What we learned on our first European trip (1 Viewer)

Xan

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2 weeks, 1725 miles.

1. Brugge is lovely and the stelplatz is fantastically located but pricey.
2. Germans are joyless.
3. Luxembourg has fantastic smooth tarmac everywhere, twisty forest routes and cheaper fuel. Motorcyclists take note.
4. Germans are rude.
5. The Romantic Road is a great idea, but once you've seen one medieval walled city you've seen them all. Rothenberg being the jewel if not a bit touristy.
6. If there is efficiency to be found in Germany, it's being done by immigrants.
7. There really are hundreds are stelplatz along the Moselle. It's so perfect for first timers.
8. A lot of Germans appear to really dislike dogs.
9. Free wifi is very hard to find in Germany.
10. I'm really glad we won the war.
 

june123

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Think you've had an unfortunate trip. The northern Germans are a bit dour but the further south you go the jollier they become and in lots of ways I prefer touring Germany to touring France.
 
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The Poles make the Germans look like a comedy club.
A German joke may be no laughing matter, but the Poles don't have any jokes.

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Xan

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Don't get me wrong we loved Germany and the trip. In fact I work for a German company in the UK and therefore have lots of German colleagues - all of which are prefectly nice to work with.

In their natural habitat, and I guess I am also talking about older Germans, not so pleasant at all.
 
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Xan

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Not fluent, but I can get by with purchasing and basic pleasantries. I did always make an effort.

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Oct 7, 2011
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what we learned on our first european

Sorry Xan but you are talking an absolute load of ...... (rubbish)
Germany is a great country to visit and everything does work not just run by immigrants.
 
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We spent 5 days around Baden Baden 3 years back and apart from a couple of grumps never had a problem and we don't speak any German and same again for 3 days in colne found them pleasant and helpful
As for no sense of humor far from it we enjoyed Germany and will definitely be going back
 

Spottycatz

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I worked in Germany for a year and travelled all over. Found the 'Northern' folk a bit dour and the 'Southern' people quite European. I did however, have a really awful row in a roadside cafe, with four over 60ish chaps, about Thatcher, The Belgrano, Coventry and Dresden! Most of which was in the local vernacular with the odd F word thrown in for good measure. :whatthe:

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Chris

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I have only been to Germany once. It was a boxing tour in my late teens.

We had a great time in Celle, Hanover and Hamburg.

The local girls seemed friendly enough::bigsmile:
 

bernardfeay

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Whenever we visit Germany I am reminded that they always thought that they were better than us. Sad to say, they are.

Our litter problems are all about the fact that too many people just chuck stuff out of their car windows and it does not get picked up often enough.

In Germany they don't chuck it out of the window in the first place so they don't have to pay somebody to pick it up.
 

Microchip

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2 weeks, 1725 miles.

1. Brugge is lovely and the stelplatz is fantastically located but pricey.
2. Germans are joyless.
3. Luxembourg has fantastic smooth tarmac everywhere, twisty forest routes and cheaper fuel. Motorcyclists take note.
4. Germans are rude.
5. The Romantic Road is a great idea, but once you've seen one medieval walled city you've seen them all. Rothenberg being the jewel if not a bit touristy.
6. If there is efficiency to be found in Germany, it's being done by immigrants.
7. There really are hundreds are stelplatz along the Moselle. It's so perfect for first timers.
8. A lot of Germans appear to really dislike dogs.
9. Free wifi is very hard to find in Germany.
10. I'm really glad we won the war.

Of corse you could always go some where else...Me, I love Germany and the German people and will be going to the wine festivals again this
August/September :Cool: can't wait

Keith

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pappajohn

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I did a two week tour of Germany by train in 1991.
very efficient and very cheap compared to rip-off rail in this country.

starting in Düsseldorf then Hanover, Magdeburg and on to Berlin and then south, Liepzig, Chemnitz, Zwickau, Dresden and got as far as Bad Schandau near the Czech border in the Sächsische Schweiz district of Saxony.

met different people every day and never had a problem with the 'locals' or language at all....and my German is poor.

the Germans DO have a sense of humour....its just different to ours and can be seen as something it isnt.
 

pappajohn

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I worked in Germany for a year and travelled all over. Found the 'Northern' folk a bit dour and the 'Southern' people quite European. I did however, have a really awful row in a roadside cafe, with four over 60ish chaps, about Thatcher, The Belgrano, Coventry and Dresden! Most of which was in the local vernacular with the odd F word thrown in for good measure. :whatthe:
so you picked the best topics of conversation then...:roflmto:
 
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ich fart am Duetchland uber and unter und es ist zere gut

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Xan

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I take it by some of the comments that the replies were made immediately after reading the initial post. I'm glad people have had wholly positive experiences.
 

Spottycatz

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Still making mistakes! But they're not as costly.
so you picked the best topics of conversation then...:roflmto:

I started the convo by talking about football. You know, the old common denominator :thumb:
It kinda went downhill from there.......
 

pappajohn

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ich fart am Duetchland uber and unter und es ist zere gut

that didnt look right so put it in Bablefish translater...

I fart on the Duetchland above and below and zere it is good :ROFLMAO::ROFLMAO:

I travelled Germany from top to bottom and its very good there.

Ich Reise Deutschland von oben nach unten und sien sehr gut dort

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Last edited:

JJ

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I have had the great pleasure of visiting Germany countless times both privately and professionally and I have ALWAYS had a superb and joyful time there...

I could go on and on and on with tales of true events that fly in the face of several of the comments in the OP.

But why bother?

If anyone is still going on about the war(s) they won't be interested...:ROFLMAO:


JJ :Cool:

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sedge

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Well - each to their own and all that.

Many people you meet reckon that the French are unfriendly - well I expect some of them are. Just that we don't appear to have met that bloke yet.

Oh hang on - the fishing bailiff somewhere in deepest France was pretty unfriendly actually - and just because Pete had one or two fishing rods leant up against the motorhome, M.le baliliff seemed to think that meant he had either been fishing or was going to fish and wanted €8 for a permit.

Actually Pete had fished the night before, but you got 24 hours free in with the price of the aire (which was free) LOL He literally had one chuck with a bit of stale bread while I put the kettle on - and immediately pulled out a beautiful common - he never expected anything and had only just gone out the van, when he was yelling me to get his landing net (he hadn't bothered with it as he never expected to catch LOL) which of course entailed me grovelling on the floor in a locker under a seat trying to unentangle the thing from all the stuff piled round and about it.

Of course - photo duly taken - it went straight back in the lake.

All the following day (Sunday) the place had been packed with locals - catching silver fish the size of minnows - and taking them home to eat! so pete didn't fish. To be honest - when they went home he thought he might have another chuck so he had got all his toys out to decide what to use. But anyway, as every angler knows, you do have to check your tackle, don't you? In case.

It was an odd thing, the more Pete said 'No peche M'sieur' and I confirmed 'Non, il ne peche pas, M'sieur' - the more the chap yelled and I was commenting quietly without looking at either of them from where I was sitting doing a crossword behind his back, non-confrontationally in English that the more he shouted and stamped his foot (oh yes, he did that too!) I was perfectly certain the less French he would find either of us could understand - and poor old Pete was having to try and keep a straight face!

We gathered that he had decided that the possession of several rods and a tackle box, was prima facie evidence of fishing actually taking place. I dunno what use he thought a beach casting rod (for instance) would be on a small but perfectly formed inland lake?

But I think he must the only one.
 

stcyr

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vorsprung durch technik? :winky:

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Melchior

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This is a very interesting topic :)

We lived in Germany for nigh on 5 years and camped with tent and later motorhome a lot.

The thing about German folks is they are pretty straight-laced and like to follow the rules and regulations. This makes them come across as being boring, dull, autonomous types without any character or sense of humour. Truth is, they DO love following the rules but often have quite a dark and (to us) bizarre sense of humour. Their rule following means German Efficiency is a total myth - if the rules say you take 12 steps to complete a task, that is what you must do, even if it's possible in 3.

Further results of this rule following mean you get:
- clean tidy streets
- fantastic healthcare system
- good driving
- good economy (means € not mpg!)

There are exceptions to these of course.

Further more in Germany you know you can always find:
- Great food (very little if any regional variation though)
- Best beer in the world (not up for debate, I have tried plenty and the Germans win every time)
- Cheap but clean and well equipped campsites and stellplatz
- Minimal crime
- Beautiful and well cared for nature areas, forests, lakes etc.

They aren't an adventurous bunch, hence always knowing you can get good food, but it will always be the same type. Their supermarkets are quite miserable (apart from the beer section) and if you can find a big supermarket, you'll notice that they have the same selection as the small ones, just more of it. Companies have a hugely difficult time introducing new products or variations to the German market because the Germans already have something which does that job. Why do I want to change my toilet cleaner fluid? I have used this one all my life. It works.

In short: what we see as failings or negative points give a net result of a great country. Especially the beer. Did I mention the beer?
 
Jan 10, 2013
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This is a very interesting topic :)

We lived in Germany for nigh on 5 years and camped with tent and later motorhome a lot.

The thing about German folks is they are pretty straight-laced and like to follow the rules and regulations. This makes them come across as being boring, dull, autonomous types without any character or sense of humour. Truth is, they DO love following the rules but often have quite a dark and (to us) bizarre sense of humour. Their rule following means German Efficiency is a total myth - if the rules say you take 12 steps to complete a task, that is what you must do, even if it's possible in 3.

Further results of this rule following mean you get:
- clean tidy streets
- fantastic healthcare system
- good driving
- good economy (means € not mpg!)

There are exceptions to these of course.

Further more in Germany you know you can always find:
- Great food (very little if any regional variation though)
- Best beer in the world (not up for debate, I have tried plenty and the Germans win every time)
- Cheap but clean and well equipped campsites and stellplatz
- Minimal crime
- Beautiful and well cared for nature areas, forests, lakes etc.

They aren't an adventurous bunch, hence always knowing you can get good food, but it will always be the same type. Their supermarkets are quite miserable (apart from the beer section) and if you can find a big supermarket, you'll notice that they have the same selection as the small ones, just more of it. Companies have a hugely difficult time introducing new products or variations to the German market because the Germans already have something which does that job. Why do I want to change my toilet cleaner fluid? I have used this one all my life. It works.

In short: what we see as failings or negative points give a net result of a great country. Especially the beer. Did I mention the beer?


This sounds more like a Yorkshire trait - " Ah knows what ah likes, and ah likes what ah knows"
 

Melchior

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Perhaps it's similar but I think it's more of a safety thing. They let their guard down with some new ideas a few decades ago and that didn't really work out so well so they prefer to stick with what works and what is safe and known.

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Allanm

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I guess each to their own and one can only speak properly from experience. I have been to Germany a few times and always found the locals polite, the towns clean and the food interesting
We have also had quite a few stay with us over the years from local English Language schools, aged from 15 to 50. They were also very polite, very interesting to speak to and despite what people say about them, quite fun people to be with.
Did I mention they were polite?
I even remember, quite a few years ago, while camping in France, a German Family next to us
Despite my younger brother acting out a famous Fawlty Towers sketch when he thought they knew no English, they said goodbye when they left, in perfect English and said they used to enjoy that sketch on Fawlty Towers too!
How silly did my Brother feel?
I can't really think of a race of people I don't like, but then I haven't met them all. Yet
Allan
 

Rob e Lee

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2 weeks, 1725 miles.

1. Brugge is lovely and the stelplatz is fantastically located but pricey.
2. Germans are joyless.
3. Luxembourg has fantastic smooth tarmac everywhere, twisty forest routes and cheaper fuel. Motorcyclists take note.
4. Germans are rude.
5. The Romantic Road is a great idea, but once you've seen one medieval walled city you've seen them all. Rothenberg being the jewel if not a bit touristy.
6. If there is efficiency to be found in Germany, it's being done by immigrants.
7. There really are hundreds are stelplatz along the Moselle. It's so perfect for first timers.
8. A lot of Germans appear to really dislike dogs.
9. Free wifi is very hard to find in Germany.
10. I'm really glad we won the war.

When I was younger I toured around Germany with my parents. One night we stayed at a local bed-and-breakfast somewhere near Oberammergau. The couple that ran the place obviously had their old mother living with them. The first night we were invited to have supper with them which was all very nice until the old lady enquired of my father if he had fought in the war. He informed them yes, and that he had been a prisoner of war for the whole duration. He related the story to them of when he was captured just outside Dunkirk and was discovered with two of his comrades hiding in a pigsty. They were held overnight and then the following morning were told to start digging 3 graves. They obviously thought these were for them and he told me "It took us a bloody long to dig 'em" They were then ordered to stand by the side of the graves and only then did the Germans proceed to bring out three of their own dead and my dad and his two mates had to bury them.

On hearing this, the old lady just got up from the table and abruptly left leaving a very quiet and embarrassed son and daughter in law. On leaving the next morning it was a very frosty atmosphere as we departed. I have to say that my dad never held any grudges and his words to me were that "You have to remember that most of them that took part in the fighting didn't want to there either".

Of all the countries we used to tour around I believe his favourites were Germany and Austria. In his words "There's good and bad everywhere"

Rob
 

rainbow chasers

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I must admit, I met a few miserable ones. One was in a fuel station, Frau Misery i believe she was called.....and the only others were the loo attendants who stood their with their money pots - i think i too would be pretty miserable standing in a loo all day taking 5c peices for a living, so I forgave them.

But Frau Misery was just a grumpy one! Everyone else were very welcoming, and forgiving of my poor german which I wasn't expecting.

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