One of the first things you probably want to do, once you’ve setteled in a new place, is: Meet other people and make new friends, who understand your situation, share your interests and hobbies.
Fortunately, there is a variety of groups for all the English speaking people, to choose from. Where international people like you meet, connect, and exchange information. Welcoming communities of open-minded individuals who share your experiences.
As a meber you can always:
- Connect with international people in their city
- Join exciting events to meet fellow expats
- Get tips and information about your destination
Here are a few of them (all names are linked to the website)
InterNations.org
What is it and how does it work?
InterNations is a platform, that runs on it’s own website. It is the largest international community for people who live and work abroad (so they say). InterNations offers global networking opportunities, local events and expat-relevant information. At monthly events and activities, expats get to meet fellow internationals in their city, while forums and destination guides provide valuable tips and information. I use it mostly to go to the events of the activity groups. They meet up for a party twice a month, too.
What kind of people will you meet?
People from all over the world, mostly those who come here for work.
Is it for free?
They offer two types of membership. You can choose if you would like to be a Basic Member for free or upgrade to Albatross Membership ( ca. 27 EUR for 3 months) to receive benefits such as free or reduced entry to events, additional networking features, and the opportunity to share your hobbies by joining interest-based groups. The good thing is – if you move, you can take it with you, as InternNations is active in 390 cities worldwide.
Stuttgart Expat Meetups
What is it and how does it work?
Members of this group get together and communicate through the facebook group of the same name. They are predominantly English-speaking expats living in Stuttgart. They get togeher to party every Friday. Somethimes there are other events, too but not so regularly. There are lots of toppics beeing discussed in the ‘discussion’ section. People freely ask a lot of toppics about living in the city and provide valuable tips and information.
And there are also
What kind of people will you meet?
People from all over the world. Some who come here for work and a lots of party oriented students.
Is it for free?
Yes. You just have to be a member of the facebook group.
Meetup.com
What is it and how does it work?
Basically it works like Internations, but it’s for free.
What kind of people will you meet?
People from all over the world, mostly those who come here for work
Is it for free?
Yes.
Couchsurfing.com
What is it and how does it work?
Couchsurfing is a service that connects members to a global community of travelers. Use Couchsurfing to find a place to stay or share your home and hometown with travelers. Couchsurfers also organize regular events in 200,000 cities around the world. They meet up every 3rd Saturday at 7:00 PM CET. Basically it works like Internations, minus the broad range of activity groups plus the … couchsurfing.
What kind of people will you meet?
People from all over the world, mostly travellers.
Is it for free?
Yes.
Further Facebook groups (most of them are pretty self-explanatory):
I’m adding their self/descriptions here:
Stuttgart Expat Ladies
Meetup Group for the Expat Ladies in Stuttgart
Stuttgart ladies without kids
stuttgart expat dinner/cooking group
Gathering of those who love to cook and learn about food from different ethnicities. Regular gatherings for picnics and small dinner parties. The only requirements are that everyone must cook, share, and enjoy!
stuttgart veggie expat meetups
Vegetarians, Vegans and people who just like good veggie food. Feel free to ask questions and post recommandations or links to useful sites, blogs or events. Let’s meet up once a month for dinners, meet ups, potlucks and good conversation.
stuttgart hike/walk
English-speaking group of hikers and outdoor enthusiasts in the Stuttgart-Germany area. Hikes and events are suggested and organized by the members themselves. Everyone is welcome to join. We are an open and tolerant community.
Stuttgart Friends 2.0 (Mostly Amercians with an army backround)
The mission of Stuttgart Friends 2.0 is to provide a forum for English-speaking community members in the Stuttgart area. As a group we will welcome community members who show a willingness to assist members of this group and be part of lively discussions. This group was formed as a method to share information between adults living or working in Stuttgart.
Wow.. that was an incredible list of events and meetups. Thanks for compiling such a list.
My pleasure! Enjoy!
If there is other things you want to read about more (or at all) here on stugginations, leave me a comment :-).