closes there at 7. I used to live in Munich almost nothing closes there at 7... If you want to be that guy that has to pinpoint everything do it right... It totally is depending on the Location you are in and as always request and demand. And Videos in general do requiere to understand the basics of context and in regards of that. He was talking about groceries/supermarkets being closed on Sundays a second before....leg doch nicht alles auf die goldwage...
@@xrecixNot state but city. In the black forest in some cities, shops close for lunch break. In Stuttgart that's not a thing. Same goes for Bavaria, it depends on where exactly you are.
@@alvarTV1991 Auch Sonntags haben in den Bahnhofmalls die Supermärkte, Drogerien und kleinen Läden offen, ist auch ortsabhängig. Ich fahre fast jeden Sonntag zu Aldi.
@@danielanisius7834 vielen Dank für deinen informativen Beitrag. Das hätte ich natürlich niemals gewusst... wie kleinkariert müsst Ihr denn alle sein? Da gehts um ein 8 Jahre altes Video von einem Dude der einfach Dinge pauschalisiert und verallgemeinert... wenn jemand eine exakte Wissenschaft haben möchte sollte er einfach den RU-vid Chat befragen. Ich mute das ganze jetzt hier viel Spaß beim kleinkariert sein.
@@petracastro6021 in my 40 years I also never saw a nacked person in public. And yes, I have never been to the english garden, munich is not entire germany.
Depends entirely where you are. Around Berlin it's not unusual to see women topless at small lakes and at the Ostsee there are (were?) FKK beaches. No idea if they are still popular.
You will see a lot at the Isar outside of Munich or in the English Garden of Munich. In central part of Germany people tend to be naked in outdoor pools ("Freibäder") lying on the grass. In northern part of Germany people tend to be naked at beaches.
I would perceive the waitresses face as a sign of her determination and concentration for her work😉. And when you watch closely there seems to be a little smile at the end. Smiling when you don't feel like it should be classified as torture 😅🤪.Thank you for this entertaining Video
Just wanted to say the same. Usually waiters are friendly persons and will smile at the customers (if not totally stressed). Simple reason: nice waiters get a tip :)
👍👍Absolutely. Everyone who complains should try solving a complicated math problem and keep smiling! It makes your muscles ache, and the solution might be wrong or take longer.
I've been living here four years now and I find German waiting staff and shop staff perfectly friendly, especially if you speak to them in a friendly way ('danke' goes a long way). I'm British, and northern British at that. We're supposed to be renowned for our friendliness - maybe it's partly because I bought that with me but I still find German cafes and shops great to visit.
That's Munich. And waiters and waitresses in the inner part of Munich are notoriosly unfriendly and sometimes openly rude. I experienced that too often and that is the reason why I haven't been to a restaurant in the Munich city anymore since 30 years.
Visiting neighbouring countries is very common and the best part of living in Central Europe 🇪🇺 Me and my friends used to go to the Netherlands all the time, it's only a 30 minute drive from where I live 🇳🇱
This is especially true for the state of Saarland, where I live. We frequently cross the border to France for a shopping trip or to visit some German friends who bought a house in France and are now living there! The city of Saarbrücken borders the French border and especially on weekends you can spot many french cars here that came to visit Saarbrücken for a shopping trip.
Am I really living in Germany for 27 Years? Affordable Rent? lol If buying a house would be affordable, we all would have a house. Public transportation being good? If you overlook 30mins delay or cancelled trains/buses. Bicycle friendly? Aslong as your drive with full protection u can give it a go, but keep in mind cars are stronger.
well we are used to that. Now imagine how it looks for someone outside of germany, from thousands of kilometers away and without all that day to day life experiences.
The video is 8 years old. new fact about the energysector. In the first quarter of 2024, almost 60 percent of the electricity generated in Germany came from renewable energy sources. Specifically, it was 58.4 percent. And believe ist or not. There were no black- or brownouts.
And new coal mines were open (with cutting down forests) because of stupid decision to close nuclear plants. The same time German-ruled EU kicks other countries for that. True moral example, not just hypocrisy, but cold politics of intentional harming others, be really proud if you have stomach for that
@@peter_oso Actually it was leaked that is was not needed. The media covered that. Also we didnt needed those plants anyway. No one wanted to operate it for longer. Despite that, Habeck still let the plants online for a few months more and it worked
Depends. The law forbids nudity in public places in terms of showing genitals. Going topless in a park on the other hand is nothing that anybody would call the cops for.
@Leoniemiller3320 wrong. As a general rule in Germany, nudity is not prohibited. There is no law that prohibits you from undressing in public. At least if you are naked without any "sexual reference". If I want to ride my bike or hike naked, I can.
About clothing: In Germany we are having a discussion about banning sweatpants in school. So that the students are dressed appropriately. In Germany, sweatpants are not considered everyday clothing. Stuff like thats are just for sports.
The video has to be pretty old since it is not really accurate to some points. For example China is a lot more foreward when it comes to for example solar energy. Also gas is nearly one euro more expensive then you could see in this video. And Germany is not nearly as bike friendly as the netherlands. I would never ride the bike in bigger citys. Oh and renting is NOT cheap (except for the countryside and most of east Germany without Berlin).
China is maybe ahead in renewables in absolute terms. But just yesterday it was released that we are at 58-60% of renewables on the moment. (Yes, could be even higher if the idiotic conservative would not block it 24/7.) And yes, the Netherlands have probably the best bicycle network in the world. Nevertheless, you can easily bike in most German places, including big cities. Done in million times.
try renting in Atlanta. or in California. Average rent in Atlanta is $1700 and that is for a one bedroom say 900 square foot or so. i live outside of atlanta and rent is still 1300. Biggest reason why we all buy houses as soon as we can.
@@uliwehner Good luck trying to buy a house in Germany. You probably wont be able to afford to, at least not anywhere where there are jobs and functioning infrastructure. Average rent in American cities outside of LA and NY is comparable to rent in cities in Europe. Amsterdam is the most expensive. London and Paris arent far behind. The nice parts of those cities at least, not the ghettos. Berlin isnt much cheaper either. 1700 for a 900 sqft apartment would be very cheap in a big city here. You can probably not rent much more than a broom closet for less than 2000 euro per month. Even in smaller towns, 1500 euro for a small apartment is normal nowadays.
"For example China is a lot more foreward when it comes to for example solar energy. " Because China has a 15 times higher population than Germany, per capita the picture is quite different. Last year it was the first time that China installed more PV per capita than Germany. Check for electricity generation the share of RE, Germany is at 60% of the load, China is much lower.
If it sounds strange to you that universities are free, what about this: you get PAID to learn a profession like electrian, nurse, barber, retail salesman and so on?
I'm alwas wondering how they can say university is free in Germany as there are adminstrative fees. Isn't that "money" I have to pay? Do I not have to pay those fees? Well, they are not high compared to other countries, but for a student it is quite a lot. And it's something, so it's not free (maybe cheap).
We don‘t get naked to show off or something. We don’t sexualize naked bodies in this context at all. That‘s why you see all kinds of naked bodies here, average people, not just the „hot“ ones. Most importantly: You don‘t go to these places to watch naked bodies!! It‘s an unwritten rule not to stare at naked people, and of course it‘s a no-no to take pictures of them.
I used to think the same. Until my best friend once said to me, after 2 pretty young women leaving the cabin: Man, I waited so long and they never put that damn towels down. My friend was just in the middle of his divorce and really under pressure.
@@alidemirbas6566 Of course these people do exist! When I was a “hot girl” we were in the sauna a lot and I got stared at from time to time. It does happen. But it’s still a no-no and socially not accepted, and most importantly: our FKK beaches and saunas aren’t runways for hotties to show off.
Lol. It's sort of naive to believe that German men are _that_ different. It just happens to be that most guests in a sauna look like average Hans and average Ilse and aren't visually interesting to most. Yes, FKK culture is a thing but for most young folks it's a no-go. I'm in Austria but the saunas are the same as in Germany, and I don't know any straight male friends who don't get secretly excited when young, beautiful women enter... It's just not expressed outwardly.
In absolute terms of course China is much bigger but Germany is now at 56% Power generation from renewable which is far better than Chinas 31% Year 2023
The Chinese government lies about literally every statistic. Whatever amount of renewable electricity they say they are producing, you can be sure its a lot less.
@@adrian5929 More interesting than power generation is power consumption by source. Germany only produces around a third of the energy it consumes. So regarding the sources of energy consumed, Germany is at 25% green energy and China is at 19% (exactly the same as the USA btw). Germany is still ahead (in this group), but not by much. Norway, for comparison, is at 71%...
@@adrian5929 We are actually far worse off than China, because they know that too much renewable energy is unreliable. What do we do when the sun does not shine and the wind does not blow in wintertime? Import nuclear energy from France and coal energy from Poland, that's what. Kind of stupid.
@@hannessteffenhagen61 Depending on your business. As backery you have a lot of transactions with less than 5 Euro. You have between 0,10-0,20€ fixed fee plus 1% of the ammount. So for two rolls you get 50 Cent and you must pay 20% of it for the card service fee. If you have an average of 50€ per shopping cart you are right. There you have higher cost to handle cash and this is the reason why you can get cash in many supermakets.
@@hannessteffenhagen61 You are right physical cash makes expenses, thanks for that knowledge, in the runlong card may be more efficient ❤️❤️ I wish everybody all the best ❤️❤️❤️
If everything was fine at the restaurant, you tip 10%. If you don‘t tip, it means something was wrong. Once the waitress was flirting with my boyfriend that I was having lunch with. Her face, when she realized that I was the one to pay and decide on the amount of the tip, was priceless.
The channel @Tank the Tech just made a video about his first spa / sauna experience as an American in Germany.😂 He's also a roadie and tour manager for, among others, Electric Callboy (one of the most successful German bands at the moment).
1. He is talking about soccer it's football 2. He is talking about football but shows a videoclip of fans from cologne Sharks which is a ice hockey team
Don't be fooled about public transportation. Scottish and british people were warned about the Deutsche Bahn, which has become nototiously unreliable over the last decade or so. Communal public transportation still works in most places though. However, don't expect too much of that in rural areas.
Scottish people are British too. Here is an explanation for you from a Scot: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland includes 4 countries: Scotland, England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Scotland, England and Wales are all on the island of Great Britain, while Northern Ireland is on the island of Ireland. Technically, the word British refers only to anyone who comes from any of the three countries in Great Britain, but in practice it can also include people from Northern Ireland who wish to call themselves that. I suspect you were thinking about football fans at the Euros 2024. If so, you should have said Scottish and English people, because only those two national teams qualified this year. Finally, England ≠ Britain. It is only one of the countries in Britain, and Scots and Welsh people are not English.
A suggestion for a reaction: "Autonomous regions of SPAIN explained (Geography Now)". It is an interesting video about the different regions of Spain and some of their traditions. It has a couple of mistakes, but overall it is a pretty good video.
@07:49 Just compare the cost of a house in Germany and the U.S. ... @15:19 They CAN be. It's not uncommon. But many are not. @19:56 Only in very specific areas. Otherwise you can get in serious trouble.
Taxis have had a state defined color - "Hellelfenbein" (RAL 1015) which translates to light ivory since 1971. For about 10 years or so some states can grant exceptions for using that color, but most use it anyway, because of recognizability. We have saying here. "if you I want to drive a Mercedes, i call a cab" since the majority number are Mercedes (mostly E-Class).
From southern Germany, near Basel, I only drive 3 hours to Paris, with a train that travels 320 kmh, or 55 minutes to Zurich or about 4 hours to Italy.
15:56 - Not fake! It's the "Geysirhöhle" (geyser cave) at the Therme Erding. And this is only one of 24 different saunas and steambaths (in the naked and mixed part) at the Therme. Think it's still the largest sauna and thermal bath in the world. You should check out their homepage and videos about it, in another of your videos. 😜
German gas stations often come with a small convenience shopt too. That's why some people say "Danke Tanke!" as they can get some emergency stuff there. Also Restaurants are open on Sundays too, of course.
About Germans not smiling: I hear this quite often in such videos. It might be true, that less people start to smile on their own, than in other places. But I do smile often at people, and I usually get a smile back. So I can't really understand that. Maybe these people don't smile right 😜 Could be a regional thing also. I live in the western part of Germany.
A random person smiling at me? I maybe would see it as a flirt. Or people smile at young children. A waitress? Well, I hate it when the have a fake smile. So better not smile before faking it (at least if you're bad in faking it). But a real friendly smile is nice. The waitress in the video is carrying things. I wouldn't expect a smile. When she's at my table, I appreciate a friendly smile or a friendly word when it comes from the heart.
@@jaywarren8148 Well, it's not fake if it's just you, I'd say. Eg waitresses with the typical fake smile, yes, I agree... But it doesn't have to be fake necessarily, just because you don't know that person.
@@frankmunster1566 exactly. An obvious fake smile is bad, a real smile is nice. A fake smile that seems to be real is nice (since I do not realize it's fake). We can't really See the waitress in the Video at the table, so can't judge her. At the end there is no fake smile on her face and that's pretty cool. To me she is very sympathic.
The women who brought the beer wore very traditional clothes. You see this quite rarely and mainly in southern Germany. Like at the Oktoberfest, for example. And in general it looks a bit more modern than in the video
As a Sweed where everything is open on sundays untill very late (at least in Stockholm, i find it very strange that you dont have open. So its not aa European thing. You sound like a single person that gives the same stupid arguments of why people have cars! Dont assume that everybody can do shoppings on working days!
I like to decide every day what I want to cook that day instead of planning ahead for several days. It helps to not waste food as well, if I buy for several days I always end up throwing stuff out because I buy too much. And there are 3 grocery stores within a 5 minute walk from my house. Its nice to go on a little walk and see what is on discount today and come up with something to cook with it.
Just yesterday, I heard on Deutsche Welle, that - eight years later - cash usage ist still the way to pay for 80% of all transactions in Germany… But, on the other hand, don‘t forget that regular and recurring transactions, such as wages or payments for rent, are almost 100% made by bank transcactions. No one uses checks any longer and banks do not even issue blank checks to customers, because no one uses them. Likewise, most major transactions (such as paying for a car etc.) are almost exclusively made by bank transferral of money.
i moved to the US just before y2k. I have always felt that banking is light years ahead in germany. people still use paper checks today. at the grocery store! personally i have not carried cash for 25 years now here in the US, and i have never written a check.
Hi, a Pro Tip from a german: Do not go to the Oktober Fest, it‘s way to expensive, overcrowded and loud. Instead, go to smaller Beer-Festivals in September. They‘re as cool as the Oktober Fest but there are way less people and a more relaxing atmosphere. Fore example the Rosenheimer Herbstfest is the perfect mix between huge Bees Festival and old traditions. Its perfect.
Did you know that the world record for spitting on the Autobahn is 8.4 kilometers? And the spitter Hans Olafson (world champion in spitting 2008) actually managed another 2.2 kilometers, but since the Autobahn curved, the last part was not counted. (He claimed a sudden gust of wind carried the projectile off course.)
15:58 Okay Ryan; I put my investigater hat on and did a lot of research... like full 5 minutes... or 2. Honestly I used Google Lens and spent most of my time on their website. This is the "Geysirhöhle" at Therme Erding. Well yeah... it is supposed to be an artifical geyser in the middle of the sauna. That happens when you used every usual sauna gimmick. After all, Therme Erding is the largest "Therme" in the world. They have 22 saunas and 2 steam baths. Well they obviously also have a multitude of pools a day spa and whatnot.
In the early days, a vendor had to pay rent on a credit card terminal and run a second phone line. That and a 2% fee on every sale paid by card, made it less interesting for small businesses.
Apparently, it's especially NRW that seems to be terrible (for somewhat obvious reasons). Every time someone comes to visit from outside the state, I get comments on how terrible the trains are here. Probably worst around Cologne and specifically between Dortmund and Münster.
"I love bread" ❤ And so do I. And I can consider myself very lucky to live in Germany, where there are so many varieties of it. Sometimes it just needs a video like this for me to be able to appreciate the little things again... Btw: Your German pronounciation is very good! Our letter "Ü" is one of the hardest to learn for English speaking people, but you manage to say it perfectly! 🤗😊
In Germany, when you want to pay the check, you "catch the eye" of your service person and maybe signal by raising a finger or two. They'll see it and come over so that you can ask to "bezahlen". They are not going to criticize your sitting around with your coffee and cake remains by slipping you the bill to encourage you to leave. That would be monstrously impolite. And they are not going to be hanging around to anticipate your every wish. They have work to do elsewhere. They come initially, when you sit down, take your drink order and then, when they have come back with the drinks, they take your food order. They serve you the food and leave you to enjoy it. Maybe they'll ask if everything is OK, but they are not going to be breathing down your neck for a tip. They appreciate a moderate tip, but anything over 10% is considered extravagant, and for little things like a coffee, rounding up the payment sum to the next Euro (or two) is quite enough. They don't get paid enormous salaries, but they also do not depend on tips to live. I like it. Service in Germany is relaxed and practical.
Two things quickly: Germans _are_ kinda religious in a way that's not necessarily considered religious: All the "xyz brings luck or misfortune" that we have is part of the old religion. It never got completely out of Germany/the Germans. And 2nd: Germans "love" (or rather are proud of) german cars in general, and they do take good care of their own car if they have one. But mostly they are not really attached to it. Only few really "love" their car. I think on average Americans love their cars a whole lot more. 😊 Love your channel! ❤ Edit: The bigbig immigration rate is not really "fascinating" to Germany/most Germans. It now has come to a level that's really getting too high. The country can't bear more. We have good ethics and want to "help"/save everybody, but we have reached our limit, I guess. Germany is small, you know.. And yes, we don't wear much "athleic clothing" in public in Germany. But on the other hand jeans are normal trousers here. They don't wear those (tbh. weird) beige trousers here, that are considered "dressing properly" in the US (unless you're an old grandpa). 😅
Ryan, whatever you do when you come to Germany, please don't just go nude in a park for sunbathing! 😆😆 It is acceptable in some areas (like the "Englischer Garten" in Munich), but not in general! Nudity is usually (!) reserved to so-called FKK locations like beaches or clubs, but you don't normally see it outside those locations. 😄 As for tipping: True, you do not HAVE TO tip since the waiters are getting paid living wages, but those wages are still not very high. Therefor it is customary to tip waiters and staff around 20% of the total bill (if you liked their service, that is).
Hey folks, german dude (born 87) here: Yes we do smile! and nobody will look at you funny if you smile at someone... most likely they smile back and both get on their ways ;). The waiteress is at work, why the F should she be smiling all day? do you like your work so much that you are happy all day? didnt think so :). Its not that she isnt friendly to the guests, because she probably is but she doesnt smile all day which is totaly fine ;). Renting over buying is simple... in the US you can buy a trailer house build like a shoebox for around 40k dollars and just for simplicity in germany for 40k you counldt even buy a garage for your car ;) a normal house (not nice, but also no bucket) is at least 200kPLUS if you want something nice, the prices go easily above 500k... so yeah, renting isnt cheap either but more affordable :).
About the cash vs card: it changed drastically with c-times. I pay almost exclusively 2ith credit card (Google pay) nowadays, but I live here and don't do tourist things. So for visitors it might be different. Also some restaurants and especially "imbisse" (small restaurants would buy at the counter and get your food handed ditectly, no service) still don't accept any cards, and this again is especially outside of big cities. Always have some cash with you for sure (maybe 50€ at all times for yourself only) but generally speaking, credit card works for most things these days.
I'm 3:21 in and already there are blatant falsehoods! Stores close at 8 pm NOT 7 pm! There are exceptions in large cities with some supermarkets open until 10 pm. Most stores are closed on Sunday, true, but besides gas stations, restaurants are open as well as Konditoreien for a few hours on Sun aft so that you can buy you can buy your cake - Germans have Cafe & Kuchen in the afternoon after a walk (usually in the forest or park) on Sundays.
07:30 To be fair about renting, there are a lot of "Genossenschaften" that own houses in Germany. These are cooperatives, where the organization that owns the apartments is owned by the people that live in them. They make up more than 10% of the apartments and if you want to live in them, you have to buy shares of that organization and you vote on the leaders of them and things like that. So in a way, even when they rent, they often indirectly also own their home in a way. As these cooperatives don't need to make profit, such flats are on average 20% cheaper that similar apartments.
I will say that some of the info is VERY outdated (the only places where everything closes before 10pm are small villages and the 50s, lol) but it's pretty accurate over all, if you don't care too much about the finer details
AND in Bavaria, where even large stores must close at 8pm. For the rest of Germany, you're absolutely right, the video was a bit biased to Baravia/Munich
It is not true that everything closes at 7 pm ....at least not in the (big) cities. The restaurants are open on Sundays and some supermarkets at the major train stations.
Everybody keeps bragging about Germans and recycling. But in reality 62% of the things you put in those recycling boxes are going to thermal recycling. Which is just a nicer word for incineration of waste. Overall only 17% of recycling stuff is really reused. That's better than nothing, but far from bragging to be recycling world champions and doing sooo much for the environment.
"Everything closes at 7pm" This is utterly wrong, at least nowadays. Back when I was a kid, in the early 1990's, yeah, that might have been the case with many stores, closing at 7 or 7.30pm, but nowadays most stores are open up until 8pm, and for grocerie stores like Aldi, Lidl, Kaufland etc. it's oftentimes 9pm to even 10pm.
You should tip though - 10 to 15%. It's a cliché about Americans that they somehow think that there's no need to tip at all. Unless you're really unhappy with the service, you should tip still. E.g. 64 € bill to 70 €, that's okay (not even 10 % in that case).
I had us Americans as customers once. It was so uncomfortable. They smiled the whole time as if they were just putting up an act. Very uncanny. And I constantly felt like they tried to make me look stupid. No respect.
Two "Mustards": 1.: 80% of transactions paid by cash is an old number, it's down to 51% by now and continously sinking. 2.: Germany is "extremely bike-friendly"? Are you talking about the same germany I live in? :-D
For the day trip part: I live in Dortmund and regularly drive to the netherlands to fish. (because of less burocracy, different laws and better fish populations) It just takes me an hour to be at the border, and in 3 hours i can practically go to nearly all places in the netherlands
Well in germany also most people would love to live in a house thats their own , but in germany not many can afford about 700-800.000 Euros for a home including the ground. Remember, our houses are not built out of wood only 🤗
Yeah, if you want to confuse German, just walk down the Fußgängerzone´and smile broadly while you look them in the eyes. They will wreck their brain for a whole week to find out where they have met you before. Possibly asking their spouses, who weren't ther, who you are.
3:12 False. Offices and shops are closed (unless it's an open Sunday, which does happen every now and then). Restaurants are open. Cinemas are open. Amusement parks are open. Most things connected to entertainment and eating out are open. Why do non-Germans always have to make these videos and put all these little bits of misinformation in them? 4:45 No, not anymore. We have really fallen behind the rest of Europe when it comes to fighting climate change. It's just that because of our recycling and large installed solar power capacity (literally the only things going for us in any international comparison), which we've both had for quite some time, people have this old and false perception of us. Sadly, it's just not true. We also don't have the largest solar power grid anymore. That's China BY A LOT. The US is 2nd place. We're 5th. 2nd place per capita though, after Australia, for what that's worth. 5:42 And that says basically nothing. Yeah, no bigger economy was more renewable than Germany's but that beats a grand total of 3 other economies, at the time. 8:05 That's exactly the same in Germany. Only that because it is so much more difficult to buy a home here, it's more of a lifetime goal than an immediate goal. Starter houses are definitely not a thing. And while difficult, I still would have done it already as a 32 year old with my exactly average (so above median) salary but with interest rates through the roof since 2022 or so, there's no way I could afford my monthly loan payments if I got one. Well, I could but according to their tables and statistics I couldn't, so I'm not getting that loan. Also, I have never seen any woman go topless in a park, my entire life. Like 1/5 of us, I live in NRW and have never experienced this. Seems to be a northern/eastern thing, if anything.
Recently I had a feeling like Germans don't have time for their good old neighbours Czechs (rich history: beers, empires, killing each other.. you know the classic). Then i was programming a map showing neighboring countries and i clicked Germany and realized they have like 8 neighbouring countries.. no wonder they have split attention :)
Renting nice and affordable xDDD Oh god! I know this is supposed to be educational, but its like a comedy or something! No, if you are ever down in the dumps, you cannot keep your house or anything you own. The state will take it. So for many people there is no reason to own anything. "You will own nothing and you will be happy" Yeah...sure...
Sorry, but I don't consider Turks, Russians or People from eastern Europ not as immigrants. They are an integral part of our society. Most of the live here for generations. Many have German passports and a lot of them are born here. I know turks who speak better German than their actual native language. Some of them know the German language better than many Germans. Even arabs or people from africa, who are long term inhabitants of Germany, are well integrated. Immigrants are those coming from Syria, Africa and other parts of the arab world. We have an increased knife attack crime rate in the last couple of years, mostly commited by people with an arab background. This kind of immigration has increased since 2015 and is a huge problem right now.
That is why we do not consider "American Bread" as real bread... it is toast with a lot of sugar in it. If we would eat that kind of bread all the time, it would make us fat too. "Real bread" has low amounts of sugar (in general none or at least not added sugar) and can have different colors than white. If we make bread "richer in calories" we might add full grain or nuts to it. If you add sugar you get a "Einback" or "Rosinenbrötchen" (add raisins and sugar) but that is considered a special treat / pastry, not bread. ;) Sauna: Yes, in general Saunas are mixed, but it depends. You can find special days in the week for instance were that is not the case if you are shy or something.
Sadly the nice taxis are decreasing here. In my city the majority is PriusV (called Prius+ over here) and somehow Camrys, despite they were only sold for like 2 years in Germany
Recycling is not so much about environment. It's more about natural resources. A lot of glass and plastic is BTW burned in heating plants. They need the glass btw for corrosion protection.
okay we're talking about an eight years old video, we pay with plastic a lot now, prices are much higher but some things never change like a good environement we want to live in and I'm fine with that. when it comes to migration huuuhh many people think it's to much due to limited infrastructure like apartements, schools and stuff. We are 83 million people here and the vast majority is living in cities. There is much space outside of the cities but nobody wants to live there. So yes, it's one of the problems we have to face.
When I visit germany I never got cash. I go everywhere with my card.... Shops/ döner..... Since 2015 I use a belgium card. Before 2015. I lived in germany becouse im german. There I often need cash for 'some' shops/ döner etc In rural places 😅 I guess you need cash more... Internet problems
From my location in Germany I'm faster (car) in France, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria, Italy, Chech Republic and Poland than in our Capital Berlin.
well well, i love to see your grow on the german culture. First you were the normal American that thought about german like:"BRATWURST, SCHNITZEL, LEDERHOSEN JA!" and now its kinda heart warming that you see parts of germany in a not Bavarian way. Also you find link of german culture in the US culture. I woud love to see you bake a "Landbrot" its simple as fuck and you can do it in under 30min of work. Most of the Time you are waiting for the dough to rise and kneeling it + you dont need any tool then you own hands and a bowl. Just add Flour yeast salz water.
The video is already older, the service in the restaurants in Germany has now improved. Many have become friendlier and you sometimes get a smile return.🙂🌹
Some things are pretty exaggerated. Public nudity is VERY illegal! Don't undress in public please. I have no idea what he was talking about there towards the end. Also why would I be presented with the check without asking for it?? How would the waiter know when I 'd like to pay? That makes no sense at all! 🤔🤷♂️ And we do tip! I work in hospitality and had to witness a somewhat sad transformation in recent years. Americans went from super generous tippers (they tipped like they would at home) to the most stingy ones (after being misinformed that tipping wasn't a thing here). If everything was okay, a tip is expected in the form of rounding up. You got 46€ and change on the bill? Make it 50. Tips rarely exceed 10% though.
Some of these facts are not true (anymore) or only apply to Bavaria. 1. Most places have card payment, however often it doesn't mean credit cards. We just don’t like debts abd pay directly. It is never 80% cash 😂😂😂 2. Only bavaria has strict rules for opening ours, only it 8, not 7. In my area it is until midnight. 3. Germany is not 1st in recycling. I think it is Japan 4.1st in solar panels by now is china However in 2023 60% of power generated in Germany was by renewables. Heating and cars however are another story...
21.5 minutes in and... this video is very outdated / partially wrong :D shops don't usually close at 7 (unless you are living in some village in bavaria, wich the video seems to portray) (sidenote: gas stations have these convience story attached to them too 99% of the time yeah, many aren't very religious biking in germany is a mixed bag, mostly our bikelanes are shitty / non-existent, but there are cities that get it right. (less cars is nice even for car drivers, just less good for the car industry) dead serious about recycling? my neigbors throw glass into the paper bin, and 99% percent of collected plastic gets incinerated (wich defies the purpose of collecting it seperatly). Recycling in germany is, partially, a joke really. btw, plasting and metal goes into the same bin... solar panels... outdated, but true in the past. At some point 80% of collectors where installed in sunny Germany. Anyways, we are bad at clean energy, we kissed our nuclear plants goodbye and are now burning millions of tons of coal :D the video seems more like a piping dream free education? yeah, you just pay some small fee of like 400€ per semester for a public transport ticket, some student representative bodies and a few other things. Compared to the US, it's basically free. Our textbooks are also much cheaper, or you can just borrow them in the library. migration, yeah, and it's going... well...ish if renting is "affordable" depends on the place, some cities's rents have skyrocketed over the last 10 years. And of course people rent there, because buying is impossible for 99% of them. excellent public transportation? This guy was never in germany for sure. I mean... maybe in some cities. but... just no. And we got vandfalism here too, this is plain cherrypicking. Neither the Bahn nor the busses work properly most of the time, and it's getting worse. Taxis cost like a fortune, at least today :D style and clothin: also heavily dependent on the place. The video is misrepresewnting. small talk: I mean, if you can speak german, smalltalk will be done with every loose quaintence, but not random strangers. pitty But most people are nice and happy to help The Autobahn is the pinacle of constant construction sites. I've personally seen single construction sites for like 10 years unfinished. The missing speed limit is diminished by the constant obstructions. Breweries, yeah, we got many (most per country worldwide), most of them are small and niche, and that's okay. Bread, yes. The most popular might be Bernd das Brot Blutwurst is bloody disguisting :D Soccer.... you meant Fussball, right? (pronounced foosball) There are also seperated saunas, depends on the day. And I have no idea where the dispicted sauna might be. Rules? Are broken constantly. Travelling: Prepare for some Stau on the Autobahn. Anyways, I once took a daytrip to Brussels with my cousing, and on another day a daytrip to Luxembourg and France, just because we felt like it. The activity thing is mostly true and up to date sidenote: Tipping in Germany is mostly like lazy rounding, if you owe like 18€, just give 20€ and say keep the rest. But there isn't really a fixed percentage. And you really don't have to, everythings fine if you don't tip, but you can still opt for appreciating the service by tipping a little. public nudity is... rather rare, like, very rare. But most wouldn't care. maybe some would call the Ordnungsamt tho. The video really doesn't feel like a 1st ahnd experience and not very authentic tbh. Personal note: learn some German (if you like), come over, ama, have a beer :D
Well the credit card thing isn't right in 2024. You can pay almost everywhere with credit card where you can pay with a debitcard. The only thing is, that Amex cards aren't very popular which is the reason you can't pay at many shops with it. With a Visa or a Mastercard you can. So if you go to europe and want to pay with creditcard: get a visa or mc. But all in all the video is right: at some shops there is no cardpayment at all, like in many kebab shops or bakeries. And the house topic: its one of the biggest lifegoals in germany to have a house for you and your family. But for most of the people its not affordable. Not even as a married couple. In 2021 the avg. income of an american was before taxes 74k and the avg. house in the USA cost 350k dollars. I don't know if its property included, so I will subtract potential property price from the german house too. Thats like 4,7 yearly salaries for a house. In germany its way more. The avg income of a german in 2021 was 42k euros. In 2021 a house cost 676k, property included. If i subtract property (600m²*400€=240k, which is really expensive for property) you will still pay 436k for just the house. Thats a factor of 10,4 times a yearly salarie before taxes in germany. Dont forget, that taxes and health insurance, pension insurance and stuff is way higher in germany as in the US (depends on state there, i know), so the avg person in germany has to work many more years for a house. I know that a german house is build for infinity and an american just till the next hurricane, but thats the reason, many people in germany live for rent actually.
Hey Ryan, you're really smart. So be smart and DO NOT VISIT oktoberfest. Also avoid Schloß Neuschwanstein. Waste of time. There are literally thousands other places to go first!
Ryan.... about sauna in Germany: I am a sauna freak and yes.... saunas are mixed but usually there's one day during the week where only women can sweat. And no.... gazers are not welcome and their behavior will be addressed/confronted or even sanctioned by the customers or staff inside. And no.... as a guy it's impossible to get a hard-on at 90-110 °C (194-230 °F)... 😂 And about renting: An additional reason is that once you own immovable property... you cannot move and choose your neighbors anymore! 😉
