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Daily life

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Things of daily life

For a successful start to your studies, it is important to organize your everyday life well: from shopping possibilities and internet access to medical care and waste separation.

Shopping

In Germany, stores are closed on Sundays.

Groceries

The following supermarkets are well represented in Ulm and Neu-Ulm:

Kaufland
Rewe
Edeka
Aldi
Lidl
Norma
Netto
Penny

Market

At the weekly markets in Ulm and Neu-Ulm you will find fresh fruit, vegetables and other food products from local farmers. Ulm and Neu-Ulm have the following weekly markets:

Münsterplatz Ulm: Wednesdays and Saturdays, 6:00 am - 1:00 pm
Petrusplatz Neu-Ulm: Wednesdays and Saturdays, 7:00 am - 1:00 pm
Klosterhof Söflingen: Fridays, 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Stifterweg Eselsberg: Thursdays, 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Wiblingen: Fridays, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Second-hand goods, flea markets

You can find second-hand stores nearby, e.g. Neue Arbeit Ulm (only in German), Neue Arbeit Neu-Ulm (only in German).
Kleinanzeigen (only in German) is an online platform where many second-hand goods are offered free of charge or at reasonable prices.
Flea markets take place twice a year at the Ulm Volksfestplatz (only in German) in Friedrichsau. You can find more flea markets on the event pages of the city of Ulm if you enter “Flohmarkt" as a keyword.
ADFC used bike markets (only in German), held twice a year on Ulm's Münsterplatz.

Internet

Private DSL connection

A private DSL connection is available throughout Ulm and Neu-Ulm. Many providers offer packages with DSL and telephone, often with a contract term of 1-2 years. The necessary hardware is usually included free of charge. In shared flats, a shared connection can be used to save costs. You can find current offers on comparison portals or the providers' websites.

Internet access in the libraries

WLAN is available for users in the Ulm City Library (only in German) (Vestgasse 1, next to Ulm Town Hall). Internet workstations can also be used with a valid library card.
Members of the Neu-Ulm City Library (only in German) (Heiner-Metzger-Platz 1) can use the library Wi-Fi on stationary computers free of charge.

Cafés with Wi-Fi

Coffee Fellows: Neue Str. 85, 89073 Ulm
Starbucks: Münsterplatz 16, 89073 Ulm
Fräulein Berger: Herrenkellergasse 14, 89073 Ulm

Broadcasting fees

Broadcasting fees of € 18.36 per month (as of January 2025) must be paid for each apartment. If you do not yet have a fee account, please register with the Beitragsservice at: www.rundfunkbeitrag.de (only in German)

Important: Only one person of legal age per home must be registered with the Beitragsservice and pay the fee. Make a joint decision as to who this is. All other residents who are currently still registered themselves must deregister. They should state the contribution number of the person who pays the contribution for the apartment. This means that you are still registered via the apartment, but are no longer liable to pay the contribution yourself.

Do not forget to deregister if you move out. Otherwise you may still be asked to pay.

Exemption from the broadcasting fee is only possible in exceptional cases. For example, if you receive BAföG and do not live with your parents. In all other cases, the following applies: one home - one contribution, regardless of whether you actually use broadcasting services or not.

Please note that payment is obligatory, even if you do not use the service. If you ignore the notifications from the broadcasting contribution service, this can lead to legal problems.

Medical care

In Germany, in case of illness you always go to a general practitioner first. Make sure that the doctor accepts people with public health insurance (gesetzliche Versicherung), otherwise you may have to pay the costs yourself.
You should only go to the ambulance of a clinic in an emergency (see support centers, section emergency numbers), at night or at the weekend if the general practitioner is not available.
If you are looking for a doctor who speaks your native language or English, the following database may be helpful: www.arztsuche-bw.de (only in German). There you will also find doctors for specific medical areas.
Bring your health insurance card or EHIC with you to every visit to the doctor.
You can obtain all the medication you need (with or without a prescription) from a pharmacy.

Waste avoidance

In Germany, the topic of waste avoidance and recycling is taken very seriously. Waste is consistently separated, sorted and, where possible, recycled.

Beverage deposit

In Germany, there is a deposit on reusable and most non-reusable drinks packaging made of glass, PET and cans (up to € 0.25). You can tell whether a bottle is subject to a deposit by the DPG logo; deposit-free bottles are marked accordingly.

You can return empty bottles wherever drinks with a deposit are sold. Take care not to damage them or remove the barcode.

Waste separation

The following waste separation system applies in Ulm/Neu-Ulm:

Yellow bag//bin for materials (reusable material):

Packaging made of plastic, metal and composite materials (e.g. yogurt cups, food cans, milk & juice cartons). Yellow bags are available at citizens' offices and recycling centers.

Blue garbage can (paper and cardboard):

For any paper and cardboard. No coated paper and no handkerchiefs!

Brown garbage can (organic waste):

For biodegradable waste such as fruit and vegetable waste, food scraps, coffee filters, tea bags, plants, etc.

Black garbage can (general waste):

For all other waste. Residual waste disposal is subject to a charge.

Glass containers:

Color-separated glass bottles (no deposit). Blue glass belongs in the green glass container. No window glass, light bulbs or mirrors.

Recycling centers:

Acceptance of bulky waste, hazardous waste (paint, batteries), electrical appliances as well as paper, glass and yellow bags. They are best reached by car.

Find out how waste is separated in your hall of residence or shared flat.

You can find more information (including lists of which waste belongs in which garbage can) on the websites of the waste disposal companies for Ulm and Neu-Ulm. (Links only available in German)

Public holidays

There are national and regional public holidays in Germany. On public holidays, stores and offices are closed and buses and trains run according to the Sunday timetable.