It might seem intimidating to think about renting a car in a foreign country such as Germany. But it’s really not so different as driving in your home country–so long as you understand the rules of the road. Study up before you go, make sure your insurance is in order and keep your wits about you by remembering these tips on how to successfully navigate the German road system.
Kilometers
Rule number one–get used to kilometers. Nothing in Germany is calculated in miles. Whether you know it or not, the car you drive every day probably already has kilometers on the speedometer. Usually American cars have miles on the outside ring and kilometers on the inside. If you’re from the U.S., take a peek at the kilometer ring to prepare yourself for thinking in clicks. One kilometer equals .621 miles, or the other way around, one mile equals 1.609 kilometers.
Know What Ettsett Is
It may seem basic if you know any German or have been to Germany before, but it pays to know what the ettsett character looks like. You’ll see this character on many road signs, but essentially it’s just a double S. So strae (which means road and makes many an appearance on signs) is the same as strasse.
Know Your Signs
Before you take to the road in Germany, study up on German road signs. They’re likely different than your home country’s signs. While many are self-explanatory, others are worth taking note of. These include signs that mark who has the right of way (default is the person on the right), Einbahnstrasse signs that point out one-way streets, and no entry signs that look like a red circle with a white bar in the middle.
Traffic Fines and Tickets
In general, traffic fines and tickets in Germany are severe and can be several hundred euros. Don’t tailgate, don’t pass slow-moving vehicles on the right, and avoid getting too crazy with the lack of a speed limit on the Autobahn. If an accident does happen and you’re blasting your way down the road, it’s more likely to be considered your fault. Your insurance claim may even be denied if you cause such an accident.
Watch for Speed Limit Signs on the Autobahn
The Autobahn is akin to freeways in other countries and is a multi-lane, high-speed road that gets you quickly from one city to the next. It’s known for high speeds for a reason. In general, the Autobahn has no speed limit, but this is only in general and not always. In areas near cities and towns, construction zones, areas where many accidents have happened, as well as off and on ramps, there are usually speed limits. Watch for speed limit signs and heed those limits. Fines are high and could even cost you your driving privileges. The advised speed limit is 80 kph.
Speed Limits off the Autobahn
On non-Autobahn roads, speed limits are usually 100 kph outside of villages, towns and cities, and 50 kph within developed areas. Speed limit signs are not always posted as you enter developed areas. What you’ll need to look for is a rectangular sign with the name of the place posted, which doubles as an unspoken speed limit sign. Drop down to 50 kph as soon as you spot the sign and keep an eye out for other speed limit postings in town. As you leave a town, you’ll spot another yellow rectangular sign with a slash through it. This means you can return to 100 kph.
Passing
Passing other vehicles on the Autobahn is only allowed on the left. If you get stuck behind a line of slower moving trucks, you can stay to the left until you’re past all of them, but should return to the right lane once you can. However, watch out for…
Watch out for German Engineering in Action
Most cars on the Autobahn move at a predictable pace, but keep an eye out for cars traveling at extremely high speeds, usually Mercedes or BMWs with powerful engines. These cars can go ripping down the road at over 300 kph (190 mph!). Stay to the right. You don’t want to mess with them.
Don’t get Blitzed
No, this doesn’t mean don’t drive drunk (but don’t do that either–the legal limit in Germany is 0.5). While you won’t see a ton of police cars on the road looking for speeders, German roads are well policed by traffic cameras. To get blitzed is to have an encounter with such a camera, which usually involves a flash of light and then a low-quality photo of yourself and a speeding ticket arriving in the mail.
No Right on Red
No matter how counterintuitive it may seem, Germany is not cool with making a right on a red light. You may, however, spot an additional light next to the traffic light with an arrow, or a sign with an arrow pointing right on it. In this case, wait until it’s green and then you can proceed.
This post was done in partnership with Enterprise Rent-a-Car but they had no input on the content. All content is that of Wanderlust and Lipstick.
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Photo credits:
Woman Driver in Germany: Tim Lucas via Flickr
Audi Dashboard: Karlis Dambrans via Flickr
Germany Road Signs: Michael Pereckas via Flickr
Autobahn Speed Limits: Craig Wyzlk via Flickr
Mercedes Benz: Problemkind via Flickr