Visit the Surf Shop!
|
|
Bandwidth: hi / med / low Visit the Surf Shop! |
| Home | Register | CouchSearch! | My Profile | Messages | Groups | Events | Chat | Community |  |
Info | Login |
|
|
Big Picture | Participate | Mission | Statistics | Wiki | Contact Us | Ambassadors | Donate | Collectives |
GermanyThe statements and opinions on this page are solely those of its authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of CouchSurfing International.
Germany is a country in Europe. Typically German?!
PlacesStatesGermany is divided into 16 States (See Map), capital is Berlin.
1 Baden-Württemberg, Stuttgart 2 (Free State of) Bavaria, Munich ((Freistaat) Bayern, München) 5 (Free Hanseatic City of) Bremen, Bremen ((Freie Hansestadt) Bremen, Bremen) 6 (Free and Hanseatic City of) Hamburg, Hamburg ((Freie und Hansestadt) Hamburg, Hamburg) 7 Hesse, Wiesbaden (Hessen, Wiesbaden) 8 Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schwerin (Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schwerin) 9 Lower Saxony, Hanover (Niedersachsen, Hannover) 10 North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf (Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf) 11 Rhineland-Palatinate, Mainz (Rheinland-Pfalz, Mainz) 12 Saarland, Saarbrücken 13 (Free State of) Saxony, Dresden ((Freistaat) Sachsen, Dresden) 14 Saxony-Anhalt, Magdeburg (Sachsen-Anhalt, Magdeburg) 16 (Free State of) Thuringia, Erfurt ((Freistaat) Thüringen,Erfurt)
Baden-WürttembergCapital and bigest City: Stuttgart with 591,548 inhabitants Large Cities: Freiburg im Breisgau, Heidelberg, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe, Mannheim, Pforzheim, Reutlingen, Tuebingen, Ulm (Free State of) Bavaria (Bayern)Capital and biggest city: Munich (München) with 1,4 million inhabitants. The largest State in Germany, it is also the region where all the famous typical things (food, clothes, music...) come from.
BerlinCapital of Germany with 3,396,990 inhabitants BrandenburgCapital and biggest City: Potsdam with 212,230 inhabitants Large Cities: (Free Hanseatic City of) BremenCapital and bigest City: Bremen with 546,932 inhabitants Large Cities: (Free and Hanseatic City of) HamburgCapital: Hamburg with 1,744,215 inhabitants Hesse (Hessen)Capital: Wiesbaden Bigest City: Frankfurt am Main with 660,289 inhabitants Large Cities: Mecklenburg-Western PomeraniaCapital: Schwerin Bigest City: Rostock Large Cities: Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen)Capital and bigest City: Hannover Large Cities: North Rhine-WestphaliaCapital: Düsseldorf Bigest City: Cologne (Köln) with 975,907 inhabitants Large Cities:
Rhineland-PalatinateCapital and bigest City: Mainz Large Cities: SaarlandCapital and bigest City: Saarbrücken (Free State of) SaxonyCapital and bigest City: Dresden Large Cities: Saxony-AnhaltCapital: Magdeburg Bigest City: Halle (Saale) Large Cities: Schleswig-HolsteinCapital and bigest City: Kiel Large Cities: (Free State of) ThuringiaCapital and bigest City: Erfurt Large Cities: Easy couchesCouchSurfersTriviaTransportationTaking the trainYou can find all information about departure and arrivals, fares, timetables and buy tickets online at the website of Deutsche Bahn. Train for Free/Less: There several regional and (for weekends) germanwide group tickets for 5 Persons only for the lokal (means small, stops everywhere) trains. There are often groups with less than 5 Persons who have them and it's easy - at least on common routes - to find people who have a place left on there group ticket. Often it's for free but sometimes they'll ask you if you can spend about 5,- €. If you take the risk, you can just go into the trains and ask the people there. If you want to be more careful (and you are not at a very small station) you can ask people on the train platform. You can also ask people who are leaving the train if they don't need there group tickets anymore, but since last year officially you have to write a name on the tickets and very few controllers also asking for passport to check. (At big stations there are also very often people who try to sell there tickets after use. Check the date carefully, occasionally it's a rip off.) HitchhikingIt is very easy to hitchhike in Germany. There are big motorways, called Autobahn in German, which connect the big cities. If you get on these, you can use the stations on the road to change the hosting car. (It is against the law to hike directly on the Autobahn. Often there is no speed limit and you would risk your life.) You have more success if you ask the drivers directly where they go and if they can give you a ride then putting you thumb up. (Best is to have a cardboard sign with your your destination.) A very good site in the Internet is Hitchbase. There are useful experiences from other hitchhikers. Ride SharesRide sharing known als Mitfahrgelegenheit is common in Germany especially amongst younger people. The most popular websites to place and search adds are Mitfahrgelegenheit [1] and Mitfahrzentrale [2]. Both are currently only avialable in German and the first one seems more helpful.csgroup:200 wikitravel:Germany hitch:Germany EmergenciesHealth and securityGermany is known for being one of the safest countries in the Euro- pean Union, and while you could possibly find yourself on some of Earth's safest terrain in Germany's smaller towns and villages, travel- ing in larger cities can be dangerous. The most serious threat for visitors or tourists are pickpockets, who are known for frequenting crowded places like airports, train stations, busy train wagons or buses, and tourist attractions. For this reason, it is best to leave valu- able items and documents in a hotel safe. Medical emergenciesYou should obtain medical insurance that is valid in Germany before leaving your home country; otherwise, you will be charged for doctor or hospital visits abroad. For less serious illnesses, you can seek advice in one of Germany's many pharmacies (Apotheke). Pharmacies (Apotheke)German pharmacies are abundant, even in smaller towns, and are easy to find. Just look for a red stylized "A" or the word "Apotheke" (www.apotheken.de). Pharmacies are usually open from 8 AM – 6 PM and are generally closed evenings, Saturday afternoons, Sun- days and holidays. Each of them, typically, has a list on the door of pharmacies in the area that remain open to handle emergencies. Most pharmacists can offer advice on minor illnesses and recom- mend over-the-counter remedies. Be aware, however, that all medi- cines (even aspirin) are behind the counter, and must be asked for, even if you do not need a prescription to purchase them. It is also a good idea to bring any prescription drugs from your home country with you for the duration of your stay abroad. While you will probably be able to find equivalent drugs in Germany, you will need a doctor's prescription, which will not be free of charge. Prescription drugs cannot be sent legally through the postal service if you are planning on having them sent from home. DoctorsFinding a doctor in Germany can be an intimidating process because of the language difference, but it should not be. You can refer to the yellow pages (Gelbe Seiten: www.gelbeseiten.de) or a local tele- phone book (www.dasoertliche.de) in which doctors are listed by their specialization. For a general physician look under "Allgemein- medizin", or, simply ask a colleague or friend; the best references are often by word of mouth. Other good sources of medical care are university clinics, which can usually be found in major cities or univer- sity towns. These clinics are staffed by highly skilled doctors who often speak English. Making an appointment When making a doctor's appointment by telephone or in person, the person you will speak to is the Arzthelferin or doctors assistant. She may not speak English, but do not worry, you will not be asked many questions, you simply need to set up a day and a time for an ap- pointment. Some helpful phrases for an appointment are:"Ich möchte einen Termin machen." "I would like to make an appointment." "Es ist dringend. Haben Sie keinen früheren Termin?" "It is urgent. Don't you have an earlier appointment?" "Wo befindet sich Ihre Praxis?" "Where is your practice located?" Urgent situationsIf you have an urgent medical situation during evenings, weekends or holidays you can always find an available doctor who will provide after hours medical assistance. You can find an "on call" emergency physician by: • Calling a general physician listed in the telephone book. If he or she is not available, you will most likely hear a recorded message with the telephone number of an emergency doctor. • In large hotels medical care is usually provided on the premises. If not, ask the receptionist to contact a doctor for you. • Calling the "Ärztlichen Notdienst" (19222 in some parts of Germany) for the name of a doctor in your area, see also: www.aerztlichepraxis.de/Bereitschaft and www.aerzte-notdienst.de. • Going directly to the hospital or emergency room. • Taking yourself or the patient to the nearest hospital or out-patient clinic. Throughout Germany, the number 112 (no city-prefix neede) will be answered by an operator who is an experienced member of a rescue team. This is also the number you can call in case of a fire or when an ambulance is needed. • Checking a local newspaper. Look through a local newspaper for the heading "Notdienst Kalender" (“Emergency Calendar”) to find an emergency doctor in your area. Seconds matter in an emergency:How to correctly report an accident. In an emergency, a few seconds can be a matter of life and death. When calling for help, you need to concentrate on relaying essentials without forgetting important facts. When reporting an accident in German, keep the 5-W’s in mind: • Wo geschah es? (Where did the accident happen?) • Was geschah? (What happened?) • Wie viele Personen sind verletzt? (Who and how many people are injured?) • Welche Art von Verletzung oder Erkrankung, soweit äußerlich erkennbar? (Which injuries or ailments are recognizable?) • Warten auf Rückfragen und durchgeben der Rückrufnummer. (Wait for questions and give a number at which you can be reached.) By going through this list you can be sure that all important informa- tion has been correctly taken down by the emergency rescue team. Car accidents and other emergencies PoliceThe German police can be identified by their predominantly green and beige uniforms, and green and white (or silver) signs and auto- mobiles. Motorized police units, known as the "Vekehrspolizei" (traffic police), look after safety on the streets, roads and motorways, and can be identified by their white hats. Uniformed policemen patrolling city streets have a hat that is the same color as their uniform. Those policemen who are responsible for criminal offences, known as the "Kriminalpolizei" (criminal police), are usually dressed in plain clothes, and show their identification only when necessary. Many of the Ger- man police personnel speak English and are approachable and easy to find in busy areas like airports and train stations. The number 110 can be used to contact the police throughout Germany. Car accidents If you or someone else has an accident or a serious breakdown on the German motorway, you can use one of the special orange tele- phones that are set every 2 kilometers along the shoulder of the road. These telephones contact an operator who will inform the appropriate emergency services. The emergency numbers 110 and 112 can be accessed by every telephone, including mobile phones, free of charge. German automobile clubsIf you are staying in Germany for a longer period of time, membership in a German automobile club has several advantages. The largest automobile club in Germany is the ADAC (Allgemeine Deutsche Automobil-Club: www.adac.de). This organization offers information in English, sells insurance, publishes detailed maps and provides emergency roadside assistance. Most cities have an ADAC office. In addition, the ADAC has partnership agreements with some foreign automobile clubs, including AAA in the United States (www.AAA.com). Lost and stolen propertyThefts and burglaries must be reported immediately to the criminal police (www.polizei.de). If an insurance claim is to be made, a certifi- cate must be obtained to show that the stolen property has been reported. If you have lost a valuable item, try contacting the city's "Fundgrube" (Lost and Found). These exist in every German city and are often in the city hall or "Rathaus". See www.fundbuero24.de . The German Railway has its own lost property office known as the "Fundbüro der Deutschen Bahn AG". The same applies for most airports. List of Emergency NumbersAccidents
Lost & Found
Lost Credit Cards
German Automobile Clubs offering roadside assistance
Useful Telephone Numbers
EmbassiesEmbassies and consulates can provide a number of useful services for their citizens while they are traveling or living abroad. If your passport is lost or stolen, officials in a consulate can issue you a replacement. The consulate will also renew passports, help you obtain legal advice, hire a translator if necessary, and assist you in contacting your family. If you think that your passport has been stolen, report it to the local police and obtain a police declaration. It is recommended that you make a copy of your passport and other important papers and keep them in a safe place to expedite replacement of lost or stolen documents. Should you lose all of your money and other financial resources, consular officers can help you contact a bank, employer, or family member and arrange for them to send you funds. In extreme circumstances, they may be able to arrange for financial loans to finance the purchase of a ticket home. A list of foreign embassies in Germany and of German representatives abroad can be found at www.auswaertiges-amt.de. article history edit |
| Help / FAQ | Terms of Use | Privacy | Contact Us |
© 1999-2008 CouchSurfing International Inc. - a Non-Profit Organization 'CouchSurfing' and 'CouchSurfer' are registered and unregistered service marks of CouchSurfing International. - CS Release: Eagle*** *** *** *  |