Extended Stay in Germany, Survival Tips, please advise :)

Actually, James, Jo, and Andreas may be better sources than expat Brits for several of your questions. The regulations for long-term stays by members of the European Union are far different than for Americans. Unless you already have some sort of visa (student, perhaps?) you can only stay in Schengen-area countries (which includes Germany) for 90 days in a 180-day stretch.

Thank you for your tips.

P.S. I am a EU citizen (birthplace), so I do not need a visa for Germany.

Amber...you lucky devil!
Once you get an internet hookup in place, you might want to consider Skype for international calls. They charge about 2c/min. for calls to the U.S....if you call a lot, they also have subscription plans that can bring that cost down even further. You could even get a German phone number that allows incoming calls from other phones. Since you can put Skype on forward, you can have calls routed to your mobile or landline, so you don't have to keep your computer on 24/7. I use it from home and while travelling, and find it works very well.

Lucky indeed ;) - considering the circumstances.

Norm, great advice! I didn't realize Skype had these options (I used it only twice).

About the people you mentioned, James, Jo and Andreas - are they forum members who may come across my questions and answer them?

I always had the impression that Andreas was German, no? Maybe it's his name...

James and Jo are on here often, so you will probably hear from them. It is possible that Andreas is on here often and just doesn't post as much as the other do.

Amber...yes they are, and yes, Andreas is German, I believe. If you do a search for their names, you can click on a post and send them a personal message...that would put you in touch with them directly. Jo and, I believe, Andreas live in Frankfurt....and look for the James in Ansbach. He actually posted an earlier reply to your question.

There's also Tom who lives in the Neckar-Rhein region. He posted slightly down this page recently under the topic "Non-Stop Train from Germany to London"

James from Ansbach was your first responder who recommended the ex-pat website (I may be wrong, but I think he may be US military. James?). I think it was a good suggestion because you may pick up some pointers, even if it does not answer all your questions. Here is another ex-pat site that includes some info about renting, including some additional websites to check:

http://www.easyexpat.com/en/munich/accommodation/rent-house-flat.htm

I'm afraid I can not help you with insurance questions since I already had foreign service insurance when I arrived here. I can second the suggestion to use Skype.

I will see if I can answer your questions, but really, the suggestion from James to use Toytown is the best. The expats on there come from everywhere, just that English is the common language.

1.) I use the Deutsche Post. Germans don't use checks, usually just an EC card, most bills are paid using an Uberweisung, UBW is the abbreviation.

2.) Go to Saturn to see about pre-paid internet. This is a good question for Toytown.

3.) If you can be insured with the public health ins. then do so. I use and like TK, once used DAK but dislike their service, and AOK is alright, but have had friends who weren't thrilled with their services.

4.) Again, Toytown will be your best friend here. Rent can vary, the military gets socked with high rents no German would pay. In Frankfurt, you can pick up a 1 bdr.apt. for 500 euro per month. Munich many be a bit more.

5.) I use a pre-paid handy, and use my land-line for long distance calls, as my internet provider is tied in with this together. You can pick up calling cards at internet cafes, or even use their phones for the cheapest calls, around 2 cents a minute. Skype is a good idea though.

The expat community in Munich is very active and large, so join up on Toytown and start making a few helpful friends before you get over here. This will ease the process. What country are you from?

Feel free to message me.

I just moved here myself last week (and I have to rush back to the states tomorrow for a few days, unfortunately), so I can only answer question 5:

Most German cell phone providers lock you into 2-3 year contracts. Your best option for local calls during a 6 month stay is a pre-paid cell phone, although you'll get slaughtered on the rate if you use it to call the US. I bought a cheap Vodafone, although there are other providers out there that offer similar service. I use Skype to talk to family in the US.

I am impressed with how helpful and fast all of you are :). Thank you Norm, Jo, James, D.D., Tom and Andrea.

I will check out all the links and sign up for Toytown too.

I am doing some research myself, here is some info I came across that may be useful to someone in the future (I used google translate):

Banking:

http://www.girokonto-vergleich.net/vergleich.html
http://www.girokonto-kostenlos.net/girokontovergleich.html
http://dynamisch.vergleich.de/vergleich/girokonto/vergleich?track=admatics&extcid=SGOJHAD060000000&Profil=online_nutzer

It seems that for pre-paid internet Tchibo (O2) would be good.

I was going to recommend trying Tchibo. The stores are everywhere. You can even buy a cheap cell phone there. Once tip with calling...a friend at work uses Magic Jack and say's it works well for international calls. Ooma telo is another option receiving decent reviews, but I haven't tried it personally.