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Driving in Germany Guide

 

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Driving in Germany

Winning nation of the 2014 World Cup football

Home of the 2011 Women's Football World Cup

Key rules, regulations and things to know

Driving: Drive on the right and overtake on the left.

Speed limits: Autobahns in Germany do not have a maximum speed limit, the suggested speed is 130km/h (80mph). Open road 100 km/h (62 mph) and in towns 50 km/h (31 mph).

Drink and Driving: Blood alcohol limit is 0.05 More information Here This is a low limit and drinking more than one small glass of wine will be over the limit.

Seat Belts: Seat belts front and rear must be worn by all occupants everywhere.

Motorways/ Autobahn:There are no tolls to pay on German Autobahns. (See Speed limits above)

Warning / Emergency Equipment: It is advisable to carry a warning triangle, first aid kit, reflective vest and a fire extinguisher. These items might not be provided with the average rental car until the law states the items must be in a vehicle.

Parking: There is a parking disc system operating in major towns. You can obtain a disc from the police, tourist offices and tobacconists. It is also an offence to park facing oncoming traffic.

Disabled Parking: The Blue Badge is recognised in all European countries - More information Here

Drivers licence and vehicle documentation should be carried at all times.

Headlights: Use dipped headlights in poor visibility.

Horns: In built-up areas, the use of horns is only permitted for emergencies.

Trams: You must give way to trams and do not pass them at their stopping points.

Buses have right of way when leaving bus stops. You must not overtake or passing a school bus which has stopped outside a built-up area when red lights are flashing is not permitted.

Winter Tyre Requirement: Not compulsory in Germany, however drivers may be fined for not having fitted winter tyres if involved in an accident. Cars fitted with summer tyres cannot be used when there is snow or ice about.

Travel tips: Germany borders, Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland. It has a diversity of landscapes which include the famous Rhine, Bavaria and Black Forest. The country is divided into 16 states known as Bundesländer which include the city of Berlin.

Each region has its own distinctive character, dialect, traditional dress and food. In the East, river basins cover a major part of the landscape and the South is well known for its beer halls, Black Forest and Lake Constance. Along the Rhine and Moselle are steep terraced vineyards and beautiful castles. The North is best known for its seafaring cities of Hamburg and Bremen and its health resorts.

Information source holiday autos

Click on image to left to enter site

To enter the site, click on the image above left - The ADAC - Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil - Club e.V. is Germany's largest automobile club

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Capital: Berlin

Telephone Country Code: +49

Views of Berlin

Berlin in February is fantastic, but can be very cold - A weekend break in Berlin is great value, there is so much history about and you won't have a quiet moment, however if you are going in the winter months, take plenty of warm clothing, you will need it.Find out more here

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Emergency Telephone number: pan-EU Emergency 112 Can be used in all EU Countries and it can be dialled from a locked mobile or a mobile with no sim card. We have driving guides for those countries marked in red below (plus other non EU member European countries).

Austria - Belgium - Bulgaria - Cyprus - Czech Republic - Denmark - Estonia - Finland - France - Germany - Greece - Hungary - Ireland - Italy - Latvia - Lithuania - Luxembourg - Malta- Netherlands - Poland - Portugal - Romania - Slovakia - Slovenia - Spain - Sweden

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Drink Drive Laws - Examples of what can be drunk at present

It is not a lot and in some countries even to drink the glass on the right would be breaking the law if you drove afterwards in others a sip would be too much see "Wine" below

"Wine - even a sip will send you over the limit and invalidate your insurance in Parkistan, Cuba, Indonesia, Romania, Jordan and Nigeria, according to Rhinocarhire.com which produces a comprehensive guide." The A to Z of car hire - The Independent - August 2010

See this guide for further information

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Emergency Telephone Numbers in Europe:

Emergency Telephone number: pan-EU Emergency 112 Can be used in all EU Countries and it can be dialled from a locked mobile or a mobile with no sim card.

Driving abroad - British Government website. Contains general information about driving abroad and gives you the option to search for specific advice by country

Finally, Don’t forget your excess cover and buy it before you set off

Excess charges could cost you up to £1,000 or more. Protect yourself by organising your insurance4carrental car hire insurance before you head to Europe.

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Other Country Information Guides

Driving in Austria

Driving in Belgium

Driving in Bulgaria

Driving in Canada

Driving in Croatia

Driving in Cyprus

Driving in The Czech Republic

Driving in Denmark

Driving in England

Driving in Europe (with detailed country guides)

Driving in Finland

Driving in France and Corscia

Driving in Germany

Driving in Gibraltar

Driving in Greece and the Greek Islands

Driving in Holland

Driving in Hungary

Driving in Iceland

Driving in Ireland

Driving in Israel

Driving in Italy Sardinia and Sicily

Driving in Jordan

Driving in Lebanon

Driving in Liechtenstein

Driving in Luxembourg

Driving in Malta and Gozo

Driving in Mexico

Driving in Monaco

Driving in The Netherlands

Driving in New Zealand

Driving in Northern Ireland

Driving in Norway

Driving in Poland

Driving in Portugal

Driving in Scotland

Driving in Slovenia

Driving in South Africa

Driving in Spain The Balearrics and The Canary Islands

Driving in Sweden

Driving in Switzerland

Driving in Turkey

Driving in United Arab Emirates UAE

Driving in The UK - England - Scotland - Wales & Northern Ireland

Driving in the USA

Driving in Wales

Worldwide Driving Guides Index

Driving Abroad - Advice from FCO — Foreign and Commonwealth Office

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