8 LIES MOST AMERICANS BELIEVE ABOUT GERMANY! 🇩🇪❌

[@usbxg3474]

My german mom married an american master sergeant from the US air force and when he retired he/they had the chance to move back to florida but he decided to stay in germany, because he thought that living in rhineland palatinate with access to the US Bases in this area would be a way much easier, more cosy way to spend his/their lifetime in a beautiful area, surrounded by woods, close to france and a good healthcare system good, healthy food and friends that are really friends and helpful whenever you need them instead of moving to florida where the weather would be nicer, but you´ll have to protect yourself with weapons, fences and have to own a car to drive 7 miles to your next grocery store to pay twice as much for food than in germany.

[@travelingexpats]

@@usbxg3474 Thank you for watching and sharing your family’s story. I think your father made the right choice. Rheinland-Pfalz is a wonderful place to live, for all the reasons you mentioned. And these days you don’t know how many hurricanes you have to deal with every year in Florida.

[@heikoscheuermann]

@@travelingexpats I love my Pfälzer neighbors, really nice and often funny people🙂And the landscape is equally beautiful as 'my' Kraichgau. Greetings from a Badian

[@weltbuergerin2007]

@@usbxg3474 ,your dad was right‼️.My first husband was an African American Texan,after our divorce I returned to Germany with my daughter.My second husband was a Caucasian American from North Carolina who lived in Hungary.At that time I was still working in Germany ,he left me for a cheap Hungarian woman 25 years younger than himself,I was happy I stayed in 🇩🇪 Germany.Now I am retired ,happy ,however worried about what is happening with politics in general but am still happy to be in Germany.My daughter is now an adult,bilingual,living in Berlin and happy.Nowhere on this planet is perfect 🤔 ,however in general I am happy with German politics so far 🤔👍❤️‼️

[@bensemr5109]

​@@travelingexpatsguess they re living in saarland 🤣🤣🤣

[@travelingexpats]

@@heikoscheuermann Thank you for watching and commenting. Greetings!

[@BartvandenAkker]

No. 8: Very few Europeans would want to live in the US. Visiting for the nature, of course. But living there??? It's the other way around. Many Americans leave the country to live in Europe as soon as they get the chance. (After they realize what a total mess the US is)

[@travelingexpats]

@@BartvandenAkker I think you are correct. Unfortunately, the US feels less and less like the land of opportunity for many people each year. I have spoken with many Europeans who love visiting and traveling through the USA, but wouldn’t want to live there. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@viperpit-k5j]

I am American and will not return to America to live again ever. Especially with the current president, i have lived here for well over 12 years and am happy. I could never return to the unsafe food, water, horrible healthcare, and public transportation.

[@Kari.F.]

The US used to be "too cool for school". 40 years ago, my friends and I used to dream about moving there. One did, and stayed for years. Dream and reality didn't mesh for her. Some of us (not me) went there on vacation for long road trips every couple of years. Now we're all happy that we didn't move there, and the long road trips stopped in 2016. My life would have been a lot more empty without their music, movies and authors, though. I think a lot of Europeans will agree with me about that! There are a lot of really nice Americans, but that's not a reason to move. I'm already surrounded by nice people where I live.

[@righteousmammon9011]

@@Kari.F. it all depends on where you are. You should think of America like the EU. My wife is German and loves living in Florida.

[@Kari.F.]

@righteousmammon9011 If I could feel safe, have universal healthcare, paid parental leave, sick leave and vacations, and all the other things we get for the taxes we pay here, I'm sure I'd enjoy living in the US, too. Do you have a state like that...? All countries in Europe have that - even those that aren't members of the EU.

[@stefangrune8033]

If your vehicle is allowed to drive faster than 60 km/h, you can use the Autobahn.

[@travelingexpats]

Thanks for watching and for the information.

[@PeterNGloor]

RUN faster

[@omsi-fanmark]

It must be *capable* to go 60km/h or faster *on paper,* that is according to the *offical documents.* It is the "Bauartbedingte Höchstgeschwindigkeit", the maximum speed the vehicle is designed to be capable of.

[@ElisabethBaumgart]

@@PeterNGloor Thanks so much, I've learned sth. new today.

[@christiankastorf4836]

That is why heavy vehicles such as those heavy duty cranes or self-driving drilling gear have that 62km/h sticker on their back. They are not allowed to move faster but they may use the Autobahn.

[@Adwaenyth]

As a gun owner in Germany, you have to do several things: If you want to own a gun, you either have to be member of a gun club, hunter or inherited the gun. Either way, you have to prove that you have the knowledge to handle a gun safely (which is called Waffensachkunde). When you apply for a license to own a gun, the public office will do a background check for any felonies or other reasons that would prohibit you owning a gun. If you also want to posess the ammunition, you have to have a reason to own the ammunition. That means that you're actively shooting in a shooting club or hunt in a specific hunting ground, and you have to prove that to get the license to own ammunition. Either way, you mustn't carry the weapon with you in a ready to shoot configuration, neither open nor concealed (except for a very specific license). That means while travelling you will have it in transport case that prevents you from having direct access to it. You may only ready your weapon when you're in your respective hunting ground or at the shooting range. Anyone that is allowed to carry a gun with them in public needs a very specific reason (and license) that is usually coupled to a certain job (e.g. as bodyguard, security service, police) that requires you to carry one. Even then you may only carry it while on the job and have to lock it away when you aren't.

[@travelingexpats]

Thank you for watching and sharing your knowledge with us.

[@Saiberion]

And for several years (maybe it's already a few decades) you also have to prove that you can safely store the weapon and ammunition at home. No weapon safe, no weapon permit.

[@Frank-kx6ky]

Same in Belgium.

[@NataschaO]

I think people judge the German language from hearing shouted commands in war films, or maybe Charlie Chaplin's portrayal of Hitler, when in fact it can sound quite gentle when spoken in a different tone.

[@travelingexpats]

Yes indeed. Thanks for watching.

[@bones6898]

Die jüngere Generation denkt sicherlich auch an die Songs von Rammstein ... aber das ist definiitv kein alltags Deutsch 😉

[@travelingexpats]

@ Das stimmt. Danke für zuschauen und kommentieren.

[@wolschou]

Beer being cheaper than water (or soda) used to be the case until around twenty years ago. A law was passed to turn that around, demanding the cheapest drink option on the menu to be non-alcoholic.

[@b.g.9257]

Confirmed! It used to be quite a topic that young people in clubs and discos rather drank beer than water, because beer was the cheapest drink offered.

[@stefanhaler3318]

That ist a Fake Story. Nowhere ist Beer cheaper than water. And also you can get tab water in restaurants. Just ask.

[@stefanhaler3318]

​@@b.g.9257no way. Water HAS to be cheaper than alcohol. That ist by law.

[@travelingexpats]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment and share your knowledge with us.

[@egonthefish4614]

Sorry, that’s wrong. First of all each law in Germany has a valid root cause. The fact that §6 GastG explicitly demands a non-alcoholic drink to be cheaper than every alcoholic (per Liter) should tell you the truth. And no, water wasn’t the one beverage cheaper than beer. Sometimes they choose sprite or apple juice. Just something with less demand to keep the profit on carbonated tap water.

[@alexamurawski4524]

The "Deutsche Bahn" used to be punktual, but since it's no longer in public hands but a privat corporation everything has changed

[@hape3862]

Deutsche Bahn has never gone public. It is still 100% owned by the German state. However, it is no longer _run_ by the state, but like a company, which is a good thing. The mistake was to force it to make a profit. Fortunately, that has been reversed.

[@KaiHenningsen]

@@hape3862 I'd say it's more complicated than either of you said, but both of you are generally on the right track.

[@winniemarvel7262]

@@hape3862 It´s true that Deutsche Bahn and the route network are still 100 percent state-owned, but the individual train connections, at least on secondary routes, are partly managed by private companies outside of the DB. But no, it has not yet been shown that running Deutsche Bahn as a private company would be advantageous, quite the opposite.

[@hape3862]

@ I didn't say it would be a good idea to take DB public and turn it into a private company (which was planned and got stuck before the shares could be sold). I have said that it is good that the government no longer runs DB itself. This is how competition on the railways became possible. My suggestion would be to split DB into two organizations, one that runs the trains (like the competition), and another, a non-profit company, that takes care of the tracks and stations - both still state-owned, mind you.

[@travelingexpats]

@@alexamurawski4524 Thank you for watching and sharing your knowledge with us.

[@arnodobler1096]

As a German in particular, I don't want to go down the path that the USA is currently taking!

[@travelingexpats]

@@arnodobler1096 We agree! 👍

[@marenhuwald1445]

Hopefully the Americans get rid of their dumb and ignorant president soon.

[@Arltratlo]

@@marenhuwald1445 he will sell the Ukraine and Europe to Putin...and the AfD will help him!

[@SkandalRadar]

Why? What exactly is the problem? What specifically bothers you?

[@hardig5760]

​​@@SkandalRadarAre you serious? Living under rocks? Please get information of the most partially unconstitutional Executive Orders of your new guy, a convicted felon, election fraudster and meme coin scammer. How its possible to the american people believing it is a good idea to accept this scumbag as a candidate first bothers most.

[@yxnsoong735]

Hi, there! Just a note - public transportation is not only the trains, but also the buses and trams. They are usually on time. Thanks from Germany

[@ElisabethBaumgart]

In my city the buses are always too early and don't wait for passengers who are on time, lol. The trams are perfectly on time, though - love it! It's funny how it's different in every region.

[@travelingexpats]

@@yxnsoong735 Yes, that is correct. In my experience, local transportation works very well in Germany. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@manfredhase2289]

In fact the German trains were pretty on time in former times, when it was in public hands. But some mismanagement in the 2000s and then the lack of investment in the infrastructure got it killed.

[@travelingexpats]

@@manfredhase2289 That’s really too bad. I’m still happy to have the trains though, they are much better than the non-existent trains from where I’m from. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@hape3862]

In terms of waiting times - for both general practitioners and specialists - Germany is in second place in the world, together with the Netherlands, only just behind the number 1, Switzerland. The USA is somewhere in the middle, rank 18 if I remember correctly. The German language has produced by far the most poets and poems of all languages. And thousands and thousands of them have been set to music by the greatest composers. That wouldn't have happened if German were a harsh language, would it? 2023 was the first year in history when more Americans moved to Germany than Germans to the USA. And I'm pretty sure that trend won't change in the next four years …

[@travelingexpats]

@@hape3862 Great Information. I didn’t know about the migration numbers, but I am not surprised and don’t think it will change anytime soon. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@inesjung6890]

Thank you for mentioning that German is not a harsh language. I am soooo sick of it. Did he ever listen to French? 😂😂😂

[@travelingexpats]

@@inesjung6890 German often times sounds very nice. Like any language, it just depends upon how it is being spoken. Someone who is angry and ranting will sound harsh in any language. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts.

[@heikoscheuermann]

@@inesjung6890 especially my badian dialect is the opposite of harsh. I even heard an american call it the most beautiful dialect in the world. That made my heart melt and i had a tear in my eye (after hearing badmouthing of the german language for years).

[@weltbuergerin2007]

I am a British ex Military nurse who worked in German civil Hospitals for years.I have also worked in British and American Hospitals .The hardest I ever worked was for the Germans but as a worker I was well taken care off ,even in the Covid Pandemic.Patients were well taken care off 🤔❤️‼️👍

[@Bourbonen]

Hi. I'm from cologne. We've here in Germany a law that any water has to be more cheap as alcohol. Any kind care against alcoholism. We Germans (like nearly all Europeans) drinked beer all the day from the dark age till maybe 1800. The reason for this was the water was often full with bakteria. So beer to drink was the way to don't get sick. But the beer was much less strong as today.

[@travelingexpats]

@@Bourbonen Thanks for watching and sharing your knowledge on the history of beer drinking in Germany. We love Cologne too , it’s a great city.

[@sualtam9509]

Hey, since I have a sweet spot for the great culture of the medieval period ; I want to defend the people from the common allegation of primitive squalor present in your comment. Especially Germany shows in two UNESCO world-heritage sited (Oberharzer Wasserregal & Augsburger Wasserkunst) the power and complexity of medieval water management systems. The idea that these people couldn't get fresh clean water is laughable to everyone familiar with the plentiful historical evidence. We don't have to denounce our ancestors as chronic alcoholics either. Think about it: How would really contaminated water get magically purified by brewing beer with it?

[@Bourbonen]

I don't start to ague with you now. I study the european medieval periode now for over 20 years. There are some exceptions but the most parts of europe had no bakteria free water.

[@inkenhafner7187]

​@@sualtam9509 alcohol does the trick, but actually you are right and most people had access to clean drinking water and at least in larger cities there were strict rules to keep the wells clean (and generally about cleanliness). I suggest the YT channel Geschichtsfenster for a deeper diver for all German speakers. He's been studying the late medival period for several years, didn't finish his history degree at university, but he's a real nerd.

[@jaschaschmidt]

On important point regarding the health insurances is that they are force by the laws to work as a non-profit company so nobody can get a profit from people being sick.

[@travelingexpats]

@@jaschaschmidt That is great information. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@JFKrieger]

And no Tax for insured healthcare Services. Hospitals, Doctors etc. mainly dont have to pay tax. It wouldn make sense, because its all covered by peoples already spent contributions.

[@hughjazz4936]

There isn't enough money on this planet to pay me to set foot in the US, let alone live there.

[@travelingexpats]

Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts.

[@anneli1735]

…especially what data they are asking you even about your skin color it’s the most racist country I know on earth and I used to travel A LOT 🙄 how you’re treated by authorities is simply disgusting 🤢

[@th60of]

6:01 That's the beauty of it: canceled trains can't be delayed and don't count in the statistics.

[@travelingexpats]

I didn’t know about that statistical loophole. Thanks for sharing.

[@Ikkeligeglad]

They count in other countries statistics, ex Denmark

[@jaschaschmidt]

If i remember correctly all train that are less then 6 minutes late are also considered on time for the official statistic edit. it was mentioned later

[@ag4444]

I'm German, I don't own a car and I think our train system is pretty good. I've been to nearly 100 countries and I would say max 8 countries are better. Especially if you compare the network density. I do e.g. prefer a denser network to trains being on time a few % more often. Especially if you compare e.g. France and Germany (I spend a lot of time in France) I always realise that the trains there are more on time but there are many places with no public transport at all or trains running only a few times a day. There were times when I had to hitchhike within France to even reach certain places (also no taxi available) and the likelihood of being those in a public transport deserts are way lower in Germany (just google the train networks). I'm also so happy that the Deutschlandticket exists and I can take the public transport in random German cities without having to think about how to get a ticket.

[@Why-D]

Especially local trains are quite reliable. But the long distance trains have the worst reliability in Europe, when I am right. But depending on where someone comes from, an unreliable lond distance train is better than none.

[@travelingexpats]

We love the Deutschland Ticket and are very thankful for DB. Great points about France, I didn’t realize they had so few stations. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@alteriusnonsit6124]

The Deutsche Bundesbahn was far (!) more punctual, far cleaner, more reliable (if something happened there were more redundant railway-lines) and much safer. About every second time I go by train today I'm witnessing some kind of tense situation with people shouting at each other. When I was young, traveling by train was absolutely safe no matter what time of day. The only exception was crowds of football fans overcrowding trains, every sane person tried to dodge those. In the 80s, a local train waggon was considered unclean if used newspapers were on a seat. Nowadays in the evening most local trains look like pig styes. I never experienced trains you could not board because they were overcrowded until about 10 years ago. Nowadays this happens quite often, even twice in a row (can't board, you wait for the next train and you can't board that one either). On the other hand, back in the early 80s there was no way of cheap traveling by train.

[@finimonster]

Thank you very much, i am german and its so nice to see people from other countries , living here and they are content with their life in this country. It would be so easy to live all together everywere in the world. In our times the spirit changes in a bad way in so many countries, even in the USA. We have to try stand this changes and one way is to be honest and resist rumors and lies... Best regards, you made my day...

[@travelingexpats]

Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to share your kind thoughts with us.

[@weltbuergerin2007]

I am a Brit who has been living in Germany over 30years and would like to say that this video is spot on,thank you 👍

[@travelingexpats]

@@weltbuergerin2007 Thank you for watching and taking the time to leave your lovely comment.

[@weltbuergerin2007]

@ ,👍i also shared on Facebook ✔️

[@travelingexpats]

@@weltbuergerin2007 thank you! We appreciate your support.👍

[@viperpit-k5j]

I noticed that there are alot of yall Brits in Germany, especially in areas like Bielefeld and areas around.

[@weltbuergerin2007]

@@viperpit-k5j ,I am in Hessen ,outside Frankfurt and love it 🤔❤️‼️👍

[@KaiHenningsen]

Actually, I still remember when they made a rule that places *had* to have a nonalcoholic drink cheaper - or at least as cheap as? - the cheapest alcoholic drink, because before that that wasn't the case. I don't remember what year that was, but it was long ago. I'm almost 65, and I suspect I was in my early twenties back then.

[@travelingexpats]

@@KaiHenningsen I didn’t realize the law was put in place so long ago. Thanks for letting us know.

[@m.h.6470]

The law is colloquially called "Apfelsaft-Paragraph" (apple juice paragraph) and was actually introduced in 2001, so not THAT old. I am 40, so I remember it quite well, as I was 17 back than.

[@MoDKoP]

@@m.h.6470 I would guessed, that the law was introduced in the mid to late 90´s. But I still remember Kneipen (Pub) and Disco (Club) visits between 1985 and 1995 with beer on tap being the cheapest drink! The reason for that: most of those places had a contract with a single brewery only selling only their beer. Part of the contract was usually a loan! That loan was reduced by a certain amount of money for every hectoliter of beer sold.

[@travelingexpats]

@ Thanks for the information!

[@Radies-chan]

The "Tschüssiiii!!" was on point haha xD great video

[@travelingexpats]

@@Radies-chan thank you! We love to hear it from our car mechanic who’s very serious but when we leave, he always says it.😂

[@51tomtomtom]

Tschüssi is certainly not "typical" German , already Tschüss is not typical for southern Germany.....

[@GettingNervous]

I don't know anyone who wants to emigrate to the USA, but I know many Americans who have emigrated from the USA to Germany in recent years and are very happy and content here. And I often hear the argument that Americans feel much safer here in Germany. A good friend of mine came to New York as a tourist and was shot when he asked for directions. He died on vacation in the USA. But I don't want to be afraid for my life on vacation.

[@travelingexpats]

I‘m so sorry to hear that. That’s terrible and so sad. Yes, I think most Americans feel much safer in Germany. I know we do. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts.

[@annefiedler1956]

When our reporters were traveling across the country before the 2024 election in order to ask people about their thaughts about Trump and Harris quite a lot of the people said something like europe or germany isn't free or ruled by socialism. There even was a teacher who believed in this. This really shocked me

[@travelingexpats]

Yes, it is very sad how uninformed many people in the United States are these days. Sometimes I feel like there must be an award for being ignorant. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@johnhobbes2268]

Regarding the speed limit, something interesting is the amount of casualties. In the 90s Germany had 9k death while the us hat 50k death while the us has 4 times the population. (so just 30% higher in the US) While it is now down below 3k in Germany and 45k in the US.

[@travelingexpats]

Interesting. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@JoseC888888]

My dear friend, I must tell you about something that always amazes my American friends when they come to visit me in Munich during the summer. They are always surprised by the number of people sunbathing naked along the Isar river next to the city gates, of all ages and genders. And I can't forget the time when I was invited to an office day out at a nudist lake beach! They were all there, the receptionist and all my colleagues, drinking a beer and talking about cars and sports 😂

[@travelingexpats]

That sounds like quite an exciting experience. Thanks for watching and sharing your story.

[@Jan_Seidel]

To be a gun owner in Germany you must prove to be reliable as a gun is a big responsibility. Your personal crime register at the state level is used as reference and afaik also your drivers register. Not sure if there are more background checks. But they are better pristine before wrapping your mind around a legit reason to own a gun. Hunting and sports shooting are the most used and "easiest" to be proved legit as a reason. To be a person of interest who wants a gun for self-defense is going down a completely different lane. Only semi-action guns are allowed. In principle you can own a .50 BMG in Germany. Finding a shooting range - which allows more than 10.000 Joules is the bigger deal. You need a certificate for weapons handling. You must be member of a shooting club or a hunters community if you give one of the two mentioned main reasons. As hunter your also have to certify as hunter which includes shooting game and prepare it for further use like cooking or preserving the skin. Police may come and visit you without a heads up, to validate it still is in your possession and how you store it. Weapon and ammo must be separated in such a way that you cannot grab gun and ammo in one action. Average time to get a guns owner license approved is 2 years

[@bassafarside6071]

I believe there is a background check including needing two people to vouch for you as a responsible person and I think there is also a check for prior psychological problems, but I am not sure.

[@travelingexpats]

@@Jan_Seidel Thanks for watching and providing the information on gun ownership. That’s very interesting.

[@travelingexpats]

@bassafarside6071 That would make sense. Thanks for watching and sharing your knowledge with us.

[@misssphere2333]

As a hunter you don't have to be a member of anything, but you need the hunting license. And strictly speaking, you can get the license and never go hunting but own the weapons. You can also get a hunting license (which equals a gun owner license) and everything else you need to buy the weapons within a few weeks, it's just not a very good idea to do so, except if you're kind of born into a hunting family and know everything already. Whether the weapons and ammo need to be stored seperately or not depends on the gun cabinet.

[@misssphere2333]

@bassafarside6071 Maybe for sports, not for hunting.

[@bramscheDave]

Health care is generally very good. I have had several operations and have not had to wait for more than a month or so for non-emergency operations. I've been taken to hospital twice by ambulance, one a suspected stroke (one side of my face paralized, it turned out to be a viral infection in my spine) and everything was covered 100% by the medical insurance. The only things that generally have a long waiting list as orthopedic specialists, dentists and psychiatrists - generally because there are simply too few of them in our area. Emergency dental treatment, I can get an appointment within a day, if it is just a filling or something, I generally have to wait a week or two.

[@travelingexpats]

@@bramscheDave Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@Stefan_W69]

The Bahn used to be always punctual before a certain guy came in and made it an AG and moved lots of cost cuts forward. It hasn't recovered from that since then.

[@travelingexpats]

Thank you for commenting!

[@juanfran579]

What I find annoying ahout US-Americans is that they always refer to themselves as Americans ignoring that a Bolivian is as American as themselves.

[@travelingexpats]

Sorry to offend you my fellow American. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts.

[@Rsama60]

I have friends in Brazil and the feel the same.

[@ElisabethBaumgart]

Then again, you might argue that when they emphasize the US part, that they seem arrogant for not wanting to be put into one pot with Bolivians. ;-) I get you, I really do, and personally I call US-Americans US-Americans, but in the end they are Americans, too. We're all earthlings and all Germans are Europeans as well.

[@LisaBeta-42]

@ElisabethBaumgart But if you are not from the USA, they living there should be called "Them"-Americans - all other Americans are always "Us"-Americans compared to Asians, Europeans or Africans - all those continents have lots of different countries rubbing shoulders, having different languages and political systems too.

[@moplesnaise4596]

Fun fact: even the name "america" was 'invented' by germans :) The name America was derived from the first name of the Italian Amerigo Vespucci (1451-1512), who was the first European to discover the mouth of the Amazon and the first to write that the land described by Christopher Columbus as the first European in the course of the transatlantic voyages was not India or Asia, but rather a continent in its own right. So basically the first part of the continent that was called "america" was south america.

[@olafgogmo5426]

Marlene Dietrich und Helene Fischer in one sentence? That's an insult!

[@travelingexpats]

Thanks for watching. I can tell you were paying attention.

[@PeterNGloor]

AFAIK Fischer is not even German

[@travelingexpats]

@ Really? She’s so popular here. I thought she was German. Fischer is a German name, is she from Austria?

[@PeterNGloor]

@@travelingexpats Not quite. She is from Krasnojarsk, Siberia, (former USSR). Her forbears were deported there from the Black Sea. The name is originally German, though.

[@HarryCaneNo1]

No1: public transportation is far away from being great in Germany. But its also complaining on a very high level. The reason why so many people complain about it is simply because so many people use it. For example: at my old University in Bochum there are city trains arriving every three minutes during rush hour and they're always full to the max. For longer distances the problem is that one delay often causes a second and so on. Overall we can be quite happy with our public transportation, we're just too spoiled. No2: technically the Autobahn has no fixed speed limit. But due to construction sites, driveways, bridges etc you will find limits everywhere. Being "expected" to drive full speed simply means that we have the so called "Rechtsfahrgebot" (a law telling you to drive on the far right lane when ever possible) so that fast and slow drivers dont cause traffic jams. No3: never heard of that nonsense :D:D In fact there is a law for gastronomy that says the cheapest non-alcoholic drink has to be cheaper than the cheapest alcoholic drink. No4: well thats just stupid xD No5: its allowed but only under very specific conditions. Its nowhere comparible to US gun laws. And most important: nobody here needs one (just as in the US nobody needs one but, you know....propaganda...) No6: absolute bullshit from beginning to end, in all honesty. Yes, appointments are tough to get but thats not a healthcare issue, we just dont have enough specialists. Germany has a high population of older people, so there are just a lot of people who need special treatments. The healthcare system is absolutely fine. Whether you have a job or not, you will always get taken care of, thats just facts. No7: to my ears dutch is much worse :D No8: I would never ever move to the US, especially not since you started to elect Trump. Rotten education system, religious propaganda and superstition everywhere, racism, manipulative television, fake news, miserable health care, crime rates from a 80s action movie, ridiculous patriotism, medieval elections, horrible social care,..... could name twenty more things.

[@travelingexpats]

Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. I’ve heard that Bochum has the best Currywurst, is that true?

[@alidemirbas6566]

Another Amtrak passenger travelling with me from Florida to California also assumed that every German tourist wants to stay in USA forever, by default. I was mindblown. I told him as polite as I could that I would NEVER move to a gun controlled country with less freedom, less rights, less leisure time and less amneties. I could not convince him.

[@travelingexpats]

That’s the way many Americans believe and you can’t convince them otherwise. Thanks for watching and taking the time to share your experience.

[@peterbreis5407]

It is very beautiful where you are. The frost on the trees is magic! Thanks for the excellent heads up.

[@travelingexpats]

Thanks for watching. It is very beautiful here and it was really cold that day. Thanks for commenting.

[@travelingexpats]

Thanks for the compliments! We are glad you found the video interesting.

[@Jorg-cv3xt]

Nice video as always. Just a minor correction: Minimum required speed for vehicles to be allowed to go on the Autobahn is 60km/h (=Minimumgeschwindigkeit) . One addition: On parts of the Autobahn where is no speed limit and driving conditions are appropriate (i.e. no rain, snow, ice, fog, etc.) there is recommended speed of 130 km/h (=Richtgeschwindigkeit).

[@travelingexpats]

@@Jorg-cv3xt Thank you for watching and your comments. That’s good information to know.

[@SyIe12]

👍⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐👍⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ EXCELLENT WORK!! KEEP TELLING THE TRUTH! THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXPLANATION.

[@travelingexpats]

Thank you for watching and for your kind comments. We will do our best to keep making good videos.

[@dorisschneider-coutandin9965]

I had medical issues the last three months, roughly mid October until very recently. My journey was: I started to notice minor gyn problems in October. Nothing overly serious it seemed, so I waited. By November things were not really improving, so I scheduled a doctor's appointment (ob-gyn) by mid November. Following that I had an appointment in a major clinic (Uniklinik) on December 5th, and I had my (small) operation done on January 14th, not yet two weeks ago. I was very content with how everything went, the clinic especially is very good, very top notch, and also not much waiting time overall. Germany, of course. I did not pay one single penny, not for the ultrasounds made, not for the outpatient treatment, not for half a day in hospital care (lunch included!), and not for the surgery and everything involved.

[@travelingexpats]

Thank you for watching and sharing your story. We wish you continued successful recovery and many years of good health.

[@sanSDI]

The hospital normally costs 10 Euros a day. I would have to pay that for 12 days, after that it's free if you need to be in longer.

[@dorisschneider-coutandin9965]

@@sanSDI Not when you don't stay overnight. I had my sugery in the morning, and went home after lunch.

[@RalfOltmanns]

I can confirm that an establishment in Germany offering drinks has to offer - by law - a non-alcoholic beverage cheaper than the cheapest alcoholic beverage.

[@herbertgonswa3503]

Great video ! But to be direct: Visiting the US, absolut phantastic, the landscapes, the wildlife, the width, the campgrounds and the people, but living there, absolut no, the drug problems, the homeless, way too much guns and gun regulation and i won`t get bancrupt cause I´m getting old and ill. We had several trips to the US and visited several states like new England, the southwest, Alaska and a tour from Canada to Florida what we absolut enjoyed, but we never wanted to live there. Greetings from Hamburg

[@travelingexpats]

@@herbertgonswa3503 Greetings! We hope all is well in lovely Hamburg and hope to visit there again soon. Many Germans I have spoken with share your thoughts. They really enjoy visiting the U.S., but wouldn’t want to live there for the same reasons you mentioned. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@dragonlover2085]

Same here. I love the south west, my lovely santa fe, the clear sunny sky, the desert, the canyons, absolutely fascinating. But living is better here at home.

[@herbertgonswa3503]

@@dragonlover2085 Sadly, we never made it to Santa Fe, but we Like the Southwest and the desert.

[@dragonlover2085]

@@herbertgonswa3503 It's worth it.

[@i-bux]

As a German expat who’s been living in Spain for over 25 years I am sure that most Europeans prefer to live on this side of the pond! Btw: You might wish to correct your use of “many” and “much” - Nichts für ungut. No offense intended.

[@monlynx]

As a teen or twen, me and my now wife dreamed about living in the US. But learning about social conditions, health care, child care we quickly abandoned this. Visiting yes, living no. Even now, when I see job offers from US companies advertising "20 day vacation" as a USP, I must say: No. And I am not Gen Z with the work-live-balance attitude!

[@travelingexpats]

Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@claudiag8823]

Really? 20 day vacation is what they call a USP? I would laugh if it wasn't so sad. Or maybe we are really spoiled here where 30 days is normal.^^

[@B.Pa.]

Thanks for that video. I just want to add the following: In driving school I learned, that you always have to maintain an appropriate driving speed. Appropriate means not faster than you can see and react. If you have an accident and drove too fast for the situation/weather, you have to cover all costs - including those of other people involved. So you don't need a sign everywhere - it is written in the "Straßenverkehrsordnung"/ the Road Traffic Regulations of Germany. Not all Germans drink beer, Gemany also is a wine country. The profit from the drinks is also the rent for using the restaurant, so you pay for all drinks. And there is beer and wine without alkohol here. And most people usually drink coffee and tea. Most people in Germany don't have guns, so I can be pretty sure I won't get shot when I walk down the street and I prefer that. To be a hunter you must pass a test before. And I prefer, that I will not loose everything, when I get a seriouse illness like cancer, because of a good health and insurance system. German is also the language of Goethe, Schiller, Heine and others. Germans do not behave as it is shown in Hollywood films. And yes, most people don't want to go to the USA. American relatives tried to persuade my parents to move to America, they had the opportunity and didn't go and never regretted it. That was in the fifties. The same thing happened to me in the eighties and I'm really glad I don't have to live in the USA.

[@travelingexpats]

Great points. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@joeriedler4952]

What a great post. Usually I do not comment here on KZbin any posts but your "lies most Americans etc" is brilliant and worth recommending to my friends. I have spent over 40 years of my life abroad (mainly Ireland, England and the US) and I know what you're saying in "biggest misconceptions etc" . Look forward to read your next post !

[@travelingexpats]

@@joeriedler4952 Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@derpapito1391]

I used to have to explain a lot to germans why I prefer to stay in germany. Over the last 15 years it needed less explaining each year

[@travelingexpats]

I believe this. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@Lambo193]

I was very amused when someone told me a few years ago that everything from "The big bang theory" is scientifically verified. I had to contradict that, because at some point Sheldon praised the punctuality of the "Deutsche Bahn" very convincingly, which can be quickly refuted both statistically and based on experience 😂

[@travelingexpats]

@@Lambo193 😂 I love that show. Thanks for watching and making me laugh.

[@slackerbob4437]

14:12 there is a wooden carved Statue of an Owl right in the middle of nowhere!

[@travelingexpats]

Those are new additions to our country trails. We also have a fox, eagle, wild boar along the trail. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@RalfOltmanns]

Low limit on the Autobahn is: Your vehicle needs to be capable to go at least 60 km/h.

[@Syndur]

Actually, the "minimum speed" for your vehicle to be allowed on certain roads, including autobahns, is 60 km/h. Otherwise, trucks wouldn't even be able to go on Autobahns -- they are legally limited to 80 km/h on Autobahns, and often can't go much higher than that. Also, it's a technical limit -- your vehicle must be able to go at 60 km/h. It doesn't mean you can't go any lower than that on Autobahns. You probably shouldn't go below 80 unless signs tell you to or the weather/road-conditions demand, it because truck drivers will be annoyed -- they prefer to go at 80 (and slightly higher...) whenever possible so they can cover as much distance as possible during their working hours.

[@joachimbehr2049]

das vehikel muss über 60kmh fahren können also 61 reicht

[@joachimbehr2049]

also legal nichtn das MOFA mit 120

[@travelingexpats]

@@Syndur Thank you for watching and sharing your information with us.

[@frankbalk185]

@@joachimbehr2049 Right. The sign on the back of slow vehicles show no 60, but a 61 - just to show, they are allowed to move there

[@thiloreichelt4199]

The Faun Mammut/Elefant truck the Bundeswehr uses to haul around the Leopard tanks are officially build to make 62km/h so it can use the Autobahn.

[@DasMeppen]

We call bubbly water soda. What a suprise when you learn that soda is suggar water in america

[@travelingexpats]

@@DasMeppen Yes indeed. We can’t eat or drink anything in America without a lot of sugar.

[@JorigenLeBeig]

Well, waiting 1 year for an appointment is definitely the case with certain specialists if you have public health insurance. A good friend of mine needed an outpatient appointment with a cardiologist. He got it on 6 January 2025 for 20 January. However: 2026 !!! When he told me this, I was absolutely shocked and tried something: as a privately insured person, I called the same cardiologist and asked for an appointment for exactly the same thing. I was offered an appointment for 24 January...this year. So within a good 2 weeks. For other specialists, a waiting time of around 6 months is also quite common for people with public health insurance, although not everywhere. So...this point is definitely not necessarily a lie, and I find these extreme and artificially created long waiting times for people with public health insurance disgusting, perverse and anti-social. But it must also be said that if it's really urgent, you always have the alternative of being treated as an inpatient in hospital...there are generally no such waiting times there and you can be referred directly to hospital or go there. Greetings from Niederrhein (the Lower Rhine)...

[@travelingexpats]

@JorigenLeBeig Wow! What a sad story. I hope all works out well for your friend. Thanks for watching and sharing your story.

[@steffis9969]

I would like to add, there is a very expensive process with difficult exams to get your drivers license. And, military language is always harsh, no matter the country

[@travelingexpats]

Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@svenpetersen1965]

I lived in Munich in the 1990s and I have had friends who were US soldiers or retirees at that time. Of course, the retirees stayed with there German wives in Munich. Sure, I did not meet those, who went back to the US. I had the impression, that they really liked it in Munich. I have been in America almost every year at that time and enjoyed my stay. That was mainly, because I liked the people, who I stayed with. Unfortunately, many of them have dies already, so I have less requirements to go to the US, nowadays. I especially liked to eat steaks and everything beef. It is better than here. I also liked buying jeans and t-shirts and CDs, because they were much cheaper. What I did dislike was the unfriendliness of the immigration officers, when I arrived. I think, the greatest misconception, that Americans have about Germany is, that it is everywhere the same. Lederhosen, dirndls and beer steins. That is definitely not the case. There are big cultural differences and differences in dialects and how the language sounds. I am from the very north of Germany and I moved to the very south in the 1970s and I didn’t understand the dialect at all. It was like Chinese to me. In the first class in Bavaria, I have asked my teacher „Do you speak English?“ and he totally freaked out on me. We never became friends and he was my music teacher for six years. In Bavaria, people speak with a low pitch voice with comparatively little modulation, in the north, people speak with a higher voice with a strong (pitch) modulation. The dialects are pretty different although not spoken as much as 50 years ago. When I met the first people from the Black Forest area in boot camp, I really had to learn to understand them. Also, the average mentality varies a lot depending on the state/area. And I would not really call those points a lie. Most things have been true or kind of true or maybe just a little bit true in the past. Like beer drinking. People drank much more beer in the past. In the military (in Bavaria) I was allowed to drink beer at lunch break. On my first day in Erding (I served in the north before), there was a window in the canteen and when the blinds went up at 12pm, there was a guy, who was tapping beer. About 8 1/2 seconds later, I was his customer 🙂 And on Autobahn around Munich, we have speed limits most of the time. Or it is so crowded, that you can be happy to go 50mph. Today, I was lucky and I went 200km/h (120mph) a couple of minutes. The healthcare here is pretty good and the health insurance is not a cheap thing, though. Usually, the company, you are working for, pays about half of it. I don’t work in a company, I have to pay both halves. That is >1000€ per month. But anyway, a disease doesn‘t make you bankrupt, here. About gun ownership: absolutely correct, what you said. I think, the most important difference is the carry permit. You can own a gun if you have passed the exam on laws and gun handling plus a proved necessity to own a gun. But you are not allowed to carry the gun. You can transport it to the shooting range in a locked up case, separated from the ammo. And at home, you have to keep the guns in a safe. Not in your kitchen drawer. And with an average gun, there are less incidents than with an average bathing pants here in Germany. Well at least, when I have learned about it, long ago.

[@travelingexpats]

Thank you for watching and sharing your very interesting points.

[@bertrackmunisz1684]

Very honest and correct assessment, I agree 100% on all points.

[@travelingexpats]

Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@ChrisTian-rm7zm]

One of the most gentle sounding German singers is Reinhard Mey.

[@thorstenguenther]

I'd say Katja Moslehner (e.g. in Faun's "Federkleid"), because she uses the trick of mostly omitting the glottal stop.

[@travelingexpats]

@@ChrisTian-rm7zm Thank you for watching. I‘ll take a listen to Reinhard May.

[@travelingexpats]

@@thorstenguenther Thank you for the recommendation.

[@gudrundietrich2158]

If you love gentle soundings German singers try Anett Louisan.

[@ChrisTian-rm7zm]

@ "Lass nun ruhig los das Ruder" is a very beautiful and sad song by Reinhad May. His best known song is "Über den Wolken"

[@RalfOltmanns]

German railway used to be way more reliable. But once the government focused to privatize the "Bundesbahn" as "Deutsche Bahn AG", they started cutting essential budgets which started the decline.

[@travelingexpats]

@@RalfOltmanns That’s unfortunate. I understand that it was really great before. I still use DB frequently and I’m very happy to have it available, but I always assume the schedule is more of an estimate rather than a set time. Thanks for watching and taking the time to respond.

[@AleaumeAnders]

The main reason why restaurants will not be happy if you ask for tap water is simple: economics. The prices for meals in restaurants usually result in a rather small profit margin. You know, paying staff a living wage instead of a sub-minimum wage pitance will increase costs. The main profit for the restaurant comes from the higher prices for drinks, and that there are no free refills. Which also works well with a different restaurant culture. In Europe in general customers are used to take their time eating, talking, sipping their drinks, basically enjoy the experience. The longer they stay, the more the profit from those drinks will rake up.

[@travelingexpats]

@@AleaumeAnders I agree with most of your points. I wonder how the restaurant pricing in France is different as they (in my experience) almost always bring a container of water to the table without us even asking for it. I suppose the French always order other drinks to go along with the water. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@AleaumeAnders]

@@travelingexpats Yep, frenchmen are less stingy when it comes to food and drinks than germans are. So you are completely right, they are much more willing to order whine, soda or beer despite having free water. Also, where americans are comlimented out of the restaurants after 30 mins, and germans leave after 60 mins by themselves, french meals easily take 90-120 mins. Differences in culture apply not only between the US and Germany, but also between Germany and other european countries. In my experience though, most europeans share a cluster of cultural similarities (work-life-balance, similar balances of egoism vs. altruism, less exceptionalism) that are hard to grasp for americans. The biggest problem here is, that while european countries and the USA have similar cultures in the more shallow aspects, there are very significant cultural differences in the more important life paradigms.

[@travelingexpats]

@ I agree. It’s difficult for US Americans to understand the German and overall European way of life, maybe pace of life is a better way to phrase it, upon arrival. It was for me. I must admit that I didn’t like it at first. But after a while, 6 months, maybe a year, I really learned to appreciate things here. Now I find it difficult to adjust to the American pace of life when I return home.

[@Frank-kx6ky]

@@travelingexpats Same in Belgium , you have to pay for water...demanding tap water is not done here, it's very rare. But even if you pay for water, it is expected that you order some other drinks like wine or beer. It's just part of the culture. For me , and many others , it would just be very odd to drink only tap water with your meal....

[@Frank-kx6ky]

@@AleaumeAnders Insane to leave the restaurant after just 30 min....even 60 minutes is way too fast....we in Belgium are more like the French , you go the restaurant not only to eat , but to socialize and enjoy the evening.

[@michaausleipzig]

Took the train today for my way back home after visiting my grandma in her tiny village. Bang on time, including a transfer. But of course the numbers don't lie and punctuality and reliability are a huge issue at the moment. It mostly comes down to chronically underfunded infrastructure required to run at max over even above capacity. Fixing this will take a lot of time and money but at least the right steps are being taken now. Let's hope our next (most likely CDU-led) government will continue to fund our railway system according to its needs. The minimum speed for vehicles on the Autobahn is 60km/h. And I think a lot of the safety of that road system has to do with the 80km/h speed limit for trucks. Granted, in reality their speed is closer to 90km/h, still that's slower than in the US. When I visited there I was in a rental car and paid extra super attention to never go above the speed limit. For some reason I was hellbent on avoiding any contact with US cops. Anyway I was going the exact speed limit and suddenly a truck came up behind me, tailgaiting aggressively. Not a very nice experience. Got off at the next exit just to get rid of him. I think you're right about the non-alc beverage must be cheaper than the cheapest alc beverage law. Also I don't like beer. Just don't like the taste. I prefer wine or mixed drinks. I'm 38 years old and have seen guns in exactly three contexts. In the holster of a police officer. That happens whenever you come across one of course Over the shoulder of a hunter who crossed our path when we were hiking some day. That happened once. In an establishment called "Schießkeller" where I was as part of a friend's bachelor party. After an introduction you can go to their indoor shooting range and fire some guns. That happened once. It was the only time I have ever handled a firearm. It was fun. I was better than expected. Might do it again some day. Do I feel the need to have one at home or run around with one all the time? Hell no!! The US has absolutely nothing to offer which would make me even consider moving there. Sorry... 🤷‍♂ On the contrary, I have met several Americans here in Germany who have fled (their words!) the US.

[@travelingexpats]

@@michaausleipzig Great comments! Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. We just took a train journey to Cologne over the past few days and like you, every train was on time and every connection was made. Sometimes luck is on our side I guess. 😂 Enjoy Leipzig, we sure do miss it.

[@claudiakarl2702]

Not if the CSU is getting the infrastructure again - then all the money will go to Bavaria, like all those decades before.

[@travelingexpats]

@claudiakarl2702 Hopefully not. Thanks for watching.

[@weltbuergerin2007]

I love the way the Germans speak 🤔❤️‼️

[@travelingexpats]

Me too!

[@PeterNGloor]

I like only their dialects and accents.

[@th60of]

8:27 In fact, over 60 km/h only. Not recommended, though...

[@travelingexpats]

Thanks for the information.

[@CyWS17]

Exactly! 60km/h is the technical minimum requirement only. In theory you’re allowed to go as slow as you wish, as long as you don’t create danger. In practice it gets dangerous if you’re slower than the „LKW“ / semi trucks. They usually go their speed limit of 80km/h +10km/h, so 90-100km/h is usually considered a safe and practical minimal speed.

[@travelingexpats]

@ Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@GinJ1337]

No. 1: People probably say that because it actually used to be very punctual. I am German and grew up there and witnessed it going from great to crap. So it is like the reputation did not catch up to reality yet. It is like some (usually older) people think Japan is super expensive. Well, it used to be in the 80s. But now it is cheap.

[@travelingexpats]

@@GinJ1337 Thanks for watching!

[@iceworxtvlive2824]

Yes, before the "Apfelsaftparagraph" (the "applejuice law"), it was very common for restaurants to push the sale of alcoholic beverages, especially wine, because the share they could earn from the sales was very high. So they just kept the prices as high or even higher for softdrinks, water etc. Usually a restaurant earns way more money with the beverages, than the food (which often just cover the cost for the ingredients and the work). But in 2001 it all changed by law, so beer would never be the cheapest drink on the menu, regarding price/liter.

[@travelingexpats]

Thank you for watching and sharing your knowledge.

[@AP-RSI]

As far as beer is concerned, I have to say that I haven't drunk beer for almost 20 years. I prefer a glass of wine or the occasional whisky. There are many medieval folk music bands in Germany that sing in German and there is nothing ‘harsh’ about it. Maybe some (Americans) should give them a listen! Just as an example: Faun - Federkleid or other songs by Faun! And no, I would never move to America. My sister lived in the USA for a few years, was married to an American for a few years and still came back to Germany (and divorced him!). She would never move back there either, she said.

[@travelingexpats]

@@AP-RSI Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. I will listen to Faun and check out their music.

[@AP-RSI]

@@travelingexpats It's worth it! I like Faun very much!

[@peterweiss123]

Great video!

[@travelingexpats]

@@peterweiss123 Thank You for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@peterweiss123]

@@travelingexpats Of course :)

[@MrHodoAstartes]

14:07 Yes. You need to have something that's cheaper than beer on the menu. Precisely because a lot of places used to offer very cheap beer as an incentive to make guests stay a long time and pay for a lot of drinks (the main earner for restaurants). Which was seen as an undue incentive to drink alcohol and thus a health risk for the population. So, to not economically enforce drinking on people with tight budgets, they made it a rule you had to offer something non-alcoholic that's at least the same price.

[@travelingexpats]

Great information, thanks for watching and sharing your knowledge.

[@doomhippie6673]

The problem with the German rail system is that Germany invested a lot of money in building up the former GDR states and modernize the infrastructure there and then for some reasons decided once that was done to just let things stay the way they were in the early 2000s. Well.... looks like infrastructure need repairs and maintenance. So now bridges and tracks are old and rotten, things break down etc. And that adds up. And causes massive delays. Even though we are a little miffed with our rail companies in reality they are working hard to fix things - only the lack of care and love, the idea that they have to make a profit (thanks capitalism) has left a huge gap of investment that is not easy to fix quickly.

[@travelingexpats]

Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts.

[@Laleolie]

Trains are a sore subject xD. They used to be very punctual, where a two minute delay was mentionable...but that was like twenty years ago. Things have deteriorated significantly in that regard. Whenever somebody mentions DB now, many people immediately feel a lot of frustration. You're not wrong saying that it's good to even have the infrastructure, I agree. It's just that a lot of people depend on it and the government would like us to depend even more on it for ecological and climate reasons....and that's a little unreasonable considering how the situation is with trains constantly not arriving at all or being really late, especially if you need them to get to work and other important appointments or to transfer like you said. Sometimes trains are so overcrowded, because another train was cancelled, you can't even get on it. ; /

[@travelingexpats]

Thanks for watching!

[@gulli72]

I'm German, I've been lazily binging bodycam footage over the past few days, and I can confirm that I'd rather live alone in a Siberian hut than move to the US and run the risk of interacting with any and all of the people involved in what I saw, including the callers, the suspects and the cops.

[@travelingexpats]

@@gulli72 Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. I can imagine that some of that footage is quite interesting.

[@zeideerskine3462]

The Deutsche Bahn was super reliable and cheap until about the year 2000. Then pressure came on to privatize. The same holds true for bus service. Privatization was and still is a very bad idea. Public transport and the mail system must never be privatized. That was an American idea and a very bad one at that.

[@travelingexpats]

@@zeideerskine3462 America is full of bad ideas it seems. Sorry about that. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@zydhargaming1537]

Lie #3: as some other ppl pointed out: there is the so called "Apfelsaftparagraph" meaning 1 drink has to be cheaper than all alcoholic beverages to make sure young ppl don't drink beverages because it's cheaper

[@travelingexpats]

Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@Jochen.Lutz-Germany]

It is right that restaurants have to offer a non alcoholic drink that is cheaper than beer or wine. Regarding guns you are not allowed to own a gun when you are previously convicted. Furthermore you have to store them in a special firearmlocker and the guns have to be unloaded.

[@travelingexpats]

@@Jochen.Lutz-Germany Thank you for watching and sharing your knowledge with us.

[@LucaSitan]

You can always order a 1 liter bottle of water for the table which comes in a cooler - it's not cheap but cheaper than 4 small individual bottles of water. Same with wine :)

[@travelingexpats]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@ervie60]

Fun fact: during an introduction process working for a German industrial group I was taken for a tour around the production facilities. The place is Nuremburg so nothern part of Bavaria to put this in context. Second I am talking about 1996. Now that fun part, all over the factory floor there were vending machines and they stocked half liter bottles of beer. Since I am Dutch I was a bit amazed at that; alcohol on the workfloor........

[@travelingexpats]

@@ervie60 I wonder if they still have beer in the vending machines there? That’s a great story, thanks for watching and sharing your experience with us.

[@martinpahl5652]

You sure they were selling beer or just non alcoholic drinks in the same brown, half litre bottles? The company I worked for Germany in had a similar vending machine with these brown, half litre bottles: water, lemonade, isotonic drinks - not a beer in sight. As for wanting to live in the USA - that is the last place most Germans I know would ever want to live. So many better choices.

[@travelingexpats]

@ Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@DannyK84]

Back in the day it was very likely that you could get beer from that vending machine, there was no rule that prevented you from drinking beer during your break at work. Nowadays this has changed and only certain employers in bavaria would allow their employees to drink beer at work.

[@ervie60]

@@martinpahl5652 I am 100 %sure. Asked about it and was reassured it was proper beer.

[@celltest7645]

Thanks for your thoughts. As a German, I agree with all of them. Some add-ons: 1. Deutsche Bahn really became less reliable when Mehdorn fired thousands of people in order to "make it fit for the stock exchange". Those thousands of people are still Missing and one of the reasons of delays. Another point to consider is the Deutschlandticket which allows Germans to use all public transport in Germany except for the high speed trains for 58 € per month or 40.60 € per month as a job ticket. That includes buses, trains, trams, ferries and even some on demand cars depending on the location and time. Even given the delays, that is an exceptional offer and a really good value for the money spent. 2. I also drove about 20,000 miles on US highways and I fully agree that I feel mich safer on the German Autobahn where people stick to the rules, even creating a Rettungsgasse, emergency lane in the middle of two lanes in a traffic jam. In the US, people passed me in both sides without even thinking about it. 3. As you said, beer used to be cheaper than water until a law came out ensuring that every restaurant/bar/whatever needs to offer at least one non-alcoholic drink that is cheaper than the cheapest alcoholic drink. 4. Germans do not drink beer all the time but it is legal to consume alcohol in public which is banned in most of the US, so that might lead to this misconception. 5. Gun laws are pretty strict in Germany. It is possible to own a pistol or a rifle but definitely not to own a machine gun of any kind. 6. Health care in Germany is still at a very high level and if it is medically necessary, it is free at the point of consumption. That is one of the many reasons why I would never even dream of moving to the US. 7. I speak several languages and feel that the German language does sound more harsh than many others but as you said, it was over emphasized through certain movies and such. 8. I would never move to the US to live there for good. I've been there several times and enjoyed my stays but I always enjoyed coming home and never even thought of relocating there. I can only assume that this myth of "American exceptionalism" in which most US citizens still seem to believe caused this idea. If you are convinced of your country being the greatest on earth, it seems natural that everybody would want to move there. As the first episode of "The Newsroom" pointed out very eloquently, the US is no longerthe greatest country in earth any more though. The more US citizens accept this simple truth, the sooner this myth will get debunked. While the current president is in office, I do not even want to visit the US any more, let alone move there. Thanks again for your thoughts, looking forward to hearing more of them!

[@travelingexpats]

Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment. We love the Deutschland ticket and use it quite often. It is an unbelievable bargain. We are always amazed when drivers automatically form a Rettungsgasse, every time we comment to ourselves „Americans would never do this“. Thanks again for sharing your thoughts with us.

[@arnodobler1096]

Deutsch ist, in der klassischen Musik, die 2. meist gesungene Sprache nach italienisch. Wie kann sich die Sprache des Landes der Dichter und Denker harsh anhören? Die deutschen Wurzeln in Amerika wurden durch WW 1+2 ausgelöscht in den USA. In classical music, German is the second most sung language after Italian. How can the language of the land of poets and thinkers sound harsh? The German roots in America were wiped out by WW 1+2 in the USA.

[@travelingexpats]

@@arnodobler1096 Das stimmt! Normalerweise hören wir nur “Speeches” vom zweiten Weltkrieg auf Deutsch und fast nichts anderes. Seitdem ich in Deutschland lebe, schätze ich die deutsche Sprache. Aber sie ist sehr schwer für mich zu lernen.

[@terzida5329]

@@travelingexpats Mir fällt bei diesen Thema immer wieder Sandra Bullock ein, die Ganz entspannt vom Englischen ins Deutsche fließt und wieder zurück. Von Ihr kam kein "SCHNITZEL!!!!!" sondern (wenn ich mich nicht täusche) "Ja, kann ich."

[@terzida5329]

@@travelingexpats I always think of Sandra Bullock, who flows from English to German and back again in a very relaxed manner. She didn't say “SCHNITZEL!!!!!” but (if I'm not mistaken) "Ja, kann ich." ( “Yes, I can.”)

[@travelingexpats]

@@terzida5329 Yes, Sandra Bullock speaks both languages smoothly and sounds very nice when speaking them. Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts.

[@APCLZ]

You forgot to mention that whenever a train in Germany even arrives, it’s extremely crowded, and I’ve given up on getting a seat years ago because around the area where i live, the problems are extreme. They keep making it more affordable for everyone, but they don’t improve the infrastructure. So, in essence, it’s truly a miserable situation compared to 20 or 30 years ago.

[@travelingexpats]

@@APCLZ Thanks for watching

[@erichr421]

Around 1990, German politicians believed they had to follow the American system of profit maximization and privatization took place. The money-hungry management destroyed the very well-functioning railway system as it is today. None of the promised improvements have been achieved. Huge amounts of capital are being spent today to prevent the total collapse of the railway system.

[@soraya4957]

And I want to add: German politics didn't invest in the infrastructure. You can see it everywhere. Look at bridges, the Bahn, the schools...

[@travelingexpats]

@@erichr421 Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts with us.

[@travelingexpats]

@@soraya4957 Thanks for watching.

[@Maldoror1972-MG]

There's something else and way better than believing. It's called knowing! It seems that this approach to reality must be new or unthinkable for many Americans!

[@arnodobler1096]

The 60% figure does not include roadworks on the highways, of course. It also depends on the weather conditions. Deutsche Bahn has a huge investment backlog because it was supposed to be privatized and went public. Shareholders don't like spending. Every 10th beer in Germany is now alcohol-free. I like non-alcoholic Hefeweizen, it's almost indistinguishable. US lobbying is more propaganda and brainwashing, shocks me more and more.

[@travelingexpats]

@@arnodobler1096 Thanks, as always, for watching and providing your great comments.

[@claudiag8823]

Oh my, you start with the big guns - Deutsche Bahn🤣. There's almost nothing more ridiculous and frustrating here in Germany than public transportation (except for our infamous bureaucracy; that's just as ridiculous). Go back 50 years, then it was true that the trains were on time, but not today (especially since they use trains from that time still, so you can imagine how horribly outdated these trains are; no wonder they break down all time). As for Germans following the rules while driving on the Autobahn... ehm, no. Not really. Every time I've been on the Autobahn, I was a mess afterwards because people don't signal when changing lanes, they cut in on people incredibly close (without giving signals) and they pass you on the right side which is forbidden. People simply don't give a damn any more and endanger others by their reckless and egoistical behaviour. Beer... I hate beer😆(and alcohol in general). But it's kinda true, lots of people love their after work beer (Feierabendbier). That we're drinking less alcohol here... hm, can't say that I noticed that. I think lots of people still drink way too much. If that's true, I can't say I'd be sad about that. When I was younger, with my peers, I was the only one not to drink alcohol, and I was the weird one for it because it's expected with teenagers. I wasn't aware that there were so many gun owners in Germany, but I think that's because there are still many, many of the old shooting associations with have a very long tradition here in Germany. Health care: It may be better here than in other countries, and everybody has to have a health insurance, but there's still a big difference if you are with the mandatory health insurance or with a private one. Civil cervants for example are always privately insured, and have quite a lot of advantages. At least they almost always get an appointment very quickly whereas someone who is only with the mandatory health insurance needs to wait weeks if not months if you're very unlucky. That's not always the case, but it happens quite a lot. German is not a harsh language (except if your name was Adolf, and the language is abused for propaganda, you're right with that^^), but it's a very difficult one to learn. What I rather realised right now is that it sounds harsh when non-native speakers talk German, especially people with English as their mother language. When you mentioned Marlene Dietrich, you pronounced the "ch" really harsh, but that's not how it's pronounced by a native speaker. So I think when, for example in films, English speaking people try to speak German, it sounds harsh because they can't pronounce certain letters properly^^. Sorry, but there's not enough money in this world you could pay me that I would want to move to the USA. Especially not with what is happening there at the moment, and with the people in charge. A colleague of mine has quite a few German born friends living in New York with their American spouses, but a lot of them have already said they would love to come back to Europe because they are afraid to go out into the streets; one couple has witnessed someone shooting out of his car at another person. So, no. Thank you. The way things are going, they are bad and crazy enough here in Germany as well at the moment, but I don't need the additional madhouse that is the White House. Otherwise, thanks for this interesting video. It's always interesting to learn how one's nation is viewed (wrongly, and mostly wearing dirndl and lederhosen^^) by other countries.

[@travelingexpats]

Thank you very much for watching and sharing your thoughts.

[@Onkel_Wuschel]

A very good video as I may mention as a German. You really made me laugh when you mentioned the guy who is now the 47th president of the United States and compared him with the evil guy in Germany during the years between 1920 and 1945. Best comparision I ever heard. 😉😊

[@flitsertheo]

When it comes to speeches Nr 47 still has much to learn from Evil Mustache Man. Who rehearsed his speeches including poses (before a mirror) and used a special "theatrical" German (harsh, rolling R, ... ) to be better understood.

[@Onkel_Wuschel]

@@flitsertheo Right you are, but I can't help it, I'm not able to understand what the evil guy was talking about although I AM German.

[@travelingexpats]

Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. I’m glad I was able to make you laugh a little bit.

[@Onkel_Wuschel]

@@travelingexpats It was a pleasure, I left a subscription. I did it the other way around and lived in the United States for a while in the 80s. It was a great time, but I prefer to stay in Europe in the long term.

[@DasMeppen]

The gun thing is not correct. The most of the million gun(900k) are small gun licences for signal pistols(required for boats) and "schreckschusspistolen" so pistols or rifles that only can shoot small non lethal calibers. So you have around 100k people with actual guns and most of them are police or military

[@travelingexpats]

@@DasMeppen I didn’t know that. Thanks for the information and thanks for watching.

[@Fragenzeichenplatte]

The trains are often late, yes, but they are not "always late, always a mess". That is the other extreme to "the trains are always on time". The people who said they "hated" the trains are hyperbolic, they make it sound like some third world country train system which it most certainly not. It needs updating for sure and it needs to be in public hands again. Also, trains go between cities. There are other forms of public transport inside cities, like trams or buses. Those are usually pretty good. 30 minutes transfer time is way too much. I would rather risk missing my transfer and take the next one then having to wait 30 minutes for my next train every time.

[@travelingexpats]

@@Fragenzeichenplatte Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. I agree with you on everything except the transfer time. I have been stranded on several occasions because I missed my transfer (due to my incoming train being delayed) and I had to wait hours for the next train or totally re-Route my journey and add travel hours, when I could have saved several hours in the long run if I would have just searched for a route with a safer transfer time in the first place. But everyone has their own travel strategies I suppose and I am still very thankful to have DB even if it doesn’t run on time all the time. Have a great day and thanks again for taking the time to comment.

[@Fragenzeichenplatte]

@@travelingexpats Was that regional trains? Luckily, I have never been stranded before. The ICE may be late but you will arrive.

[@jantack7186]

Because you asked about it: § Section 6 of the German Restaurant Act (GastG) reads: § 6 Pricing of non-alcoholic beverages The trader must offer a selection of non-alcoholic drinks at prices that are no higher than the lowest price for alcoholic drinks in the same quantity. In most restaurants and pubs, beer is the cheapest alcoholic drink and sparkling water is a little cheaper. This satisfies the law. Soft drinks are often a little more expensive than beer.

[@travelingexpats]

@@jantack7186 Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment and share your knowledge of the rules in Germany.

[@unfixablegop]

Germany has delayed upkeep of train infrastructure for too long, and trains not being on time is almost more the rule than the exception. But looking at it from an American perspective, complaining about it is very misleading. It's still heaven when compared to the US. If you are from Switzerland, then it makes more sense to complain about the German lack of punctuality.

[@travelingexpats]

You are absolutely correct. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@bastivomberg4757]

there were times, when beer was indeed cheaper than water in many restaurants.

[@travelingexpats]

@@bastivomberg4757 Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@51tomtomtom]

I would never exchange Europe with the US ! And I've lived there for a while.......

[@travelingexpats]

I don’t blame you. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@51tomtomtom]

@@travelingexpats And for being mistaken: I'm not AGAINST ! Learned a lot in the US , it's like the school : you loved it ? My main concern it THEIRE black and white world , just two options ??????In a mosaic are many many colours , not two ! Do like blue or red ? Both! Even mixed .......And there are other colours as well i like ....

[@travelingexpats]

@@51tomtomtom Absolutely 👍

[@corncutter]

The percentage of the trains being on time is also that high because trains that do the so called "Pofalla-Wende" (named after the former politician and then manager at DB Ronald Pofalla, who invented it) aren't counted as delayed in the stats. The "Pofalla-Wende" is when a train stops on it's current route and returns back early to serve the back route stations on time again. But that means it skips the upcoming stops completely and the train just gets "cancelled" on their end. Cancelled trains and skipped stops don't count as delayed trains and don't go into any stats at all at DB. And the waiting passengers just get one of the many pre-recorded announcements "due to [whatever reason fits best - but never admitting to mismanagement]".

[@travelingexpats]

Thanks for watching.

[@corncutter]

@travelingexpats thank YOU for taking us with you on your hikes (very German hobby^^) and sharing your thoughts.

[@wabisabisylvie111]

Fun video… 30 years later and I am still being asked by friends and family WHY I moved to the US? It’s true that it’s not everyone’s dream to do so 😊

[@arnodobler1096]

Von Jahr zu Jahr weniger wahrscheinlich!

[@travelingexpats]

@@wabisabisylvie111 Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts. Of course it’s still a very wonderful place in many ways.

[@Arltratlo]

io got ask to move there over 20 years ago, didnt move, my kids dont have shooter drills here, but their cousins in the USA have them!

[@travelingexpats]

@@Arltratlo 😢 So sad that children have to experience that.

[@Arltratlo]

@@travelingexpats they have to do it, because the NRA and the weapons companies want to make money... children lives dont count, only $ does... the Americans shoot each other in the wild west, while in my country they started health care and retirement founds for everyone! the USA is a backward country, they are barbarians!

[@MarkSRedd]

14:10 Beer cheaper then water isn't completely false. I remember in my youth there was a public discussion about it which resulted in a law to be enacted which required pubs etc to offer at least one non-alcoholic beverage cheaper than the cheapest alcoholic one. Must have been in the 1980es.

[@travelingexpats]

Thanks for watching.

[@Mike.Muc.3.1415]

On any menu in a bar or restaurant, the cheapest offered drink has to be non-alcoholic. Btw... The prices in German restaurants are calculated assuming that the guest is buying their drinks. Were the water free, the prices of all dishes would increase.

[@travelingexpats]

@@Mike.Muc.3.1415 That makes sense. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment and share your information.

[@ThorDyrden]

And restaurant prices include a proper payment of the waitstuff. Tips are really just that - a bonus for great service.

[@flitsertheo]

If I'm not mistaken the profit margin is larger for drinks than for food.

[@StefanK-u1p]

Deutsche Bahn has four main enemies: spring, summer, autumn and winter.

[@travelingexpats]

@@StefanK-u1p 😂 Thanks for watching

[@celltest7645]

You forgot the absolute number one: Hartmut Mehdorn who killed it by firing thousands of people to "make it fit for the stock market". Those thousands of people are still missing and the reason for many of the problems at Deutsche Bahn.

[@Peter_Cetera]

You nailed it!

[@travelingexpats]

@@Peter_Cetera Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@MagnificentGermanywithDarion]

Great points Lee, without a doubt. I love the train and all public transportation in Germany regardless of occasional snips on punctuality. I like that you appreciate what I do as German transportation in the USA doesn’t have the same caliber of services. You hit the nail on the head with all of the "8 Lies". Great job Lee. See you in the next video. :) !!!!

[@travelingexpats]

@@MagnificentGermanywithDarion Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. It’s funny how some of these beliefs get started and keep going and growing throughout the years. I love the trains, I just don’t always expect to be on time.

[@manub.3847]

Follow the driving rules: Don't forget that in Germany and most of the EU, obtaining a driving license is only possible through professional driving schools and can currently easily cost €3,000 or more. And who wants to lose an expensive and hard-earned license because of constantly ignoring traffic rules? Drinks in restaurants, clubs, etc.: The "Restaurant Act" (Gastronomy) §6 was changed to this effect sometime in the 1980s or 1990s. A non-alcoholic drink must be offered that is at least as inexpensive as the cheapest alcoholic drink.

[@travelingexpats]

@@manub.3847 Great point! Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. I’m sure more Americans would pay closer attention to the rules of driving if they had so much invested in their license.

[@Nancy-jo4xe]

There is no general minimum speed limit on motorways, as specified in the Road Traffic Code (StVO). Vehicles with a speed of less than 60 km/h are not allowed to use the motorway. However, you must not drive so slowly that you impede the flow of traffic without a good reason. For good reason, such as bad weather conditions or technical problems, it is permissible to go below 60 km/h.

[@travelingexpats]

@@Nancy-jo4xe Thanks for watching and commenting

[@axwest1]

Nr.1: complaining about our trains is ridiculous if you take a look at the American train system😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@travelingexpats]

That was precisely my point. Very few Americans complain about the German rail system, in fact we believe that it runs perfectly. Germans on the other hand complain about it all the time. I happen to love the German rail network even if it is late sometimes, because I grew up with nothing. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@achims3582]

It might have been said before: 1. Delays with Deutsche Bahn: the reported numbers vastly differ from your real-life observation, because of the way DB calculates them. DB only calculates a train as delayed if it arrives, if a train is pematurely cancelled (entfällt/Ausfall), it won't be reported as delayed. Please see "BahnMining - Pünktlichkeit ist eine Zier (David Kriesel)". 2. Minimum speed on the Autobahn: there is no "Mindestgeschwindigkeit", but to be legally allowed to use the Autobahn, your vehicle must be capable of driving more than 60km/h.

[@travelingexpats]

@@achims3582 Thanks for the info and I do plan on watching that documentary. Thanks for watching.

[@ESUPhysicsBuckley]

Love the perspective you give. I think the problem the German's have with their trains is that they live next door to Switzerland... which probably has the most efficient train system in the world. We love using the trains in Germany... better than the US where you need a car for absolutely everything! Another thing that came to mind when you were talking about whether the language sounds harsh. That's especially untrue in southern Germany. The Bavarian dialect in particular is much softer than northern Germany. Thanks again for the great videos.

[@travelingexpats]

Thank you so much for watching and sharing your thoughts. We love the transportation system in Germany, we just returned from a trip to Köln and every train was on time- Great job Deutsche Bahn! And yes, it’s hard to go anywhere in the U.S. without a car- unfortunately. Thanks again.

[@HenryLoenwind]

Here's a bit of background on the ber/water thing: It used to be the case that restaurants were franchisees of breweries in regards to drinks. The brewery would supply everything needed, tap system glasses, signs, and often even chairs and tables, for a nominal rental fee, but that meant they had a full say about what beverages the restaurant sold. When Coca-Cola first came to Germany, i.e. when the soft drink industry started, many restaurants sold it "under the table", violating their contracts. Over time, more and more laws were passed to allow customers access to a wider selection of non-alcoholic beverages. This now has shifted a bit. Many restaurants don't have those concession contracts anymore and can buy whatever they want at wholesalers---the capital investment needed for furnishing a restaurant isn't that out of balance with expected revenue anymore that they can't afford that. (The price difference between consumable and non-consumable products isn't one or two orders of magnitude anymore. You can buy a chair for what a family spends on one meal at a restaurant, that would have been laughable a hundred years ago when a chair took a week's worth of wages for various local craftsmen.) Others have their concession with one of those wholesalers or split concessions with a brewery and one of the few soft-drink companies. And on the other side, most breweries that offer those concessions have evolved into wholesalers that also provide soft drinks.

[@travelingexpats]

Wow, that’s very great information, very interesting. Thank you for watching and sharing your knowledge with us.

[@jondoe1502]

Great video, keep it up :)

[@travelingexpats]

Thank you. We will do our best. Thanks for watching.

[@axwest1]

In terms of languages: English is a Germanic language! Google it! That’s what is most annoying to you guys😅

[@travelingexpats]

Yes, you are correct. It is a Germanic language. I can’t speak for anyone else, but it doesn’t annoy me one bit. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment.

[@Utubemop]

Maybe someone mentioned it already: The minimum limit on the Autobahn is just 60 km/h

[@travelingexpats]

Thank you

[@hschmidt79]

Number one is a very good example of how we germans manage to complain about things, others would dream of. We compain about a train coming late, others wish there would be a train. Another good example is our healtcare system: everybody complaining about everything, still everybody gets his treatment on a level that is not accessible to maybe more than 90% of the worlds population. We are the world champions when it comes to complaining. I wish we could export that, would make us even richer than we are... 😂

[@travelingexpats]

😂 Thanks for watching and sharing your good natured comments.