Germany is attracting skilled workers from abroad. With that said, how do expats living in Germany rate their new home towns? That’s something the InterNations expat network aimed to find out by conducting a survey among the 3.5 million members it claims to have. A total of 20,000 took part and selected seven German cities from among the 82 most popular worldwide.
Aachen is by far the most popular expat city in Germany. The little city in the far west of Germany has a population of only around 260,000, but it places 11th in the international rankings, ahead of Sydney and Tokyo. It is squarely in the “Working in the city” category, covering both jobs and careers. Wondering about job security and work-life balance? Aachen actually came absolutely top worldwide with a quota of 89 percent. Nowhere else in Germany were the participating expats quite as happy as they are here.
Düsseldorf attracts expats and it does so by offering a high quality of life, good work-life balance and job security. Its failure to rank higher than 31st in the global ranking is primarily down to interpersonal contacts. “Making new friends is difficult because everyone has their own circle, many known since childhood”, said one expat living in this city.
This Hanseatic city achieves the worst rating of the seven German cities because the weather is, well, not so good. It rains too much and too often here, or at least it seems that way. Even though the weather isn't great, Hamburg scores points as an attractive place to work with good local transport and high environmental quality. This cosmopolitan city on the Elbe was ranked 42nd on a global scale.
Frankfurt, Germany’s financial hub, is ranked second internationally by its expats for its job security and high salaries. “Even if you’re not a high-flying career person, you can certainly live on the wages you earn”, said one expat from Bulgaria. In the overall global ranking, Frankfurt places 49th, closely followed by Cologne (50th place), Munich (51st place) and Berlin (61st place). The high rents prevent these popular tourist destinations from achieving better rankings.
You might consider where you like in the States and find a region that has similar characteristics. The north is affluent and efficient, but more business oriented. Liguria is beautiful and there are many tourists on the coast, but mostly with Italian families and yet with so much charm. Florence, despite being the Renaissance capital of Italy, is crowded and tourist focused.
The Chianti region just a half-hour south is amazing with some of the most beautiful countryside and excellent food in the country. Venezia, though magnificent, would be difficult to live in because of the cost.
Veneto is absolutely gorgeous with many delightful small towns, while Abruzzo is being called the Tuscany of today with many of the same amenities -- wine, hills and ancient palazzos. If you adore the south because of the warmth of the weather and the openness and kindness of the people, Puglia is a perfect place.
Rome is of course magnificent too, but definitely is the big city with all that entails. Great food, amazing history and tremendous charm.
Finding Your Perfect Place in Italy May Take Time
People preparing to move to Italy should take the time to visit different regions, cities, and towns before choosing where to live. It is more than a good idea to always rent before buying in case you decide to move again.
]]>
So you’re heading off to study in Italia! No doubt this is going to be a life-changing experience, full of new and exciting sights and encounters. But before you get caught up in your daydreams, we have to talk about what you’re going to pack. In order for things to go off without a hitch during your time in Italy, check out these essential items.
Versatile Clothing
Clothes will easily take up the most room in your luggage, so let’s be smart about this. Ideally, you want to pack clothes that are comfortable, durable, and at least moderately stylish.
No one wants to look like a tourist, hence why your clothes should have some element of local style, but you also want to be comfortable during all of the walking you’ll be doing. The more versatile your clothes are, the less you’ll have to pack, and the lighter you pack the better.
Over-The-Counter Medicine
Although it’s probably not what you envision, chances are you’re going to get sick at leas once during your time in Italy. The last thing you want to do is end up in an Italian pharmacy trying to explain your symptoms and buying over-the-counter drugs that you’re not familiar with, especially if there’s a language barrier.
Know your body. Think about what kind of sickness or ailment you’re most prone to and plan accordingly. Visit your local pharmacy and stock up on the over-the-counter drugs that you usually turn to.
Be sure to bring a first-aid kit, and consider packing a thermometer, especially if you’re used to reading temperature in Fahrenheit.
Adapters and Converters
Of course, you’ll be bringing your laptop, phone, camera, and all the necessary chargers, but the important thing to consider is how you’ll be plugging all of these in.
In order to charge/use all of your devices, you’re going to need an adapter that allows you to plugin. Italy has its own unique electrical socket, as well as another socket unique to Europe and Russia. Therefore, to be completely prepared, you’ll want two different adapters, which you can see and purchase here. If you don’t want to buy more than one of each, bring a power strip so you can plug into one outlet, but use/charge multiple devices.
Italian outlets provide a 220-240-volt output, which may be more juice than your devices can handle. Make sure to check your device's voltage input. Say you’re from the United States, where sockets only have an output of 110-120 volts. In this case, you may want to look into a voltage converter.
Maps
Although you may be used to getting around using Google Maps, know that you can’t rely on your phone everywhere you go, especially if you don’t have international data in your phone plan.
In this case, you’ll need a physical map of the city you’re staying in and whatever other cities you plan to visit. Like any student going abroad, you’ll want to go exploring, and the best way to do that without getting lost is to carry a map.
Pocket Dictionary
This is more for students who haven’t studied Italian to the point of fluency yet. Bring a pocket dictionary that translates words and common phrases from your native tongue into Italian. This will be your lifeline if the language barrier is one of your bigger concerns.
Author: Tanner Hackney
Author Bio: Mr. Hackney is a Junior Journalism and Marketing student at American University. His travels have taken him to England, France, Germany, Canada, Spain, and the Netherlands.
#internationalstudents #internationalpackingadvice #packingadvice #studyingabroad #italy
]]>“I think the most important lesson learned was that it wasn’t up to Parisians to adapt to me but for me to adapt to them. That included all the nuances of living in Paris I had to learn quickly. Like many Americans who travel abroad and become convinced that a lack of convenience in daily life — short shop hours, unavailability of some products, busy supermarkets with one cashier working, delivery services— was a symbol of an inefficient and laggard culture in Paris. I first viewed my new life in France through young and very naive eyes.
I was used to convenience above all else (Capitalism, capitalism, capitalism! Make money whenever and however you can!). What I learned though was the few lingering inefficiencies in Paris only exemplify humanity. I learned that a better life isn’t from having stores open 24 hours a day but rather how all of us are just a bit more human in living in France.”
]]>
NOWSHIP provided Kubox trunks, 5 in total from San Francisco to London.
Not all techies are big nerds, not all, so when the pandemic hit, I had basically just moved to London. There is nothing I can share about the response to COVID-19 that would be much different than anyone else could share, other than I had a series of trunks I shipped from the USA that carried my life to my new home.
Living out of a box isn’t easy but I was living and had everything I needed to do my daily grind. The flat was pretty barren at first but online shopping was an option to fill up spaces like a bed, a place for clothes and dishes for the kitchen.
Life in London has opened up and is a bit more normal for now. Exploring and meeting up with friends thankfully is option to living in the UK.
NOWSHIP provided Kubox trunks, 5 in total from San Francisco to London.
]]>