I'm an American who went to Oktoberfest for the first time. Here are 5 things that surprised me most about the famous German festival.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
A man and woman in traditional Oktoberfest outfits.
My husband and I went to Oktoberfest for the first time.

Emily Pogue

Tesla factory boss defends knocking on workers' doors when they're off sick at home

Tech Insider
Elon Musk
Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks at the opening of the factory in Berlin in 2022.

PATRICK PLEUL/Getty Images

I moved to Germany from the US with 4 kids. Here, I have a lot more time for myself.

Tech Insider : Travel
Children in front of the Berlin Wall
Robbins and her family relocated to Berlin in May last year.

Celia Robbins

EV sales in Europe hit a speed bump — and the US should be worried too

Tech Insider
EV charging
Europe's EV industry is suffering from a complex mixture of challenges.

NurPhoto/Getty Images

The far right scored its biggest election victory in Germany since World War II

Tech Insider : Politics, Politics
Supporters of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party gather at the final AfD campaign rally ahead of tomorrow's Thuringia state elections on August 31, 2024
Supporters of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) political party gather at its final campaign rally ahead of Thuringia state elections.

Sean Gallup/Getty Images

A veteran baby boomer retired in Germany before relocating to South Korea. He says the healthcare is affordable and he can travel easily.

Tech Insider : Economy, Economy, Travel
Photo shows Danny Keay and his wife Mi Ok standing side-by-side in a garden.
Danny Keay, 60, lives with his wife Mi ok, 57, in Daejeon, South Korea.

Courtesy of Danny Keay

I moved from the US to Germany and the UK. I love Europe, but it's not the utopia Americans think it is.

Tech Insider : Travel, Travel
helene sula travel blogger
Helene and her husband moved from Dallas to Germany before relocating to the UK.

Helene Sula

I moved from the US to Germany for college. Tuition is mostly free, but I miss the American school spirit.

Tech Insider : Travel
A cheerleader on the left and the same girl posing with the view of the mountains on the right.
Amanda Mrokez decided to withdraw from Central Michigan University and enroll at the University of Cologne in 2021.

Amanda Mrokez

40,000 Taylor Swift fans got themselves a free Eras Tour show in Munich as 'Taylor-gating' hit a new level

Tech Insider
Taylor Swift performed in Munich, Germany on Saturday and attracted an additional 40,000 fans who listened to her concert from outside the stadium.
Taylor Swift performed in Munich on Saturday.

Thomas Niedermueller/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management, Felix Hörhager/Getty Images

A 'peak boomer' working in Germany plans to retire in the US because he believes the healthcare is better

Tech Insider : Economy, Economy, Travel
A photo of George in Munich, Germany. George is an American who lives and works abroad.
George, an American, lives and works in Munich. He loves the lifestyle but plans on retiring in the US for Medicare benefits.

Courtesy of George

Subscribe to Germany