Newcomers to Berlin seek help and advice

Is there any kind person who would be prepared to help me deal with the 101 questions that I have as I try to move to Berlin with my family? I have looked up all sorts of topics in the archives but there is so much else I need to know. We are a British couple in our fifties who really want to come and live in Berlin in search of a happier life. That much is relatively clearcut. What is more difficult is that we have a 16 year old about to start A levels, a 10 year old about to start his last year at primary school and not much money. Could anyone who has been through similar experiences and knows their way around give us advice? We are trying to achieve this very quickly - must be settled before the 16 year old starts A levels if it is to be possible. Main areas we need help with originally are schools and health.
Thank you
Jane

Everyone is different: their prejudices, their circumstances and their experiences. It's unlikely there is a single individual out there that will have all the answers you are looking for. Even Ed Bob in all his omnipotence may not, I am beginning to suspect, actually be omniscient after all (hard to believe, I know, but there have been signs...)

If you are looking for general reassurance about your move, the archives are full of personal recollections of why people moved here (and why they left), of how they coped/are coping with life in amongst the Germans and of all the little foibles and trivialities that make living in Germany such a rich and rewarding experience. Like shopping in the supermarket.

If you are interested in the technicalities and logistics of your move, maybe you could try to refine your "101 questions" into very specific, bite-size chunks? By asking specific, focused questions, you're also helping people decide whether they are interested and qualified to reply. Our sages and gurus are not necessarily all-seeing, all-knowing, but they do know their stuff and they can be very helpful, when the spirit of altruism strikes. Bribery and blackmail may also work. Or so it has been alleged.

HTH. Just my 2d.

Buy this book and read it:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Culture-Germany-Su...7278&sr=8-4

The personal opinion of the author has attracted mixed reviews, but he lists the steps that you need to take one-by-one when relocating eg. finding an apartment, laws, registration, job hunting, fitting in, food, taxes, self-employment, medical insurance etc.

It's well worth it and all these are tackled in a logical order.

Good luck.

Do your kids speak German? There is an international school in Berlin (http://www.berlin-international-school.de/) which may be an option if they don't speak the lingo. But the fees are 10k per year.

Health insurance. If one of you gets a job then the whole family we will be covered.

Does that include if you are co-habiting with your partner (zusammenleben - albeit for 20 years)?

I've been living in sin for 10 years myself but don't know the answer to your question, I'm afraid.

Another useful link for info about Germany http://www.howtogermany.com/

@the vicar: I guessed as much
Thanks for the link though, and I think your Lucian Freud homily to Terry Jones in your profile is wonderful!

You can look at this thread for more info

Status of long-term but unmarried couples - Germany

Thank you for all responses. I do know there could be better ways of asking for advice eg. being more specific. Yoyur responses helped me narrow down a little what we need to know. I think the reaon I asked such a wide question was that atm I simply don't know what I need to know and am worried about missing something vital.
As far as the whole question of the emotional side of things/ am I doing the right thing? goes - that's not what I really need atm - well I do but I'm probably getting those kinds of answers from friends. It's more the practical questions.
Primarily schools - that's the crucial question. The children have some German - the 16 year old has just done GCSE , the 10 year old has some conversation. He's already bilingual - schooled in Manx Gaelic so languages don't freak him out. I'm probably keenest on bilingual education for him. The Quentin Blake school is full for his class so it would be a case of looking at Charles -Dickens school or the Nelson Mandela school if either have space. Has anyone looked at both and can give me a comparison of pluses and minuses?
International fee paying schools are not financially an option for him.
The 16 year old I think has to have English language education. We are looking at him doing an Abitur- dual language - at Schiller-gymnasium but I suspect this may disadvantage him compared to students who are more fluent in German. The teacher I spooke to there felt it could be an insurmountable obstacle though they are prepared to test his level of German. The only other option seems to be the Nelson Mandela School to do the IB - again if he can get a place. Fee paying school is a possible option for the 2 years if we really have to. Can anyone comment on post 16 education. Are there any options I'm missing here? Any advice anyone can give in this area would be great.
Next big question is health. I've looked at the posts and the WIKI but can't work out what the position is if we're not working. Are we state insured if we're not working?

I presume to get state health insurance you have to work in Germany or receive unemployment benefit. Here's a link about claiming unemployment benefit in Germany. You could also take private health insurance.

Additonal info about health insurance http://www.toytowngermany.com/wiki/Health_insurance

EU citizenship does not (in general) entitle you to come to live in Germany and draw German state benefits
if you come from another EU country and are unemployed in Germany - with the exception that you are allowed to
stay in Germany whilst searching for work for a set period.
Unemployment pay is based on contributions made and your age.
I have been the happy recipient of German unemployment benefit (for which I contributed royally
when in employment) - but I knew only too well that when it finished I'd have to go back to the UK
unless I could prove my means were sufficient to support myself and to pay my Krankenkasse etc. contributions.
There is no "free" NHS here either.