After 14 years living in Berlin, I joked that our summer vacation plans are the true sign we have fully integrated into German culture. We were finally going to Mallorca. We had never heard of Mallorca before moving to Germany. It is simply not on most North...
The GW Expat Blog
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air travel
The Rising Costs for Tourists in Germany
Room Taxes, Spa Taxes, and ETIAS Traveling in Europe or anywhere else has always involved spending a certain amount of money. But over the past decade or so a new kind of travel expense has arisen in Europe, including the German-speaking countries. And yet another, if...
Lost Luggage in Germany
This summer people were ready to forget they ever heard of the Coronavirus and get back to travel. Everyone I knew had travel plans whether it was by train (many via the brilliant 9 euro ticket plan), by car, or by air. But no sooner were tickets booked than reports...
Comparing the Covid Response of the USA and Germany
After 2 years of not seeing my family, I was back in the USA twice at the end of last year. In October we booked emergency tickets and were back visiting a sick family member within 72 hours. A Christmas trip was planned. Both trips were a low-key shock to the system....
Traveling to Germany in Covid Times: What You Need to Know
Before You Go If you, like me, have been champing at the bit, eager to once again fly to Germany from the USA, it is now possible. While we don't currently have truly ideal conditions, US-Americans are now taking long-haul flights across the Atlantic and landing in...
Why Does Berlin (BER) Have So Few International Long-Haul Flights?
Why is Berlin such an international flight provincial backwater? For a major European capital city, Berlin has very few international nonstop flights. Long-haul flights to and from other continents are a rarity in Berlin, Germany's largest city by far. (The Berlin...
Long-Haul Flights With Kids
I am in the midst of my third trip back to the USA with kids. Along with questions about jet lag and reverse culture shock, one of the questions I always get is about taking kids - particularly a baby - on a long-haul flight. And it is a flight. I live in Berlin with...
Flying Across the Atlantic for Less
Bargain Flights Between North America and Europe Whether you're an expat in Germany looking for a bargain flight for a visit to North America, or a tourist looking for a good deal on a flight to Europe, there are tricks and tactics you need to know in order to save...
A Prussian in Hawaii: Heinrich Berger and the Royal Hawaiian Band
The story of Heinrich (later Henry) Wilhelm Berger has fascinated me ever since I first learned about the Prussian military musician. Berger traveled all the way from Berlin to Honolulu in 1872 - no simple journey in that day and age. Prussian Emperor (Kaiser) Wilhelm...
Flying the German Way: Landing Applause
When, if ever, is the "landing clap" justified? As I write this I'm on a cruise ship just off the Pacific coast of Mexico. That's a bit ironic because (a) there are about a hundred German tourists on board our Mexico-bound vessel, and (b) I'm writing about flying and...
Tschüss, Jet Lag!
For many expats, long distance air travel is just a regular part of our lifestyle. Whether you travel “home” sporadically for visits, or if you essentially live between two or more places, overseas travel, and all that comes with it, is just another challenge that we...
German efficiency and Berlin’s new airport
There is a German term for "German efficiency" – several in fact: deutsche Gründlichkeit, Effizienz, Fähigkeit, Leistungsfähigkeit, Tüchtigeit. German efficiency can be found gloriously in German doors and windows, in energy use (hall lights that only turn on if...
Moving with Max
Pets are becoming more and more a part of the family. They live in our homes, sleep in our beds, and the lucky ones even join us on vacations. So when considering relocation to another country many pet owners would never dream of leaving their furry family members...
Transatlantic with the Toddler
There are so many horror stories I could share involving transatlantic travel. I entertained my babysitter the other day by regaling my worst memories of flights between Europe and North America, some of which involve being sandwiched between an overweight, unhappy...
Jet Lag: No Heia for the wicked!
Having spent the past week dealing with jet lag in small children, with my mind still fuzzy and my eyes still bleary from lack of sleep and too many espressos, I only have one thing to talk about this week: recovering from a cross-time-zone trip. Every expat you ask...
Oh, the Places You’ll Go
If you are an expat in Germany with children, at some point or the other you will probably have to endure that oh-so-anticipated but oh-so-dreaded journey of traveling home to wherever you hail from. If your kids are over the age of 5 or 6, the trip may not be so...
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