You’re on the autobahn, you’re driving along, enjoying the scenery at 70 miles an hour. You glance in your rearview mirror: nothing else on the road. Suddenly a Mercedes or BMW screams past you at 120 miles an hour. Where did that come from? Here’s your first lesson. Germany’s autobahns are excellent, fast, and there are stretches that have no speed limit. German auto engineering and German drivers take full advantage of this. No problem, as long as you don’t hog the outside (left-hand) lane, and do check your mirror. However, it’s worth remembering that if you are involved in a high-speed collision, and survive, you could lose your driver’s license, even if it’s not your fault.
Cars in Germany, even more than in the USA, are a status symbol and it is important that your car be clean, well maintained, and in good condition. The TÜV, or Technischer Überwachungsverein, is responsible for inspecting all vehicles more than three years old, and they carry out the tests with extreme rigor.
Private motoring in Germany is a joy, and public transportation both works and is accessible. In Germany, if a train is four minutes late the people on the platform mutter that the country is going to the dogs. In Britain, if a train is four minutes late they breathe a sigh of relief that, for once, it is on time. In Germany, public services are expected to work. A feature of German industry is that many small and medium-sized businesses are situated in far-flung outer suburbs, miles away from the main city centers. That they can function there at all is entirely due to the country’s efficient public transportation network.
German cities have a variety of public transportation systems ranging from trams and buses to trains and subways. The network is fast, efficient, and, above all, coordinated. The quality of the entire transportation system is in one respect a tribute to the German sense of order. It’s a standard joke that you can set your watch by the departure and arrival times of German trains, but the principle behind it is that lateness is sloppy and lacking in respect.
• The Germans are good on control. So where speed limits are in force, expect radar checks.
• Traffic buildup starts early in big cities. Expect serious congestion as early as 7:00 a.m. and plan accordingly.
• School vacations cause chaos on the roads in terms of gridlock around major cities. Be prepared!
• If there are no signs saying otherwise, traffic coming from the right has right-of-way.
• Cyclists are common in towns. They are regarded as road users who have equal rights with motorized traffic. Most towns have cycle paths running alongside the roads and if you are turning right across a cycle track, the cyclist has right-of-way.
• In German towns and cities marked pedestrian crossings are guides rather than legally enforceable stops. Be prepared for the possibility that if you stop for pedestrians the car behind you might not! Check your rearview mirror before stopping.
• On the other hand, German drivers will usually stop for pedestrians who are crossing the road in narrow side streets or exits.
• Trams or streetcars are common in many German cities. If you are behind a tram when it stops, by law you must wait until all passengers have gotten off and cleared the street. Don’t try to pass it.
• In former East Germany, and less often in West Germany, you may see green arrows at traffic lights, allowing you to turn right although the lights are red. This only applies to right turns where the turn does not interfere with oncoming traffic.
• All persons in the car, front and back, must wear a seatbelt. Children under the age of twelve require a special seatbelt.
• A German car blinking its lights at you on the autobahn from behind is not saying “Hello.” It’s telling you to get out of the way fast!
• Germans know their highway codes and road signs (the result of extensive written and oral tests). If you are a resident, you should, too.
The police are very strict about enforcing the traffic laws, and the fines are heavy. This extends from parking fines to road accidents. If you park on a cycle track or obstruct other vehicles, you may find that your car has been towed away. The police will tell you where to go and how much you have to pay to retrieve it.
By law you have to carry your travel documents in the car and also to keep a red and white warning triangle in the trunk of the car for use in case of accidents, to warn the traffic behind you that you are immobile. German drivers also have to carry a first aid kit, pass basic first aid courses, and are by law expected to administer first aid if required.
Even in less serious accidents it is usually a good idea to advise the police. You should make a note of the other driver’s car registration number, name, and address and, if possible, the name of the insurance company. It is customary for drivers to exchange car documents in order to verify this information. Obviously, where possible, it is a good idea to get names and addresses of witnesses.
If you are caught speeding you can pay cash on the spot or be sent the fine in the mail. In that case, you will receive a bank transfer form with the fine on it to take or send to your bank for payment.
The alcohol restrictions are very tight in Germany, and strictly applied. Random breath tests are not uncommon. You are only allowed 0.5 promille—an alcohol level of 50 milligrams, equal to a limit of 0.05 percent or 0.5 grams per liter of blood. It is possible to reach this level after just one beer. If you are invited out to dinner, your hosts will be very aware of this restriction and will be concerned about your driving if you are running the risk of being “over the limit.”
These are issued at the Kraftfahrzeugsamt (KFZ-Amt). Contact your local office for any questions about licensing or driver’s permits. If you are from the USA, Canada, or the UK, you can drive for up to a year in Germany on your existing license or an international driver’s license. However, any non-German license must be accompanied by a translation into German. This you can get from the local ADAC (Allgemeine Deutscher Automobilclub), which is the equivalent of the AAA in the USA or the AA in the UK.
After six months you will need a German driver’s license. Obtain this before the time is up. EU members can simply change their national license for a German one. Some American states have reciprocal arrangements with Germany that allow them to do the same, but if your state doesn’t, you will have to go to a Fahrschule (driving school) and take a first aid course.
To get a driver’s license you need your application form, a residence permit, two passport photos, your current driver’s permit, its translation into German, your driving school certificate, your first aid course certificate—oh, and the results of a vision test. All these should be taken to the local police station for processing.
Americans will find walking around in Germany easier than British people, as they are used to waiting at crossings. Germans do not jaywalk, even if the crossing is empty of traffic. They tend to wait for the green light. Your failure to do so will result in other pedestrians reprimanding you or even a fine from an on-duty policeman.
In Germany, pedestrian crossings are for guidance to traffic rather than a rule. Once again, vistors used to enforcing their rights to cross at a marked crossing might be taken aback. Check that the road is clear before crossing!
The public transportation network is extensive. The German railway system is known as the Deutsche Bahn (German Rail), or DB. There are hourly express trains between major cities called ICE, or IC.
Some trains that specialize in business transportation (for example, to trade fairs) have first-class seats only. Tickets are usually checked on the train rather than at the station, but at many stations you are expected to revalidate your ticket before boarding by sticking it into a punch machine on the platform. Destinations, times, and platforms are well posted in German using the 24-hour clock and the name of the destination.
The ICE train.
If you’re going on a long journey, it’s worth reserving your seat in advance, by contacting a travel agent showing the DB sign. Staff will usually speak English. Avoid sitting in a seat reserved by someone else (marked reserviert) unless you are alighting before the person is due to board the train.
If you travel frequently, it is a good idea to purchase a Bahnkarte 25 or 50 (available for individuals and families), which allows a discount on train tickets, and which can quickly pay for itself. In “Green” circles it’s a must. The Bahnkarte is only one of a variety of cut-price tickets available. A Schönes-Wochenendticket (“happy weekend ticket”) includes unlimited travel on local lines, and Guten Abend (“good evening”) tickets offer off-peak reductions.
Two tickets you should know about must be purchased outside Germany. These are the German rail pass, allowing unlimited travel for a set number of four to ten days, and the Eurail pass, which gives unlimited travel in seventeen European countries. Enquire at your local travel agent. It’s worth noting that a door-to-door service exists for baggage. Check this out at your local station.
In Germany most towns have a bus or trolley car service (Strassenbahn), and sometimes both. There are good regional and rural bus services connecting villages to the train network. In big cities there are also subway systems called Untergrundbahn, or U-Bahn. Tickets are bought from machines. Instructions are always in German, and the system is sometimes difficult to work out. Ask a passer-by for help.
There are two types of bus system, one run by German rail and one by the city. Generally the timetables of the rail and streetcar systems are well coordinated.
Some bus drivers accept payment on board, but be prepared for the fact that you may be expected to have bought your ticket at a kiosk or tobacconist before you board the bus. You then punch your ticket into a machine on the bus or streetcar to validate it for that journey. Germans trust you to buy and validate your tickets. However, if an inspector boards the bus and you are found not to have done so, expect a significant fine. All-night bus services operate in Germany, but where they don’t, you should check the first and last bus times.
Available taxis show an illuminated sign in capital letters on top of the cab. They can be hailed in the street or at a cab stand, or phoned at their headquarters. Fares are shown on the meter and tipping is not expected, although businesspeople often “round up” the fare by one or two Euros. There may be a small supplement for luggage and dogs.
Breathe a sigh of relief. Wherever you go in Germany, no matter how simple the accommodation, the hotels will be clean and efficient, with hot water showers that work. The Germans expect quality and efficiency, and by and large they get it.
German hotels are characterized by five grades or stars, each grade offering a specific number and type of facilities. Gasthäuser (hotels) are quite expensive, but Hotels garnis (bed and breakfast) or Gasthöfe (bars with rooms) are more reasonable. Pensionen, which give a minimal breakfast, are cheaper still. These are often family run and can be quite individual and charming. The sign Zimmer Frei means rooms are available.
There are plenty of youth hostels, and rooms in private houses, or even apartments with kitchenettes. The local tourist office, often in the main station, or Bahnhof, can be very helpful, giving accommodation advice to match your needs and also making the booking for you. There is a national hotel booking agency: ADZ Room Reservation Service, Corneliusstr. 34, D-60325 Frankfurt-am-Main (tel. 069 74 767). Alternatively, you can consult the Michelin Green Guide online at Michelin Travel–Travel Information and World Travel Guides, travel.michelin.com. One organization, increasingly popular with budget and mid-price travelers, is AirBnB, which offers home stays in private accommodation. Check out www.airbnb.com/s/Germany.
The Germans are great travelers, and there are more than 2,000 official campsites for tents and caravans as well the most extensive network of youth hostels in Europe. Rules and opening times vary, but for information try your German National Tourist Office or the German Camping Club (DDC, Mandlstr. 28, D80802 Munich, tel. 089 380 14 20) or Web site: www.campingclub.de. Youth hostels are run by the German Youth Hostel Association (Deutsches Jugendherbergswerk, or DJH), and you have to be a member of the International Youth Hostel Association (IYHA) to enter them. The DJH publishes a list of all the hostels in Germany with descriptions of the facilities, photos, travel instructions, and rates. The Web site is: www.djh.de.
Lastly, for motorbikers, Germany is a member of the Motorbike Hotels International (tel. 097 768 18 00). These are hotels catering especially for motorbike travelers. Managers and many staff are active bikers themselves. First-time guests receive a “biker’s pass,” which makes every tenth night free of charge.
Health and security concerns should be no greater in Germany than they are in the USA or the UK. Medical facilities are among the most up-to-date in the world. Germany has both a national health service (government subsidized) and a private insurance system. You should review your insurance policy before you leave home to make sure it is valid internationally.
In order to see a doctor you will have to produce your European Health Insurance Card or an insurance certificate. Routine appointments can be made with a local doctor, but specialist clinics and hospital emergency rooms or accident and emergency departments are available. If you need English-speaking support, the US Embassy or the British Embassy should have details for the main cities.
Pharmacists have considerable freedom and expertise in recommending products to alleviate pain and other symptoms and will offer over-the-counter products. They also deal in natural or homeopathic products. Remember that the founder of homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann, was German. You may find that medications that require a prescription in the USA or UK can be bought over the counter in Germany.
Some German states have different telephone numbers for fire, police, and ambulance services. As a general rule try 110 for police and 112 for fire and ambulance, but check the Internet for emergency numbers. Try www.germany.angloinfo.com/inside/emergency-numbers.
Violent crime is less common in Germany than in the United States and some parts of Britain. If you are a crime victim, report it to the police immediately.
As anywhere, certain commonsense precautions are useful.
• Keep your car locked. There is a roaring trade in stolen cars.
• Don’t leave baggage unattended in public places.
• Don’t flash around expensive jewelry and camera equipment.
• Wear a zipped bag attached to your body to keep money, wallet, purse, and passport.
• Be aware of pickpockets. Cover your bag or purse in crowds such as carnivals or festivals.
• Make copies of your driver’s license and passport and keep them apart from the originals.
