Living in Germany vs Living in the UK

Hi guys 💕
This week I wanted to share some of the biggest differences I noticed about living in Germany vs the UK!
What are some of the biggest differences you noticed about living in Germany?

[@snakeoilaudio]

I was living in the UK for a few years and the story I still tell is when rented my 1st flat the very first thing I did as a typical German was going to the town hall to get my paperwork sorted. So I went to the lady at the entrance desk and told her that I have just arrived and I want to do my paperwork. The first surprise was that she called me "darling" (what a lovely lady, god bless her ;-), then she asked me what paperwork I am talking about and if I need social funding or something similar. I was super surprised and ask if I don't need to register somehow? She was completely surprised and said something like "register? for what?" LOL. And then she asks me "Darling where is your apartment, where do you live?" So I told her my address, "35 Darnley" and she replied: "Oh this is residential parking only, let's get your parking permit" then she walked me to her colleague and told her that I am from Germany and just arrived and that she should bear with me and help me to get my residential parking. I was so shocked by how friendly and helpful these people were, such an experience is completely unheard of in any German Bürgeramt. Awesome, I love the UK.

[@arnolsi]

The people from public service in germany are much more friendly and helpfull as the customer service. Maybe I had good luck but I never had to wait for a long time and the people tried to help me as best as they can.

[@hfe590]

@@arnolsi I've never experienced this, neither have most people.

[@Valariot]

@@hfe590 Cannot confirm. Had only friendly encounters with the public service in Germany. In my hometown Hamburg and where ever I lived.

[@hfe590]

@@Valariot Maybe because you're white? Regardless, I simply do not need your condescending confirmation as I am a Brit that has lived in Germany for a very long time thus far. Long enough to determine differences between UK & Germany more than yourself.

[@norbertvelky8796]

I can relate utterly to this, nothing is more notable than English customer service support. I love the country for the very same reason.

[@myroomiehatesmycooking]

about the customer service, i actually prefer to do shopping at peace and be left alone, and not get approached by the workers everytime i go in the shop. I mean i am an adult and am fully capable of looking for something i want by myself. And should i ever require any help, i can just go up to them.

[@HerbalistintheHood369]

I was born in London and I have experienced some of the most unfriendly negative and horrible attitudes from some of people and I have experienced some of the most friendly helpful and compassionate people. I personally do not put an attitude upon the country per se but upon the individual I encounter and even then if it is unpleasant I do not dwell on it. All countries have their beauties and their beasts. It’s great to hear the stories but I personally would not use them as a bench mark!

[@TomRuthemann]

Spot on!

[@TomRuthemann]

Just to add: There will be a nationwide 49 Euro/month subs to public transport from May, 1st. So public transport becomes even more easier to use and for a really good price. You can even use on the S-Bahn system and DB slow trains thus being able to travel long distance providing you invest a bit more time.

[@scarba]

That was a great video. Also a Brit in Germany but been here 25 years so I needed reminding what the differences are. Hopefully you are still here, there’s great things about both countries.

[@deniseg-hill1730]

I'm a Brit and I moved to Germany 8 years when I retired so I could live next door to my only brother. I live in a village in a tourist area near the sea 90 km from Bremen. My standard of living is really good. People are very friendly I'm lucky they know my brother who works for the local council. The only drawback is the lack of German as a 2nd language class availability. It's all integration classes for refugees. The Health service is far better than the NHS. I do miss M&S and Waitrose and Butchers that sell everything.

[@paulseoighemcgee5772]

Love your positive optimistic outlook :)

[@eniolababajide5905]

So funny and so accurate!!! You made me cry with laughter at times 🤣🤣

[@sandramorris5725]

My husband and I are expats we have been here 8 yrs we are both retired. We love it over here wouldn't go back to UK for anything accept to see family

[@andread.1313]

I have been living in Germany all my life but also live in the UK and the US. I agree to most points, but I disagree slightly with the comments about the people. Of course it all comes down to individual experience, but I have experienced a lot of situations where people approach me and ask weather the can help me when I look on a map in a strange city, I chat with people in the shops and in the streets etc., and find the lot of people very friendly, very helpful and outgoing. But this depends a lot on the region and the city you live in. Some regions and cities are a lot more outgoing than others. I found that the people in Germany confide a lot more quickly private things to you than in the UK. In the UK, I found the people talk less about the feelings. We were a lot of different nations on the campus. A lot of British students were friendly but kept to themselves and didn't really want to be close friends with foreigners. How ever, that doesn't mean I don't love the people in the UK. I found a lot of good friends and appreciate the humour, the nonchalant chats, the friendliness and politeness. 🙂 I suppose people wherever the come from, are more open-minded when they live a broad and experience how it is to be foreign and new to a country and city.

[@hfe590]

You are swapping one rosey-eyed generalisation for another.

[@ktkee7161]

@@hfe590 They also don't factor in race and the fact they're Germans talking to other Germans, lol. "I found that the people in Germany confide a lot more quickly private things to you than in the UK" They're literally the first person I've ever heard say this.

[@ayomide6149]

Thank you. Really appreciate it.

[@onlinemusiclessonsadamphil4677]

great up beat video. How interesting. I'm from North Scotland and I think it's different from eg south England so differences in UK too.

[@meisen1988]

Well, while our Wines are cheap some times, the really good ones are, of course, also pretty expensive. The reason might be, that germany has large wine areas, like Mainfranken or the Rhine area...

[@theemelaninexpat]

Oo now you’ve given me an excuse to visit some wineries 😅

[@worldhello1234]

@2:24 You get a reasonable amount of customer service, no annoying waiters or people packing your groceries. 😊

[@LarimaBeyondBorders]

I'm from the US and I was definitely shocked by how inexpensive food is in Germany. Also, I've never seen so many bikes in my life. I'm the type of person that will get in my car to go to the store around the corner in the USA, so taking a bike to many places here was a bit scary. I'm actually surprised that biking is so popular here considering the weather isn't that great.

[@theemelaninexpat]

Hahaha, yep no matter the weather it’s an all year round situation 😂 but keep going, it’ll get less and less scary!! I forced myself in the beginning a lot bc I can’t drive and got SOOOO lost using public transport 😅

[@LarimaBeyondBorders]

@@wolfganggeiss636 I’ve visited Switzerland a few times but food was insanely expensive there. That being said, I only ate at restaurants.One restaurant charged me 8 „dollars“ per shrimp for my pasta dish! But it was soooo good 😋

[@LarimaBeyondBorders]

@@wolfganggeiss636 I used to live in TN…Memphis, Cookeville, Nashville and Knoxville!!!

[@user-sm3xq5ob5d]

@@wolfganggeiss636 In which way is food being subsidized? The swiss subsidize their farmers too, as does the EU and the US. I don't know of any other subsidies for food.

[@NeinDochOhh]

@@wolfganggeiss636 German here: Food is not subsidized. Where did you get this from? The tax for food is a little bit lower, than for non food items. But first this is not what subsidizing is about and second in the overall calculation of the manufacturer, the lower tax is already calculated for the consumer. Food is cheaper in Germany than in the USA because we have many more cheaper producers within Europe (e.g. Eastern Europe, Southern Europe) but also in the Middle East (e.g. Turkey, Egypt, etc.). The USA as an example does not have that and the UK is an island to which everything has to be transported first. Germany is in the heart of Europe. To us it is simply cheaper to transport. In addition, we have a huge discount culture, which is less in other countries, at least many in the U.S., UK, etc. do not buy in cheap discount stores. Although that is slowly changing as well. That's why Aldi is expanding heavily into the US.

[@marion.saturn]

Nice video! I agree on the fashion. Although I've only ever been once to the UK 10 years ago, I felt like the shops had much prettier clothes to offer. In Germany, it seems to be more on the conservative side.

[@xboxonexchannal3713]

I come from London myself been living in Germany for 4 years now and I still haven't got used to how strange the people are almost alien to what I am used to. It never Ceases to amaze me how Germans stare at people like they know instantly that you're not German

[@kieferngruen]

I'm German and I never understood what people mean when they say that Germans stare. My honest reply was always a confused "that is not true! what are you talking about??" I know that I don't stare at people intentionally to make them feel observed or uncomfortable or because they are not from here. That is by the way (believe it or not) also considered rude here. However after having heard about the German stare from so many people, I think I've finally figured out why people from other countries feel that way. Open eye contact is something that is much valued in Germany. It is considered rude not to look somebody in the eye when talking to each other. Also when you clink glasses with other people it is expected that you look each person you clink glasses directly in the eye. If you don't do that it might come off as rude or having no interest in the other person. The stare in the eye is a friendly acknowledgment that you have seen the other person and value their presence even if you don't talk to each other. It is also seen as a sign of honesty (which is held in high value here, hence the German directness) and that you have nothing to hide. The "stare" you might get from strangers is basically saying: I see you, you have my attention, I'm not ignoring you, I have nothing to hide, I don't have any sinister intentions. It's a non-verbal acknowledgment of your presence as a human being. Basically, what people do with small talk in the US or the UK, we do with a direct look in the eye. We are hopeless at small talk! :D The "stare" is certainly NOT a sign that they have realized that you are not German. That is just your self-consciousness I'm afraid. We don't have a special "radar" for who is not German and we also really don't care if you aren't :) Believe me, everybody gets the same staring treatment, no matter where you are from. If you feel stared at, the correct reaction would be to look back at the person and to give them a quick smile. That's certainly much less awkward than trying to escape somebody's gaze for a long period of time. Sorry for the long-winded explanation and I hope I could help.

[@xboxonexchannal3713]

Why, thank you for the explanation. I think I understand a little bit better now I never meant to offend anyone.

[@kieferngruen]

@@xboxonexchannal3713 no worries! you didn't :)

[@user-sm3xq5ob5d]

@@kieferngruen Yah right! Germans are a proud bunch. Any foreigner (as in: other person) will be checked out by "staring".

[@kieferngruen]

@@user-sm3xq5ob5d says the guy who probably has never left his own country and speaks only one language.

[@ahrimusifosil9207]

We germans hate it, if some employer form a store want to be "polite and trys to help". This triggers many hate in us :D And with the fashion its difficult here. We are in one hand a individualistic society but on the other very collectivitic. Some similaritys with Japan are given. In top of this we are very "anit-consumerism", we openly hate rich ppl and shame them ^^

[@catinthehat906]

Sounds like you are comparing London to Germany. Is that the same as comparing the wider UK?

[@michaelmiller6924]

Nice video!

[@puppylove2493]

you are a consumer...every store loves you because you can be manipulated to buy what you do not need and you are easily influenced...on the other hand a non consumer cannot be influenced into spending money because of what others tell them or think about them

[@asmodon]

Honestly, whenever I’ve been to England I found their sense of fashion appalling. Maybe some parts of London are different.

[@simonh6371]

No London is pretty terrible too, I moved here from the Netherlands. People in million pound houses here look like crackheads. Then there are all the jackasses in shorts all year around. Homeless people in Amsterdam are dressed better.

[@mkthakral]

Excellent

[@alexanderantoninsommerkamp4714]

Interesting to hear about your experience with customer service. I am a 32 year old German and have a completely different experience. I wonder why that is. Maybe it is a regional difference (I grew up in Hamburg), maybe it is a difference regarding the approach? I guess if you expect customer service in stores without asking for it, yes then there will be close to none, you have to approach the personel yourself. But if you go uo to the people and ask them, you usually get very good service. I am one of those people who asks fot help without even trying to find the items myself, I just go into the shop and the first thing I do is look for an employee to help me. And even with that kind of demanding attitute I hardly ever had a bad experience in customer service. But yes, you need to actively ask them, they wont just come to you.

[@tomstan6785]

Friendly? Outgoing and open in UK ? is this a joke? Not in London and Manchester nad Birmingham for sure, maybe in Brighton and Exeter yes. I am from Poland and i find German people much more approachable and easier to make conversation about smth and if you can speak German a lot of them treat you like one of them, this is imposible in England.

[@almurabitun]

Polish people are dry, hostile and super racist generally speaking....so why would people want to strike convo .

[@fiestahossa9512]

You said it: you want to buy things you don’t really need in the UK. Germany is more practical. The jacket has only 2 pockets…? Not usable 😅 . Even my (German) daughter thinks we have no style….this is a female thing 😝. Jeans, shirt, comfortable shoes and of course a jacket with more then 2 pockets…perfect 😇

[@arturorossi8244]

Rubbish what part of uk we talking about? Because defo not london Birmingham or Manchester full of gangs and poor areas like Peckham or Croydon . England and this places they are not the same its like Detroit in US..

[@gilbertbrobbey7687]

Ich finde das großartig was du machst ich bin aus Österreich und lebe seit 7 Monate in London Uk.. Ich finde es schlimm hier weiß nicht wo anfangen alles ist teuer und gefährlich besonders für Frauen.. Ich werde einfach hier nicht warm mit Uk! Warum ich hier bin wegen meine Freundin

[@markspencer4385]

you are not an expat you are an immigrant, just as anyone else that moves from one country to another. never understood why english speaking people (americans like to use that word too) refere to people that move to their country as immigrants, but call themself expats when they do the same? 😉

[@engineeringvision9507]

Because expat and immigrant mean different things.

[@markspencer4385]

@@engineeringvision9507 i know that it means something different. my point is, that if they would refere to themself as english/american expat that immigrated to ...Germany or what country ever, and then would call a guy from India an Indian expat the immigrated to England, it would make sense to me. but what they are saying is they are expats that "moved" to another country, while all others are just people that immigrate. i moved to a different country, and always considered myself an immigrant. that is the point that sounds always strange to me..

[@engineeringvision9507]

@@markspencer4385 Only Indians that come to the UK and never return are immigrants. A British person going to India probably doesn't want to stay in India or to become Indian hence the term expat.

[@markspencer4385]

@@engineeringvision9507 i agree on that point, just that it seems english and americans do not understand that. meet several of them in my time i was in thailand, they told me they came 10 to 20 years ago have their family there and do not plan to leave, but still refere to themself as expats, an australien guy as well. funny point, i also met a french guy, he told me that he immigrated to thailand 20 years ago.

[@kikidee23]

It’s usually white people that have referred to themselves as expats, (I say this as a white person) so I wouldn’t call out a black woman on this. It’s usually the non white people who get called immigrants, regardless of where they’re from. But yeah, it is bonkers to me when a white English person immigrates to Australia and calls themself an expat, but yet an Indian doctor going to England or wherever to work as a doctor, is then called an immigrant.

[@unfixablegop]

Germany wins on all points.(that includes 1 and 2. No "may I help you?" molestation in stores and less fashion bs.)

[@sacassashimidrama7088]

When white people go to Nigeria to work they call themselves experts; when Nigerian doctors employed directly by NHS come to the UK they call them immigrants. I told one to be telling people that she is a medical expert in England. Because the reason NHS employed you is because you are good at what you do.

[@johanngiesbrecht6460]

How is the German language for you? how are your Children doing? you are positive, that is a big plus.

[@blowingfree6928]

The UK is all about ripping off people; from the government, local government. tourism, and businesses, particularly transport. There is a particular museum that I wanted to visit in Newcastle, travelling from Gloucester (about 216 miles as the crow flies). I recently checked the trains, and the cost for a return train journey (standard class) is about £400, taking most of the day to get to Newcastle; necessitating an overnight hotel stay. So all in all, about £500 to visit a museum! I will of course not be visiting Newcastle, but that pretty much typifies the UK where money has to be made from everything. Tourists beware!

[@engineeringvision9507]

Imagine what its like for people who travel to work by those same trains!

[@blowingfree6928]

@@engineeringvision9507 Oh I can imagine and sympathise!

[@andorgunczer]

You havent’t seen Germany then… Hidden fees, monthly contracts that magically transform into annual, this and that, your beautiful bearucracy pitfalls. Weird stuff

[@blowingfree6928]

@@andorgunczer No, never been to Germany.

[@lalalalalala8147]

Customer service in the Divided Kingdom is the worst!

[@matildawolfram4687]

Good video! Thanks to the author of the channel for this fascinating video! It is interesting to see how people live in other countries! It is very important to know foreign languages on such trips. I would like to recommend to all travelers a practical guide to learning foreign languages by Yuriy Ivantsiv " Polyglot Notes. Practical tips for learning foreign languages". This book contains a lot of useful tips on how to learn a foreign language for tourists, students, entrepreneurs and anyone who needs a foreign language in life. There are a lot of good tips on how to solve problems with the language from beginner to advanced level of language learning. It turns out that the traveler only needs to know a few dialogues and you can easily travel around the world! You don't have to spend a lot of time to fully learn a foreign language, you just need to learn what you can use when you travel. I wish everyone exciting travels!

[@ebsfunland8666]

My mum mum live in Berlin Germany

[@gerohubner5101]

Regarding the service attitude - that's most likely due to the fact that Germany (but also France or Italy etc) is a republic, not a kingdom. Because there is a saying in German that "customer is king". And in the staff break rooms in many retail shops you find a notice on the board completing it like this: 'the customer is king - but monarchy has been abolished'. I'm not kidding, that's how you implant mindsets into people.

[@silversurfer5026]

From the people who brought you Hugo Boss - uninspiring . Urrr Ok

[@olafkunert3714]

That is the exception which proves the rule. :-)

[@joebleibaum]

@@olafkunert3714 Jill Sander, Karl Lagerfeld...

[@pqt112]

@@joebleibaum They sell Karl Lagerfeld at Tk Maxx. It's not a high end brand😂

[@pqt112]

If you can buy Hugo Boss at DM, it's not luxury 😂

[@Panther-]

I find that people in germany are waaay nicer I disagree

[@Flysarse]

Bye

[@OkkulterO]

oh....noch eine Mode-Puppe....

[@almurabitun]

Im an Asian guy (Bangladeshi) and have not enjoyed my experiences visiting continental Europe. Found people to be VERY racist towards South Asians. In UK we Asians hold it down and fighting racists ALOT. But found the Asians in continental Europe to be very passive so the locals feel brave to start talking shit. Side note....you are absolutely beautiful GOD DAMN!!!!!

[@ktkee7161]

Creep.

[@ozgur284]

In a nutshell, Germans are boring but Germany is safe :)

[@samisami-hp1jw]

EXPACT ===>>> IMMIGRANT

[@kieferngruen]

I absolutely LOATH the word expat. British exceptionalism at its finest. I'm not a foreigner. I'm British!

[@diepiriye]

Did you say in Germany fashion is nonexistent!? Not inspiring? Sounds like Germany is very conformist.

[@daisaigai7]

Most Germans have no sense for fashion. It's a more technological country. So they invent technological things but not fashion things. German fashion would be more stiff, plain and militant.

[@asmodon]

It’s not true though.

[@wora1111]

What is your problem?

[@pqt112]

It is. My husband is German and told me they discourage 'free-spiritedness' at a very young age at school. Most people are very bland and you feel like you're having the same conversation with every person here (you hear the same topics repeatedly). I don't want my kids to go to school here lol

[@kieferngruen]

@@pqt112 Do you listen to yourself? So there are 82 million people who are all exactly the same and only talk about the same things? Do you know how insulting that is? And if you are British, I have two words for you: the weather.

[@madmansurfing]

😂😂😂. Millenials whining … luv it

[@borderlord]

What about the women? More stunning looking girls in Germany or UK? I visited Dusseldorf...noticeably more stunning girls out on the streets..it was summer.

[@simonh6371]

Depends where you go. In the West of Germany there are a lot of hot women, in the North West (Niedersachsen and Hamburg) lots of tall blonde women, like in the Netherlands. Some places in Bavaria though they can be scary looking, also in Freiburg I saw a lot of mutants. Inbreeding.

[@karllarsen8797]

@@simonh6371 What about German women in the east such as Dresden, Leipzig?

[@simonh6371]

@@karllarsen8797 Honestly I don't know as I haven't been there...but from TV etc not as nice as in West and North