Garmisch Germany Cheat Sheet
Welcome to your quick resource guide, aka “cheat sheet” to Garmisch, Germany!
Need a local mechanic? New hair dresser? Yummy foods?
Oh wait… orthodontics for the kids right?
Don’t forget a pet groomer for your fur baby! 🐕
Local Community in Garmisch Germany
Once you PCS to Germany, you have to completely rebuild your trusted local community.
The good news: We already vetted your list of options for you!
I understand how intimidating it can be to move to a new foreign country. Especially when you’re looking for a new “local spot” to take care of all your needs while living in Germany.
Kein Stress, “No Stress” as the Germans say.
I built this resource guide to provide you with a number of local businesses that will help you throughout your tour.
These are businesses that I literally use on a monthly basis.
In fact, we all do…
I’ve been living here since 2014, so over the years, I crowd sourced and cross referenced these recommendations in military spouse groups who have personally experienced them as well.
These are actual human beings that already have a personal investment in your well being while living in their country.
Each affiliate I recommend is hand selected.
I see them as “strategic partners”
Trusted by the community to provide you with a full range of products & services!
Popular Garmisch Attractions:
Edelweiss Lodge & Resort | Oktoberfest | Neuschwanstein Castle | Maypole Fest | Igloo Hotel
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany First Look
First off, let’s get you familiar with the basics.
Garmisch is one of the smallest communities within the USAG Bavaria footprint. However, this is easily one of the most beautiful places on Earth!
Garmisch sits right under the Zugspitze mountain, the tallest peak in the Bavarian Alps. One of the main attractions in this area is Edelweiss Lodge & Resort, one of four Armed Forces Recreation Centers (AFRC) located around the world.
US military personnel (even retirees!) come from all over the world to experience a vacation of a lifetime in this gorgeous alpine oasis.
And don’t forget about all the winter sport activities!
Are you new to Garmisch and need a sponsor? Here’s how you get one!
Garmisch Transportation:
🚆 • The closest train station is the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Hauptbahnhof (10mins from base)
✈️ • The closest airports are Innsbruck (1hr), Munich (1hr 30mins), Memmingen (1hrs 30mins), Nuremberg (2hrs 50mins)
🚘 • Closest highway (autobahn) = A95
🏘 • Closest (big) city = Munich & Innsbruck
New to the train in Germany? Learn how to ride with my FULL video tutorial!
DoDEA Schools in Garmisch Germany
- Garmisch Elementary/Middle school
- Garmisch does not have a DoDDS/DoDEA American High School. Most kids grades 9-12 stationed in Garmisch go to the private, english speaking Munich International School
- There’s a NATO School located in Oberammergau, approximately a 30-minute drive northwest.
- Please note, the Sure Start and Pre-Kindergarten Programs are not available in the Garmisch school
See a list of all DoDEA Europe Schools by district here
Learn how to PCS to Germany with kids. Oh.. and this is what it’s like to go to school on base in Germany!
Adult Education in Garmisch Germany
The USAG Bavaria Education Center consists of a learning center, testing program, and four major colleges:
- Central Texas College
- University of Oklahoma
- Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
- University of Maryland Global Campus
* Most USAG Bavaria education services are physically located on Rose Barracks (Vilseck Germany)
Garmisch Germany Cheat Sheet
Below is your official Garmisch Germany cheat sheet categorized by industry.
Make sure to tell them DTV sent you! 😉
*Keep in mind, most of these companies speak English and accept VAT forms.
PCS to Germany: Cheat Sheets
Grafenwoehr | Vilseck | Hohenfels | Garmisch + Edelweiss L&R | Stuttgart | Ansbach | KMC + Baumholder | Wiesbaden | Spangdahlem
*Stay tuned for additional cheat sheet information
Automobiles 🚗
Tax FREE Vehicles! Custom Builds! Pre Order from the States!
Just imagine… a gigantic red ribbon on top of your brand new BMW, ready to hit the autobahn for your first family vacation overseas!
The ONLY company I’d recommend turning this dream into a reality is Bavarian Motor Cars. I’ve been working with this company from the very beginning. Since 2014, they’ve sponsored all my events, they’ve put my friends in new cars, and they’ve become family for my wife and I.
This is what you can expect when you walk into a BMW dealership right outside of base.
Here’s the deal, if you just want to start fresh with a new car for your family, you have to check out all the special offers they provide:
- Tax Free, military discounted offers
- Pre ordered, custom builds guaranteed to be ready before you even arrive
- VIP delivery service (Free one night stay in a beautiful 4 star hotel, or get it delivered right to the base with that red ribbon 😉)
- Stateside trade ins, meaning they can trade in your old car while you’re still in the US
- Loaner car programs & much more!
If this is something you’re interested in, I highly recommend checking their inventory or contacting one of their representatives with your questions.
Tell them “DTV” sent you!
Spearheaded by two of England’s finest; brother’s David and James Sweeney are co-founders of Used Car Guys.
We’re two brothers with a history of car sales and customer service, working alongside the U.S. Military in Germany for over 23 years. We are from a large Irish family and grew up in Cambridge, England – check it out!
Family First, Community Always!
Used Car Guys was founded in January 2012 on the principles of providing great quality cars, superior customer service and being all-round good guys.
We want to be the car dealers that you would recommend to your boss, your buddies and your grandparents. We wanted to build the company our mum would be proud of and the company that you would recommend to your mum – And plenty of people have recommended them.
Get your FIRST LOOK 👀 of Used Car Guys here!
To speak to them directly, go to their contact page.
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or message them directly on Whatsapp 0172 7129046.
*Keep in mind, Used Car Guys can deliver to ANY military base throughout Germany. Learn more here!
Let them know DTV sent ya!
POV Shipping 🚢
American Business Center
Rental Cars 🚗
Sixt Rent-a-Car
Cleaning Services 🧹
EVOLUTION Premium Car Care Fahrzeugaufbereitung Autoreinigung (POV Detailing)
Savage Auto Atelier UG (Car Detailing near Garmisch VPC)
Towing & Junking 🛻
ATS Oberau GmbH
Car Mechanic 🛠️
ATS Oberau GmbH
Pet Services 🐕
Feathers & Fur Express (Import Pet Shipping into Germany)
Care 4 Cargo (Export Pet Shipping Out of Germany)
Paw Spa Hundesalon & Grooming
Tierarzt - Dr. Hans Peter Saur (Veterinarian & Temperament Tester)
Language & Culture 🇩🇪
Survival German with Nadja (Online Language Course)
🎟️ Use coupon code "MilitaryDTV" for 10% OFF!
Volkschule (German Language School)
Travel 🧳
If you’re like me, your Euro plan is to make long lasting memories by visiting as many countries as possible with your family.
Well then, let me introduce you to EuroTrip Adventures.
This budget friendly travel company provides unique opportunities for you to see all of Europe!
Primarily through extended bus travel, but they also offer a handful of flights to top European destinations.
And they’re super convenient for military personnel with pick up locations in:
- Grafenwoehr, Kaiserslautern, Wiesbaden, and Stuttgart
Other locations include:
- Nuremberg, Munich, Ingolstadt, Mannheim, and Frankfurt
I’ve been on a ton of their trips, so naturally, I made an entire review blog of them here.
Get to planning with their upcoming destinations here, check out all their reviews, or contact them directly with your questions.
EuroTrip Adventures: +49 172 4557667
ABC Travel Service
US Flights 24 (Military Airfare & Rental Cars)
Data Telecommunications 🛜
Telekom Shop (Cell Phone & Internet)
TKS Shop Grafenwoehr
Hotels/Temporary Lodging 🏨
Welcome to your fairytale, an all-season pass to Germany’s most premiere Armed Forces Recreation Center situated in the beautiful Bavarian alps of Garmisch-Partenkirchen!
Edelweiss Lodge & Resort is the perfect vacation get away for eligible service members of the U.S. Armed Forces, their families and other authorized users.
This is by far my favorite destination in Germany, and they have it all! Get your FIRST LOOK 👀 here.
Celebrate in true festival fashion with events like the Munich Oktoberfest, take advantage of the skiing or snowboarding in the winter season high above the Bavarian alps, or visit iconic historic castles that inspired Walt Disney.
This Resort gives you & your family an opportunity to play in Germany’s most scenic outdoor playground. Climb, bike, or glide your way through one of their alpine adventures.
The sky is truly the limit: “Ride the Alps” on your motorcycle, take horse drawn carriage rides through the city, or try a gondola ride to the “Zugspitze,” Germany’s mightiest mountain.
To get started, explore their spacious room options (including the cabins – Vacation Village and Campground), choose your dates and get ready for memories you’ll cherish for a lifetime!
📍 St. Martinstrasse 120, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany 82467
📱 From USA: (011-49) 8821-9440, From Europe: (49) 8821-9440
📧 vacation@edelweissresort.zendesk.com
♿️ Wheelchair accessible
🐕 Pet friendly
Army Lodging Garmisch
Health & Beauty 💆🏻♀️
Herr Dr. med. Bernhard Popp (General Practitioner)
Dres. Keller & Ott (Family practice physician)
Health Haus (Chiropractor)
Chiropractic Oberland
Zahnarztpraxis Dr. Claudia Schütte und Dr. Christopher Schoppe (Dentist)
Dr. Berger, Dentinic (Dentist)
Stephanie Dämmrich Hairdesign (Women)
Men Club Barbershop
The Hairrom Stephanie van den Bongardt
Tattoo by Georg
Angel Nails
Furniture 🛋️
IKEA Planungsstudio München-Pasing
IKEA Munich-Brunnthal
IKEA München-Eching
Entertainment 🪩
The Irish Pub
Peaches Cocktailbar
Pub 33
Restaurants 🍽️
For a FULL list of restaurants, download our FREE Garmisch Military Food Guide!
Insurance ⛑️
Mirascon Insurance Solutions
Milinsure
Kid’s Activities 🛝
Military Travel Starter Kit - Must See Family Attractions
Football (Youth Soccer) Club Garmisch
Kletterwald (High Ropes Course)
Ski Club Garmisch
Banking 🏦
Every base in Germany has two on-base banking options. Service Credit Union (who I use and recommend) & Community Bank.
There’s also Andrews Federal Credit Union (for Wiesbaden only).
These banks will have ATMs on-base and also at Edelweiss Lodge & Resort.
You don’t need to cancel any banking in the US while living in Germany (unless your lienholder won’t allow you to ship your POV overseas).
Most service members & civilians open up an on base bank account because they need a convenient way to pay their German landlord and their German cell phone/internet/data plan. In order to do this, you’ll need an International Bank Account Number (IBAN).
While there are several ways to get an IBAN, most people on base find going through an English speaking human being inside a bank convenient and satisfying, especially when it comes to face to face or over the phone customer service, which Service Credit Union excels at (in my opinion).
We’ve been using SCU since 2014 for online banking, auto loans, and converting dollars to euro (learn about the exchange rate here).
For us, it’s about convenience, flexibility, and long-term benefits.
Reasons why we use Service Credit Union (SCU):
- You can keep your account for life, even when you PCS back to the States
- Works in both Euros and USD, which is a game changer if you live off base
- No ATM fees at SCU machines with your SCU debit card
- No foreign transaction fees (SCU credit card)
- Same-day debit and credit card printing on base
- Cash advances when you need them
- 14 branches across Germany
- V-Pay cards if your landlord or utility company needs a German-style card
- IBAN (International Bank Account Number) for paying German bills
- Competitive loan rates — I even financed my car through them
FREE Stuff for your PCS to Garmisch Germany
If you’re moving to the Garmisch area, you have to take advantage of all my FREE stuff.
It literally cost nothing and will be super valuable to you during your PCS to Germany.
1) FREE PCS to Germany checklist
No matter if you’re Active Duty or Civilian this checklist will go over the most important and most expensive items to take care of first!
In fact, this checklist is applicable to ALL military installations in Germany, and it’s a living document – which means it’s ALWAYS relevant to you and your family.
2) FREE Guide – 30 things you MUST Know before PCSing to Germany with the US military
This is by far my most popular download (and blog post) on the internet.
The title gives it away.
I’ve been here since 2014, so I categorized the 30 most important “things” you MUST know.
After downloading the guide in #2, watch the corresponding webinar where I literally break down each topic.
You might want to take out a pen and paper for that one because it’s PACKED with helpful information.
For more content on PCS prep, travel, or local life as an American living in Germany, subscribe to the channel and I’ll catch you in the next one!
PCS to Germany: Cheat Sheets
Grafenwoehr | Vilseck | Hohenfels | Garmisch + Edelweiss L&R | Stuttgart | Ansbach | KMC + Baumholder | Wiesbaden | Spangdahlem
*Stay tuned for additional cheat sheet information
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