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in Johannesburg :
Accomodation

Usefull Addresses

City Guide

Guides

Free guides from
:
Price Waterhouse: Gervinusstrasse 17
D-6000 Frankfurt am Main
Tel : 69-152040 ; fax 69-15204-107

Brochure on promotional measures for commercial enterprises:
Federal Ministry of Economics - D-5300 Bonn 1
Ref « Offentlichkeitsarbeit »

 
28 - Observations

Some tips :

- Flowers are always offered in their wrapping from the florist
- If you are having dinner with a business associate you should dress fairly formally
- Germans appreciate punctuality
- Christmas is always spent with the family
- Germans enjoy standing on ceremony, using degree titles, the use of 'Dr' is not reserved to medical doctors
- big spending is frowned on, every cent counts, one pfennig is the beginning of a mark
- Germans admire Wirksamkeit (efficiency) and Bestleistung (performance)

Public Holidays

1st January : Neujahrstag (New Years' Day)
March/April : Karfreitag (Good Friday)
March/April : Ostermontag (Easter Monday)
1st May : Tag des Arbeit (Labour Day)
May : Himmelfahrstag (Ascension Day)
3rd October : Day of German Union
25th December : Christmas Day
26th December : Boxing Day

Cost of living

Germany has generally a high cost of living.
Rent varies depending on the town.
Rent and charges represent 30 to 45% of a budget.
Accomodation is not always rented with fitted kitchens.
Central heating systems are usually gas or fuel, electricity is less common.

In Berlin a one-bedroom flat costs about 1,500 Marks (5,000 FF) if you go via an agency, but many Berliners live in 'Wohnungsgemeinschaft' (WG), which is a sharing system. A room in a WG costs about 500 - 600 Marks per month.

If you rent via an agency (Mitwohnzentralen), the commission is equal to 2 - 3% of the yearly rent. There is one month's rent to be paid as guarantee.
Boarding in a family boarding house will cost about 50 to 70 marks a night, with breakfast (170-240 FF).

Hotels/Restaurants :

* Price of a meal in a restaurant (in Marks) :

Top class rest..................... 70 à 180
Medium class ..................... 30 à 100

* Price of a hotel room (in Marks) :

De luxe hotel...................... 270 à 400
Average hotel...................... 200

It is usual to tip and usually the tip is about 10% of the bill (you don't leave it on the table, it should be given when the bill is paid).


Travelling :

* Paris-Berlin, one-way, by bus costs from 350 F.

* By taxi, the amount on the meter is usually rounded off at the figure above.

* In Munich, the underground cost 3 DM a trip.

Tourism

To see :
The Bavarian Alps, the lakes, the Urzig region, the Tyrol, the Black Forest, the Renaissance city of Tothenburg ober des Tauber, Cologne (and its cathedral), Munich, Dresden (orangery), Berlin (centre of culture and music) ...

Munich
- The Beer Festival (Oktoberfest) takes place in the second half of September
- The Carnival is in January/February.
Cologne or Köln
The local beer is called Kölsch.
In the Kölschlokale or the Kölsche Weetschaff drinking is a whole ceromony where the servers (Köbes) wear big blue aprons.
Frankfurt
Among the museums, don't miss the Museum of German cinema.

Spas and hydros :
There are nearly 350 recognized spas and hydros which have modern equipment, organized leisure activities and sport complexes for relaxation and rest.

Hiking and mountaineering :
In the mountains, regional hiking associations maintain a network of about 132,000 pedestrian paths.
252 mountain huts are open to mountain lovers.
Information from Le Dentocher Alpenverein.
Praterinsel 5. D - 80538 München.

 

 

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