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First trip to Germany

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MarcVD

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It's even worse than that... 10 years ago I worked for a computer company that had branches in France, Belgium, and Germany. We wanted to form an international "special interest group" dedicated to data storage techniques, that would meet once a month. It has proven very difficult to organize, because we could not find english fluent german participants. This was in a hi Tech company with mean age of people below 40...
 
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433N

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From time to time particularly when I'm travelling to Germany (must start, trip planned this year), I do read and watch alot of German media. I have to say that a recurring theme is the decline in quality of education in Germany ; sound familiar ? I tended to take this with a pinch of salt but maybe we can no longer expect fluent English spoken in Germany as standard.

I remember travelling 30 years ago in the times of the Intercity supplement (Zuschlag), I thought it would be a jolly wheeze to try to avoid paying by pretending to not speak German. D'oh. The guard spoke perfect English (Don't know how many BR guards spoke German).

When booking accommodation for this summer, I also saw alot of properties advertised where the owner didn't list as speaking English. It should be remembered that immigration means that many people haven't necessarily been through the German education system however good (or bad) it is.

To try to remain (vaguely) on topic : Long and short, I recommend learn the lingo or take a phrasebook (I prefer the former).
 

Spoorslag '70

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I think it is always a good thing to know some basic phrases (even it only is "Entschuldigung, sprechen Sie Englisch?" - meaning "Excuse me, do you speak English?"). Most people will be very pleasead that you are trying to use the local language and many will try to help you. Many people don't like it if you just start using another language (just like most Brits would be slightly unhappy if I just started speaking German with them).
 

pnepaul

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Update: I have just managed to book my first trip for the end of April!. Frankfurt to Bonn and back. The outward journey is via Mainz and the scenic Rhineland route.
 

Groningen

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Koblenz - Bingen is in my eyes the most beautiful line in Germany and you can also use the other side. Or go by boat.
 

Ken H

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in Germany, they obey rules. So they dont cross the road when there is the red man, they wait for the green one even if there are no cars in sight.

And don't try and dive on trains as the doors close. They dont cycle open like UK ones, they just squeeze you. Germans dont try and go through a train door once the warning beep starts. probably because it hurts!

And when they have diversions because of engineering works dont expect the information systems to work properly. We got on a train thinking it went to Postdam from Berlin. But it was diverted, but all the PIS on the train just went blank. the guard told us to get off a Golm, but no information about onward travel. Didnt realise it was 2 stops on a bus and the zonal ticket we had was valid so had a half hour wait in the middle of nowhere for a train to Potsdam. In December.
Got the S-bahn back.
 

Spamcan81

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By and large yes, although for future reference if you ever go anywhere in the former East Germany fewer people tend to speak English there (especially older people, though younger people are just as likely to speak English as in the former West), so it's well worth polishing up your German in that case.

I've made more visits to the former DDR than the former BDR so agree that much less English is spoken by the older generations and possessing German language skills is more than useful.
 

Groningen

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The difference between especially main London stations and Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands that here you can enter trains at the very last second. In London they close the access to the train at least 1 minute for departure if i am still correct.
 
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You can still board trains right up until departure at stations in London. I do it all the time and see many people board as the doors are closing. I have never seen them stop access to the train one minute before. It would be impossible to anyway.
 

DavidGrain

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On Birmingham New Street both Virgin and XC close the doors 40 seconds before departure
 
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