When you pay a deposit for mulled wine cups at the Christmas market, you either return the cup and get the deposit back, or you keep the cup as a souvenir and have only paid the deposit. Some people collect these mulled wine cups because they have a different design in different years even at the same stand. This way, the empty cups don't stand around and the stall operators don't suffer any financial losses. It's a fair deal I think.
I usually come to Germany for a large summer music festival. At least one cup always comes home with me. Cheap souvenir and good times with those cups.
Yes, I have people like that just here at the Oktoberfest. In the subway they talk on the phone so loudly that all passengers in the carriage can hear them (even though nobody is interested in their conversation). Probably, these people don't understand German, so they think the Germans don't understand them either. (But I guess almost 90% do.)
As to the shopping...When we first came to Germany, we came during Easter week and were shocked to see so many shops and restaurants closed. We were finally 'helped' by a helpful native as to what was going on, and they were fascinated that retail/restauranteurs in the US didn't have the entire Easter week off of work! The double bed didn't freak us out, it was the two folded duvets--we thought--are they sleeping bags? Obviously, once we got into bed we realized what was going on and were fine, but it was funny (I'm sure the jet lag didn't help). *I have to say though, the German people were SO helpful and courteous to my very disabled father! He suffered a stroke during our stay--they arranged a doctor who came to our hotel room, got us to the hospital and was there when Dad was released. The hotel organized a wheelchair, helped us locate medical supplies we needed (told me the German words--I speak some German, but I didn't know specialist medical vocabulary). When we took the train to Frankfurt (about a week later), while people do rush to get in, EVERYONE yielded for us--their courtesy and compassion was unbelievable! They helped my mom with tours, it was AMAZING, and my dad had the best time ever. He even said, he hadn't felt that comfortable in public for YEARS (people are very inconvenienced by the disabled here, so he always felt bad for holding people up here in the US)! YAY Germany!!
@@Oystermato I don't know what circumstance has you, 'Genuinely worried', so I can't comment on that, but during our trips to Germany, (we've been 4 times) I've never witnessed racial or religious bias or bigotry. I have two Japanese friends who went to a conference in Stuttgart and had a lovely time. For what its worth, I DO think they'd be just as courteous if we weren't white.
@@Oystermato Germans do not have racial prejudices. Aaround 1946 about 20,000 half-Black babies were born to German women. Most of them were born to Black US soldiers - some married, some not.
@@helgafellay4352 Of course some Germans have prejudices or are plain racist - but you will find that in any country. The vast majority of Germans, though, are very open, friendly and welcoming. Also notice that Germany is one of the most diverse countries in the world these days. In most parts of Germany you won't even stick out that much by your looks.
@@jmkeupp In Germany you get 2 days off and a maximum 40 hour working week (sliding window average). If I work more than 40 hours during a week, I have to "recover" those hours before the end of the month by coming later or leaving earlier. The shops are usually open until 18:00 (normal shops) or 22:00 '(supermarkets), so there is plenty of opportunity to go shopping during the week. We try and get our shopping done on Fridays, so that we have the weekend for ourselves. My wife used to work in the kitchens at a retirement home, she used to get every other Sunday free, but she got a day off during the week.
@garrett7101 I mean, since I guess you aren't planing to order two thirds of the menu at once it shouldn't be that hard to know exactly what you want to order after reading and closing the menu.
@@garrett7101 If you would like to point to the dish, you can close the card but leave a finger between the pages. And yes, of course I am German, so I say what I think and don't sugarcoat everything ;)
I really don't care what annoys Americans in Germany. When I visit an other country I educate myself in advance, don't expect everything to be the same way as at home and adapt!!! YOU are the visitor, you will have to roll with whatever you encounter!
@@greeksoul No one forces anyone to visit Germany. If you or anyone else has so little respect for the country and its people maybe they should look for a country they have respect for.
@@greeksoul are you serious? how entitled can someone be to go visit some other country, and then expect native people to adapt to you rather than adapting to them. when you visit friends in their home, do you also feel entitled to make demands on how things are done in THEIR home? and then you have the audacity to call people rude for not liking to be treated like this? since when does being rude mean not putting up with your entitlement? If come to my place, you do things my way, or you dont come. you dont come to my place and then expect me to do things your way, like are you actually insane?
The Sunday off is so amazing and great! I mean, I am used to it from my childhood on, first in Poland, then in Germany, but really, I would not live in a country where you have no general closing rules on Sundays. It is such a relaxed and quiet atmosphere, you can walk the streets without having to witness "business". That's the thing. It completely changes the general atmosphere, you just relax. In addition, I think it is a sign of respect towards the people who work in supermarkets and grocery shops, so they can enjoy their day off as well. Nobody NEEDS shopping on Sundays. As long as there are closed Sundays, I know that there's still hope for humanity 😅 It's far more than simply a day off. For me it is a symbol of freedom.
I'm Polish and 100% agree, so it's nice to have convenience, but I don't think it's worth the cost for society, culture, faith/respect and families, it's quiet and helps families have family time :) I agree with the need for workers to have time off too ^_^ I think things were better in Europe when that was everywhere, it's very much "profit only" "money corporations only" "convenience" mindset from America, and it's not healthy.
It is slightly weird that Americans are vastly more religious than Germans but shops are closed on Sundays in Germany (and many other countries) but not in the States.
Shops used to all close on Sundays in America. What happened was large shopping malls and shopping centers were built outside of cities that required shops to be closed on Sundays, but not outside the cities. The shop keepers in the cities complained that customers were going shopping outside the cities on Sundays and the cities later changed to allow them to open on Sundays. I have been to religious places in Germany and met religious Germans. I used to work on ships from America to Bremerhaven.
There is just no benefit to opening them on sundays, people have plenty of time to go shopping on the other days. For the same reason plenty of shops are closed at noon because why open for the couple of people that are not working and didnt come in the morning.
Warteschlangenvordrängler? Hallo? (Those waiting-line-cutters frustrate me as a German, too. But as a German I don't have a problem to educate them 😅).
😎🫵🏼🇺🇲💘🇩🇪 I'll always feel at home in Germany I worked for SMA in Kassel for many years helping that company turn things around I was always polite, smiled, and enjoyed getting the "inside scoop" from my coworkers. Germans are way more civil than most Americans there is a more laid back pace there. Enjoy yourself in Germany it AIN'T hard to do if you can't have a good time in Germany it is a YOU problem not THEM! Best wishes from Buckeye Arizona USA 🌵🐎🇺🇸
I‘ve visited Germany as a solo traveler a couple of times recently, and people were almost always friendly and helpful, and also very tolerant of my attempts to speak the language. I think switching to English mostly happens when one’s attempts at German might be holding up other people. I can’t wait to visit again - I love Germany!
Yes you are right, I also switch to English if other customers are waiting to be served and I have the impression that it will be quicker and I will be better understood in English. It doesn´t mean that I do not appreciate your effort to speak our complicated language :-)
@@briantravelman Certainly a lot do, but I think it‘s only respectful to make an effort when visiting a foreign country. I suspect that the good experiences I‘ve had in Germany are partly due to my showing a willingness to use their language.
... always just ask be polite "do you speak English please?" Almost all Germans know English some are very conscious they have accents or not the "perfect" words if you smile and are polite I only failed once to get English spoken 😎
Just coming back from the US: The really, really wastful culture in America when it comes to waste/rubbish did annoy me a lot. All this plastic forks, plastic plates etc.. Every hotel and every event creates TONS of waste a day that will sit in the landfill for the next 70+ years. I think it makes totally sense to use reusable dishes/mugs and to invest a little effort to be more friendly to the environement.
50 years visiting Germany. I still enjoy the cultural differences. It’s changed a bit over the years, with globalization through the internet, but Germany holds on to those long- ingrained traditions and that’s what I love about my G-Grandparents homeland.
great video! when I travel I feel im a guest in that country so all the silly oddity things that im not used to is part of the trip and the fun of it... I rarely get upset. I just go with it and figure that its just the way it is in that country. this was a fun video.
Same, but I think he is accurate about Amis (americans) being annoyed by all these things - I have in fact met a number of Americans who've been to Germany and complained about at least all of these things. I used to live in Germany and Germans complain about all the opposite things in the USA (they HATE the 'envelope' sheets and beds for example). As a Canadian who grew up in a kind of hybrid culture (ie we use german-style duvet and beds everywhere I have lived), I found this hilarious. Fav German complaint about the USA? Ice served in the glasses of water in restaurants - they HATE it!
@@reindeer7752 Only Americans who hate the working class tip less than 20%. If you can't afford to tip then you can't afford to eat out. Stay at home if you aren't going to compensate your server properly. I hate the tipping system and think it should be done away with, but it is the system we have and we must abide by it. And yes you must tip, just because it is "optional" does not mean it is actually optional. That is someone's life. If you are too cheap or too poor to tip, then stay home
@alastairhewitt380 - Can't you read the plus sign in the original comment and my reply? That means over 20%. Many waiters/waitresses make more than people on salary with a higher education or skills. They also can cheat on their taxes. I'm not going to tip someone for not doing their job.
So let me get this straight, Americans get annoyed at having to pay the Pfand when they've only taken what they thought was the right amount to pay with?? OK, let's talk about US sales tax, shall we?! 🤔
Exactly, what a stupid complaint. They should keep a stack of crappy paper cups and just dump the beverage in that when my fellow Americans complain. Me? I gladly pay a $5 deposit for the frosted glass mug.
@andybaker2456 I don't think it is a complaint as much as he is stating. As a Texan, in the 1970s ,we paid a glass deposit on bottles. They have gotten away from that in most states,so most aren't aware. I don't know that anyone is upset. Just surprised and maybe annoyed at themselves that they stood in line and now have to do it all again. Once you know, you know and go on. Americans are pretty adaptable and go on with their vacation!😊
Tried to pay for a public toilet upon entering it at train station in Mainz. It wouldn't accept my Euro so I shrugged and went inside, thinking I was mistaken about having to pay for public toilets in Germany. Found out you pay if you want to LEAVE the toilet when you are done. A local saw me trying to leave the locked gate and came over and explained you pay when you LEAVE. It was kind of comical, feeling like I was locked in the bathroom. This was in 2007.
I was getting bamboozled by the whole toilet payment thing in Munich station, not having a coin, trying to work out credit cards, being a gormless tourist, when an elderly gent reached over and gave me two one euro coins--one for me and one for my son. I have been in love with all of Bavaria ever since!
Paying for toilets is a problem? You should remind the Americans that being forced to pay 15-20% tips because an establishment won’t pay its waiters enough, is a much bigger problem!
Entirely two different subjects. Paying to use a toilet. As base as it gets and you charge for it?! Tipping is part of pay for the enjoyment of the interaction with someone serving you. It is often a pleasure to tip a waiter that has elevated his service to a craft. Unlike a god damn toilet! Oh what fun to pay for Mr. Toilet!
@@TomWatson-vu6fj Yes, but in Germany the tipping is an extra "pocket money" for the waiter, not his regular wage. Maybe waiters in the US "make" more money, but they have to kiss the customers' a**es, which I find very unnerving.
@@CharlesKim-ee8ie It is not as different as it seems. In Germany you don't pay for using the toilet either. You pay for the people who clean these toilets for you, so you can feel comfortable, have a pleasant smell in the loo etc. And of course not all public toilets have this service. Those which do not have it, are for free. And to be honest, when I am eating out, I don't want to have much interaction with the waiter. I want to order my meal and drinks, be treated friendly and professionally but left alone then, instead of being annoyed with silly questions and unnerving over the top "friendliness".
Funny you point out the surprise when the total for Glühwein is higher than anticipated due to the deposit. I think Germans have the same experience in the US where menu prices often don’t include tax.
With the one important difference that you don't get your tax back! You get your deposit back. It ensures that glasses are brought back and don't end up on the sidewalk or in the river. Or you can just take the glass mug home if you like - in that case you bought it.
Also shoving you out the way while you're waiting to get on the train. And the door crowding. I've noticed door crowding is particularly common amongst older Germans. 9 minutes away from the train stop, everyone starts crowding the door. As if it's only going to be open for three seconds and they'll miss their chance to get off.
No, the "erst aussteigen lassen" works pretty well in Germany. And sure, you gotta be ready to leave the train when you need to. But that should be doable. It's better for the whole process ("That's so Germany!". "If you say so, Idk, I've seen it in other EU countries as welL").
@@Mike1614YT I never experienced this when in the USA as I was always made welcome but nobody spoke French, or German, or Norwegian, the three languages I am using daily at home in Switzerland.
@@Mike1614YT most Americans only speak English so that can't be true , the ting about making visitors feel welcome is difficult as there are visitors from all over the world who see things differently , the truth is no country change their culture for tourists not the USA, Germany or others , and why travel if one don't to experience the real culture , maybe Walter is just sensitive
Hey Mark, I'll be on a 10-day trip between Vienna, Munich, and Prague this December. I love that I found your channel; it has been crazy how helpful you have been.
As a German I'd like to throw in my two cents on the service topic. There is good and bad service in Germany too. It's never so over the top as it is in the USA since the waitpersons don't depend so much on tips. But there is friendly and helpful service and not so friendly and not so helpful service. It's part of the quality of a restaurant and if the service is really bad I won't come again. And as has been mentioned before ordering your drinks first buys you time to select your food. If you still feel rushed by the waitperson it's not a place you should return to.
@@aperturix in my years traveling to Germany and it’s been many. Oktoberfest and to watch Bundesliga games, etc. Never have I ever encountered “friendly” service in Germany. I’m already used to it so it’s fine but rarely do they even smile 😂
@@MatrixDeception722 I just returned from Germany 🇩🇪 and that was the first thing I noticed how inexpressive and unfriendly people are, even though I tend to be that way myself it still shocked me, I also can see the other side as far as them being paid better than the USA and therefore not needing to act extra friendly to get better tips. It’s different culture than USA that’s for sure but well worth visiting and what a beautiful country.
@@MatrixDeception722 So if you go to Oktoberfest what do you expect? That's a cattle drive and I would never ever go there. Believe me you can get friendly service but the waitperson will never bother to boost your ego just to make you tip generously. On the other hand rude service is unacceptable and I wouldn't return to a place where I wasn't treated decently.
@@djobidjoba6143 As a German I would say I've rarely encountered rude or unfriendly service here. I think the difference is that the effort required in order to be perceived as friendly and polite is a lot lower than e.g. in the US. You do not need to be all cheery and smily and pretend that waiting on people is your kink. To Germans, if you are professional and say your pleases and thank yous, you're good. The bar is lower and by and large we don't jump higher than we have to.
@@aperturix At Oktoberfest I expect....nothing different than any other large gathering/party/event...happy people who have smiles on their faces. Large events in the US are common and people working don't walk around with frowns on their faces. Why would that ever be desirable?
I lived in Bamberg for 5 yrs in the 80s...loved it. The no shoppingbon Sunday was something new. But I do recall something about businesses closing down I think at 2pm for "naptime" during the week....had to get used to that, plus the no noise after 10pm. I truly enjoyed living in Germany. It felt like home to me and I hope to get to go back one day soon. Thank you for sharing❤
Regarding the mattresses..I hate those american beds with only one mattress and, even worse, only one big blanket. Whenever your partner moves during the night, you are bouncing also. Two mattresses reduce that, less vibration due to the separation. And do not even get me started on the blanket! I want my own to make a burrito at night and not wake up freezing during the nigt because my partner has wraped himself in it!. In the US, hotel personnel always looks suspiciuous at me when I ask for a second blanket :D
The whole premise of this is just bizarre. “Americans don’t like stuff/behaviour in a Germany because it’s German and not like America”? Eh? What? If you don’t like foreign things, don’t travel abroad. If you do travel abroad, don’t expect other countries to be like yours - part of the point, some would say MOST of the point, of visiting other countries is to experience other cultures and their way of doing things that is different from yours. I’m British, I go to France most years because it’s France - it’s different from the U.K. - they do French stuff in French ways that aren’t like the way we do them, and I like it. If I didn’t want that, I’d stay at home.
Well, it´s a learning curve, isn´t it? Your argument means, that you have to be open minded before you even start travelling, but on the other hand, how people can get more open to other behaivors, if they never travel? Seems you are the narrow minded in this.
Yet you Brits don’t know how to act when you head to the Netherlands 😂. Was stationed in Germany and Italy. Bottom line upfront (BLUF), either you adapt or just stay dormant.
The trouble is that the glass can also be used as a weapon. I was in a club years ago and some dude threw a shot glass across the place and almost killed a woman. The bouncers had fun with him while waiting for police to arrive. That was the beginning of the end for glass in clubs in the US. This was early 90s.
The two mattresses are really helpful for switching them if they're old or you need two different types of mattresses (like for back pain etc.). Just get a sheet that goes over both :)
In German supermarkets, when a cashier opens, instead of the people at the front of another cashier line going first, the Germans all rush to get in front of each at the newly opened cashier.
Its funny how in the UK, at most supermarkets it is done like that so first people will be asked to move. But at aldi and lidl, the just announce on teh tannoy a new lane is opening and people from usualy all the way at the back just rush in
@connortopping6943 Not in my experience! If a new checkout opens, all bets are off, it literally becomes a case of "first come, first served". I've never seen anyone at the front of a neighbouring queue being asked to join a newly opened checkout first, regardless of the supermarket.
I was on the train yesterday, everybody on the platform waited for the people on the train to exit, before they started getting on. Likewise, when I came back on the bus, there were 2 disabled people and one of the school kids sitting by the door jumped up and lowered the ramp for one of them to get off, politely asked if the other was also getting off, then folded the ramp back into the bus. Waiting for people to get off is one of the things I've always seen Germans do and not had them trying to push through (Munich, Hannover, Osnabrück and surrounding regions). The same with queueing, I've never had problems with people pushing in line.
I had the EXACT same thing happen to me at check in at a German hotel, someone just cut straight in front of me. Was quite shocked that the desk staff member didn't say "actually, she was first". In the UK, they definitely would have haha
We found the double beds pressed together in Italy as well. Most amusingly, we were on our honeymoon and we stayed in a beautiful hotel in Assisi. The beds were separated by a nightstand, and at the foot of the bed was a damn-near lifesize painting of St. Francis experiencing stigmata and staring down at us. We do love Germany's (and we found this in Südtirol as well) separate duvets for each person. Brilliant!
At the moment I am in the US and one thing that annoys me as a German tourist is how the Americans drive. But why am I complaining? In 1997 I made my Florida Drivers License. It was a walk in the park compared to the tests I had to pass in Germany. Americans don’t know how to drive. I feel saver driving 200 kilometers per hour in Germany than driving 65 Mph in the USA.
I have to add a reply. I've always appreciated good German vehicles and how they are engineered. I translated that to the way Germans drive. The problem? This was based on reading and talking to people who visited Germany as I have never been. I finally received confirmation when my son who lived in Germany a number of years told me, "Dad, you would love Germany, they drive just like you."
@Jlk6532 I can't speak for anyone but myself. I have had five BMW's in twenty years. Bought every one used. My observation is, 1) buy used, but be particular about the vehicle you are buying (most BMW's have a traceable history on their service, if serviced at a certified BMW dealership). 2) buy a BMW that has the inline six where the vehicle has been made and assembled in Munich. Germans, person-for-person are much more exacting in their personal work quality than Americans. The 3.0 liter is one of the best engines BMW has ever designed. 3) have access to a BMW dealership that has those same exacting standards and are honest. I have had the same customer service representative AND the same mechanic for the past fifteen of those twenty years. I was able to pick my mechanic. He is the only mechanic that works on my BMW. 4) lastly, if one can't afford a quality German car and service it on a consistent basis, then one shouldn't buy a high end German car. Dollar-for-dollar one pays for, for what one gets.
@@danasmith3288 When I was young I enjoyed renting US Cars, whenever I visited the USA. Meanwhile I am glad that I was able to rent a BMW. I am a Sales Manager and during the past 25 years I drove VW, Volvo, Mercedes and BMW, as company cars. Expect the Volvo I was always satisfied. BTW one X3 was manufactured in the USA and one was made in South Africa. My current Series 5 is made in Germany. To me it made no difference. How ever the best car is useless when the driver doesn’t know how to operate it in a proper way😃
I have fond memories of my trip to the Black Forest in the early 1990s. My mother and I stayed at a small inn near Spangdahlem AFB. It was cheap, the schnitzel and black forest gateau were great... and the techno rave in the room right below us lasted until 3 AM every. Single. Night. Truly the most ruthlessly efficient vacation I have ever been on.
I was just in Germany for the Berlin marathon and had a really nice time in the city. I was very impressed with its transportation system. The UBahn trains were punctual, clean and everything seemed very organized. I noticed how disciplined the Germans are when crossing the street, everyone waits for the walk sign even though there may be no cars coming. It’s easy to understand why it is that way because you have trams sharing the street with vehicles. It was very nice to see this coming from New York City, where everyone jaywalks.😂
We were there for the Marathon, too. Thoroughly enjoyed, in spite of the huge crowds. The public transit is the bomb! We learned a long time ago, if you're getting off at the next stop, get up (or stay up) and move close to the door beforehand. That's the "rule" all over the world. The only time you can sit and wait till the train stops is when the train is practically empty.
For hotel beds with the two mattresses, if it’s two beds pushed together, it does have some advantages. If I’m staying in the room with my girlfriend, it’s annoying. But if I’m sharing a room with a friend or family member, you can separate the beds to have two separate beds. For two mattresses in a single hotel bed, I don't see a single advantage and it annoys me as a german aswell. Sometimes you see these mattresses in normal homes, where they have the advantage that each mattress can have the ideal specs for the person sleeping on it. But most people I know have a big mattress at home instead of two separate smaller mattresses in one bed. Its most beneficial if there is a huge weight difference between the couple.
The Pfand has been in place for at least 18 years. I saw this when I was at the 2006 World Cup. It seems inconvenient to go back to the concession stand to return your drink cup and get your money back. But it does incentivize recycling and results in less cleaning up after the ⚽️ match.
I have been an American tourist in Germany many times and I love visiting it. For one thing, there are incredible classical music concerts and Opera events just about everywhere- at great prices. Second, people are very friendly and helpful- especially if you can speak even a little bit of German.
@@TheSwissChalet It was pretty common until the mid 70s. It was stopped as part of the feminist movement. It's referenced in quite a few movies even as late as the late 70s. Smokey an the Bandit is probably the last one. Frog- I need to use the little girls room, can I have a dime? Bandit- Crawl under. Frog- Crawl under? Lovely!
@@silkscreenart5515 People's memories are known to be quite inaccurate, I believe the fact that CEPTIA (Committee to End Pay Toilets in America) once exited, is telling us enough.
@@mariatheresavonhabsburg ???? Where did you live where you put a coin into a door to use a toilet in the USA in the 1960's-70's? I was in NYC and never came across that.
I think we can agree that tourists, no matter from where they are, are the worst people. I always try and avoid German tourists when I'm abroad. I have a friend from the Netherlandw and she says it's the same for her: whenever she hears Dutch when she is on vacation, she quickly turns around and tries to avoid her fellow countrymen. I also know a lot of Americans via the web and some in real life and they are very nice people. But when I encounter American tourists back here in Germany I tend to use the French method and pretend I don't speak English. Tourists are a different breed for some reason.
Another thing that I found very surprising was that there are no screens on the windows. When I first got into my hotel in Germany, I was horrified, but there simply aren’t the bugs that are in the United States. Also, they don’t have a top "flat" sheet on beds, just a duvet. I’ve actually started sleeping like that and it’s far more comfortable rather than having a sheet wrapped around your legs and coming out of the mattress.
The thing about paying to go to the WC may be annoying,I would agree, but it’s actually the norm in many places in Europe. He should have mentioned that.
Biggest problem I had was exiting a paid parking lot. No kiosk to pay ticket. No one taking money at exit. No way to pay with a credit card. Had to back up and turn around. Park. Go into hotel to pay. Second no water fountain to refill water bottle. Have to fill up in bathroom sink. Could make things easier by having change machines by bathrooms.
The separate mattress thing sounds amazing. Especially if it means separate sheets. The wife can have her mattress, sheets, and blankets how she wants, and I can have the sheets how I want.
I love Germany, we go once a year to visit my Son and his family, none of these things annoy me or ever have annoyed me. I get in German mode and it takes me a day to do so, especially when driving. I actually admire the Germans for being rule followers, and detail oriented. I find them to be very friendly people as a whole, I really enjoy watching them and what as an American I find quirky such as their over the top rule following, like crossing the street only at crosswalks and only when they have the green running man as I call it. Even late at night when there is no cars on the road. Their traffic signals are awesome, they turn green, yellow then red as ours do but then they turn red, yellow then green and when the green light comes on you better go or you will hear the horn from the person behind you. My daughter in law is German born and raised all her life, love her so much, this is why my son lives there.
@@gsogymrat not true, it depends on situation, like in pharmacy or bakery, where queues are small (less than 7) you will seldom see some one trying to overtake, and if so usualy a "hallo" or "Sorry I was first" can be heard. Lol and try to break the queue at ALDI cashcounter during rushhour like 12am/1pm and you will know /see that there are very strict queuerules enforced at some places and situations. :)
With the beds: This way the layout of the beds can be changed easier from "a couple travelling together" (one queen bed) to "colleagues or brothers travelling together". The hotels can sell it as two single beds OR a queen bed.
About the crack between the beds: there is a piece called a "Liebesbruecke" that goes into that crack, almost like a tile spacer, so that you can lie on the crack area without the mattresses coming apart under you. It's literally called a "love bridge" because it's there to help you have sex with your significant other without accidents! From personal experience, I can say that lying on one of those "love bridges" beats lying on the mattress crack but is still not nearly as comfortable as one big mattress. There is a hidden advantage to having two smaller mattresses side-by-side like that, though: if you need a different type of mattress than your partner. Like, if you need a soft mattress and they need a harder one, it is easy to do that with the German system.
As a tourist, you have to adapt to the local way of doing things. When i go to the US, nobody cares, how we do things at home. I‘m in the US then. And a good part of going abroad is the fact, that things are different elsewhere.
If you want to discover authentic German service go to Berlin. In Berlin: 1. You will get the menu card when the waiter finds it legit. 2. The waiter is always right. 3. The rude attitude is part of the experience. 4. Never forget the gratitude, but don't expect any gratitude from the waiter for your tipping.
Oh, many Germans get annoyed but others not being able to, or just being to rude to form a line. Post offices years ago started to use a single line for all counters, instead of one line per counter as most people had been used to. People just didn't get the concept, while in reality it is way faster and more efficient for all. You may be lucky to have the guy in front of you who only buys a single stamp, or the person that takes 45 minutes to get some issue sorted out. With one line it does not matter. Lately I found people that try to skip the line in supermarkets. As soon as there are more than three people in line at the cashier, instead of just getting in line, they position themself in front of the next cashier and ask of they can open another one. If there indeed is a line and they did not notice yet, they gladly do, but it often makes no sense to wait there, because another cashier has first to stop whatever they are doing, maybe clean up packaging from that, get to the cashier, log in and open the cashier. Usually takes longer than just waiting in line. The experience with public transport also works for elevators. I never understood why you cannot simply first make some room to allow those who want to, to get off, so there is more room for other people to get in. Oh and of course shops being closed on Sundays. This is something that unions started together with limiting weekly work time etc. Back then a good idea. Today you often here people claim, but if they open on Sundays the people working there have to work more... Well maybe there is another less convenient shift. But work contracts in Germany usually are by weekly hours. If you have a contract for 40 hours, it does not matter how those are spread across the seven days of the week, within legal limits (max daily hours, long enough breaks in between shifts, a day of after a max number of work days) To staff an additional day you may need more staff though. Oh, and on Sundays or holidays a bonus is paid. The only ones arguing against opening on Sundays are still unions and the church. Having worked at an airport in my past in baggage handling, I always say if that is all the arguments against opening on Sundays those people have, I want to never see anyone of those going to a restaurant on Sundays, staying at a hotel on Sundays, taking a train or a flight on Sundays or during the night. The people working there should be otherwise protected the same way from working on Sundays and holidays, right?
They only thing that annoys me is the refridgeraters are too small, I get it because most kitchens in Germany are small so space is a premium. It gets old going to the grocery store almost everyday. I like the stores closing on Sundays and applaud them for that. As far as the beds go, we usually stay in and air b&b so thats not an issue.
Also get frustrated by the lack of maps in the transit system. Good luck finding a system map in the middle of the platform if you have an Eureka moment.
My favourite things about traveling in other countries are the differences! And getting a break from rude Americans. Oh I know, people are rude all over the world. I just like getting the break from the rudes I deal with on the daily...
I just got back from Germany. I loved it! The pay-to-pee public toilets were a big aggravation. Another minor irritation was that coffee in a restaurant did not come with refills. A side note is that my German mil uses the snarky "hello" in restaurants and stores when she wants to get attention. Thanks for the interesting video.
Nothing about Germany annoyed me. I was visiting friends, so they had told me about many of the differences, but they weren't annoying or inconvenient to me. I think if i were to move there the most difficult thing to adapt to would be learning how to properly sort the trash/recycling and getting used to stores being closed on Sundays. I found though, that mostly, the German culture seemed to suit me and I found the people I'd meet or interact with in public were very friendly. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip and the worst thing was leaving those wonderful German windows behind. Why don't we have them here in the USA?
Germans do it right . I only visit off season in the winter. Love it when the crowds are down and the parks are empty and you can just walk and enjoy Germany in a quiet way . Best mid winter vacation.
I moved to Bamberg two months ago, and now you film a video from here))) Yes, Sundays are very annoying. As for the rest... I have never been annoyed by any of these things. The only other thing I can not get used to is how much in advance you have to plan everything - doctors, meetings, uni timetable, events...
@@TheSwissChalet I mean I know that US workers are at work 30% more than Germans, and they always complain that you can't shop 24/7, except online of course. That someone has to pay the price for their convenience probably doesn't occur to them. I always enjoyed the quiet Sundays, recharging my batteries, going on a trip or simply doing NOTHING!
@@arnodobler1096US workers work as much...or as little...as they want. Some work overtime because they want to make more money for whatever they need it for, to expand and grow their businesses, or to retire early (like in their 40s or 50s). Some prefer to work as little as possible and don't care about money or retirement. Others work moderately. There is no "normal" amount to work...the worker himself decides. As usual in life, you reap what you sow. People love to be able to shop 24/7, because that way, people can work whenever they want...no one HAS to work 9-5 Monday-Friday. Some prefer to work evenings and weekends so that they can be home during the day with their children. Others like to sleep late and go to work late. The worker decides, not the government. It's called freedom. Anyone can choose to NOT work on Sundays. It's called the Sabbath...(or Saturday if you're Jewish)...and that has nothing to do with government either...it's a religious situation. This broad-based freedom is confusing to non-Americans. They just can't wrap their heads around getting to CHOOSE how to live your life, including when and where you work, and shop.
German here, giggling about the "Hallo" culture. Hadn't been aware of it, but it is an absolutely valid observation. Incidentally: you primarily find the kind of double beds presented here in Bavaria and in some of the very traditional and not very fancy hotels. The more modern ones have queen or kingsize beds with boxspring mattresses. 😉
yes but on the other hand its realy anoying, if you know you have to leave next stopp, but pretend to be the queen/the king himself and slowly grap your stuff and same slow start walking to the already open door, when others are already entering... such a behaviour is also very disrespectful LIKE the one when people are already waiting inside for the dorr to open and are leaving but a stupid one from outside already trys to enter evan so still people are leaving the train/bus etc
You missed „Draußen nur Kännchen“… 😂 I don’t know how to translate but it means that very often in Cafés you can’t have a cup of coffee when sitting outside. (Especially in parcs and gardens ) You must order a pot (containing two cups)… which is of course way more expensive. Luckily this thing seems to disappear in the last years.
My wife and I just returned from Germany for our 30th anniversary. I am already plotting to go back! While I get all of these "annoyances", the only thing I couldn't wrap my head around was the bed setup in the hotels. It didn't bother me, but I can't pretend I enjoyed it either. My wife and I like to lay close to one another, so the crack and separate duvets were inconvenient. I know there is a reason for why they do it that way, but I never really heard an answer to the question. I will say this though. Every hotel we stayed in had amazing breakfast buffets! Doing my research before we went over, I had expectations for the "typical" German breakfast of cold cuts, cheeses, and bread. Boy, was I wrong! They did have those things, but so much more. Loved it. As for the "annoyances", I'm in their country, not the other way around. My job was to shut up, listen, and learn, but most of all, embrace the differences and find a way to have fun in the moment! I'd say we succeeded. Cannot wait to return!
The practical reason for the "crack" is easily explained: When I move while sleeping, I will not disturb my partner - any movement remains on my side. Also, we have separate duvets. It is more practical this way, although it might annoy one when spooning ;-)
For me, it’s the other way round. I have just returned from Australia where my husband and I had to share the duvet. My husband likes to sleep cool and I need more warmth I could not wait to have my own duvet for myself 😅
@@twocents-Thomas-Zadro well, I don't know that I would call it annoying, but at least a bit inconvenient! 😉If that's the worst part of the trip, I can't wait to go back!
Let me be very German here: I don’t care at all. You are in a foreign country and things are done differently. The same I would say to Germans complaining that America does things differently. Just try to learn and adapt.
There is a restaurant in Tempelhoff called the "Biertemple. The waitress was so patient with us, being American and made a great food suggestion as well. German food is incredible, and we were left alone to enjoy conversation a good length of time. When it was time to pay the bill, i added an additional 20 Euros to the tip. The waitress said, "No,..no,..no das ist zu viel, mein freunde!" She was honest to a fault. She told me the tip we gave her was the appropriate amount. I fell from my chair at this. And yes, paying a small tip to use the toilet is NOT annoying, it is a courtesy that we Amaricans seem to have forgotten about.
For us it’s the little old ladies who see a crack of daylight between you and the person in front of you in a line and somehow morph into a piece of paper to occupy that unused space that was obviously empty. After the initial aggravation it became hilarious and we started making predictions about random bystanders who might squeeze in.
You can have only one thing, either a queue or your personal space, it's uncombinable. If you keep space that somebody can pass through the queue, the queue is broken. And on an empty counter, how do you know where to queue and in what direction ? Sometimes there are 2 people behind the counter, sometimes just one, so the queue is split ...do we open a second queue ?
As a regular train commuter never have I experienced people entering a train before everybody had exited. Unless there was an undecided or scatty traveller who still had to pack their belongings after everybody was done exiting a minute ago.
I’m from the US and, while I do appreciate the wait staff being easily available, I hate the over friendliness. I’m uncomfortable with casual conversation. This also bothers me when I am made to share a table with people I don’t already know relatively well.
My husband was stationed there for 4 yrs when he was in the Air Force. He adored Germany and talked about it often. We went to Germany on a business trip. He was employed with BASF and a fabulous time.. we stayed an extra week. I loved the order and cleanliness of the German cities and towns. My only complaint was the stiff and formal behavior of many of the businesses and restaurant staff. Not use to that but understood that’s their way.
To me, there’s nothing wrong with formal behavior in a business such as a hotel, etc. I’d rather be called by my last name then just called by my first name by complete strangers like they doing the United States . I actually don’t go by my first name anyway, but my middle name and my last name unless it’s my friends or acquaintances, but I know I’m in the minority in the United States who feels that way probably
It's a business, as you point out. It's not an entertainment park with actors to make you lough. When it is time to be formal, if not in business with strangers ?
If you like over the top service go to India. The fawning, flattering, extreme and hovering service in any higher end restaurant or store is exhausting for me as a more introverted shopper and diner. But a lot of people love it. I prefer more space. You walk into a store and three people ask if you need help. Waiters chit chat until I’m silently willing them to please go away. My kids were surprised by it, and our family is Indian! It’s just considered good service there.
We're considering doing a vacation to Germany in about a year and a half from now. I've been searching all over TH-cam for information, tips and tricks or just general guidelines for staying in hotels or B&B's in Germany but really can't find anything. Was wondering if you could do a video just on staying in hotels and B&B's and what kind of differences there are from the US or Britain as well as any peculiarities that we should be aware of.
I come to Germany regularly, last time this afternoon, and I honestly haven't noticed the lack of line culture in all the years. Ok, it may not be as strong as what I saw in the UK, but a lack of it? No. Anyway, I primarily don't like people saying German people are boring. For me, a lot of really important things work very well in this country.
yeah, here in Germany people just bum rush the train and get on while people are still getting off just to get a seat - and half the seats are probably already taken by backpacks or suitcases. And on the stairs to and from the platforms and in the station itself people don't keep right or left in a consistent manner, it's just a free for all. People will just stand still in the middle of escalators, leaving you no room to get past if you're in a hurry, etc. It's probably the most frustrating part of living in Germany. Then again, it's a good problem to have is that is the worst there is
Yeah, I haven't taken public transport in Germany for years because it's become such a shitty experience. Only the worst people there with no manners. It's a self-reinforcing cycle. I hear the same from so many people, they gladly never use public transport or trains anymore.
I was guided by my German girlfriend (now my wife) when I first came here so I was explained things. Still the restaurant way surprised me a bit, my mother was serving tables all her life and my dad was a cook, so I know how important tips are for waiters, and I was going to give 20% tip. My girlfriend goes "OH Nooo No no. That is way too much" What, why? Service people are paid to do their job by the owner. There is no "Restaurant" minimum salary. Of course you can tip, but giving 15 or 20% is not normal and not expected. 5 to 10 % is good. I was also pissed at the paying public toilet at first. But yeah, they are clean so you should pay :)
It‘s funny that americans think water and toilets are free in the US. Both are costs that are already calculated in the prices. That’s what a business does. So everybody is paying for it.
I'd much rather pay for a toilet that is clean and available rather than some of the filthy ones here in the US. Would be nice though if more places took cards as a lot of people don't carry a pile of change around these days.
Not true, FLSA requires paying tipped workers at least the federal minimum wage, tips (up to 5.12) can be credited. This means, even if a server doesn't get a single tip in a month, the employer must pay him at least the min. wage. Many states mandate minimum wage berfore tips.
Incorrect. Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the european parliament and of the council | (m)‘processing’ means any action that substantially alters the initial product, including heating, smoking, curing, maturing, drying, marinating, extraction, extrusion or a combination of those processes; Dried spices or mushrooms not allowed? Smoked salmon not allowed? Ground meet not allowed? Of course they are. Beyond that, plenty of restaurants in Europe use prepared foodstuffs - sometimes with very poor results. Just one example: there is some premade paella brand that bars all over Spain heat up and sell because it's easy (but crappy). They all use the exact promotional banner. I avoid those places like the plague.
Recently spent a month in Italy and Romania. Regrettably, lots of toxic, processed food now there in restaurants and grocery stores. Sad. Fortunately, there are still more clean food options there than here in the U. S.
@@ursulasmith6402 You should go to Metro one day. That‘s where restaurants buy processed and pre-prepared food in bulk. For example, I have rarely eaten potato dumplings at a German restaurant that didn’t taste like Pfanni dumplings out of a packet. Only high end restaurants make their food from first principles.
@@Sabena-pl3cw The sad thing is: when normal restaurants try and make everything themselves with no processed ingredients, most people won't go there because it will be a little more expensive. A restaurant near my hometown did this and most locals never went there. They only survived with food-conscious customers who would drive an hour or more just to eat there. And the restaurant wasn't crazy expensive because they didn't want to be an exclusive haute cuisine place. They just wanted to make really good but regular food. In addition to that, the owner and chef told me that he works many more hours per day than all the other restaurants that use processed ingredients - and in his case he didn't even earn more in the end. He just did it out of conviction for good food.
I love the bed thing. It is a process maximized for comfort. A couple gets their own space and own blanket, yet they are still close. A custom I brought home with me.
The only thing that annoyed me in Berlin was the fact the trains don't have toilets. Like fair enough if it's on short journeys, but when you're on one for an hour or two, why aren't there any toilets?!?!
I think cost. When I lived there in the 1990s, all the slow trains had toilets except the very regional or local trains. But they were often broken and needed repair. Back then like today there was controversy about the Bahn losing money and not being all that great (but excellent compared to what we have here in north america).
Take the trains of the DB-Nahverkehr, that passes through Berlin and you have your toilets. S-Bahn and U-Bahn - I have never experienced other cities trams, metros like Athens or Madrid etc. to offer toilets on the train. Be an adult or eat less sugar.
I am German, and I visited Peru in September… you have to pay to go to the toilets there as well! 1 Sol, was the going rate. And the toilets were ALWAYS so clean. Bit weird was, that you have to throw your used toilet paper 🧻 in the bucket 🪣 next to the toilet 🚽 to prevent clogged pipes, but other than that, I had a very positive 🚽 experience in Peru! 😉😅
@@gdok6088 Die beteiligten Parteien könnten sich um 90 Grad drehen, dann befänden sie sich senkrecht zum Matratzenspalt. Oder man könnte eine Münze werfen um sich auf eine Seite zu einigen, müsste dann nur aufpassen, dass sie nicht zwischen die Matratzen rutscht :)
I've only been to Berlin and Munich but I've never had the two beds pushed together thing. I would go absolutely crazy if I had ordered that room. So I'm a solo female traveler and if I ordered that room, I would want a bed where I didn't fall into the crack. On the other hand I did find Germany to be so efficient that it had a great train system and better everything than any place I had ever been. People were nice in service, kind of just ok in public unless they were selling currworst or beer. Just my experience. Buying wine by the mug on a freezing snowing night from a couldren in Munich that plays b/w film on a large screen is a must. ❤ also, shut down the hofbrauhaus in Munich.
I liked that the train station had a pay toilet (tap to pay), which ensured that it was clean and safe. Rest rooms in big-city train stations in the US are often filthy and unsafe. I was perfectly happy to pay 60p for that, especially when I was carrying luggage.
When you pay a deposit for mulled wine cups at the Christmas market, you either return the cup and get the deposit back, or you keep the cup as a souvenir and have only paid the deposit. Some people collect these mulled wine cups because they have a different design in different years even at the same stand. This way, the empty cups don't stand around and the stall operators don't suffer any financial losses. It's a fair deal I think.
I usually come to Germany for a large summer music festival. At least one cup always comes home with me. Cheap souvenir and good times with those cups.
I do this with the shopping carts at Aldi. For only 25 cents I have a cool platform to build go karts.
@@jesdadotcom who are you kidding, you have a whole new home right there!
Who wants to buy a souvenir cup that's been used and washed 100 times?!
@@fordwayne3833 I do when they are cool or very pretty!
As an American tourist, what frustrates me about Germany is the loud American tourists 😂
Yes, I have people like that just here at the Oktoberfest. In the subway they talk on the phone so loudly that all passengers in the carriage can hear them (even though nobody is interested in their conversation).
Probably, these people don't understand German, so they think the Germans don't understand them either. (But I guess almost 90% do.)
Kleiner Tipp: meide München, Berlin, Neuschwanstein, Heidelberg, Rothenburg ob der Tauber....
@@roterfrosch5808 Ja, woanders sprechen amerikanische Touristen ganz sicher leiser 😅
@@zwiderwurzn5908 Woanders sind weniger amerikanische Touristen.
Do you consider yourself loud?
As to the shopping...When we first came to Germany, we came during Easter week and were shocked to see so many shops and restaurants closed. We were finally 'helped' by a helpful native as to what was going on, and they were fascinated that retail/restauranteurs in the US didn't have the entire Easter week off of work! The double bed didn't freak us out, it was the two folded duvets--we thought--are they sleeping bags? Obviously, once we got into bed we realized what was going on and were fine, but it was funny (I'm sure the jet lag didn't help). *I have to say though, the German people were SO helpful and courteous to my very disabled father! He suffered a stroke during our stay--they arranged a doctor who came to our hotel room, got us to the hospital and was there when Dad was released. The hotel organized a wheelchair, helped us locate medical supplies we needed (told me the German words--I speak some German, but I didn't know specialist medical vocabulary). When we took the train to Frankfurt (about a week later), while people do rush to get in, EVERYONE yielded for us--their courtesy and compassion was unbelievable! They helped my mom with tours, it was AMAZING, and my dad had the best time ever. He even said, he hadn't felt that comfortable in public for YEARS (people are very inconvenienced by the disabled here, so he always felt bad for holding people up here in the US)! YAY Germany!!
Do you think they would do the same for someone who is not white? Genuinely worried
@@Oystermato I don't know what circumstance has you, 'Genuinely worried', so I can't comment on that, but during our trips to Germany, (we've been 4 times) I've never witnessed racial or religious bias or bigotry. I have two Japanese friends who went to a conference in Stuttgart and had a lovely time. For what its worth, I DO think they'd be just as courteous if we weren't white.
@@Oystermato you're not gonna get shot in germany forhaving a darker skin tone.
@@Oystermato Germans do not have racial prejudices. Aaround 1946 about 20,000 half-Black babies were born to German women. Most of them were born to Black US soldiers - some married, some not.
@@helgafellay4352 Of course some Germans have prejudices or are plain racist - but you will find that in any country. The vast majority of Germans, though, are very open, friendly and welcoming. Also notice that Germany is one of the most diverse countries in the world these days. In most parts of Germany you won't even stick out that much by your looks.
As an American, I love that shops are closed on Sunday. It should be a day for rest and relaxation.
For some people Sunday is the only day they have off to shop.
They have that in parts of canada too, where I live sunday is closed.
@@michaelmurphy2396 Then move to the South like I did! Thats what they do here, Tennessee in my case.
@@jmkeupp In Germany you get 2 days off and a maximum 40 hour working week (sliding window average). If I work more than 40 hours during a week, I have to "recover" those hours before the end of the month by coming later or leaving earlier. The shops are usually open until 18:00 (normal shops) or 22:00 '(supermarkets), so there is plenty of opportunity to go shopping during the week.
We try and get our shopping done on Fridays, so that we have the weekend for ourselves.
My wife used to work in the kitchens at a retirement home, she used to get every other Sunday free, but she got a day off during the week.
Tip: If you want to order, everyone should have their menus closed, otherwise the waiter will think you are still choosing.
If you close your menu then how the heck are you supposed to order without pointing it out or trying to say it off the menu?
@@garrett7101 funny 😅
@garrett7101 I mean, since I guess you aren't planing to order two thirds of the menu at once it shouldn't be that hard to know exactly what you want to order after reading and closing the menu.
@ I mean, when you don’t speak the language, it’s hard to remember random words to tell your waiter, but thanks for your comment. Are you German?
@@garrett7101 If you would like to point to the dish, you can close the card but leave a finger between the pages. And yes, of course I am German, so I say what I think and don't sugarcoat everything ;)
I really don't care what annoys Americans in Germany. When I visit an other country I educate myself in advance, don't expect everything to be the same way as at home and adapt!!! YOU are the visitor, you will have to roll with whatever you encounter!
you are absolutely right. but this video is good so people can avoid visiting rude countries like germany.
@@greeksoul No one forces anyone to visit Germany. If you or anyone else has so little respect for the country and its people maybe they should look for a country they have respect for.
@@beautifulbluebell2037 yes. i told u i agree. i like going to nice countries. i just went to see what we cleaned up in 1945.
@@greeksoul are you serious? how entitled can someone be to go visit some other country, and then expect native people to adapt to you rather than adapting to them. when you visit friends in their home, do you also feel entitled to make demands on how things are done in THEIR home? and then you have the audacity to call people rude for not liking to be treated like this? since when does being rude mean not putting up with your entitlement? If come to my place, you do things my way, or you dont come. you dont come to my place and then expect me to do things your way, like are you actually insane?
The Sunday off is so amazing and great! I mean, I am used to it from my childhood on, first in Poland, then in Germany, but really, I would not live in a country where you have no general closing rules on Sundays. It is such a relaxed and quiet atmosphere, you can walk the streets without having to witness "business". That's the thing. It completely changes the general atmosphere, you just relax. In addition, I think it is a sign of respect towards the people who work in supermarkets and grocery shops, so they can enjoy their day off as well. Nobody NEEDS shopping on Sundays. As long as there are closed Sundays, I know that there's still hope for humanity 😅 It's far more than simply a day off. For me it is a symbol of freedom.
I'm Polish and 100% agree, so it's nice to have convenience, but I don't think it's worth the cost for society, culture, faith/respect and families, it's quiet and helps families have family time :) I agree with the need for workers to have time off too ^_^ I think things were better in Europe when that was everywhere, it's very much "profit only" "money corporations only" "convenience" mindset from America, and it's not healthy.
First you order your Drinks, when they come back and bring the Drinks, you Order your Food. Thats the german way 😅
Wie es soll sein 😀
We in The Netherlands we do the same.
Same in England too
Same in the US so that shouldn't be a problem for Americans.
Also the American way. 🤷
It is slightly weird that Americans are vastly more religious than Germans but shops are closed on Sundays in Germany (and many other countries) but not in the States.
No church tax in the USA though.
i‘m not religious, but i like it, that there is one day in a week, where everything is closed and everything is not busy.
Shops used to all close on Sundays in America. What happened was large shopping malls and shopping centers were built outside of cities that required shops to be closed on Sundays, but not outside the cities. The shop keepers in the cities complained that customers were going shopping outside the cities on Sundays and the cities later changed to allow them to open on Sundays. I have been to religious places in Germany and met religious Germans. I used to work on ships from America to Bremerhaven.
There is just no benefit to opening them on sundays, people have plenty of time to go shopping on the other days. For the same reason plenty of shops are closed at noon because why open for the couple of people that are not working and didnt come in the morning.
@@xBox360BENUTZER There is a difference between not opening because it is unprofitable and not opening because an archaic law prohibits it.
Nothing! Nothing annoys me! I love experiencing different cultures and ways of life.
I feel the exact same way :). I have a lot of fun with my Germany blogs:).
Warteschlangenvordrängler? Hallo? (Those waiting-line-cutters frustrate me as a German, too. But as a German I don't have a problem to educate them 😅).
I have lived in Germany now for six years, and yes like you. I let them know it is my turn, and not theirs!
Do you say "Hallooooo!" to them?😁
@@jenniferpearce1052 Of course, an especially reproach full one 😆. Maybe followed by a "geht's noch?"
This American doesn't have a problem to educate them.
The famous answer to, "please go to the back of the queue" is, "There's already someone there".
😎🫵🏼🇺🇲💘🇩🇪 I'll always feel at home in Germany I worked for SMA in Kassel for many years helping that company turn things around I was always polite, smiled, and enjoyed getting the "inside scoop" from my coworkers. Germans are way more civil than most Americans there is a more laid back pace there. Enjoy yourself in Germany it AIN'T hard to do if you can't have a good time in Germany it is a YOU problem not THEM! Best wishes from Buckeye Arizona USA 🌵🐎🇺🇸
I‘ve visited Germany as a solo traveler a couple of times recently, and people were almost always friendly and helpful, and also very tolerant of my attempts to speak the language. I think switching to English mostly happens when one’s attempts at German might be holding up other people. I can’t wait to visit again - I love Germany!
Yes you are right, I also switch to English if other customers are waiting to be served and I have the impression that it will be quicker and I will be better understood in English. It doesn´t mean that I do not appreciate your effort to speak our complicated language :-)
Don't most Germans speak English anyways?
@@briantravelman Certainly a lot do, but I think it‘s only respectful to make an effort when visiting a foreign country. I suspect that the good experiences I‘ve had in Germany are partly due to my showing a willingness to use their language.
... always just ask be polite "do you speak English please?" Almost all Germans know English some are very conscious they have accents or not the "perfect" words if you smile and are polite I only failed once to get English spoken 😎
@@briantravelman Aber natürlich sprechen meisten Deutschen die englische Sprache vorzüglich!
Just coming back from the US: The really, really wastful culture in America when it comes to waste/rubbish did annoy me a lot. All this plastic forks, plastic plates etc.. Every hotel and every event creates TONS of waste a day that will sit in the landfill for the next 70+ years. I think it makes totally sense to use reusable dishes/mugs and to invest a little effort to be more friendly to the environement.
50 years visiting Germany. I still enjoy the cultural differences. It’s changed a bit over the years, with globalization through the internet, but Germany holds on to those long- ingrained traditions and that’s what I love about my G-Grandparents homeland.
great video! when I travel I feel im a guest in that country so all the silly oddity things that im not used to is part of the trip and the fun of it... I rarely get upset. I just go with it and figure that its just the way it is in that country. this was a fun video.
Thank you!
So true. I always keep an open mind when I travel. That's part of the adventure. :)
Same, but I think he is accurate about Amis (americans) being annoyed by all these things - I have in fact met a number of Americans who've been to Germany and complained about at least all of these things. I used to live in Germany and Germans complain about all the opposite things in the USA (they HATE the 'envelope' sheets and beds for example). As a Canadian who grew up in a kind of hybrid culture (ie we use german-style duvet and beds everywhere I have lived), I found this hilarious. Fav German complaint about the USA? Ice served in the glasses of water in restaurants - they HATE it!
God bless you!! Not being religious, just a compliment from one person who understands to another ❤
@@jwbeaton I hate ice in my drinks as well.
Well, you are right: Paying for using the toilets is annoying! But it's more annoying to have to tip 20+ % 😜
You mean the automatic tip when the service is often very slow.
Most Americans never tip 20+% and you don 't have to tip at all. You should tip according to how good the service was.
@@reindeer7752 Only Americans who hate the working class tip less than 20%. If you can't afford to tip then you can't afford to eat out. Stay at home if you aren't going to compensate your server properly.
I hate the tipping system and think it should be done away with, but it is the system we have and we must abide by it. And yes you must tip, just because it is "optional" does not mean it is actually optional. That is someone's life.
If you are too cheap or too poor to tip, then stay home
@alastairhewitt380 - Can't you read the plus sign in the original comment and my reply? That means over 20%. Many waiters/waitresses make more than people on salary with a higher education or skills. They also can cheat on their taxes. I'm not going to tip someone for not doing their job.
@@reindeer7752 Tips are ridiculous, they pay them peanuts, that is the problem.
So let me get this straight, Americans get annoyed at having to pay the Pfand when they've only taken what they thought was the right amount to pay with?? OK, let's talk about US sales tax, shall we?! 🤔
Exactly, what a stupid complaint. They should keep a stack of crappy paper cups and just dump the beverage in that when my fellow Americans complain. Me? I gladly pay a $5 deposit for the frosted glass mug.
@andybaker2456 I don't think it is a complaint as much as he is stating. As a Texan, in the 1970s ,we paid a glass deposit on bottles. They have gotten away from that in most states,so most aren't aware. I don't know that anyone is upset. Just surprised and maybe annoyed at themselves that they stood in line and now have to do it all again. Once you know, you know and go on. Americans are pretty adaptable and go on with their vacation!😊
The countries have their VAT and sales tax too, except that it is already worked into the price. Either way, you pay what you have to pay.
Tried to pay for a public toilet upon entering it at train station in Mainz. It wouldn't accept my Euro so I shrugged and went inside, thinking I was mistaken about having to pay for public toilets in Germany. Found out you pay if you want to LEAVE the toilet when you are done. A local saw me trying to leave the locked gate and came over and explained you pay when you LEAVE. It was kind of comical, feeling like I was locked in the bathroom. This was in 2007.
Thats funny
I was getting bamboozled by the whole toilet payment thing in Munich station, not having a coin, trying to work out credit cards, being a gormless tourist, when an elderly gent reached over and gave me two one euro coins--one for me and one for my son. I have been in love with all of Bavaria ever since!
😅😅😅😅😅😅
One of the bad parts of the issue is alot of the tunnels near stations smelled of urine, I'd assume due to lack of wanting to pay by some.
I don't recall that, and I lived in Mainz fairly recently, and traveled to it often since 2017. Might be why. Only needed to go there maybe once.
Paying for toilets is a problem? You should remind the Americans that being forced to pay 15-20% tips because an establishment won’t pay its waiters enough, is a much bigger problem!
Entirely two different subjects. Paying to use a toilet. As base as it gets and you charge for it?! Tipping is part of pay for the enjoyment of the interaction with someone serving you. It is often a pleasure to tip a waiter that has elevated his service to a craft. Unlike a god damn toilet! Oh what fun to pay for Mr. Toilet!
Both are stupid
@@daveking-sandbox9263 In Germany there’s tipping too… And servers in America make more money than in Germany
@@TomWatson-vu6fj Yes, but in Germany the tipping is an extra "pocket money" for the waiter, not his regular wage. Maybe waiters in the US "make" more money, but they have to kiss the customers' a**es, which I find very unnerving.
@@CharlesKim-ee8ie It is not as different as it seems. In Germany you don't pay for using the toilet either. You pay for the people who clean these toilets for you, so you can feel comfortable, have a pleasant smell in the loo etc. And of course not all public toilets have this service. Those which do not have it, are for free.
And to be honest, when I am eating out, I don't want to have much interaction with the waiter. I want to order my meal and drinks, be treated friendly and professionally but left alone then, instead of being annoyed with silly questions and unnerving over the top "friendliness".
Funny you point out the surprise when the total for Glühwein is higher than anticipated due to the deposit. I think Germans have the same experience in the US where menu prices often don’t include tax.
With the one important difference that you don't get your tax back! You get your deposit back. It ensures that glasses are brought back and don't end up on the sidewalk or in the river. Or you can just take the glass mug home if you like - in that case you bought it.
4:02 as a German I hate that too. I don't know why ppl do that, because they are just as annoyed when they're the ones trying to leave the train 😂
Also shoving you out the way while you're waiting to get on the train. And the door crowding. I've noticed door crowding is particularly common amongst older Germans. 9 minutes away from the train stop, everyone starts crowding the door. As if it's only going to be open for three seconds and they'll miss their chance to get off.
😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢😢
Yes, it happens in Germany, but that doesn't mean the crowd people are all Germans.
And saying "excuse me" to them doesn't work😂Very uncivilized people.
No, the "erst aussteigen lassen" works pretty well in Germany. And sure, you gotta be ready to leave the train when you need to. But that should be doable. It's better for the whole process ("That's so Germany!". "If you say so, Idk, I've seen it in other EU countries as welL").
When you travel, you implicitely and explicitely agree to make new experiences and to be open for them. Otherwise you may remain at home 🤣😂🤣
yet in America, we're expected to make our visitors feel welcome, even learn their language, or risk be called names like intolerant or racist 😆
@@Mike1614YT I never experienced this when in the USA as I was always made welcome but nobody spoke French, or German, or Norwegian, the three languages I am using daily at home in Switzerland.
Oh, please. And there are no videos on TH-cam of “superior” Europeans disparaging how Americans live.
@@Mike1614YT most Americans only speak English so that can't be true , the ting about making visitors feel welcome is difficult as there are visitors from all over the world who see things differently , the truth is no country change their culture for tourists not the USA, Germany or others , and why travel if one don't to experience the real culture , maybe Walter is just sensitive
Hey Mark, I'll be on a 10-day trip between Vienna, Munich, and Prague this December. I love that I found your channel; it has been crazy how helpful you have been.
As a German I'd like to throw in my two cents on the service topic. There is good and bad service in Germany too. It's never so over the top as it is in the USA since the waitpersons don't depend so much on tips. But there is friendly and helpful service and not so friendly and not so helpful service. It's part of the quality of a restaurant and if the service is really bad I won't come again. And as has been mentioned before ordering your drinks first buys you time to select your food. If you still feel rushed by the waitperson it's not a place you should return to.
@@aperturix in my years traveling to Germany and it’s been many. Oktoberfest and to watch Bundesliga games, etc. Never have I ever encountered “friendly” service in Germany. I’m already used to it so it’s fine but rarely do they even smile 😂
@@MatrixDeception722 I just returned from Germany 🇩🇪 and that was the first thing I noticed how inexpressive and unfriendly people are, even though I tend to be that way myself it still shocked me, I also can see the other side as far as them being paid better than the USA and therefore not needing to act extra friendly to get better tips. It’s different culture than USA that’s for sure but well worth visiting and what a beautiful country.
@@MatrixDeception722 So if you go to Oktoberfest what do you expect? That's a cattle drive and I would never ever go there. Believe me you can get friendly service but the waitperson will never bother to boost your ego just to make you tip generously. On the other hand rude service is unacceptable and I wouldn't return to a place where I wasn't treated decently.
@@djobidjoba6143 As a German I would say I've rarely encountered rude or unfriendly service here. I think the difference is that the effort required in order to be perceived as friendly and polite is a lot lower than e.g. in the US. You do not need to be all cheery and smily and pretend that waiting on people is your kink. To Germans, if you are professional and say your pleases and thank yous, you're good. The bar is lower and by and large we don't jump higher than we have to.
@@aperturix At Oktoberfest I expect....nothing different than any other large gathering/party/event...happy people who have smiles on their faces. Large events in the US are common and people working don't walk around with frowns on their faces. Why would that ever be desirable?
I lived in Bamberg for 5 yrs in the 80s...loved it. The no shoppingbon Sunday was something new. But I do recall something about businesses closing down I think at 2pm for "naptime" during the week....had to get used to that, plus the no noise after 10pm. I truly enjoyed living in Germany. It felt like home to me and I hope to get to go back one day soon. Thank you for sharing❤
💤 sleeping 😅..no... lunchtime 🧆🥘🍝🍲🥗
Regarding the mattresses..I hate those american beds with only one mattress and, even worse, only one big blanket. Whenever your partner moves during the night, you are bouncing also. Two mattresses reduce that, less vibration due to the separation. And do not even get me started on the blanket! I want my own to make a burrito at night and not wake up freezing during the nigt because my partner has wraped himself in it!. In the US, hotel personnel always looks suspiciuous at me when I ask for a second blanket :D
The whole premise of this is just bizarre. “Americans don’t like stuff/behaviour in a Germany because it’s German and not like America”? Eh? What? If you don’t like foreign things, don’t travel abroad. If you do travel abroad, don’t expect other countries to be like yours - part of the point, some would say MOST of the point, of visiting other countries is to experience other cultures and their way of doing things that is different from yours. I’m British, I go to France most years because it’s France - it’s different from the U.K. - they do French stuff in French ways that aren’t like the way we do them, and I like it. If I didn’t want that, I’d stay at home.
Well, it´s a learning curve, isn´t it? Your argument means, that you have to be open minded before you even start travelling, but on the other hand, how people can get more open to other behaivors, if they never travel? Seems you are the narrow minded in this.
Stay triggered.
Thats not the tone, cmon man
Thank you, David. You nailed it.
Yet you Brits don’t know how to act when you head to the Netherlands 😂. Was stationed in Germany and Italy. Bottom line upfront (BLUF), either you adapt or just stay dormant.
Sounds like you need to Halllooooo the guy who "didn't know you were in line."
Love that you're visiting and showing off my hometown Bamberg. So sad I didn't bump into you. Hopefully next time!
as German Tourist in the USA I never got real glas outside, always plastic waste, I prefer deposit😅
Very true! I prefer glass, too.
Ofttimes the reason you'll see that here is due to the potential for breakage and someone getting cut. It can be an insurance issue.
I suit happy culture makes regulations necessary. Glass breaks.
The trouble is that the glass can also be used as a weapon. I was in a club years ago and some dude threw a shot glass across the place and almost killed a woman. The bouncers had fun with him while waiting for police to arrive. That was the beginning of the end for glass in clubs in the US. This was early 90s.
@@currentsitguy That´s true. Germans do think people know that breaking a glass could lead to a shard, which can cut you.
The two mattresses are really helpful for switching them if they're old or you need two different types of mattresses (like for back pain etc.). Just get a sheet that goes over both :)
In German supermarkets, when a cashier opens, instead of the people at the front of another cashier line going first, the Germans all rush to get in front of each at the newly opened cashier.
Its funny how in the UK, at most supermarkets it is done like that so first people will be asked to move. But at aldi and lidl, the just announce on teh tannoy a new lane is opening and people from usualy all the way at the back just rush in
@connortopping6943 Not in my experience! If a new checkout opens, all bets are off, it literally becomes a case of "first come, first served". I've never seen anyone at the front of a neighbouring queue being asked to join a newly opened checkout first, regardless of the supermarket.
I was on the train yesterday, everybody on the platform waited for the people on the train to exit, before they started getting on. Likewise, when I came back on the bus, there were 2 disabled people and one of the school kids sitting by the door jumped up and lowered the ramp for one of them to get off, politely asked if the other was also getting off, then folded the ramp back into the bus.
Waiting for people to get off is one of the things I've always seen Germans do and not had them trying to push through (Munich, Hannover, Osnabrück and surrounding regions).
The same with queueing, I've never had problems with people pushing in line.
I had the EXACT same thing happen to me at check in at a German hotel, someone just cut straight in front of me. Was quite shocked that the desk staff member didn't say "actually, she was first". In the UK, they definitely would have haha
This didn't happen.
I have had this happen to me so many times in the USA so amused that this is a complaint
@@hawklets03what do your base your doubt on? Have you ever been to Germany?
And in France, they would never cut
@@hawklets03 Lived here in Germany over 30 years. This happens a lot...
We found the double beds pressed together in Italy as well. Most amusingly, we were on our honeymoon and we stayed in a beautiful hotel in Assisi. The beds were separated by a nightstand, and at the foot of the bed was a damn-near lifesize painting of St. Francis experiencing stigmata and staring down at us.
We do love Germany's (and we found this in Südtirol as well) separate duvets for each person. Brilliant!
At the moment I am in the US and one thing that annoys me as a German tourist is how the Americans drive.
But why am I complaining? In 1997 I made my Florida Drivers License. It was a walk in the park compared to the tests I had to pass in Germany.
Americans don’t know how to drive. I feel saver driving 200 kilometers per hour in Germany than driving 65 Mph in the USA.
I have to add a reply. I've always appreciated good German vehicles and how they are engineered.
I translated that to the way Germans drive. The problem? This was based on reading and talking to people who visited Germany as I have never been.
I finally received confirmation when my son who lived in Germany a number of years told me, "Dad, you would love Germany, they drive just like you."
If you've ever relied on public transit in most of America (certainly Florida!) you'd understand why we make it so easy to drive.
I feel safer not driving in the USA. Too many unlicensed, uninsured, illegal motorists.
@Jlk6532
I can't speak for anyone but myself. I have had five BMW's in twenty years. Bought every one used. My observation is,
1) buy used, but be particular about the vehicle you are buying (most BMW's have a traceable history on their service, if serviced at a certified BMW dealership).
2) buy a BMW that has the inline six where the vehicle has been made and assembled in Munich. Germans, person-for-person are much more exacting in their personal work quality than Americans. The 3.0 liter is one of the best engines BMW has ever designed.
3) have access to a BMW dealership that has those same exacting standards and are honest. I have had the same customer service representative AND the same mechanic for the past fifteen of those twenty years. I was able to pick my mechanic. He is the only mechanic that works on my BMW.
4) lastly, if one can't afford a quality German car and service it on a consistent basis, then one shouldn't buy a high end German car. Dollar-for-dollar one pays for, for what one gets.
@@danasmith3288 When I was young I enjoyed renting US Cars, whenever I visited the USA. Meanwhile I am glad that I was able to rent a BMW. I am a Sales Manager and during the past 25 years I drove VW, Volvo, Mercedes and BMW, as company cars. Expect the Volvo I was always satisfied. BTW one X3 was manufactured in the USA and one was made in South Africa. My current Series 5 is made in Germany. To me it made no difference.
How ever the best car is useless when the driver doesn’t know how to operate it in a proper way😃
I have fond memories of my trip to the Black Forest in the early 1990s. My mother and I stayed at a small inn near Spangdahlem AFB. It was cheap, the schnitzel and black forest gateau were great... and the techno rave in the room right below us lasted until 3 AM every. Single. Night.
Truly the most ruthlessly efficient vacation I have ever been on.
I was just in Germany for the Berlin marathon and had a really nice time in the city. I was very impressed with its transportation system. The UBahn trains were punctual, clean and everything seemed very organized. I noticed how disciplined the Germans are when crossing the street, everyone waits for the walk sign even though there may be no cars coming. It’s easy to understand why it is that way because you have trams sharing the street with vehicles. It was very nice to see this coming from New York City, where everyone jaywalks.😂
We were there for the Marathon, too. Thoroughly enjoyed, in spite of the huge crowds. The public transit is the bomb! We learned a long time ago, if you're getting off at the next stop, get up (or stay up) and move close to the door beforehand. That's the "rule" all over the world. The only time you can sit and wait till the train stops is when the train is practically empty.
For hotel beds with the two mattresses, if it’s two beds pushed together, it does have some advantages. If I’m staying in the room with my girlfriend, it’s annoying. But if I’m sharing a room with a friend or family member, you can separate the beds to have two separate beds. For two mattresses in a single hotel bed, I don't see a single advantage and it annoys me as a german aswell.
Sometimes you see these mattresses in normal homes, where they have the advantage that each mattress can have the ideal specs for the person sleeping on it. But most people I know have a big mattress at home instead of two separate smaller mattresses in one bed. Its most beneficial if there is a huge weight difference between the couple.
Why is paying for toilets annoying ?
The real annoying issue about public toilets in Germany is often there are none.
The Pfand has been in place for at least 18 years. I saw this when I was at the 2006 World Cup. It seems inconvenient to go back to the concession stand to return your drink cup and get your money back. But it does incentivize recycling and results in less cleaning up after the ⚽️ match.
I have been an American tourist in Germany many times and I love visiting it. For one thing, there are incredible classical music concerts and Opera events just about everywhere- at great prices. Second, people are very friendly and helpful- especially if you can speak even a little bit of German.
I like Germany too. You missed his question
"When Peter talks about Paul, I know more about Peter than Paul." - Sigmund Freud
Nothing annoys more any tourist than the almost mandatory tipping in the US.
If you don't want to tip then don't tip.
When I was young we had pay toilets all over in America. People forget this.
I'm over 50 and never saw a US pay toilet, and never heard my parents/grandparents mention that.
@@TheSwissChalet It was pretty common until the mid 70s. It was stopped as part of the feminist movement. It's referenced in quite a few movies even as late as the late 70s. Smokey an the Bandit is probably the last one. Frog- I need to use the little girls room, can I have a dime? Bandit- Crawl under. Frog- Crawl under? Lovely!
@@RebelCowboysRVs Ummm. No. I'm old and never seen a pay toilet. Where did you live?
@@silkscreenart5515
People's memories are known to be quite inaccurate, I believe the fact that CEPTIA (Committee to End Pay Toilets in America) once exited, is telling us enough.
@@mariatheresavonhabsburg ???? Where did you live where you put a coin into a door to use a toilet in the USA in the 1960's-70's? I was in NYC and never came across that.
As an American expat living here, American tourists frustrate me the most.
Ich auch, my friend.
I think we can agree that tourists, no matter from where they are, are the worst people. I always try and avoid German tourists when I'm abroad. I have a friend from the Netherlandw and she says it's the same for her: whenever she hears Dutch when she is on vacation, she quickly turns around and tries to avoid her fellow countrymen.
I also know a lot of Americans via the web and some in real life and they are very nice people. But when I encounter American tourists back here in Germany I tend to use the French method and pretend I don't speak English. Tourists are a different breed for some reason.
Another thing that I found very surprising was that there are no screens on the windows. When I first got into my hotel in Germany, I was horrified, but there simply aren’t the bugs that are in the United States. Also, they don’t have a top "flat" sheet on beds, just a duvet. I’ve actually started sleeping like that and it’s far more comfortable rather than having a sheet wrapped around your legs and coming out of the mattress.
The thing about paying to go to the WC may be annoying,I would agree, but it’s actually the norm in many places in Europe. He should have mentioned that.
Biggest problem I had was exiting a paid parking lot. No kiosk to pay ticket. No one taking money at exit. No way to pay with a credit card. Had to back up and turn around. Park. Go into hotel to pay.
Second no water fountain to refill water bottle. Have to fill up in bathroom sink.
Could make things easier by having change machines by bathrooms.
The separate mattress thing sounds amazing. Especially if it means separate sheets. The wife can have her mattress, sheets, and blankets how she wants, and I can have the sheets how I want.
I love Germany, we go once a year to visit my Son and his family, none of these things annoy me or ever have annoyed me. I get in German mode and it takes me a day to do so, especially when driving. I actually admire the Germans for being rule followers, and detail oriented. I find them to be very friendly people as a whole, I really enjoy watching them and what as an American I find quirky such as their over the top rule following, like crossing the street only at crosswalks and only when they have the green running man as I call it. Even late at night when there is no cars on the road. Their traffic signals are awesome, they turn green, yellow then red as ours do but then they turn red, yellow then green and when the green light comes on you better go or you will hear the horn from the person behind you. My daughter in law is German born and raised all her life, love her so much, this is why my son lives there.
Lack of line culture? You'd think with Germans taking many processes seriously that queuing would also be one of them
maybe they have to take processes so seriously at work that they don't care about processes outside of work so much?
I've never been to Germany, but it strikes me as odd that Germans are concerned about rules and efficiency but don't queue.
@@gsogymrat not true, it depends on situation, like in pharmacy or bakery, where queues are small (less than 7) you will seldom see some one trying to overtake, and if so usualy a "hallo" or "Sorry I was first" can be heard. Lol and try to break the queue at ALDI cashcounter during rushhour like 12am/1pm and you will know /see that there are very strict queuerules enforced at some places and situations.
:)
@hfricke2661 Do Germans queue in airport terminals or do they have gate lice like in America?
Their country is going down the drain and they are lost in all of it.
With the beds: This way the layout of the beds can be changed easier from "a couple travelling together" (one queen bed) to "colleagues or brothers travelling together". The hotels can sell it as two single beds OR a queen bed.
Andere Länder, andere Sitten.
There is nothing wrong with it.
About the crack between the beds: there is a piece called a "Liebesbruecke" that goes into that crack, almost like a tile spacer, so that you can lie on the crack area without the mattresses coming apart under you. It's literally called a "love bridge" because it's there to help you have sex with your significant other without accidents! From personal experience, I can say that lying on one of those "love bridges" beats lying on the mattress crack but is still not nearly as comfortable as one big mattress. There is a hidden advantage to having two smaller mattresses side-by-side like that, though: if you need a different type of mattress than your partner. Like, if you need a soft mattress and they need a harder one, it is easy to do that with the German system.
I was in Germany for 10 days alone these things never bothered me. Germans and everyone were extremely nice
As a tourist, you have to adapt to the local way of doing things. When i go to the US, nobody cares, how we do things at home. I‘m in the US then. And a good part of going abroad is the fact, that things are different elsewhere.
If you want to discover authentic German service go to Berlin. In Berlin: 1. You will get the menu card when the waiter finds it legit. 2. The waiter is always right. 3. The rude attitude is part of the experience. 4. Never forget the gratitude, but don't expect any gratitude from the waiter for your tipping.
Berlin ist not Germany
Ha ha ha ha ha...
@@karlheil7169 Auch wieder wahr.
Outside Germany I know only one place where they can even top the Berlin experience, Vienna.
Oh, many Germans get annoyed but others not being able to, or just being to rude to form a line. Post offices years ago started to use a single line for all counters, instead of one line per counter as most people had been used to. People just didn't get the concept, while in reality it is way faster and more efficient for all. You may be lucky to have the guy in front of you who only buys a single stamp, or the person that takes 45 minutes to get some issue sorted out. With one line it does not matter.
Lately I found people that try to skip the line in supermarkets. As soon as there are more than three people in line at the cashier, instead of just getting in line, they position themself in front of the next cashier and ask of they can open another one. If there indeed is a line and they did not notice yet, they gladly do, but it often makes no sense to wait there, because another cashier has first to stop whatever they are doing, maybe clean up packaging from that, get to the cashier, log in and open the cashier. Usually takes longer than just waiting in line.
The experience with public transport also works for elevators. I never understood why you cannot simply first make some room to allow those who want to, to get off, so there is more room for other people to get in.
Oh and of course shops being closed on Sundays. This is something that unions started together with limiting weekly work time etc. Back then a good idea.
Today you often here people claim, but if they open on Sundays the people working there have to work more... Well maybe there is another less convenient shift. But work contracts in Germany usually are by weekly hours. If you have a contract for 40 hours, it does not matter how those are spread across the seven days of the week, within legal limits (max daily hours, long enough breaks in between shifts, a day of after a max number of work days) To staff an additional day you may need more staff though. Oh, and on Sundays or holidays a bonus is paid.
The only ones arguing against opening on Sundays are still unions and the church.
Having worked at an airport in my past in baggage handling, I always say if that is all the arguments against opening on Sundays those people have, I want to never see anyone of those going to a restaurant on Sundays, staying at a hotel on Sundays, taking a train or a flight on Sundays or during the night. The people working there should be otherwise protected the same way from working on Sundays and holidays, right?
They only thing that annoys me is the refridgeraters are too small, I get it because most kitchens in Germany are small so space is a premium. It gets old going to the grocery store almost everyday. I like the stores closing on Sundays and applaud them for that. As far as the beds go, we usually stay in and air b&b so thats not an issue.
American tourists are easily annoyed.
The biggest problem is they feel entitled to loudly express it…
Also get frustrated by the lack of maps in the transit system. Good luck finding a system map in the middle of the platform if you have an Eureka moment.
My favourite things about traveling in other countries are the differences! And getting a break from rude Americans. Oh I know, people are rude all over the world. I just like getting the break from the rudes I deal with on the daily...
Do you live in Miami?
I just got back from Germany. I loved it! The pay-to-pee public toilets were a big aggravation. Another minor irritation was that coffee in a restaurant did not come with refills. A side note is that my German mil uses the snarky "hello" in restaurants and stores when she wants to get attention. Thanks for the interesting video.
The coffee in Germany does not usually come with refills however, I find the coffee taste much much better than the United States.
@@enjoystraveling I agree, it is very good coffee
Nothing about Germany annoyed me. I was visiting friends, so they had told me about many of the differences, but they weren't annoying or inconvenient to me. I think if i were to move there the most difficult thing to adapt to would be learning how to properly sort the trash/recycling and getting used to stores being closed on Sundays. I found though, that mostly, the German culture seemed to suit me and I found the people I'd meet or interact with in public were very friendly. I thoroughly enjoyed my trip and the worst thing was leaving those wonderful German windows behind. Why don't we have them here in the USA?
Germans do it right . I only visit off season in the winter. Love it when the crowds are down and the parks are empty and you can just walk and enjoy Germany in a quiet way . Best mid winter vacation.
I moved to Bamberg two months ago, and now you film a video from here))) Yes, Sundays are very annoying. As for the rest... I have never been annoyed by any of these things. The only other thing I can not get used to is how much in advance you have to plan everything - doctors, meetings, uni timetable, events...
Rules, Rules, Rules, and Schedules, Schedules, Schedules. It's the German way.
Do you (US?) know nothing else but shopping, your only leisure activity? I'm sorry about that.
@@arnodobler1096 lol, you've obviously never been to the US.
@@TheSwissChalet I mean I know that US workers are at work 30% more than Germans, and they always complain that you can't shop 24/7, except online of course. That someone has to pay the price for their convenience probably doesn't occur to them. I always enjoyed the quiet Sundays, recharging my batteries, going on a trip or simply doing NOTHING!
@@arnodobler1096US workers work as much...or as little...as they want. Some work overtime because they want to make more money for whatever they need it for, to expand and grow their businesses, or to retire early (like in their 40s or 50s). Some prefer to work as little as possible and don't care about money or retirement. Others work moderately. There is no "normal" amount to work...the worker himself decides. As usual in life, you reap what you sow. People love to be able to shop 24/7, because that way, people can work whenever they want...no one HAS to work 9-5 Monday-Friday. Some prefer to work evenings and weekends so that they can be home during the day with their children. Others like to sleep late and go to work late. The worker decides, not the government. It's called freedom. Anyone can choose to NOT work on Sundays. It's called the Sabbath...(or Saturday if you're Jewish)...and that has nothing to do with government either...it's a religious situation. This broad-based freedom is confusing to non-Americans. They just can't wrap their heads around getting to CHOOSE how to live your life, including when and where you work, and shop.
German here, giggling about the "Hallo" culture. Hadn't been aware of it, but it is an absolutely valid observation. Incidentally: you primarily find the kind of double beds presented here in Bavaria and in some of the very traditional and not very fancy hotels. The more modern ones have queen or kingsize beds with boxspring mattresses. 😉
3:42 Some bad behavior, even the children learn "Let them get off first, then get in!"
Children learn it, adults forgot it ;-)
Let children get off first?? Wtf is this comment?😂 diddy alert
yes but on the other hand its realy anoying, if you know you have to leave next stopp, but pretend to be the queen/the king himself and slowly grap your stuff and same slow start walking to the already open door, when others are already entering... such a behaviour is also very disrespectful LIKE the one when people are already waiting inside for the dorr to open and are leaving but a stupid one from outside already trys to enter evan so still people are leaving the train/bus etc
@@ryanmccluan7467 get your mind out of the gutter.
@@ryanmccluan7467 This is the english translation from "Erst aussteigen lassen, dann einsteigen!" 🙄😒
You missed „Draußen nur Kännchen“… 😂 I don’t know how to translate but it means that very often in Cafés you can’t have a cup of coffee when sitting outside. (Especially in parcs and gardens )
You must order a pot (containing two cups)… which is of course way more expensive. Luckily this thing seems to disappear in the last years.
My wife and I just returned from Germany for our 30th anniversary. I am already plotting to go back! While I get all of these "annoyances", the only thing I couldn't wrap my head around was the bed setup in the hotels. It didn't bother me, but I can't pretend I enjoyed it either. My wife and I like to lay close to one another, so the crack and separate duvets were inconvenient. I know there is a reason for why they do it that way, but I never really heard an answer to the question. I will say this though. Every hotel we stayed in had amazing breakfast buffets! Doing my research before we went over, I had expectations for the "typical" German breakfast of cold cuts, cheeses, and bread. Boy, was I wrong! They did have those things, but so much more. Loved it. As for the "annoyances", I'm in their country, not the other way around. My job was to shut up, listen, and learn, but most of all, embrace the differences and find a way to have fun in the moment! I'd say we succeeded. Cannot wait to return!
The practical reason for the "crack" is easily explained: When I move while sleeping, I will not disturb my partner - any movement remains on my side. Also, we have separate duvets. It is more practical this way, although it might annoy one when spooning ;-)
The crack is called "Besucherritze" in German. Literally "visitor crack".
For me, it’s the other way round. I have just returned from Australia where my husband and I had to share the duvet. My husband likes to sleep cool and I need more warmth I could not wait to have my own duvet for myself 😅
@@wohlhabendermanager 😆Love that!
@@twocents-Thomas-Zadro well, I don't know that I would call it annoying, but at least a bit inconvenient! 😉If that's the worst part of the trip, I can't wait to go back!
Loved no speed limits on the autobahn while driving into Munich via Austria/Switzerland! This was an amazing experience for an American!
Let me be very German here: I don’t care at all. You are in a foreign country and things are done differently. The same I would say to Germans complaining that America does things differently. Just try to learn and adapt.
Fair enough.
Closed on Sundays…Thats here in Tennessee too!!! Was a bit of a cultural shock when I moved here from California. Lol
🙄
I've been to Germany three times so far, and I have not experienced almost any of these annoyances. I have always had a great time.
There is a restaurant in Tempelhoff called the "Biertemple. The waitress was so patient with us, being American and made a great food suggestion as well. German food is incredible, and we were left alone to enjoy conversation a good length of time. When it was time to pay the bill, i added an additional 20 Euros to the tip. The waitress said, "No,..no,..no das ist zu viel, mein freunde!" She was honest to a fault. She told me the tip we gave her was the appropriate amount. I fell from my chair at this. And yes, paying a small tip to use the toilet is NOT annoying, it is a courtesy that we Amaricans seem to have forgotten about.
For us it’s the little old ladies who see a crack of daylight between you and the person in front of you in a line and somehow morph into a piece of paper to occupy that unused space that was obviously empty. After the initial aggravation it became hilarious and we started making predictions about random bystanders who might squeeze in.
Little old ladies are invisible as everybody knows, so how could you see them?😅
You can have only one thing, either a queue or your personal space, it's uncombinable. If you keep space that somebody can pass through the queue, the queue is broken. And on an empty counter, how do you know where to queue and in what direction ?
Sometimes there are 2 people behind the counter, sometimes just one, so the queue is split ...do we open a second queue ?
what will your next video be about? about why American English is not an official language in Europe?
As a regular train commuter never have I experienced people entering a train before everybody had exited. Unless there was an undecided or scatty traveller who still had to pack their belongings after everybody was done exiting a minute ago.
I’m from the US and, while I do appreciate the wait staff being easily available, I hate the over friendliness. I’m uncomfortable with casual conversation. This also bothers me when I am made to share a table with people I don’t already know relatively well.
My husband was stationed there for 4 yrs when he was in the Air Force. He adored Germany and talked about it often. We went to Germany on a business trip. He was employed with BASF and a fabulous time.. we stayed an extra week. I loved the order and cleanliness of the German cities and towns. My only complaint was the stiff and formal behavior of many of the businesses and restaurant staff. Not use to that but understood that’s their way.
To me, there’s nothing wrong with formal behavior in a business such as a hotel, etc. I’d rather be called by my last name then just called by my first name by complete strangers like they doing the United States
. I actually don’t go by my first name anyway, but my middle name and my last name unless it’s my friends or acquaintances, but I know I’m in the minority in the United States who feels that way probably
It's a business, as you point out. It's not an entertainment park with actors to make you lough.
When it is time to be formal, if not in business with strangers ?
If you like over the top service go to India. The fawning, flattering, extreme and hovering service in any higher end restaurant or store is exhausting for me as a more introverted shopper and diner. But a lot of people love it. I prefer more space. You walk into a store and three people ask if you need help. Waiters chit chat until I’m silently willing them to please go away. My kids were surprised by it, and our family is Indian! It’s just considered good service there.
We're considering doing a vacation to Germany in about a year and a half from now. I've been searching all over TH-cam for information, tips and tricks or just general guidelines for staying in hotels or B&B's in Germany but really can't find anything. Was wondering if you could do a video just on staying in hotels and B&B's and what kind of differences there are from the US or Britain as well as any peculiarities that we should be aware of.
I come to Germany regularly, last time this afternoon, and I honestly haven't noticed the lack of line culture in all the years. Ok, it may not be as strong as what I saw in the UK, but a lack of it? No. Anyway, I primarily don't like people saying German people are boring. For me, a lot of really important things work very well in this country.
We were three kids and there was always alot of strategizing to not to end up in the crack in the bed on Sunday morning.
These are all points you have mentioned in (multiple) videos in the past, but Germany content is always appreciated!
In the UK the queue etiquette is breaking down. In London you need sharp elbows when getting on a bus.
As an American who loves Germany, this video makes me miss it so much. ❤️🇩🇪
yeah, here in Germany people just bum rush the train and get on while people are still getting off just to get a seat - and half the seats are probably already taken by backpacks or suitcases. And on the stairs to and from the platforms and in the station itself people don't keep right or left in a consistent manner, it's just a free for all. People will just stand still in the middle of escalators, leaving you no room to get past if you're in a hurry, etc. It's probably the most frustrating part of living in Germany. Then again, it's a good problem to have is that is the worst there is
Yeah, I haven't taken public transport in Germany for years because it's become such a shitty experience. Only the worst people there with no manners. It's a self-reinforcing cycle. I hear the same from so many people, they gladly never use public transport or trains anymore.
I was guided by my German girlfriend (now my wife) when I first came here so I was explained things. Still the restaurant way surprised me a bit, my mother was serving tables all her life and my dad was a cook, so I know how important tips are for waiters, and I was going to give 20% tip. My girlfriend goes "OH Nooo No no. That is way too much"
What, why?
Service people are paid to do their job by the owner. There is no "Restaurant" minimum salary.
Of course you can tip, but giving 15 or 20% is not normal and not expected. 5 to 10 % is good.
I was also pissed at the paying public toilet at first. But yeah, they are clean so you should pay :)
It‘s funny that americans think water and toilets are free in the US. Both are costs that are already calculated in the prices. That’s what a business does. So everybody is paying for it.
I'd much rather pay for a toilet that is clean and available rather than some of the filthy ones here in the US. Would be nice though if more places took cards as a lot of people don't carry a pile of change around these days.
@@effektgeraeteinfo Toilets in restaurants are free in Germany
Not true, FLSA requires paying tipped workers at least the federal minimum wage, tips (up to 5.12) can be credited. This means, even if a server doesn't get a single tip in a month, the employer must pay him at least the min. wage. Many states mandate minimum wage berfore tips.
I got a full size bed with two separate, side-by-side mini quilts. What's up with that?
Remember, European food is real, takes time to prepare. Cooks are in the guild and European union doesn't allow processed foods.
Incorrect. Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the european parliament and of the council | (m)‘processing’ means any action that substantially alters the initial product, including heating, smoking, curing, maturing, drying, marinating, extraction, extrusion or a combination of those processes;
Dried spices or mushrooms not allowed? Smoked salmon not allowed? Ground meet not allowed? Of course they are.
Beyond that, plenty of restaurants in Europe use prepared foodstuffs - sometimes with very poor results. Just one example: there is some premade paella brand that bars all over Spain heat up and sell because it's easy (but crappy). They all use the exact promotional banner. I avoid those places like the plague.
Recently spent a month in Italy and Romania. Regrettably, lots of toxic, processed food now there in restaurants and grocery stores. Sad. Fortunately, there are still more clean food options there than here in the U. S.
@@ursulasmith6402 You should go to Metro one day. That‘s where restaurants buy processed and pre-prepared food in bulk. For example, I have rarely eaten potato dumplings at a German restaurant that didn’t taste like Pfanni dumplings out of a packet. Only high end restaurants make their food from first principles.
@@Sabena-pl3cw The sad thing is: when normal restaurants try and make everything themselves with no processed ingredients, most people won't go there because it will be a little more expensive. A restaurant near my hometown did this and most locals never went there. They only survived with food-conscious customers who would drive an hour or more just to eat there. And the restaurant wasn't crazy expensive because they didn't want to be an exclusive haute cuisine place. They just wanted to make really good but regular food.
In addition to that, the owner and chef told me that he works many more hours per day than all the other restaurants that use processed ingredients - and in his case he didn't even earn more in the end. He just did it out of conviction for good food.
I love the bed thing. It is a process maximized for comfort. A couple gets their own space and own blanket, yet they are still close. A custom I brought home with me.
The only thing that annoyed me in Berlin was the fact the trains don't have toilets. Like fair enough if it's on short journeys, but when you're on one for an hour or two, why aren't there any toilets?!?!
Yeah, that's actually kinda crazy over an hour with no toilet. You're risking Some crazy f*****, just going right in the train 😂
I think cost. When I lived there in the 1990s, all the slow trains had toilets except the very regional or local trains. But they were often broken and needed repair. Back then like today there was controversy about the Bahn losing money and not being all that great (but excellent compared to what we have here in north america).
The only thing that annoyed me in Berlin was the people.
@@MidwestBoom You can't go an hoiur without pissing? How do you sleep?
Take the trains of the DB-Nahverkehr, that passes through Berlin and you have your toilets. S-Bahn and U-Bahn - I have never experienced other cities trams, metros like Athens or Madrid etc. to offer toilets on the train. Be an adult or eat less sugar.
I am German, and I visited Peru in September… you have to pay to go to the toilets there as well! 1 Sol, was the going rate. And the toilets were ALWAYS so clean. Bit weird was, that you have to throw your used toilet paper 🧻 in the bucket 🪣 next to the toilet 🚽 to prevent clogged pipes, but other than that, I had a very positive 🚽 experience in Peru! 😉😅
Zwei Matratzen sind bequemer. Man stört sich nicht gegenseitig, wenn man sich bewegt.
Gut gesagt.
Ah, so the German way is correct.
Nicht so gut, wenn du dich in der Mitte treffen willst
@@gdok6088 Die beteiligten Parteien könnten sich um 90 Grad drehen, dann befänden sie sich senkrecht zum Matratzenspalt. Oder man könnte eine Münze werfen um sich auf eine Seite zu einigen, müsste dann nur aufpassen, dass sie nicht zwischen die Matratzen rutscht :)
So I guess cuddling is out...non-existent in the cold Germany culture, I guess.
I've only been to Berlin and Munich but I've never had the two beds pushed together thing. I would go absolutely crazy if I had ordered that room. So I'm a solo female traveler and if I ordered that room, I would want a bed where I didn't fall into the crack. On the other hand I did find Germany to be so efficient that it had a great train system and better everything than any place I had ever been. People were nice in service, kind of just ok in public unless they were selling currworst or beer. Just my experience. Buying wine by the mug on a freezing snowing night from a couldren in Munich that plays b/w film on a large screen is a must. ❤ also, shut down the hofbrauhaus in Munich.
I liked that the train station had a pay toilet (tap to pay), which ensured that it was clean and safe. Rest rooms in big-city train stations in the US are often filthy and unsafe. I was perfectly happy to pay 60p for that, especially when I was carrying luggage.
Man! The crispness of this episode is amazing. Did you get new equipment? Whatever you did, it's amazing.