Spent many happy years in the Army (BAOR), serving in Munster, Bielefeld, Wildenrath, Sennelager and Berlin.
Am now beginning to look back and think retirement to Germany may be a viable option.
Can anyone who has A. Done it. B. Is in the process of doing it. C. Considered it. D. Dreams about it.
Offer any help/advice at all.
Getting info on the usual retirement enclaves is simplicity itself, Germany does not seem to figure highly in the mags in W.H.Smiths.

Can't offer to much advice,but it shouldn't be a problem if you've got an EU passport, and pensions can be done through direct debit these days.
Goodluck.

Where would you go? I figure Munich has the best that Germany has to offer in terms of food, booze, climate, ready access to good parts of Europe incl skiing, almost an Italian feel in some ways?

This is probably the greatest part of the quandary.
German real estate magazines do not appear to be available in U.K.
I've found a couple of web-sites and the Mecklenburg-Pomerania area seems to offer good value for money but as it was in the old DDR I obviously never had the opportunity to see it.
I loved Berlin but cost appears prohibitive.
I'm guessing anywhere close to Munich and ski-ing would be the same (Someone out there may be able to prove that guess to be wrong).
I wouldn't necessarily rule out any area apart from the industrial stretches.
How does the cost of living compare to U.K. nowadays. (I'm guessing it can't possibly be higher - Can it?)
Thanks for the reply Don, Bayern will be put on the itinerary for a visit.

Most things are cheaper than UK, esp housing, food, eating out. Taxes not good if you're working.

Don, If you don't mind me asking, Whereabouts do you call home, If you do mind just tell me to mind my own business. Thanks for the last post, I'll be in retirement so if I do work it'll be for currywurst, Hertha BSC footbal ticket and Halb litre sort of money. The info on prices ticks a huge box for me. The good lady is willing to go along 'cos she knows it's something I'm going to have to do. So many of my old army mates have a yearning to return.

C Europe but I know Munich. Not a bad place to live, easy access to some really nice bits of Europe and the Germans are generally polite, well brought up and civilised. With good infrastructures such as hospitals, motorways - a lucky, hard working, rich country.

I was in Germany on a working holiday 3 years ago (for 12 months) and had a real good time.. The only place I´d consider living is the Cologne area.. Cosmopolitan, easygoing people and you can quickly nip across to Holland, Belgium and France.. Prices are good in that area.. Highlights in Germany are the "Autobahns" and cars..