I cannot determine how to use TripAdvisor%26#39;s %26quot;TripWatch%26quot; to obtain real-time travel deals relating to Germany, tours in Germany, or flights to Germany.
Are there other internet sites that provide this %26quot;Germany-oriented%26quot; travel service?
Also... Are there ways to buy a car in Germany and get special travel deals?
Will the care end up costing more than necessary as an %26quot;off-set%26quot; to the marketing promotion? How can we avoid this?
What other means can we use to reduce both the cost of our travel and the acquistion of an automobile in Germany?
My wife and I intend to move to Germany within six months but would like to make a several week trip to determine exactly where we would like to re-locate. If we buy a car, we intend to %26quot;garage%26quot; it with friends during times we may be back here in the states during our %26quot;transition%26quot; process.
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There are lots of sites about travelling to and in Germany (you can actually find some on the bottom of this site as advertisements). For a first overview you might want to see
http://www.germany-tourism.de/
http://www.about-germany.org/sitemap.htm
For hotels
http://www.hrs.de or
http://www.expedia.de
are quite popular.
Cheap flights:
http://www.skyways.de/ (site in German only)
I%26#39;m not sure if buying a car in Germany is the cheapest way to have one here. I have heard about people who actually buy cars in the US and ship them here and its cheaper than to buy a car here. No experience on this though; you will have to do some research on this.
Finding a garage should not be a problem.
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%26gt; Also... Are there ways to buy a car in Germany and get special travel deals?
There are such deals offered by the German car manufacturers. But these are cars with US specifications which could be only used for some time for driving in Europe. For longer stays you need a car with European specifications.
e.g.
bmwusa.com/bmwexperience/…
%26gt; What other means can we use to reduce both the cost of our travel and the acquistion of an automobile in Germany?
You could also travel around on a German Rail Twin Pass
raileurope.com/us/…german_rail_twin_pass.htm
There also budget rental companies (you have to return the car at the place you rented it from). E.g.
http://www.interrent.com
But keep in mind, that fuel costs are much higher in Europe than in the US.
You could buy a used car. See e.g.
http://www.mobile.de/
http://www.autoscout24.de/
If you buy a slightly used car (called %26quot;Jahreswagen%26quot;) you%26#39;ll get the car for approx. 30% less than new.
General problem is not the purchase of the car, but the registration of it. Only possible if you are a local resident.
However as soon you are a German resident your US driving license is only good for up to 6 months. See on this
germany.info/relaunch/…driving.html
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Thanks... these are all very good ideas.
One other idea I%26#39;ve had is to buy a used %26quot;motor scooter%26quot; to use while I am there. Any ideas along this %26quot;vein%26quot;?
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Mark....
Thanks for the reply... but I still would like to know if there is a way to use the %26quot;TripWatch%26quot; here to be notified of bargains relative to travel in Germany --- and if anyone know of similar automatic services at other sites.
How can I use %26quot;TripWatch%26quot; here for Germany. I seem to be getting only notices about %26quot;Ile de France%26quot; and I did not sign up for information regarding travel in France.
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As others have mentioned, registering the car n Germany will be a problem as you will not be a resident. As to driver%26#39;s licenses, you must obtain a German one after being a resident for 6 months. This can be very simple or more complex and expensive depending on whether your US state of residence has reciprocal agreements with Germany. If so, you may just need to exchange drivers licenses. Otherwise, it can be very expensive 500-1000 euros as you will have to attend a driving school. Fortunately, written tests can be taken in English.
Your US state of residency is also important for tax purposes as if your state has income taxes you will have to pay them while living overseas. If such is the case, you might first want to establish residence in a no income tax state with reciprocity on the driver%26#39;s license. (I believe Alabama is a state where it is almost impossible to break your tie with.) When moving back to the US you also have to be careful because some states (e.g. California) will try to tax you on your entire foreign earnings during the time you were overseas even though you weren%26#39;t legally a resident of the state during this time, thus requiring an intermediate move to another tax-favorable state. I would strongly suggest contactng a professional that deals with such tax and residency matters before considerng a move overseas unless your employer can protect you somehow in these matters.
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Using TripWatch:
On the left side of this page you can see a red box stating My TripAdvisor at the top. Being in the Germany Forum right now I could simply click on %26quot;Add Germany to your TripWatch list%26quot; and I should be done. It always worked for my holiday destinations, even though I am not sure if you will get the information you are searching for.
BTW: In this box, the locations you have chosen right now are also stated. Does that explain your %26quot;Ile de France%26quot;-problem?
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Hi, you can set up fare watches on travelocity, orbitz and expedia and they will send you e-mails re fares. You don%26#39;t say where you are in the states but you should check out Condor for their charter flights as they can be much less expensive than airlines. There is at least one travel company that specializes in German travel and they are really nice folks - check them out at gemut.com - the car situation is really tricky as is working abroad if you aren%26#39;t going over with the government or a US company. The income tax situation can land you in a real mess so do be sure to speak to a tax specialist for foreign income. Hope this helps.
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Thanks, KileysMom... This is very helpful.
I live near Atlanta, GA.
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