Whats it like to live in Ingolstadt? Or what is the city like in general for those who have only been to visit?

The city is very nice and clean, especially the historic city center. The nightlife can be quite boring in comparison to bigger cities like Munich, but for a city of that size (122,000 inhabitants), Ingolstadt is quite fun to go out. Lots of bars and restaurants in the city center, nice christmas fair, folk festival twice a year. Some cinemas as well.
Located near the idyllic Altmühltal countryside, which is great for biking, but also for just a walk and/or relaxing on the weekends.
Ingolstadt also has Burger King, McDonald's and a Subway eatery, if you like a quick bite sometimes.

Because of the huge AUDI plant, Ingolstadt's economy is doing very well, also ensuring that Ingolstadt currently has the lowest unemployment rate of any major German city (5,1%). Anyway, be sure NOT to move to Piusviertel, this is the only bad area in Ingolstadt, lots of public housing blocks and youth gangs.

Train connections are very convenient, an ICE train stops at Ingolstadt every hour, offering fast connections to both Munich and Nuremberg (a 30 minutes ride each). Also, direct ICE connections to Würzburg, Frankfurt, and other major cities.

Autobahn A9 also runs past Ingolstadt.

Public transport within the city is provided by a network of bus routes only, which has quite good service on weekdays, but definitely poor service in the evening hours and on weekends.

In short: a great and nice place to live, but if you are used to living in bigger cities like Munich, Berlin or London, you might get bored sometimes.

thanks a lot for all that info!! Definitely sounds like someplace to consider when it comes time to move!! I'm not worried about the size..I lived in the middle of nowhere for 18 years, and while I love living in the country I like having a 'city' near by and Ingolstadt seems like it would do the trick Any idea how accommodation costs compare to Munich?

Yeah, Ingolstadt is exactly the right size and location for that!

I should add that the pedestrian zone features all shops and department stores you need, such as Müller Drogerie, Galeria Kaufhof, book stores, etc.

I never actually looked up real estate costs or rents in Ingolstadt, as I only spent several weeks there on a couple of business trips. But I would guess it's a noticeable bit cheaper than Munich.

What I found to be very funny during one of my business trips: during the Oktoberfest, all hotels in Ingolstadt are fully booked as well, as the train ride to Munich is so short!

O great! Shops and department stores are definitely a plus!! I just had a look at immobilienscout24.de and apartments/houses do seem to be quite a bit cheaper there...maybe it depends on where in the city they are located... guess we'll have to go check it out one of these days!

How about bike/walking paths? I know the Danube runs through (or around?) there..any nice paths or other 'freizeit' possibilities there?

There is a very nice park adjacent to the city centre, called Klenzepark. Klenzepark stretches along the Danube for some time, features bike and walking paths, nice lawns, a well-kept flower garden, and some remains of the old city wall. Sure, it might not be Englischer Garten, but it's fine for some relaxing hours on the weekends.

Immoscout is always good to check out the general price range. I hope you'll find something nice!

edit: you might take a look at Klenzepark in good old Wikipedia:
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klenzepark

Hi, thanks for your helpful tips. Can you tell me the cost for an apartment, requiring at least 3 to 4 bedrooms? Is it possible to get a large apartment inside the city? Any other tips about work and so on would be most appreciated!

I have three small children ..

Thanks.

anyone?

Hi !

I ´ve been living close to ingolstadt for 14 years now. (I live in Grossmehring) Of course housing and a few bedrooms and living somewhere with little children is easier and cheaper outside of the city. Depending on what you need and want there are many possibilities. Housing is definitely cheaper than in munich. What do you wish for ? Tell me more about what you are looking for and I would like to be of help. By the way, I am looking for native speakers to teach english to little children.