Driving in Germany
Photo: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bundesministerium des Innern, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
Germany is the birthplace of the modern petrol automobile and its inventor, Karl Benz, and continues to be one of the top manufacturers of cars in the world, being home to well-known luxury car brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche. Its Autobahn network is famed around the globe for its stretches with no speed limit. This, in addition to the high density and general good state of road infrastructure make driving in Germany a fun though somewhat expensive proposition. Inside of cities, however the picture changes and no city with half a million inhabitants or more is really fun to drive in. Many city centres and old towns are also pedestrianised.
UnderstandMost Germans see their car primarily as a utilitarian object that gets you from point A to point B.
PaperworkLiability insurance is mandatory. and you will need to bring the original registration documents.
Car rental and carpoolsAll German airports offer car rental services, including most of the main rental firms. You can save a lot of money by renting a car in the centre – which is usually a quick and cheap train ride away – instead.
Traffic rulesThe most important rule is found at the top of the traffic code. It is frequently quoted in discussions regarding lack of respect in road traffic. According to section 1 of StVO, the German Road Traffic Regulation,
AccidentsIf you are involved in an accident, immediately stop where it happened (except if you're on an Autobahn or some other multilane road). Carefully get out of the car and check for injured people and damage on the cars.
Using the AutobahnIn 1974 Düsseldorf electronic-music pioneers Kraftwerk had a hit with "Autobahn", which brought both them and the roads the song was about to the attention of the world.
Winter drivingGermany gets its share of wintry conditions, and you are required to have winter tyres when needed. This applies to cars you hire as well as your own.
CongestionCongestion is a problem on some parts of the Autobahn network as well as inner cities year round.
ParkingIf you're willing to pay, you'll have little trouble finding a spot to park most of the time.
FuelTaxes keep gasoline prices high.99 per litre for diesel.
RacingAn alternative to using the Autobahn to get a car up to speed is of course using a race track.
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Driving in Germany" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Bundesrepublik Deutschland, Bundesministerium des Innern, Public domain via Wikimedia Commons