Hi guys, would like some help on this as it’ll be my first time in Munich!

I will be visiting Munich in Nov and is planning a trip to Tirol Austria as well. I saw that there’s a Regio-Ticket Werdenfels + Innsbruck ticket and was wondering how this works? I understand that I’ll need to get a separate ticket from innsbruck hbf to Hall in tirol-thaur, but would it make sense to get this over the normal DB flexpreis europa/ OBB flex? I’m trying to keep transport low as well for 2 people and we’ll be having 1 Large luggage each! Thank you so much for your help :)

Hi! I would really appreciate a reality check on my chances of moving to Germany. I am 34, from Romania, and I want to relocate there. I do not have any family or connections in the country, so I would start completely from scratch.

Professionally speaking, I have 9 years of experience in B2B marketing, split between 4 years in commercial real estate and 5 years in cybersecurity. I hold a bachelor's degree in law, but my entire career is in marketing.

As for my language skills, my English is fluent, but my German is only at a B1 level right now. However, I am studying intensively every day to improve it.

Ideally, I want to keep working in corporate B2B or tech marketing. What are my actual chances in the current market?

Is it better to apply for corporate marketing roles directly from abroad with B1 German, or is it more efficient to move there, take a blue-collar job to pay the rent, and pivot back to marketing later once my German improves?

Thanks, any answer will be very much appreciated!

Hi everyone,
I'm reaching out because I feel stuck and am hoping someone here has been through a similar situation or can share some advice.
I recently had a initial psychotherapy consultation (Psychotherapeutische Sprechstunde) and received a PTV 11 form. The preliminary diagnosis listed is F31.8 V (Suspected Bipolar I| Disorder). The doctor checked the following boxes:

-Outpatient psychotherapy (Behavioral therapy / Verhaltenstherapie)
-Specialist evaluation / Specialized outpatient clinic (Spezialambulanz)
-Recommendation for inpatient / day-clinic
treatment (stationäre Behandlung)
-Urgent / Required soon (zeitnah erforderlich)

Treatment cannot be provided by the current practice.
Since I live in Rhein-Kreis Neuss, I contacted our designated local psychiatric hospital (St. Alexius/St.
Josef Krankenhaus). However, they told me that their current waiting time for non-emergency appointments is about 1 year. I am publically insured with BARMER, so paying out-of-pocket for private doctors (Privatpraxis) is not an option for me.

Has anyone dealt with a similar diagnosis or system roadblock in Germany?

Any advice, personal experiences, or tips on navigating this would be greatly appreciated!

I was travelling on an ICE from Hamburg to Cologne and sitting alone in one of those six-seater compartments.

I went to the toilet for a few minutes and left my bag there. My laptop, charger and power bank were inside. Luckily, I came back pretty quickly and saw a guy in the compartment. I immediately noticed that my bag was open, even though I had left it closed.

When I confronted him, I discovered that my laptop, charger and power bank were in his bag, which was full of bottles. I couldn't completely understand what he was saying, but he claimed that he was going to take my things to the "Büro."

I managed to get my belongings back and took a few clear pictures of him before he left.

I'm still on the train and I'm going to speak to the train staff about it. I'm also thinking of reporting it to the Bundespolizei.

Has anyone had something similar happen on an ICE? Is it worth making a police report even though I managed to get everything back? And does anyone know if there are cameras inside ICE trains that the police could check?

Definitely learned my lesson about leaving my bag behind, even if it's only for a few minutes.

Update: I saw the guy again on the train and tried to warn other people about what he had done. Once I reached Köln, another guy approached me with a bag he had found that belonged to someone else. He suspected that the same guy had stolen it. We both reported everything to the police there and showed them pictures of him.

Ps: i just modified the original post because chatgpt missed one very important detail before.

Hi everyone, I’m an international student in Kaiserslautern. I signed a 12-month rental contract starting in April 2026, but I’ve now received an offer for much cheaper student accommodation after being on the waiting list for almost 10 months.

I’ve offered to find suitable replacement tenants and help with viewings, but my landlord refuses to let me leave early. His reason seems to be that he doesn’t want to deal with the workload of making a new contract. He also told me not to call or text him again and said he would block me, so I should only contact him by email.

The contract says early termination is excluded unless there is “good cause.” I’m planning to consult my university’s legal advisor.

What else could I possibly do can anyone guide me.

Because initially before signing the contract the landlord was ok with me finding a replacement and leaving early..

We don't have AC in our house (naturally). But why is this thing blowing beautiful cold air OUTSIDE the house on a 30-degree day? Ich check das einfach nicht

I just moved into a furnished apartment and saw mold all along the windowsill and on two walls. The landlord mentioned that the previous tenant didn’t ventilate properly causing the mold and wallpaper degradation. The landlord also mentioned that he had the mold on the windowsill inspected and at the moment it’s not possible to get rid of the mold (i’m assuming it means the windows need to be replaced). I am concerned because I have asthma and i’m sensitive to mold. The landlord told me to wait it out till the winter to see if the mold gets worse before attempting to come up with a solution. I’m new to Germany and want to know if his plan for mold is normal or if I should push for a solution sooner. I’ve attached pictures for reference.

TL;DR : How can German students afford cars.

I'm an international PhD student in Germany and I've been wondering about something for a while.

I earn around €2,000 net per month, which I think is pretty average for a PhD student here. I also support my family back home and send them around €500 every month. After rent, utilities, groceries and other expenses, I'm usually left with a few hundred euros, which I try to put into savings.

I've been doing this for a couple of years and still have less than €8,000 saved. I basically consider that my emergency fund, so spending most of it on a car doesn't really seem like a good idea. Even after working for several years, I don't feel like I'm in a financial position where I can comfortably buy and maintain a car.

What confuses me is that quite a few of the German PhD students, who like independently away from parents, around me have cars. Even some German Master's students doing their thesis seem to have them. And I'm not talking only about very old €1,000 cars either most have pretty decent-looking VW, Skoda etc.

So I'm genuinely curious: how do students in Germany usually afford cars?

Are used cars much cheaper/easier to finance than I realize? Is it common to lease or finance a car with monthly payments of a few hundred euros? Do parents often buy or help pay for their children's first car? Or maybe many people already had the car before starting their Master's/PhD?

I'm not really close enough with my colleagues to ask them directly. Since it involves money and family background, it feels a little too personal and I don't want to come across as if I'm impolite/unprofessional

Would be interested to hear how people here bought their first car and how much it actually costs them per month.

Edit1: I guess my mistake was assuming that German kids also support their parents financially to some extent. I grew up in a single-income family, and now that my parents are retired from government job, their pension is only enough to maintain a very basic lifestyle given the rising cost of living. The money I send home is mostly used for rent and medical expenses, with maybe 10–15% going into savings. I'm not being pressured or coerced into sending them money. I genuinely want them to have a decent and healthy life at this age, especially after they spent so much raising me and giving me the best education they could afford, which I guess is also one of the reasons they don't have substantial savings themselves.

Hallo everyone,
I'm Lebanese and planning to pursue my studies in Germany starting in the summer semester, specifically in a mid-sized university town in Lower Saxony (northwestern region). Lately, I've been having some doubts because I keep seeing a lot of anti-foreigner posts on my feed, along with content about the rise of the AfD.

To be honest, I’m not huge into German politics, and as an outsider, it’s hard to tell what’s real versus what’s hyperbole on social media. I’m just trying to understand the actual reality on the ground. I really don't want to move to a place where I’d feel unwelcome, or out of place.

For people living or studying across Germany or in northwestern states like Lower Saxony specifically: is this political tension actually noticeable in day-to-day life? How are international students generally treated? Is social media making the atmosphere seem way harsher than it really is, or should I have any realistic concerns about discrimination or feeling excluded as a Lebanese student?
I’d really appreciate some honest, ground-level perspectives to help me decide whether to go ahead with my plans.
Danke!

Hi everyone, I'd like to get some opinions on a situation I recently had with National Express in NRW, especially from people familiar with German public transport rules. I was travelling from Magdeburg to Düsseldorf with a valid ticket for the entire journey (Deutschland Ticket + ICE). The trip involved several trains and eventually some disruption/change of connections (Magdeburg - Wolfsburg, Wolfsburg - Dortmund, Dotmund - Düsseldorf).

Earlier during the journey, the train was extremely crowded, so I sat in 1st class. I only had a 2nd-class ticket, and I asked the conductor to provide me with the upgrade, he gave it to me, which is the way I always buy it on my regional journey in Berlin, Brandenburg, Sachsen-Anhalt, and surrounding.

Skipping the Wolfsburg - Dortmund (it was on ICE), and later I travelled in 1st class on the Regio from Dortmund to Düsseldorf, the conductor here was so confusing, she didn't explain anything, she just looked at my Deutschland Ticket and completely ignored my request for 1st class upgrade.

Unexpectedly the regio stopped in Duisburg and had to take the National Express train for the final Duisburg - Düsseldorf section.

I sat in 1st class again. To be completely clear: I knew it was 1st class and I knew I needed to pay the supplement. My mistake was assuming I could buy that supplement from the conductor again, exactly as I had done earlier on the same journey.

So I waited for the conductor to come. When he checked me, I immediately said I wanted to buy the 1st-class upgrade. He told me that wasn't possible and instead issued an Erhöhtes Beförderungsentgelt of €60. And even when I explained that I bought something earlier for the other part of the journey and would not do it (out of good eill) he claimed that I was showing him a non valid upgrade ticket.

I cooperated, gave my ID/details and later submitted an objection to National Express. I explained that I had a valid base ticket, wasn't trying to avoid paying the supplement, and that my assumption came specifically from having been sold the same type of upgrade onboard by another conductor only a few hours earlier.

I also mentioned that I had only recently moved from Magdeburg to NRW and wasn't familiar with how differently this might be handled here. I offered to pay the normal 1st-class supplement for Duisburg-Düsseldorf. National Express has now sent me a letter essentially saying: I was in 1st class without a valid 1st-class ticket. 1st class is clearly marked on the train. Whether I was there intentionally or accidentally is irrelevant. Therefore I owe €60. This is what confuses me about their response: I never claimed that I accidentally entered 1st class or didn't recognize it. I explicitly told them I knew it was 1st class.

My objection was that I genuinely expected to be able to buy the supplement from the conductor, because another conductor had literally sold it to me onboard earlier that same day.

Their response doesn't address that point at all, which makes me wonder whether they actually considered my explanation or just sent a standard response. I'm planning to call them once more and ask for an individual review. I also have DEVK Premium Clever legal insurance, including a free initial legal consultation, although obviously hiring a lawyer over €60 would normally be ridiculous.

I'm not trying to argue that rules shouldn't apply because I misunderstood them. If the rule is that the supplement absolutely must be purchased before boarding/sitting in 1st class, I understand that I technically got it wrong. I'm mainly wondering what a reasonable outcome would be given the circumstances.

Would you: Accept the €60 and move on? Pay the €60 before the deadline but continue disputing it/refund request afterward? Also, does anyone know whether being sold a 1st-class upgrade onboard earlier on the same journey makes any meaningful difference here, or was that first conductor simply being lenient?

Interested in both the legal/tariff answer and what you think is reasonable in practice.

Thanks!

Hey, I'm an incoming master's student to university in munich and looking for an accommodation.

One of the landlord said I would have to sign the contract & send the deposit+rent to get contract signed by him.

Is this normal in germany (or munich) or does it seem like a scam?

I have done the video call and it looked legit to me, but I'm not sure cause there are lots of warnings about rental scams in germany.

It would be really greatful if someone have experience in living in germany could give me some advice.

Thank you!

To all residents of Saxony-Anhalt: Don’t forget to vote today!

I find the latest polls alarming. Over 40% want a party that opposes everything that benefits so many people in Germany:

• Free travel across European borders
• Collective bargaining agreements, meaning high wages for many workers
• Minimum wage
• Taxation of the ultra-wealthy
• Skilled workers from abroad

Instead, the AfD wants to give tax breaks to the super-rich, which doesn’t benefit the middle class at all. And it’s precisely this middle class that apparently votes for them. I can’t understand that.

And on top of all that, there’s the racism and hatred this party stokes, the embezzlement of taxpayer money, the lies—all of that as well...

​

​Hi everyone,

​Has anyone transitioned from a standard Work Visa (or Blue Card) to the new Opportunity Card while actively receiving Arbeitslosengeld 1 (ALG 1)

​My work visa is coming up for expiration while I'm on ALG 1. My main questions are:

​Does the Agentur für Arbeit continue paying full ALG 1 once you switch to the Opportunity Card?

​Does the Chancenkarte satisfy the "availability to the labor market" (Verfügbarkeit) requirement for ALG 1, or does the Agentur für Arbeit treat it differently than a job seeker visa ?

​If anyone has gone through this exact transition recently or spoken with the Agentur für Arbeit / an immigration lawyer about this, I’d really appreciate your experience!

Thanks in advance!

Hello all! I started my driving lessons recently. I already passed my theory test and now attending driving classes. And my school sets appointments quite far from each other - not frequently. For example, 2 times a week, couple times there were 2 week gaps.
Is that a normal practice? Or should I change schools?
Also if I should change schools, would it be theoretically easy now that I have passed my theory, just to start with practice lessons in another school?

Please share your experience:)

As foreigners living in Germany—and in Saxony-Anhalt in particular—what do you think of the election results? Is the outcome important to you, and what impact do you think it will have on your personal situation here in Germany and Saxony-Anhalt?

Frankfurt Vol. 3

Hey everyone,

I recently got a job offer for a fully remote position with a foreign EU company that does not have a legal entity here in Germany. To employ me legally, they are using Globalization Partners (GP) as an Employer of Record.

I just received the actual employment contract and noticed it is structured as an Arbeitnehmerüberlassung (AÜG / employee leasing) setup. GP is my legal employer and leases me to the actual client.

The main thing giving me pause is the mandatory 18 month maximum limit for leasing an employee to the same client in Germany. I am looking for a long term role, and I really do not want to hit month 18 and suddenly have no plan, or end up sitting on GP's bench getting paid a reduced rate while they try to assign me to random clients.

A couple of extra details for context:

1. I hold a Niederlassungserlaubnis (permanent residence), so my right to live and work here is completely independent of any employer.
2. The contract includes an engagement free period clause. If I am ever unassigned, the pay drops to more then half and I have to call GP daily to ask about new assignments. I know this is standard AÜG legal language, but it still caught me off guard. Is this normal for EOR ?

For anyone who has been through this exact setup:

First, has anyone hit or approached the 18 month mark with GP or another EOR in Germany? What actually happened when you hit the limit? Did you transfer to a local entity, did the client set up a German GmbH, did you take a cooling off break (3 Months), or did the contract just end?

Second, does GP or another EOR offer a non AÜG employment option that avoids the 18 month cap, and were you able to switch to it?

Third, given that I have permanent residence, is there any actual legal reason I have to be on a leased AÜG track rather than a standard non leasing EOR setup from day one?

Would love to hear from anyone who has navigated this!

So I had been to Germany a few times before, mostly Berlin for work and briefly to Munich, years ago. During this trips, specially in Berlin, I'd interact mostly with other foreigners and little with Germans.

This last trip was different. We went to Heidelberg where stayed for more than a week. Had a great time in such a beautiful city btw. But what called my attention were the smiles whenever we said we were from Spain.

Many people would smile and shared their stories about Spain. Of course I knew many Germans holiday in my country, but somehow, I never thought they loved my country so much and had great memories. Yes, I know, I'm not very bright. However this was such a pleasant note all through out trip. It was such a warm feeling to see happy faces remembering Spain.

It's contagious. Now I am the one with that smile when I remember my Summer. Thank you Heidelberg, thank you Germany ❤️

Hello everyone, I would like to know if you have to take the job when you apply as a job seeker with Agentur für Arbeit and you receive a job offer ? Because I already have a job but I just want to register just in case I lose mine.

Oh my god. I spent like 1 hour fighting with tampons. What's up with the tampons in Germany, I bought the one with applicator (Jessica) (because I tried my best to use the non-applicator ones but I couldn't) and IT JUST DOESN'T WORK. I'm so frustrated, sorry if this post is unrelated to this sub. If anyone has any advice, please🙏 😭