A year in Düsseldorf: the good, the bad and the praktisch

Interested about what it’s like to live in Dusseldorf? I wrote this post back in 2015, to celebrate a full year of living in the city, but have made sure to keep it up-to-date. I still live in Germany and still love it, but I am now living in Cologne instead. If you have any questions about moving to Dusseldorf, the area of Germany, then comment below and I will do my best to answer!

While I absolutely love living in Germany and currently have no urge to return to the UK, I do spend a lot of my time complaining about trivial things and pining for British comforts. So much so, I thought I would sum up the relative joys and disappointments of expat life in Dusseldorf into the good, the bad – and the praktisch.

I have also decided to fill the post with unrelated photos of Dusseldorf, because – well it’s a pretty little city.

---

Living in Dusseldorf: The good

---

Obviously the vast majority of life here falls into this category, but it’d be a bit boring if I didn’t name some specifics.

German food

OK, hands down, the best thing about living in Germany is the food. German food is goooooood. Admittedly, if you don’t like the combination of meat and carbs you might struggle a bit, but once you embrace it: nom, nom, nom.

Don’t believe me? Try Currywurst. Eat Schnitzl. Then eat Jägerschnitzl (Schnitzl with a creamy mushroom sauce). Order a side salad (they are huge). Go to any German bakery. Head to any of these burger restaurants. Sample literally one hundred different types of sausage. Scoff down the best kebab of your life. You will love it.

---

More on German food in NRW:
Top 5 best burgers in Dusseldorf
The top 6 restaurants in Dusseldorf
A food guide to Cologne

---

The active lifestyle

One of my favourite things about Dusseldorf (and Germany in general) is how active everyone is. If you go to the park on a sunny day, instead of masses of sunbathers, everyone there is doing something: running, jogging, cycling, football, Frisbee – you name it. And running isn’t just for the superfit, everyone runs here.

I often feel in the UK people classify themselves either as sporty or non-sporty and if you’re non-sporty, any activity is a no-no. I’m not trying to make Germany sound like a utopia, but here sport really is a non-negotiable part of life. My gym membership (at FitX), for instance, is €14.99/month, which is the norm. Sport in Germany isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.

Cost of living in Dusseldorf

Living costs here in Dusseldorf is low. Really low. (Admittedly, this might be something to do with the fact taxes are really high, but hey – let’s look on the bright side). And getting by here on the average wage is generally pretty easy – at least compared to my previous experience of living in the UK (Manchester) and Russia (St. Petersburg).

Firstly: food and drink. Eating out in Dusseldorf is very reasonable. Generally speaking, a main meal will cost €10-12 (about £8-10). A glass of white wine is normally around €4, but you can pick up a decent bottle in any supermarket for the same. (That’s right – a bottle of wine for under €5). But the real winner is rent. I spend just 20% of my wages on rent. Not too shabby, eh?

To compare the cost of living in Dusseldorf with another city, you can use this site here: Numbeo.

Green spaces in Dusseldorf

I’ve said it plenty of times before but now spring has sprung, I feel reminded of it all over again: Düsseldorf is such a beautiful, green city. You’re never far from a park here. Check out some more photos of the city here.

International & expat life in Dusseldorf

Another huge perk of living in Dusseldorf is its proximity to other countries: Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam are all an easy train ride away. In fact, you could drive to Holland in less than 30 minutes. The city’s location, coupled with the number of multinational companies based here (L’Oreal, Henkel, trivago to name a few…) creates a pretty great international atmosphere.

---

Expat life in Dusseldorf: the bad

---

Now, despite all those lovely, important things, life as a British expat in Germany can still be pretty difficult. And while I don’t wish to offend anyone, I feel obliged to show both sides of the story, so here we are…

Banking (a.k.a. “Sorry, do you take card here?”)

While living in Germany, it’s often useful to remind yourself that there are futuristic countries out there where you can make purchases using contactless payment. Germany, meanwhile, is still partying like it’s 1979: it is almost impossible to pay on card anywhere and in the few places you can, most retailers will insist you sign instead of using this new-fangled ‘chip and pin.’

It gets worse: if you have an account with Deutsche Bank, you can only get money out from a Deutsche Bank cash machine (*and a small list of others), otherwise you’ll be charged at least €4.75.

And what about online payments, I hear you ask. German standard bank cards don’t have a three-letter security code on the back, so a lot of online retailers are out of the question. Instead, most German companies will ask for payment by online bank transfer. That’s right: direct debit.

I’ve even heard that paying by cheque is still a common practice. Ridiculous.

German Airports – I don’t like them

German airports are a real pet-peeve of mine: they’re just crap. Us Brits have airports down to a fine art – Manchester Airport is like a beautiful, well-oiled machine. Here, all the good stuff is on the wrong side of security, where you’ll spot at least five people to each conveyor belt just stood around, doing absolutely nothing. Amateurs.

English Breakfast Tea

Admittedly, not being able to get a decent cup of tea is a harrowing problem faced by British expats around the world. However, the problem in Germany is a bit different: Germans think they know tea. And more importantly, they think they know what English Breakfast Tea is. In Germany, tea is abundant. Everyone loves tea. But to Germans, tea should be herbal, green, mint, peppermint or fruity.

Anything that isn’t, they like to assume is ‘English tea.’ Which means you’ll order yourself a lovely English Breakfast Tea – as advertised – and end up with a pot of Earl Grey that you can’t even bring yourself to look at. The agony.

I miss British food

The food issue is a double-edged sword. A short summary of the food I miss most would go as follows: Sunday roast dinners, Full English breakfast, proper bacon, Yorkshire puddings, Terry’s chocolate orange, decent Chinese food, decent Indian food, Wagamama’s – and embarrassingly – I actually do miss fish and chips.

Luckily there is a handy English shop in both Cologne and Bonn for when times get tough.

Expat life in Dusseldorf: the weather

Let’s be honest, the weather in the UK isn’t great. It’s mild most of the year and yes – it does rain a lot more than other places. But do you know where you could find a similar climate? Dusseldorf.

Now, if you spoke to your average Dusseldorfer about the weather, you might be tricked into thinking the city is actually found in the Caribbean, such is the huge amount of shock they muster when it rains – which is often. They will even go out of their way to chat to you about the English weather the city is experiencing, that is to say, the phenomenon of rain. I once failed to make it to 9am before someone felt the need to point out to me that it was raining, as if I was somehow to blame. They’ll even talk about how grey London is, rather than how grey it is outside the office window most days.

So let’s look at some facts (via Wikipedia climate info – 1981-2010):

	DUSSELDORF	LONDON
AVG ANNUAL HIGH TEMP	14.79	15.2
AVG ANNUAL RAINFALL	797.6mm	601.7mm
AVG HOURS SUNSHINE	1,554.9	1,632.6

Sorry, Mr. Dusseldorfer, looks like London is warmer, dryer and sunnier (which is actually fairly depressing).

Trains

I have no idea why Brits are convinced German trains are efficient and punctual to a tee. Every single train I’ve been on with Deutsche Bahn has experienced some small delay – and they’re not cheap, either.

For more help travelling within Germany from Dusseldorf, check out this post I wrote for Life at trivago: Top tips for travelling within Germany.

---

Expat life in Dusseldorf: The praktisch

---

We’ve had the good, we’ve had the bad – now it’s time for the praktisch, that is to say the little aspects of life here that are just so, well, German.

Just to explain: the German word ‘praktisch’ actually just means ‘practical’ but is used quite often to mean ‘good’ or ‘great’, to the point where someone describing your purchase as praktisch (whether it’s a jacket, a car or a bar of chocolate) feels like some small honour.

Crossing the road

When it comes to inherently German things, this has to be number one. It is a cardinal sin to cross the road in Germany if the traffic light is on red. The road could be entirely devoid of cars or have not seen a motorised vehicle in years but you have to wait for the green man.

If you don’t, people will audibly tut or even reprimand you. And for some reason, doing so in the presence of a child is pure blasphemy – I lived with Germans in Leipzig who wouldn’t even joke about it.

Be warned: this is also the habit that you are most likely to take home with you to the UK, without you even realising.

---

More great sites on living in Dusseldorf:
Life in Dusseldorf
Dddorf on Tumblr
Mr. Dusseldorf (in German)

---

Everything in Germany is shut on Sundays

Everything is shut on a Sunday in Germany. Everything. At first, I hated this, but you soon get used to it and come summer, it’s actually quite refreshing to be forced to do something active.

Living in Germany: Rules

This is one stereotype that is 100% true: Germans love rules. Just recently, during the city’s Night of the Museums festival, I was about to leave the Filmmuseum and head to another directly in front of the building. The door at the front was serving as the impromptu entrance and the one to the rear as the exit. As there was no-one entering and I could physically see the next museum, I asked the man on the door if I could nip through the entrance door, shaving 500m off my walk. Predictably, he told me no because ‘that’s not how it works.’

Life in Dusseldorf: It’s always time for a beer

And finally, the big love of all Germans: beer. Germany has a great beer culture – it’s not all about getting drunk, rather the genuine love of beer. Alcohol-free beer is a popular drink of choice in Germany and bottled Radler (basically shandy) is just as common as any full-strength.

Whatever the occasion, it’s always time for beer.

Anything else to add about expat life?
Comment below!