7 Things We Love About Living in Germany as Americans 🇩🇪❤️

As Americans living in Germany, we've found things we love and hate about living abroad in Germany. This video focuses on the things we LOVE about living in Germany as Americans. Stay tuned for the negatives of living abroad in Germany though...

⏩ CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro
0:19 Number 1
0:52 Number 2
1:18 Number 3
1:55 Number 3.5
2:28 Number 4
3:48 Number 5
4:53 Number 6
5:44 Number 7

👩🏽‍💻👨🏼‍💻 CONNECT WITH US

🤔 WHO IS MY TRAVEL BF?
We are Mike and Becca, two passionate travelers who love traveling deep and experiencing a place through its food, history, and culture.

#germany #livingabroad #expat

[clausj]

To hear about all your positive impressions with the best views of Hannover in the background was a pleasure. However, I'm eager to see the second part.

[Prof.Dr.Diagnose]

I think it’s a bit problematic that people always say, the taxes are 40-45%. It doesn’t match the reality and suggests that everyone has to give half of his money to the government. 45% is just the highest possible tax rate for the rich. The average citizen pays about 20% in taxes.

[martinmatte]

Thanks for ths nice views of my hometown Hannover. In my opinion, one of the most underrated cities in Germany. I noticed some pictures of Bamberg as well, where currently a part of my family lives.
Comparing the taxes in Europe with those in the U.S. is a hard task, i guess - it´s not the same, because they contain insurances, health care and other benefits for europeans. On top of it, the living cost differs by a lot and we use to get additional perks, like "Kindergeld" (€250 per child/month), "Wohngeld" (rent subsidy for low incomes/up to €1300/month) and so on...
However, have a nice day and don´t forget to enjoy your life, EVERYONE! ❤

[baramuth]

In any case, Germany has a lot of history to offer. The castles and palaces alone, some over 1000 years old, are remarkable.
Now after a year in Germany, you realize that there are positive but also negative things. in general, but the positive now prevails for me seen. Whereas I see in the U.S. at the time a lot of negative, the whole political chaos (I will not go into it) the many homeless who live on the street, that is not in Germany.

[siriosstar]

The health care system in germany is predominantly paid for by insurance premiums not taxes .
The most central feature is cost control .
The government tells the insurance companies and the doctors and hospitals how much they can charge . also, insurance is mandatory . the cost of the premiums is based on one's income .
There MAY be some tax subsidies but it is mostly paid for by the above things mentioned .

[marcuswippi]

Schön, daß ihr euch für die Historie interessiert. 😊
Viele Deutsche kümmern sich da nicht mehr drum.
Ja, die Sicherheit und auch die medzinische Versorgung sind durchaus gut!👍

[MrTequila]

I walked to school alone when I was 7 years old and in 2nd grade.
There are enough old people who pay attention xD.
Grüße aus Thüringen / Erfurt

[rmamon]

Hands down, the best public transport system is ours here in Vienna: 365€ for a whole year for using every public transport there is: the tube, municipal rail, the busses, the tram, everything. And if you don't want to pay for a whole year there are monthly, weekly and single use tickets for tourists.

[howierfs]

Hi Mike, I can agree to your mentioned things and of course there will things you may hate, better to say you dont like. Well, as you know that we Germans complain a lot anyway but in general comparing with other countries its nice to live here. Those who complain the most have been not that much outside this country, I mean around the world, and are not really able to complain. Of course everything is not going well for the citizens with the actual goverment but msitakes have been done in the past as well and there will be a new chance to correct such things. Hope you still enjoy living here and you also donate something to our society as you have got back already from them. CU

[SonnyWest]

City kids around the world act like city kids(go to kiosks, corner stores, take public buses and trains, and walk home with friends). Him saying it doesnt happen in America just shows he grew up in a safe suburb that is spread out so much that they need bus systems to ferry kids to school on time. Country side kids in germany 🇩🇪, europe, asia, and south america all have a transportation service(sometimes public bus, or shuttle system) to bring them back and forth to school.

[jackysack]

Oh cool! At 0:28 you’re in Würzburg! ❤

[Beeboop]

Thx a lot for your video, not everything in Germany is good, but overall, its good to live here. And a special note: your video at 4:40 is no porn!😉

[jensbaranek]

Our safety is not only about gun control. It is the result of a social society, in which everybody can live a proper life. It is our task to form a society, where there is no need for (private) guns at all. The monopoly on violence belongs to the organs of the nation ... and even our policemen are far less violent as their collegues in the US. Social peace is not a question of police control, but about establishing social conditions, in which violence is not necessary and useless.

[vande]

Actually there are more guns in Germany than you think. Even the smallest village has its shooting club (including a green uniform because of the tradition of citizen's militia).
So I would say the key for safety in Germany is strict gun control. You need a legally acknowledged reason (e.g. hunting or sports or a security business), absolutely no criminal record, a training and a license before you can legally buy a gun. And any guns have to be locked up in a safe to prevent minors or psychos from getting one.

[crowkraehenfrau]

Love Hannover...and...books about penguins aren't banned... lol... there are even live penguins in Hannovers zoo. :-))

[mogon]

Sorry, but this annoys me everytime i hear it. It's annoying when it comes from American rightwingers who sing their false song of low taxes while hiding the fact that "their" taxes do not include expenses they have to pay after cashing in the pay check, e.g. healthcare, while in Germany, this is alreay paid before that. And it's annoying when it comes from somebody who should know better.

No you don't pay 40-45% taxes, and I guarantee you, you never will. You pay income tax to the state, which in your case as a married couple with an average income will be roughly 10-15%. The income tax is progressive from 0% to 45%, depending on the income. And it's not the same rate on all of your income, it's zero on the first ~10k and increases in steps up to 45% on that income above the highest bracket, something about 120k for a married couple if I remember correctly. I'm too lazy to look up the exact figures, but out of my head, that married couple with 120k pays something like 18% income tax because that's the average over their different "slices" of income. Additionally, there are quite a lot of actual legal ways of reducing tax payments, and especially children will have a large impact on what you pay. So, if you ever happen to pay more than that, I would very much question your tax advisor.

A bigger percentage than taxes are social security contributions, being around 19%. They are taken out of your pay check, but that doesn't make them taxes. They include healthcare, unemployment insurance, pension funds, and a few more elusive things like "Berufsgenossenschaft", depending on the type of employment, sometimes on region. If anything, they must be compared to health insurance premiums and pension funds in America. The only difference is that they are mandatory in Germany. That still doesn't make them taxes. They are contributions to social security of which you are a member. If you are not privately insured, you are members of one of the many statuory health insurances, and by the way, you are entitled to vote and be voted on for the the administrative board of those independent, not-government-controlled entities.

Since you are an educator, I would propose to have a close look at your pay-slip for homework. Please prepare a 1000 words essay on the subject of taxes and dues in Germany as compared to the USA and present it to the audience til the end of the year. 😜

[chf]

In einem Land in dem "gas" eine Flüssigkeit ist, sind natürlich alle Abzüge "taxes".
Der normale Angestellte zahlt in Deutschland rund 21% Sozialversicherungen - das sind keine Steuern sondern ein VERSICHERUNGSbeitrag für den Notfall.
Arbeitgeber zahlt übrigens weitere 21% für diese Versicherung dazu und dann kann man sich natürlich auch freuen dass man einigermaßen kostenlos kostenlos zum Arzt geht und einen eine Geburt nicht in den Bankrott treibt.
Und dann zahlt ein mittelgut verdienender Mitarbeiter zwischen 20 und 30% Lohnsteuer das ist eine echte Steuer

[arno_nuehm_]

In points of safety: That Fahrradhelm isn't worn richtig.

[Kelsea-]

Germany is far from perfect and now this country is going through a difficult time. But Germany is used to mastering even the most serious crises and learning from mistakes.
There is a saying here 'Mund abwischen und es besser machen' (wipe your mouth and do it better).
This is probably the most outstanding characteristic of the Germans.

[bh]

The main reason why you have no cycling infrastructure in the US is : it is costing money and does not bring any PROFIT to your car industry !! so simple .. ( and it could make people halthier ) bad for the other BUSINESS ... healthcare !!