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Germany Welcome
Living, studying and working in Germany
A site full of information and advice to help you in Germany
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City Germany

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Money
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Working in South Africa
Formalities
Entry formalities:
Health & medicine

Expat4

Connections with France
Time differences
Telecommunications
Airports
Car rental
Hotels & restaurants
Your suitcase
Information
Your car
Banks
Schools & schooling
Guides
Observations
Cost of Living
in Johannesburg :
Accomodation

Usefull Addresses

City Guide

Connections with France

Cologne
Plane : Air France or Lufthansa, flight time 1h-1h30 (depending on the type of aircraft) from Paris
Train : 5h30 to arrive at Köln Hauptbahnhof from the Gare du Nord in Paris.
Car : about 4 hours from Paris (480 kms, by autoroute/autobahn).

Munich
Plane : Air France and Lufthansa, several flights a day from Paris and other big towns
Train : Several trains each day leaving from Paris-Est.

Frankfort
Plane : Air France and Lufthansa, several flights a day from Paris

Internal transport
- in Berlin, all kinds of transport circulates well : personal cars, underground, buses, urban train and taxis.
- in Hambourg, it is easier to use the underground, buses and taxis.
- in Munich and Frankfort : underground, buses, taxis and the tramway.

Air and Rail : There are good air and rail connections all over Germany

Road : A very good network over the whole country

Ports : Hambourg is an important international port.

Deutsche Bahn : bahn.de
SNCF : 
sncf.fr
Raileurope:
raileurope.de
Lufthansa :
lufthansa.com
Air France :
airfrance.fr

18 - Information
A letter or a postcard takes a stamp costing 1,10 DM

Driving
Licence :
Your French driving licence must be converted into a German one within a year.
It is best to apply for a local one during the first six months of your stay.
To do this you have to go to the Strassenverkehrsamt, taking your French licence and identity photos.
If you don't do this within the time limit you will be obliged to sit for another driving test.

When you give in your French licence it will be sent to the administrative service in France that delivered it, when you are back in France you can recuperate it by handing in your German licence (this is a decree dated 15/2/1983 from the EU).

In Germany you drive on the right-hand side of the road and give priority to traffic coming from the right.

The speed limit is 50 or 60 kph in town (in some residential areas it is 0 kph), on the road it is 80 or 100 kph and on the highways it is 130.

It is obligatory to have a third-party insurance with civil responsability for corporal and material damage.
If you don't have an insurance you will have to take one out locally.

Habits and traditions

Germans don't kiss, they either shake hands or just say hello.
Often you have to remove your shoes when you enter a German house.
On the phone you give your name immediately before saying anything else.
Germans usually pay in cash and don't use credit cards very often.

Shopping

Shops close at 6.30pm during the week, 8.30pm on Thursdays, 2pm on Saturdays and 4pm on the first Saturday of each month.
They are all closed on Sundays, except at the railway station.

Gastronomy
- the famous white sausages (Weisswürste)
- liver paté (Leberkäs)
- cakes



The National Anthem (the 3rd verse of the 'German Song') was written by August Heinrich Offman and Von Fallersleben (1798 - 1874) and the music is by Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809).

 
19 - Time difference

It is the same time in Germany as in France

20 - Telephone

The German telephone directory

Index of German postal codes

To dial Germany from Europe : 00 49 + the town code + the number of your correspondent

The town code for Berlin is : 30, Dusseldorf : 211, Bonn : 228, Hambourg : 40, Leipzig : 341

To telephone France from Germany : 00 33.

Emergencies : 110 (police).
(medical emergencies) : 112.

Consular section of the French Embassy in Berlin : Tel. : 00.49.30.88.59.02.43. (Berlin, Brandebourg, Saxony,Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringe, Mecklembourg)
24 hour service (week-ends and holidays): 00.49.30.20.63.90.00.
Consulate in Düsseldorf : 00.49.211.49.77.30. (North Rhienland - Westphalia)
Consulate in Frankfurt : 00.49.69.79.50.960. (Rhienland, Palatinate, Hesse)
Consulate in Hambourg : 00.49.40.414.10.60. (Hambourg, Brême and the town of Brême,
Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony)
Consulate in Münich: 00.49.89.419.41.10. (Bavaria)
Consulate in Sarrebrück : 00.49.681.93.67.50. (Sarre)
Consulate in Stuttgart : 00.49.711.23.74.70. (Bade-Wurtemberg)
21 - Airports
Cologne :
the Köln/Bonn airport is 16 minutes out of Cologne

Munich :
the new airport is 30 kms to the north of the town

Frankfurt :
the airport is 10 kms out of town with a train connection to the central station which is in the centre of the business district

There are buses and taxis running from the airports to town

22 - Car rental, vehicles

There are one or more Avis offices in every town in Germany (at least 300 agencies in all).
The central reservation office telephone number is 06171 681800.
Some towns :
Bayreuth : 0921 7857710
Berlin : 030 2309370, airport 030 6091570
Bonn : 0228 228020
Bremen 0421 201060, airport 0421 559055
Köln : 0221 9130063, airport 02203 402343
Dortmund : 0231 9172170, airport 0231 9213153-253
Dusseldorf : 0211 8656220, airport 0211 4216747/48
Frankfurt : 069 423017, airport 069 69027771
Hambourg : 0405403032, airport 040 50752314
Hannover : 0511 12174-0, airport 0511 772081
Munich : 089 403091, airport 089 97597600
Stuttgart : 0711 2237258, airport 0711 9484451

All Avis cars are completely equipped, have done less than 15,000 kms and have an average age of 3 months.
The vehicles are carefully prepared and checked between each rental using a procedure containing 7 obligatory control points.
The cars are rented with a full tank.
Renting from Avis automatically means that the car passengers, renter and/or driver are covered by a third party insurance as well as an insurance covering repatriation and the immobilization of the vehicule in case of an accident.

You can reserve a car :
- from your travel agent
- from the international reservation centre at 0 820 05 05 05
- or from any Avis agency
Avis has an interactive network worldwide, a client can reserve a car instantly from anywhere in the world.

We recommend that you pay your rental using your accredited Avis card or with another credit card accepted by Avis : American Express, Visa, Mastercard, Diners.
Through a simple free membership system, Avis gives identity and/or payment cards, which are a real help for a rapid and efficient service.

REASSURING : No on-line payment, you can pay Avis directly at the agency when you return the car
RAPID : Avis has the quickest car rental reservation service on the web
ECONOMICAL : The cheapest rates on the market are available on the Avis microsite
COMPLETE : You can rent a car anywhere in the world.
The Avis network : 5000 agencies in 172 countries, is now on-line!
EFFICIENT : Find your town (you don't have to fill in the country), enter the date and click on estimate
PRACTICAL : You only have to fill in 4 boxes and you will receive an e-mail confirming the reservation.
You can even rent a vehicle at the last minute just round the corner or ... on the other side of the world.

Importing a car
You have to register your car within 12 months following your arrival, we recommend that you go about it immediately after you have moved to Germany.
Go to the registration service which deals with the area in which you live (Strassenverkehrsamt) with the following documents (which must be up-to-date) :
- car registration papers (carte grise in France)
- certificate from the licence plate office
- your identity card or passport
- a proof of your domiciliation
- your residence permit
- a certificate of non-objection (Unbedenklichkeitszeugnis) which you can get from the Kraftfahrtbundesamt, 24932 Flensburg, fax 0461 / 316 16 50, this document can be sent to you if you send a stamped addressed envelope and 26 DM
If you are in Berlin, contact the Kraftfahrzeugzulassungsstelle, Jüterborger Str. 3, 10965 Berlin, tel. 030/699 5 or Ferdinand Schultze Str. 55, 13055 Berlin, tel 030/902 37 - 0.

Your car will undergo a technical control in a TÜV agency (Technischer Überwachungsverein).
Once these formalities have been completed you will receive your German licence plates.

23 - Hotels and restaurants
All categories of hotel are available, Munich, Berlin, Cologne, Frankfurt, ...
Free Booking Reservation request

24 - Your suitcase
Winter on the North Sea coast can be intensely cold with the wind and the humidity, even though the temperatures are not very low.

In summer the evenings tend to be cool.
Also don't forget to bring a raincoat and an umbrella.

Munich : thick sweater, suit and tie recommended.
Cologne : suit and tie for business.

25 - Banks

Opening times : Monday to Friday 8h30 - 13h, 14h - 16 h, Thursdays till 17h30

You can either exchange Marks in Germany or take them with you from France

The Visa card is generally accepted, but it is more practical to pay in cash, or with Travellers or Eurocheques as there are not very many automatic distributors.

26 - Schools

German schooling is very similar to French schooling.
The German equivalent to the French baccalauréat is the Abitur, which is recognized and has an automatic equivalence.
The equivalence of a degree in French Studies is the Zwischenprüfung.

Inter-university agreements authorize other degree equivalences.


School grants
From the French government :
Only available for local schools where the programme is recognized by the French Minstry of Education.
For French children in the primary or secondary sections.
The grant can cover schooling, half-board or boarding.


General information about grants :
* the candidate and his family must reside in the country where the child is going to school

*the candidate and his family must be registered at the local Embassy or Consulate

*demands for grants are initially examined by a local commission at the competent diplomatic post or consulate (whether it is for a complete or a partial grant)

*the proposition is then made to the national commission for a final decision.
Get information from the French consulate.


Courses by correspondence
The organization of national correspondence courses (CNED) is a French public establishment. The programmes they offer are identical to official programmes given by national education. Admittance to classes is decided by the CNED teachers, the system functions in all French schools in France or abroad.


French schools :

Ecole française de Sarrebruck et Dilling
Halbergstrasse 112
66121 Sarrebruck
Tel: 0681 62624

Lycee Antoine de Saint Exupery
Hartsprung
22525 Hamburg
Tel : 0049 40 582768 Fax : 0049 40 582498

Internat franco-allemand "Villa Röchling"
Kohlweg 7
66123 Saarbrücken
Tel : 0681 37904-12

  • Learning German in Hambourg

Deutsch-Institut für Ausländer e.V. (Goethe Institut)
Heimhuder Strasse 39
20148 Hamburg
Tel : 040/44 00 79

Volkshochschule
Schanzenstrasse 77
20357 Hamburg
Tel : 428 41 - 3238 or 428 41 - 3304 Fax : 428 41 - 3033


Calendar of school holidays in Germany 2000 - 2001

Area

Summer 2000

Autumn 2000

Xmas 2000

Bade-Wurtemberg

27.07.-09.09.

02.11.-03.11.

23.12.-05.01

Bavaria

27.07.-11.09.

30.10.-04.11.

27.12.-08.01.

Berlin

20.07.-02.09.

28.10.-04.11.

23.12.-02.01.

Brandebourg

20.07.-02.09

30.10.-04.11.

23.12.-02.01.

Brême

13.07.-26.08.

23.10.-01.11.

22.12.-06.01.

Hambourg

20.07.-30.08.

16.10.-28.10.

21.12.-02.01.

Hesse

23.06.-04.08.

02.10.-14.10.

27.12.-13.01.

Mecklembourg-Poméranie western.

20.07.-30.08.

23.10.-28.10.

20.12.-02.01.

Lower Saxony

13.07.-23.08.

19.10.-01.11.

22.12.-06.01.

Rheinland of North-Westphalia

29.06.-12.08.

02.10.-14.10.

22.12.-06.01.

Rheinland-Palatinate

23.06.-04.08.

02.10.-13.10.

22.12.-05.01.

Sarre

22.06.-02.08.

02.10.-14.10.

23.12.-06.01.

Saxony

13.07.-23.08.

16.10.-27.10.

22.12.-02.01.

Saxe-Anhalt

13.07.-23.08.

23.10.-30.10.

27.12.-02.01.

Schleswig-Holstein

20.07.-02.09.

23.10.-04.11.

27.12.-06.12.

Thuringe

13.07.-23.08.

16.10.-21.10.

22.12.-06.01.

Land

Winter 2001

Easter 2001

Whitsuntide 2001

Bade-Wurtemberg

26.02

09.04.-20.04.

28.05.-09.06.

Bavaria

26.02.

09.04.-21.04.

05.06.-16.06.

Berlin

03.02.-17.02.

14.04.-30.04.

25.05.

Brandebourg

05.02.-16.02

17.04.-30.04.

-

Brême

-

26.03.-17.04.

-

Hambourg

-

05.03.-17.03.

30.04./21.05.-26.05.

Hesse

-

09.04.-20.04.

-

Mecklembourg-Poméranie western.

05.02.-16.02.

09.04.-18.04.

01.06.-05.06.

Lower Saxony

-

30.03.-17.04.

30.04./25.05./05.06.

Rheinland of North-Westphalia

-

09.04.-21.04.

-

Rheinland-Palatinate

-

05.04.-20.04.

-

Sarre

26.02.-27.02.

09.04.-28.04.

25.05.

Saxony

12.02.-23.02.

12.04.-21.04.

02.06.-05.06.

Saxe-Anhalt

12.02.-24.02.

17.04.-30.04.

25.05.

Schleswig-Holstein

-

09.04.-24.04.

-

Thuringe

05.02.-10.02.

09.04.-21.04.

01.06.-05.06.

Land

Summer 2001

Autumn 2001

Xmas 2001

Bade-Wurtemberg

26.07.-08.09.

29.10.-02.11.

22.12.-05.01.

Bavaria

26.07.-11.09.

29.10.-03.11

24.12.-05.01

Berlin

19.07.-01.09.

27.10.-03.11.

22.12.-05.01.

Brandebourg

19.07.-01.09

29.10.-03.11.

24.12.-31.12.

Brême

28.06.-11.08.

01.10.-13.10

24.12.-05.01

Hambourg

19.07.-29.08.

15.10.-27.10

24.12.-05.01

Hesse

21.06.-03.08

01.10.-13.10.

24.12.-11.01.

Mecklembourg-Poméranie western.

19.07.-29.08.

22.10.-27.10.

19.12.-02.01.

Lower Saxony

28.06-08.08.

01.10.-13.10

24.12.-05.01

Rheinland of North-Westphalia

05.07.-18.08.

08.10.-20.10.

24.12.-05.01.

Rheinland-Palatinate

28.06.-10.08.

01.10.-12.10.

21.12.-04.01.

Sarre

21.06.-01.08

01.10.-13.10.

21.12.-05.01.

Saxony

28.06.-08.08

08.10.-19.10

22.12.-02.01.

Saxe-Anhalt

28.06.-08.08.

04.10.-13.10.

20.12.-05.01.

Schleswig-Holstein

19.07.-01.09.

22.10.-03.11.

24.12.-05.01.

Thuringe

28.06.-08.08.

15.10.-20.10.

21.12.-05.01.


Source of information - German Embassy

 

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