| I have lived and worked in Berlin. I am from the UK. I speak, read and write semi-fluent German. This didn't really help me in my work life, as everyone wanted to speak English, however obviously helped in everyday life. My doctor, for example, oddly, spoke no English at all. Nevertheless I am sure I could have transferred to another doctor. I found it was very useful to read contracts in German. If you don't do certain things, then things can get quite expensive. For example, if you don't have personal liability insurance and you lose your flat key, it can cost you 1,500 euros [1]. However I wouldn't let that discourage people. It just pays to ask for advice for colleagues on what you should be doing. Public transport in Berlin is great, and you can get anywhere in the city within about 40 minutes. This is useful for socialising after work. There are a LOT of talks and conferences that happen in Berlin. However as a lot of people are transitory, moving in and out of the city, I found it difficult making more longer-term relationships. I don't think Berlin is unique in that regards, rather I think it is a trait shared by other large cities. I think it can be reinforcing: people are reluctant to invest in deep relationships as people move so often, and people move when they haven't formed relationships. At times Berlin felt a bit like living on an island, as it is far away from clusters of other major cities in Germany. Deutsche Bahn did open a new line between Berlin and Munich, however, so now you can go to Oktoberfest in 4 hours. German industry is also more located in West Germany, rather than the East. However what I did see was the big companies opening up subsidiaries in Berlin. There is a positive feedback loop: there are developers in Berlin, so more companies open, which brings in more developers. The climate was more extreme than England's mild maritime climate. Very much warmer and more humid summers and a longer, colder, winter. However you also get Gluehwein and winter markets. I enjoyed the experience living there. If I were to do it again, I would pay to live in a furnished apartment for my whole stay, instead of going the local route of finding an apartment, then having to furnish it (this can also be a nightmare if it doesn't have a built-in kitchen, which a lot don't!). This can be significantly more expensive, however. Berlin is not that cheap any more. As an immigrant, I bought a furnished apartment with a 3 month let from a specialist company (who obviously charge a premium). This allowed me to get my official German papers, such as a SCHUFA check (a piece of paper that says you don't have any debt) that allowed me to rent a "real" place. In the 3 months I could also get the bank account, town registration, etc. documents you also need. However, as I mentioned, if I were to do it again, I would have probably just tried to pay a premium to get a furnished place, longer term. Jon Worth's Euroblog was one of the useful things I read regarding renting a flat in Berlin [2]. [1] https://www.finanzen.de/news/15102/schluessel-verloren-eine-...
[2] https://jonworth.eu/how-to-find-a-flat-in-berlin/ |