FAQs about Living and Housing in Germany
Arrival data
“Courses start on the 20th but I arrive on the 3ed of the month? Can I move into my accommodation at once?”
1) If you rent into an EBS dorm, there are some opening data to be observed. Please check your contract or cunsult the housing coordinator. You can not move into a dorm before that date due to maintenance reasons. Here you can either find a place in a youth hostel or in a bed and breakfast in the area.
2) Private accommodation is rented on a monthly basis and you are entitled to the accommodation starting on the 1st of the month. If you already know you will be very early you should look out for a private accommodation.
3) If you arrive about 3 days before dorm opening you can put you luggage into a lockbox at either Wiesbaden main train station or Frankfurt Airport and travel Europe. More info below.
Bikes
The best way to get around in Oestrich is the bike. A bicyclist is considered a regular participant in traffic and his actions are regulated by laws. All you need to know about bikes and German traffic can be found on this great website: bicyclegermany.com
Good and cheep bikes can be bought in Wiesbaden at Der Radler, very close to the main train station and brought to Oestrich by train. One of our international students recommended this place.
It is not only a place to get good thrifty bikes but also a state-funded project creating work in the city of Wiesbaden. Read more.. in German
Catering on Campus
Schloss Campus hosts the university cafeteria where you can have breakfast or lunch.
Please find here an example food plan. It is in German but if you use a translator you can get a good overview over prices and dishes.
Veggies can survive on side dishes. Vegans will most probably not.
Cost estimation
How much you will spend per month depends on many things: the price for your accommodation, your food and spare time activity choices and shopping habits.
But during the last two years we have been running a survey among our international students and the average amounts for housing, food and other supplies is about 615,00€ per month.
Blocked account: To obtain a visa all foreign students from non-EU countries (e.g. China, Cameroon, etc.) are required to prove that their budget is sufficient to meet their living costs during their stay in Germany. The visa can only be issued once the student has deposited a specified amount of money in a German bank account (e.g. with Deutsche Bank) and blocked this sum with the Federal Republic of Germany as beneficiary. The sum that is requested at the moment is 670,00€ per month. This might be a good orientation how much you will require.
EBS Dorms
EBS Universität offers a limited number of dorm places and those are not on campus. Close to each other and about 3 km away from the Oestrich Winkel campus sides are two locations which offer mostly flat-share type of accommodation. The Dorms are only offered to international students - one term exchange - who have no European experience at all.
Students can apply for a dorm space of their choice during the “Flat Hunt” and see if they are lucky. The registration does not automatically entile students to dorm space.
Some rooms have private bathrooms and share the kitchen and public areas while others are classical flat share communities, where not more than 4 students share all facilities together.
The dorms are directly at the bus line to the Oestrich campus sides and have good access to shops, a post office, bakery and at least one English spoken general med. practitioner.
Electricity
The voltage throughout Europe is 220 V. You need to bring an adapter from home. They are not usually sold here.
This is how the German plugs and sockets look like: 2 round pins sticking out.
Food: Shopping and Prices
It is certainly cheaper to cook for yourself than to buy convenience food. Supermarkets are the starting point from which to start out. But in there are also small specialized shops in the area like butchers, bakers, pastry cooks andmany vine growers. There is also a farmer's market close to Burg Campus at Markt Street every Wednesday from 8:00 -12:00 where you can buy fresh products from the area.
Food prices:
Check out the following websites to gain an impression of food and see the prices. All those supermarkets have local branchces in Oestrich Winkel. REWE / ALDI Süd/ Netto
Garbage recycling
Germans share the awareness that we have to be considerate with our planet’s resources and using material more than once is only vital for our future.
Laws regulate the proper disposal of garbage and garbage collectors check for “non-belonging garbage” inside the containers. Wrongly disposed garbage will be left standing no matter how full. Having a full trash can for an other month is no fun. Your neighbours will be enchanted while your landlord can be fined by the city with up to 400,00€.
Lets prevent it – it is fairly easy if you have accepted the fact that you require 4 trash bins in the house.
Glass – Glass is not collected on a monthly basis form households. You have to bring it to the collecting points. The containers are near shops or in public areas.
Your next collection points are:
Paper Blue bin- (most often blue, sometimes other colour with the sticker PAPIER on it). All types of paper and carton boxes without traces of plastic.
Organic Waist (Brown bin, sometimes other colour with sticker BIOMÜLL) Kitchen waste, boiled and not boiled, coffee filters, all fruits, plants, garden waist. Wrap it in paper - no plastic.
Rest garbage: (Black bin) everything that does not go into one of the others goes here.
Yellow sack (sometimes there is a yellow waist bin) – all plastic stuff, wrappings, plastic bags, milk containers, shampoo bottles... All tin stuff like non-refundable cans, tinfoil and so on. Most of the wrappings and packaging have the recycling sign printed on them.
Yellow sacks can be picked up for free at your community centre.
Laundry
Not every flat comes with a washing machine.
You can use the student launderette on Burg Campus, inner yard. Two large washing machines and 2 dryers are at your disposal. They are operated with 1€ coins and you will require 2 or 3 per round.
Dryers are not as common in Germany as one might think: many people dry their washing outside on the line. NEVER dry your washing inside the flat. You will have mould in no time. German houses are very well insulated to keep cold out and warmth in. The effect is that dampness from drying stays in and damages the walls. Ask your landlord where and how to dry your washing.
Laundry in the tub
Some students wash their laundry in the bathroom. Some even if they have a full functioning washing machine in the flat. Please abstain from that. You use too much water. It can get very expensive either for you (if your expenditures are calculated at departure) or for students next term who will have a higherall-inclusive price.
Then there is also the environmental aspect – it is drinking water you are wasting! A w. mashine helps to safe water.
Luggage
There is no possibility to store your luggage at the university when you plan travelling before or after classes. Convenient storage places are:
Lockers at the cost of €7,00 - €9.00 per day.
Gate B, Level 1 (Arrival) open 24/7
betwen B - C, Level 2 (Departure) open 06:00 A.M. -10:00 P.M.
Gate D, Level 2 (Arrival)open 06:00 A.M. -10:00 P.M.
for max. 3 months. Prices for 24h range from 8,00 - 12.00€
or
Frankfurt aM main Train station:
The link to the train station is in German only, but the main points are:
Lockers are at Track 24, opposite track 18/19 and in the main hall opposite the DB Travel Centre. Cost per day: small locker €3 to €4; big locker €5 to €6; exact change, no change back.
Or the manned luggage storage with office hours Monday to Friday 6.30am – 7.30pm; Sat/Sun closed. Cost €6,50 per day.
Medical prescriptions
In Germany you need to see a doctor before buying some drugs like the birth control pill or the morning after pill. If you require any other medication that might be only available on prescription, please prepare yourself before departure.
Our international department has a good overview on Healthcare in Germany.
Public transport
Your student ID card comes with a Public transport pass that is valid for the whole term. Please check out the options to travel by bus and train in the area on this website by the international department.: Getting around
How to buy a ticket:
By bus: you just tell the bus driver where you would like to go and pay with him. Keep small change ready.
By train: you have to buy a ticket at the ticket machine before boarding the train.
Here are instructions for the ticket machines.
If you catch an older machine, you have to enter a destination code. The code for Wiesbaden is 6500, Frankfurt is 5000, Eltville Hattenheim (Schloss Campus) is 6455 and Oestrich-Winkel (closer to Burg Campus) is 6301.
The newer machines are touch screen and you just type in what you need.
The bus and train routes can be found here.
Returnable bottles and cans
Some glass or plastic bottles can go directly into recycling systems (yellow sack or glass container). Learn more about garbage Recycling in Germany.
But many bottles and cans (germ. Mehrwegflasche/ multy trip bottle) are part of refundable deposit systems and can be returned to the retailer. Retailers (shops and petrol stations) are supposed to take them back and refund you the deposit. Not every shop takes all bottles. It safes time to bring bottles back where you have bought them. Beverage cases have also deposits on them.
Swimming
Even though we have our beautiful river Rhine – it is not allowed to swim in it! You may see some crazy natives doing it but please don’t copy it!
But we have some very nice outdoor swimming pools for hot weather. If you don’t care for swimming pools you can also sit in your swim gear on any lawn/grass area you can find. Nobody will think you are crazy: you will blend in nicely with the locals.
Thrifty ways to travel Europe
Coach travel: Recommended by one of our international students, this seems to be a good and thrifty way to travel Europe www.eurolines.com
The Brand name Euro lines groups 28 independent coach companies operating together Europe's largest regular coach network. This network connects over 500 destinations, covering the whole of the continent, including Morocco. Euro lines allows travelling from Sicily to Helsinki and from Casablanca to Moscow.
Thrifty Flights
Operates from Frankfurt Hahn airport. Frankfurt Hahn Airport is not really close to Frankfurt but about one hour drive away! Not quite as comfy to reach as FFM Airport but the prices are worth the trouble. If you want to go there, you can take a coach service from either FFM Airport or from Mainz train station. Check out time schedules and departure locations here.
Water from the tap
You can drink water from the tap as it comes. No need to buy water from the shop.
Please keep in mind that all water you use in your accommodation is of drinking quality and remember to safe water as much as you can. For instance taking a shower insured of taking a bath or use the dishwasher instead of rinsing each plate….
Weather and Climate
The Deutscher Wetterdienst is a public institution under the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Development.
Where is my campus?
At the moment all international students and exchange students who take part in Business School courses are stationed in Oestrich Winkel with occasional courses in Wiesbaden.
Summer School students: please find the location of your courses on the course outline. Your location depends on the program.