PCS'ing to Germany: what should I expect?

Here are my thoughts on Germany in no particular order: Good food, good beer, expensive gas, awesome festivals all summer long (my favorite was the Wittlich Pig Fest), a great highway and train system, mostly friendly people. Study for your drivers license test (many people don't and fail it). It may have changed but German stores are normally closed on weekends, with the exception of published shopping Saturdays. The DoD schools are typically very good. As for the flight, you'll probably arrive in the morning, but to you it will feel like the afternoon. When you get there, stay up as long as you can taking a short nap in the afternoon. Go to bed at 9 or 10 pm and wake up in the morning ready to go. Don't worry about buying things to bring to Germany, they have everything you could need.

When you get some time off roll down into Garmisch and check out the Zugspitze.
Kreuzberg - Berlin if you can get there.
Also .. get the heck out of Germany on occasion! One of the great things about Europe is everything is within driving distance!

Big vehicles are hard to maneuver through the towns (hard when you have a large family). Gas is at it's lowest in 2 years at $3.27. Gas, tobacco, alcohol, and coffee are all rationed items. Daycare can be difficult depending on where you get assigned. DOD school system is okay, but may be more difficult than where your kids are attending now. Study the drivers test online before you come, but it's not that hard. Ship a car 2 months early so you are not without transportation. A lot of the housing is 10-40 min off base. Once you know what base you can start asking more detailed oriented questions. There are multiple missions going on right now, so be prepared to be in the field or in another country.