Five More Handy Web Sites for Military Families Moving to Germany

Last January, I wrote an article for Associated Content called "Ten Handy Web Sites for Military Families Moving to Germany". Since I wrote that article, I've gotten a lot of comments and emails from people who have found the information very useful. At this point, I've been in Germany for almost a year and have had the chance to find even more helpful Web sites for people who are planning to move overseas. Having been on the verge of an international move just a year ago, I understand the anxiety that can come from having to plan for the big trip. If you're in that situation yourself, take heart. You're definitely not alone! Without further ado, here are five more Web sites that I've found helpful since my move to Germany.

Toytown Germany (http://www.toytowngermany.com/)

Toytown Germany is a very useful Web site for "Germany's English speaking crowd". I don't remember how I found this site, but it's been a big help to me. It consists of articles about living in Germany and an extremely helpful forum, divided into Germany's different regions. Since I live in Baden-Württemberg, I hang out in the area designated for people in southern Germany. There, I've found tips on where to find housing, local services, dog kennel services, vacation spots, and even the best places for a gourmet meal. The community is friendly and comprised of people from all walks of life. In other words, it's not just for Americans or military members. I have found the added perspectives of civilians in Germany and folks from other countries to be very refreshing. I didn't know about this site when I was planning my move to Germany, but I wish I had. It's a great place to go for real time information about all things Germany from an English speaker's perspective.

Life Lessons of a Military Wife (http://lifelessonsmilitarywife.blogspot.com/)

This is an excellent blog written by a military wife who has also been a military brat. She just moved to Stuttgart, Germany and has written some very useful posts about her adjustment to life in Germany. Her posts include helpful advice to others who are about to make the move to Germany or are already there. I would definitely recommend it especially for those who are on the verge of making the move. Her very recent experiences will give new arrivals an idea of what to expect.

VaJoe (http://www.vajoe.com or http://www.allmilitary.com)

VaJoe is a growing military community that is open to military members, spouses, and their loved ones. It's a good place to go to connect with others who are in the military lifestyle. Membership is free. Best of all, members get a free VaJoe t-shirt after contributing 50 posts to the forum. VaJoe is currently online at the first Web address I posted in this article. However, it will soon be moving to AllMilitary.com. I don't know when the change will take place, but I have found VaJoe to be a great place to go for moral support and information.

TripAdvisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com/)

Naturally, if you're coming to live in Germany, you're going to have some opportunities to travel! Since my husband and I have been living in Germany, we've found TripAdvisor a huge help in finding great places to stay and spot on travel advice. TripAdvisor.com posts lots of reviews written by everyday people. Users are also allowed to post candid photographs, which are also very helpful for getting the real lowdown on places to go and things to see. My husband and I found a great Italian B&B and a wonderful new Belgian hotel using TripAdvisor. We have plans to stay at a very cool looking and economical Polish hotel in the near future, based on TripAdvisor reviews. Had it not been for that site, I doubt we would have been so lucky.

Hund Hotel Haase (http://www.hundehotelhaase.de)

Okay, this site will really be most useful for folks who are going to be living near Stuttgart, but I thought I'd pass it along anyway, since so many people bring their dogs with them to Germany. The Hund Hotel Haase is a dog hotel located in beautiful Bad Niedernau, Germany, which is a bit south of Stuttgart. We've left our two dogs there several times since our arrival and the staff has taken excellent care of them, allowing us to do a lot of travelling. It's true that animals are allowed to go a lot of places they couldn't go in in the United States, but our dogs are a bit too much of a handful for that. Hund Hotel Haase offers boarding and training as well as salon services. Best of all, my dogs actually like going there! They're happy to see us when we pick them up, but they also get a bit of a vacation. The Hund Hotel Haase does a lot of business with Americans, so they're very used to dealing with us. The VAT form is accepted as well. If you don't yet know what a VAT form is, don't worry... you will know very soon!

A couple of other tips...

I've actually found Samantha Brown's Passport to Europe series on the Travel Channel very helpful for planning excursions. If you don't get the Travel Channel, you can download her show off iTunes. Of course, being a lover of libations, I've also enjoyed Zane Lamprey's show Three Sheets, which is also on iTunes or the MOJO HD network. Expedia.com will allow you to book reservations on their American site, which can save you a lot of money when you make travel arrangements. I recently booked three nights at a great Belgian hotel and paid in dollars for a fraction of what I would have paid in euros!

Above all, good luck and have a great trip!