General Tips and helpful Hints

general about the german

People tend to be formal. Many people, especially in business, are called by their last names, not first names (i.e. Sie + Herr/Frau Schmidt instead of Du + Peter/Susanne). It is normal for Germans to separate between their professional and private life, with a clear differentiation of who belongs to which.
Always be punctual for appointments.
You will find that it is acceptable to take your dog into restaurants, stores etc. Some stores may have signs stating that they do not permit dogs
You may need to pay an attendant to use public toilet facilities, approx. € 0.70

In a restaurant, you will usually need to seat yourself. When a restaurant is very busy, you may be asked if someone may share your table. You may do the same, but always ask in advance.
Tipping in a restaurant: Since service and VAT are already included in the price, people generally just round up to the next euro (if it is a bill under € 10) or give a tip of around 5%, but hardly ever over 10%, depending on the price of the meal and the service provided. When you have decided what your payment
will be (food + tip), simply tell your waiter/waitress the total amount, hand over the money, and he/she will return the change.

There is a daily “quiet time” which is generally Monday to Saturday from noon to 3pm and 10pm to 7 am
and all day Sunday. During these times, noise should be avoided, i.e. loud music, lawn mowing or drilling.
You may wash cars on private property, but not in the street.
Germans like to keep the sidewalks and walkways clear of snow, dirt, weeds and leaves. You should maintain the public area in front of your residence.

Be cautious when using a barbecue on a balcony. Normally it makes sense to get prior consent from
neighbors who live above and/or next door.
Germans do not wear bathing suits (swimming costumes) in the saunas or hot tubs/spas. Men and women typically share the same facilities, but there may be different days and times posted for each. If you plan to
partake, be prepared to take it off.

When visiting a doctor for an examination, it is not customary to be given an examination gown. If you feel
uncomfortable stripping off, make sure you wear a loose long shirt to compensate.
Once or twice a year, you will be visited by your local chimney sweep (Schornsteinfeger / Kaminkehrer). He
will want to check your home’s heating system and chimney. They just drop by anytime, and will leave a
note on your door for another appointment if you are not home.
If one of the garbage men rings your door bell wishing you a Merry Christmas or a happy New Year, he is
not just polite but is indirectly asking you for a tip. He is, however, not allowed to accept anything over € 8.
In Germany the official ID document is the Personalausweis (only for Germans) or the passport
(sometimes in combination with Anmeldebestätigung). Unlike in the US, the driver’s license is not used for
ID purposes.