What are some things I should look into doing while assigned to Landstuhl? Is there a decent used car market near the base?

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 May 2020 01:12:05 -0400

I have been notified that I will be assigned to LRMC. I imagine that I will be living in the BOQ as a single officer (if space is available) but I don't know if that's the case. What are some things I should look into doing while in Germany? I have a truck that I recently purchased that I'm considering leaving stateside. Is there a decent used car market near the base?

I'd appreciate any information that anyone can provide!

Response by MAJ Byron Oyler made May 2 at 2020 1:17 AM

MAJ Byron Oyler — Sat, 02 May 2020 01:17:47 -0400

They did not have BOQ while I was there and doubt they do now. Lived in a beautiful place. They will ship your truck, what kind is it?

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2020 1:24 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 May 2020 01:24:46 -0400

Plenty of people have their trucks in Germany.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2020 6:44 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 May 2020 06:44:20 -0400

Sir, I've been in Germany since 2014 and have amassed a lot of information about this place. Would it be easier to just talk on the phone?

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2020 8:55 AM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 May 2020 08:55:59 -0400

Drive a lap on the Nurburgring.

Response by Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2020 9:15 AM

Lt Col Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 May 2020 09:15:59 -0400

Not sure how it works in Germany, but when I was in Korea, I bought a car from my predecessor. When I left, I sold the car to my replacement. He sold it to his replacement, who sold it to his replacement, who is about to PCS and, you guessed it, sell the car to his replacement.

Response by 1LT Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2020 9:28 AM

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 May 2020 09:28:09 -0400

Hit all the local fests, they are the most fun. Get some delicious gluhwein on the streets during the holidays. Hit Oktoberfest once, but I think it's not worth the time and money. Too many people, too much craziness, rollercoaster was fun though.

Hit up Neuschwanstien in Austria, I recommend a bike tour in the area below as well. Visit Dracula's supposed grave site. Visit Rotenburg, amazing city. Go to Berlin every chance you can. Museum island is phenomenal. I found some great Asian and Latin food in northern Berlin. Hostels are a great deal, don't be afraid to stay at them.

Amsterdam is a wonderful city of culture and food. Bruges is one of my favorite places in Europe, chocolate, beer, and history on every corner. Prague is a magnificent town, you must go, it suits everyone's style.

Avoid the red light districts. Walked through one, felt dirty and sad.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2020 9:38 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 May 2020 09:38:07 -0400

There are always vehicles available due to the turnover of PCS. We had 1 car shipped and bought a ‘beater’ that I used while in Germany. Sold the beater when we PCSed. We choose not to bring our truck because we heard about the small roads. That is only true in the smaller towns. On base and the auto bond trucks have plenty of space. There is a gas ration, so take that into consideration when deciding if you want your truck.
As to what to do, if single I highly recommend staying informed about MWR and BOSS adventures-they schedule trips for all holiday weekends (you’ll need a regular travel passport). Take advantage of travel, pretty cheep to get around.

Response by CW4 Keith Dolliver made May 2 at 2020 10:29 AM

CW4 Keith Dolliver — Sat, 02 May 2020 10:29:12 -0400

You're only an hour from Frankfurt Hahn (one of Ryanair's largest hubs). From there you can go to almost anywhere in Europe for extremely cheap prices... you will probably pay more to park at the airport for 4-days than your actual airfare. USAREUR has a 4-day weekend every month, even on month's when there isn't a holiday, so take advantage of it and travel.

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2020 10:41 AM

CW2 Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 May 2020 10:41:18 -0400

As for the car, Ford has a large presence in Europe, even has a factory in Germany, plus the bases likely have an auto shop for repairs yourself.
The best plan car wise for Germany: bring over something you don't mind getting rid of, use it your whole tour, 6 months prior to DEROS buy brand new Euro spec Mercedes, Volvo, BMW, Porsche, VW, Audi DIRECT from the factory (super discounted), and have the Army ship that one back home for you. There are always used cars for sale around posts, from Soldier to Soldier during PCS'
If you wanna bring the F-150 it's not bad, parking will suck off post but you'll have no problem selling it there.

Response by MSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 2 at 2020 10:48 AM

MSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 02 May 2020 10:48:38 -0400

When I was last in Germany, at LRMC in fact, here is the information that I know:

Base housing was premium as LRMC is a small base. Most folks, to include single officers, lived off base either in an apt or a house. As for a vehicle, you can certainly leave your truck in the states as Ramstein Air Base had a "Lemon Lot" where people who were PCSing/ETSing and didn't want to take their vehicles would put them there. You could find some really nice cars for some really good prices.

As for things to do...depends on what you like. I can't remember the name of it, but there was a Greek join in the town of Landstuhl...man that food was bomb dot com. Plenty of hiking trails. Beer, of course. Castles everywhere. Landstuhl has a great little MWR office that has all kinds of things to do. Also, there was a local base news flier that had all kinds of things listed for activities.

Response by LTC Vincent Moore made May 2 at 2020 3:21 PM

LTC Vincent Moore — Sat, 02 May 2020 15:21:40 -0400

LRMC is in a great central location for so much. I was mostly traveling with wife and 7 kids as old as 18 and as young as 3 over our 3 years there so our interests and logistics will differ vastly, but Amsterdam, many cities in Belgium and Luxembourg are all easy drives. France is less than an hour away and Paris within 4, but as a single, train is probably the best way to do Paris. One place that was not on my radar but I'm really glad I got to was Prague. It was absolutely beautiful with lots of history. There are no good trains connecting straight there and hardly worth the hassle of a flight, but an easy 6 hour drive due east from KMCC. Slovenia and Croatia are also places you don't want to miss if you like the outdoors.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made May 2 at 2020 3:36 PM

LTC Jason Mackay — Sat, 02 May 2020 15:36:41 -0400

There is a healthy lemon lot market all over Germany. LRMC is right next to Rammstein (literally across the autobahn from me another). You have Another kasserne just down the road. Baumholder is about 30 minutes away.
I bought a beater Opel for $500. I drove that until I decided to buy a Mini. You can go cheap or you can buy expensive. German spec or American Spec. PS you can't bring German Spec's.

I doubt there will be BOQs. You are looking at a apartment or house downrange on VHA.

Response by CDR Terry Boles made May 2 at 2020 9:21 PM

CDR Terry Boles — Sat, 02 May 2020 21:21:13 -0400

Excellent shared info on Landsthul. You will have a fun time there and traveling all about. Great assignment!

Response by MSG John Duchesneau made May 3 at 2020 1:55 AM

MSG John Duchesneau — Sun, 03 May 2020 01:55:26 -0400

Well, don't become either a barracks rat (someone who never leaves the base) or an alcoholic. As to a car, you will probably get the best deal buying one from someone about to be reassigned. (Most bases have car adds in the post newspaper.) Also, don't blow all you money on a new, or used, Porsche. Wait until you are a captain.
As to what to do - get out an explore. There is a lot of beautiful scenery in and near Germany. I'm not familiar with Landstuhl but you should make a trip to Munich to visit the beer hall, go to Stutgaart and see both the Mercedes and Porsche museums, Nurnberg for the railroad museum an Heidelberg for the castle with the world's biggest wine flask. When you get a long weekend go to Paris, Vienna, Prague or Budapest - you will be glad you did.

Response by SPC Michael Dehart made May 4 at 2020 11:03 AM

SPC Michael Dehart — Mon, 04 May 2020 11:03:21 -0400

LT,
First of all bring the truck. The lemon lot often has a lot of lizards that have been there a couple times, either that or many are overpriced for the mileage. Since the inspections for American can be (and often are) more stringent for Americans, if you have a new vehicle it will work in your favor. Auto mechanics in Germany are expensive and many wont let you order your own parts anymore. You have to pay what they want to charge even if they get them from the same place.

The LRMC BOQ is actually pretty nice and is up on the hill. I was there from 2014-2018 and there were almost always open apartments on the hill. Many LRMC assigned active duty lived there. Benefits are 110v outlets so you can bring your own with you and use them. I would however check to make sure.

Housing in the surrounding areas is available but it take awhile to get things going. There are a number of hurdles you have to jump. It might be better to learn your way around then maybe move downtown. If you are single it could be to your benefit.

LRMC is close to a lot of things, in Western Germany. France is literally 20 minutes away. It is easy to get into Holland and Belgium as well. If you plan to go to Berlin or Czech Republic get ready for a drive or a long train ride. Trains are NOT as cheap as you think. The price would surprise you. Bavaria is a 6 hour drive from the KMCC. Italy is 8 hours. Ryanair is cheap however some flights do not go out of Hahn. You may have to drive to Weese or possibly Baden Baden to get where you want to go. Or take a jaunt thru Stansted or Dublin.

LRMC is also kinda away from things. Its a long walk down the hill to Landstuhl. That can be a blessing and a curse. Other then the morning backup its usually easy to get on and off. Ramstein can be a beast.

Hope this helps you a bit and good luck. If the interview goes well I might be seeing you this summer.

Response by SGT Herbert Bollum made May 7 at 2020 4:19 PM

SGT Herbert Bollum — Thu, 07 May 2020 16:19:30 -0400

By all means get to Bavaria...Nuremberg and Munich area do some nuremburger brats and beer there. Totally different from brats here, and when they do it again do Octoberfest. There were fests almost every week when I was there and they were always entertaining.

Response by SGT Herbert Bollum made May 7 at 2020 4:31 PM

SGT Herbert Bollum — Thu, 07 May 2020 16:31:31 -0400

Another thing-- if you like to ride a ten speed or such is great and you can have fun while exercising, we used to ride 20 miles for a good ice cream cone then back just for a Sunday afternoon.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 16 at 2020 4:51 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 16 May 2020 04:51:08 -0400

Things to do: You are near the Mosel Region, which well known wine country. Theres a shopping center called the Outlet in Zweibrücken about 30 mins south of Landstuhl. You can visit wineries in the area. Go visit Trier, which has an old, tall Roman gate for the city called the Porta Negra (the Black Gate). Frankfurt and Wiesbaden is about 1-1/2 hours away, with plenty of sights and shopping. The Nordwestzentrum mall comes to mind. Main Tower has a viewing platform at the top that allows you to view over the whole city and nearby region.

Go to Köln and see the Cathedral there, as well as a few other sights. Go further north and see Münster, Bremen and Hamburg. Bremen is the coffee capitol of Germany. You can buy direct from the shippers there. Great seafood, which is true of any of the locals near the North Sea. Go to the Schnoor in Bremen. The old part there in the altstadt is all that's left of Bremen prior to World War II. The rest of the city was obliterated by Allied bombing. Hamburg, plenty of beautiful sights.

In, Baden-Wurttemberg, there's Heidelberg, Karlsruhl and Stuttgart, plenty to do in all three. Sinshiem has a Technic Museum which includes cars, aircraft and a collection of German Panzers from World War II and the Cold War. Currently am stationed in Stuttgart, so can say there's a few car museums here, especially for Mercedes and Porsche. The factories are here. The Furnsehturm here was the first concrete reinforced TV tower in the world with a galley up top, provided the prototype for all that followed in the world. Heidelberg, go see the altstadt there and see Schloss Heidelberg. You'll enjoy walking across the altebrücke and the Neckar River. Beautiful sights.

Bavaria is a must. I enjoyed my time stationed there. Go to Wurzburg, there's the altstadt there with the Marienfestung, an imposing old fortress, overlooking the city nearby. Plenty to see in downs see in Nürnberg, especially in the altstadt. Come Christmas, Nürnberg and Rothenberg o.d. Tauber have the best Christmas markets in Germany. Munich is home of the Oktoberfest. On the outskirts, you have the Concentration Camp in Dachau, which is a memorial museum. It's quite an experience. And in Oberschliessheim, there's an Aviation museum there that includes early German gliders and biplanes, an He-111, Me-109E and an intact Me-262 from World War II, and a lot of post-war jets to include Dornier prototypes, the Sabre, the Phantom, Tornado and the EF-2000 Eurofighter (Typhoon). Go to Neuschwanstein castle in the south end of Bavaria, it's just amazing. Also in Bavaria is the Berchtesgarten. You can visit the Eagle's Nest there, as well as take hikes and take amazing pictures.

Great skiing and other snow activities in Baden-Wurttemberg and Bavaria during the winter in the south near the Alps.

Get a US Forces Germany Drivers Licence as soon as you get here in order to drive. You must take the test and pass on JKO (when passed, the Germans running the Drivers Licence office on-post can see you by SSN in the system). I recommend you take the test within 30 days prior to arriving if you haven't already. When driving in Germany, mind the speed limits on the roads and the autobahn when they are posted. Speed cameras are around and you will get a ticket mailed to you from that jurisdiction. Above 20 kph over, the fines get stiffer and points added. Too many points in a short period of time and driving privileges get revoked for a set period of time. One instance of excessive speed over the limit will result in a 30-day revocation plus serious fines. Something to be mindful of.

You can easily venture into Belgium, Luxembourg and France from your location, though it is highly recommended you have your passport with when crossing borders and typically requires at least a Pass from your unit. And you must have an International driver's license to drive outside of Germany; the green US German license will not be recognised. You must go with a passport-sized photo, your German hard license (not the temp), and about 20€ Euros to your local German motor vehicle office. Your post driving office will tell you where to go. But definitely worth it and recommend it. In addition to those three, also recommend the Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Switzerland, and Italy.

Corona currently has a damper on travel in the EU at this time, and you are obligated to abide by German laws once you're here. With that, a lot of cultural fests and large gatherings are banned at the moment. And the borders are closed except for commercial trade and a few other exceptions.

A lot of info, but hope this helps you out. Enjoy Germany and Europe. Wilkommen!

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made May 16 at 2020 6:57 AM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 16 May 2020 06:57:07 -0400

Also, in regards to the truck, what size truck are we talking about? And have you made any modifications as far as tires, exhaust, or suspension? In Germany, it is prohibited to have the tires protruding past the fender of the vehicle, and it cannot be excessively loud.

One thing to definitely be mindful of regarding Germany, and Europe in general, is that parking spaces and space in general is a short commodity. The parking spaces are a lot smaller and a good number of parking garages have low clearances and tight spaces for turning. My 2013 VW Passat went from being a midsize to full-size by European standards when it shipped from Ft Hood. And when it comes to parking on the streets, you'll need a lot of room. And the Germans will back in tight. I run into this often.

As far as parts, you'll be spending a lot of time ordering from online. Tires, there's a tire shop in Wiesbaden southwest of Clay Kaserne near Mainz that may be able accommodate you. Winter or all weather tires are a requirement by German law during winter. A general rule for when it required is O to O, Oktober to Ostern (October to Easter). There is a Troop Auto Hobby shop with bays on the opposite side of the airfield at Clay to do your own oil changes, tune ups, parts replacement, and repairs. There are some shops on the economy that might work on American autos, but you have to look for them and can get pricey. Plus you'd have to schedule well in advance.

Shipping your vehicle may take just under 60 days to get to your pickup point. So be prepared to be without your vehicle for a while if you ship it close to your departure time. Be sure to inform your sponsor of this.