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Driving Tips in Germany

Car Hire Depots
Driving Distances
Driving Licence
Driving Age
Rules and Regulations
Winter Driving
Equipment

Child Safety Seats
Speed Limits
Drink Driving
Tolls
Road Signs
Parking
Visa Information

Car Hire Depot information in Germany

A car hire with DriveAway Holidays offers convenience and freedom on your holiday in Germany. Our reputable suppliers offer competitive rates amongst a wide range of vehicles and destinations.

Car Hire Driving Distances in Germany

Berlin to Dresden – 200 kms (2hrs)
Dresden to Munich – 465 kms (4hrs / 15 mins)
Frankfurt to Munich – 395 kms (3hrs / 45 mins)
Hamburg to Hanover – 160 kms (1 hr / 40 mins)
Heidelberg to Stuttgart – 125 kms (1 hr / 20 mins)

Driving Licence

A full valid driver’s licence is required for a minimum of 1 year. An international drivers licence is required.

Age Restrictions

Generally the minimum age is 21 years, but can vary between the car rental company and location. Maximum age limits apply in some locations, a young/senior driver surcharge may apply. Please check Terms and Conditions when making an enquiry or booking.

Road Rules, Laws and Driving Regulations

General driving rules, laws and driving regulations in Germany;

Driving is on the right hand side of the road.
Overtake others on the left hand side of the road.
All passengers including the driver are required to wear a seat belt at all times.
Using of headphones or earphones are illegal while driving.
Mobile phones are prohibited whilte driving, with the exception of a hands-free unit.
Radar detectors are stricly prohibited.
Dipped headlights must be used while driving through tunnels and at night. Full beams cannot be used in urban areas.
Drivers are to carry with them at all times, a valid drivers licence, registration documents and insurance documents.
Emission Badges are required when driving through low emission zones, these zones are found within 32 cities in Germany. Rental vehicles already include these badges however make sure to check at time of collection as fines do apply.

Winter Driving

Snow Chains are recommended during the winter months and to be used when driving through mountainous regions. Snow chains are required when signs showing a tyre with snow chains are posted. Drivers are restricted to 50km/h when snow chains are attached and police will restrict drivers who do not meet the requirements.

Equipment

It is mandatory to carry the following equipment in your vehicle, which is to be used in the event of an accident, incident or breakdown.

Warning Triangle; to be used at the event of an accident or breakdown
Spare Inflated Wheel
First-aid Kit
Visibility Vest; not required but recommended, especially when driving on the Autobahn

Child Safety Seats

Children under the age of 12 or less than 1.5m tall must be seated in the back seats of the vehicle fasted in a seat belt or appropriate child restraint.

Speed Limits

A tip for first timers driving on the Autobahn is to drive on the right hand side (slow lane) of the road. The right lane is considered for slower traffic and the left lanes are for overtaking. You may find that some drivers will drive up to or even over 200km/h, these drivers are highly experienced and trained. It is highly recommended that you drive at a speed comfortable to you. Below are the speed limits in Germany, unless posted otherwise.

Urban Roads (built up areas): 50km/h
Rural Roads (outside towns): 90-100km/h
Motorway (Autobahn): none unless shown

Drink Driving

The legal blood alcohol content (BAC) is 0.05mg/100ml. Police have the power to stop drivers and carry out random alcohol testing. Drivers found over the limit face heavy fines and possible imprisonment, and if an accident is caused while over the limit your insurance is void. This also applies to cyclists.

Tolls

At the moment there are no highways tolls present for passenger vehicles.

Road Signs

Road Signs in Germany adopts the standardization of the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals which many European countries now utilize, but with slight variance. Signs in Germany are commonly found in the countries local language however English is also used on city roads and state highways. The signs are very easy to understand as the vast majority of them are posted with symbols. Warning Signs are generally triangular in shape with a red border, white background or yellow and a symbol in the middle. Prohibitory Signs are signs which motorists must obey. These signs vary in shapes from a circle, octagon and a box. You will find these signs in either blue with a white symbol in the middle and white with a red border. Information Signs are displayed with a blue or green background and white text providing motorists with information.

Parking

Strict parking regulations apply in Germany:

Vehicles must park on the right and must not face oncoming traffic.
No parking is permitted in front of a yellow or red road lines or within 10 feet of a fire hydrant.
No parking is allowed where a white line is marked.

Parking will commonly be 'pay and display' where either a parking disc or parking tickets will need to be displayed on the front windscreen of the vehicle. Parking tickets can be purchased from nearby machines and a parking disc can be obtained from petrol stations. Vehicles who have exceeded their limit or illegaly parked will result in their vehicle either clamped or towed and impounded..