Guide to Driving in Germany

Germany is famous mainly for the quality of the streets. You won’t have problems with bumps, cracks or holes since they are patched in less than 4 hours after they’ve been reported. The road signs will be extremely easy to read because they’re almost the same like in UK. All the important information is written both in German and in English. People are usually speaking English, and so do the police officers; you won’t have any trouble finding your way around. The traffic is on the right and overtakes are on the left. In unmarked intersections you must give way to vehicles coming from your right. An interesting rule is that when a lane ends and merges with a second one, each driver must allow one car to pass in front of him on the remaining lane. The parking can be done on the right side of the road if there’s no other restriction applied. Usually there’s the white P on blue background indicator marking that you can park in that particular area. Local drivers are polite and respectful with tourists.

Police officers are taking the law very seriously so you should try and respect the rules, including the speeding limits. There are lots of speeding cameras mounted across the country and you might get a fine directly at your home without even knowing it. The police cars are painted in silver with either blue or green on the hood and on the sides. The word on them is ‘POLIZEI’. If driving on autobahn you’ll likely get the chance to see some police Audi R8s or Porsche 911s. About documents we must say that it’s required to have an identification card, a third party car insurance and your domestic license.

Essential Driving Information

• You are not required to have an international driver’s permit if you’re from European Union. The license will be valid for your entire visit.
• Dipped beam must be used only when the visibility conditions are reduced and at night.
• Using a mobile phone without hands-free while driving is illegal. You are allowed to make phone calls only if the vehicle is parked and the engine is turned off.
• According to German law, all the passengers of a vehicle must wear seatbelts.
• The autobahn, which is the most famous German highway, is not using a toll system.