Living in France vs Germany Pros and Cons

danger here! wrote: »

Both countries are varying greatly from region to region. France would be a bit more like Ireland in some ways, being highly centralised and culturally a bit more laid back slash chaotic. Germany is great in some ways but can't really be considered a single country, more like a collection of very diverse regions. Both countries are absolutely more bureaucratic than Ireland, but you get used to it, and actually you realise how loose everything is in Ireland, and not always in a good way

Pros for Germany

- Weather is infinitely better than Ireland, more predictable and as a result you'll spend a lot more time outside in the nature. Work life balance is far healthier than the Anglo Saxon model. You work hard, drink a beer on Fridays maybe and then spend the weekend on a boat or grilling with the family. No going to Dundrum on Sunday afternoon with the missus, retail is closed.

- Things generally work. Things are not perfectly efficient as sometimes portrayed, but everything kinda works. The Autobahn system is terribly overrated these days, but you can still get around.

- People are genuine and friendly, once you get under their skin. Germans have a great sense of humour actually, you won't be friends overnight but people are genuine. You don't really have that faux friendly thing that often one associates with Ireland. No beating about the bush, straight honesty. Germans have a serious gra for Ireland as well, not to be underestimated both in social and professional life.

- Food and drink is very underrated. Each region has it's own thing, so you'll be well fed. Lots of potatoes, red cabbage, pork or veal, gravy and so on. Washed down with usually very decent beer or wine, at very affordable prices.

- Live and let live: Socially liberal yet people are generally conservative with a small c. The nanny state does not exist in the German collective mindset.

- Geographical location is literally at the centre of Europe. You have the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, France, Scandinavia, the Alps and Med all within easy reach. You can hop on a train in Hamburg and spend the afternoon in the Czech mountains if you want. Mobility is so much more developed than Ireland.

Cons:

- Germans can be a bit set in their ways with some matters, inflexible and this often means you end up in some unnecessary annoying situations. Germans love to have a moan, usual accompanied by a red face. However, once you give it back to them they quickly go quiet and find something else to have a whinge about.

- Thinking outside the box doesn't really exist in Germany. Well it does, but it would be a minority mindset in some of the younger companies. Germans love their pre ordained ideas and stereotypes, which personally I always found grating.

- Germany is not Switzerland or the Netherlands, it's a middling country with an economy akin to perhaps the English midlands, "made is Germany" is now actually made in Turkey / Romania and Germany is not the centre of the universe, as some often believe. Germany is actually far more like a country like Belgium, minus the political squabbling. Countries like the Czech Republic have overtaken the Germans in terms of innovation, internet quality and so on. Germany is still stuck in the 90s I have the feeling.


A brief summary of German regions:

Bavaria: not really Germany, good food and drink, friendly, Munich is wealthy, bit conservative, probably closest aligned to Ireland in terms of economy

North East: bit boring in the former DDR. Some nice spots on Baltic coast around Rügen, Dresden area and the Harz mountains. Rural areas are decent.

Berlin: great city in your 20s, GTFO after that though, no place to raise a family. Broken glass and unemployment but great parties if you're into that.

Hamburg / North : Bit posh / wannabe rich but very interesting city with the port setting. States around somewhat boring but decent life quality.

Ruhr area: Crowded and dirty. Very friendly people. real working class area but not much going on economically, except in Dusseldorf and Cologne.

South West: Lots of big firms and economic powerhouse of Germany in some ways. Strange dialects and somewhat conservative. Blackforest is lovely.

Central area (Hesse / Thüringen / north Bavaria). Bit of a mix. Thüringen is very nice though, only part of the east I could see myself living.


You'd really probably only be interested in Frankfurt, which is relatively boring and bland, but Hesse (the Bundesland it sits in) is lovely and plenty of nice spots like Kassel and Darmstadt. Maybe Luxembourg as well, plenty of banking jobs over that way, and most commute from France or Germany.