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Driving in Germany – Recommendations, Tips and Tricks
26. You will see bright orange columns on autobahns. They are placed at regular intervals. They are necessary in order to call for help in case of an accident or a breakdown. However, drivers can also use a standard way and call for help on the phone.
27. Finding the nearest column on a road is not difficult - its direction is indicated by black arrows on the roadside black and white poles.
28. In cities, in addition to special parking places for disabled, there are parking spaces for women. It is natural that all drivers cannot park on these parking stalls. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to signs next to the parking of your choice.
29. Drivers must have a driving license, a “green card” (transport insurance) and a registration certificate. The presence of these documents is mentioned in the traffic regulations.
30. Speeding fines are directly proportional to the speed recorded and can range from 10 - 15 euro to 375 – 425 euro (depending on the type of a road). Small fines of up to 150 euro can be paid directly to a police officer, and larger fines should be paid only in a bank.
31. People, who are involved in a traffic accident, and drivers, who were the first witnesses of that accident, must report the incident to the police and call the ambulance. Drivers who did not provide first medical help can also be fined, even if they just drove past the accident and were not involved in it.
32. Traffic police can be called by phone 110. If there are injured in an accident, it is also important to call the ambulance by dialing 112. All participants and witnesses of the accident have to wait for the arrival of these services.
Hints on Car Hire in Germany
When choosing a car for your Germany trip, don’t forget to check and compare the franchise amount (indicated in the rental conditions) for all cars considered in your selection. The franchise may vary from 200 to 2000 euro/dollars even for cars of the same class. A thorough comparison will allow you to choose the option with the lowest franchise.
During your booking, we will offer you to take a full coverage of the franchise ('No Risk' or 'No Excess' package). If you book a car without full coverage, it is recommended to take it at the pick-up time - this will substantially reduce your financial liability in Germany for the whole rental period.
During your car pick-up in Germany, do not forget to check what to do in breakdown-, accident- or theft-cases. Most of our offers include 'Breakdown Assistance' package. Besides this, every rental office would be happy to assist you with this package.
Prior to the car return, please check your voucher for the fuel conditions. If it is indicated that a driver shall return the car with a full tank, do not forget to refuel it on the way back, this will save you from additional charges at the rental office.
If you are looking for a car hire in Germany, we advise you to check OrangeSmile.com actual rental offers. Just use the orange search form at the top. We guarantee that you would not be able to find better rates anywhere else!
34. On circular roads the cars that already move on the circle have the priority. However, this rule should be used with caution as not all local motorists are distinguished by diligent compliance.
35. All fines should be paid within seven days. An important note - in case of a driving without a fastened seat belt the fine is paid by the passenger who forgot to fasten it, not by the driver.
36. For local residents car is not just a means of transportation, but one of the main indicators of their social status. They look after their cars carefully and try to keep them always clean and flawless. The attitude to “sloppy” drivers in Germany is appropriate.
37. Maintenance checkup is performed by the TUV car service. It is worth noting that vehicles older than 3 years are due to stricter and more stringent requirements for performance measurements.
38. For locals a personal car is more an element of high comfort than just a vehicle. Residents of big cities use private cars in exceptional cases, and in everyday life they try to use public transport.
39. There may be large traffic jams in the daytime in all large cities of the country. They start early in the morning – it may be hard to drive on the main city roads even at 7 am. These traffic jams “dissolve” only late at night. Traffic jams are particularly strong on roads of large cities of Germany during school holidays.
40. Cyclists are also full road users. There are special tracks for cyclists along some roads. When turning right, drivers should be very careful, because cyclists continue their movement at this time on the right lane.
41. Particular attention should be paid when approaching a pedestrian crossing. In Germany, they have purely "precautious" nature. When stopping at a crossing, do not expect that a car that moves behind will stop too. Therefore, do not forget to look in the rear-view mirror.
42. Local drivers have completely different attitude to crossings that are located in narrow streets and start at entrances of buildings. All cars must stop before these crossings.
44. In some crossroads drivers are allowed to make a right turn during the red light. Such crossroads are marked with a green arrow. Drivers are allowed to make a turn only if this will not interfere with the main traffic. Such intersections are common in East Germany, but they are not so widespread in the western part.
45. If you see a car with flashing lights behind your vehicle on a freeway, this is not a kind of greeting but the request to increase the speed.
46. Local drivers are well aware of the traffic rules and know all of its intricacies. Tourists, who have arrived in the country and plan to travel by car, should certainly read the local traffic regulation rules carefully. It is possible to get them at any insurance company or in a driving school.
47. The cost of petrol at different petrol stations may have a difference of up to 5 cents. Therefore, a driver can easily pay up to 10 euro more for one filling. As a rule, the most expensive petrol stations are located on autobahns.
48. Local petrol stations work on a prepaid basis. Insert the fuel dispenser into the tank, select the type of fuel and its amount, and then go to the cashier to pay.
49. Petrol stations located on autobahns work around the clock. It will be quite problematic to fuel your car on roads of other type at night as not all petrol stations work 24 hours a day. Gas stations usually accept credit cards of international standard. It is also possible to pay in cash, but do not use banknotes of high denomination, such as 500 euro, they can be not accepted.
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