Driving in Germany - 10 tips for your road trip

Are you going to drive in Germany? Here are my 10 best tips and tricks on the things I wish I had known the first time we were driving in Germany!

For all holidaymakers on their way to a road trip in Europe, Germany is one of the first countries to pass through. For many, the experience of driving in Germany becomes just one long autobahn that you want to graze on your way to the Mediterranean, but for us, Germany's roads are always part of the experience. Regardless of whether you (like us) love small roads and like to let the journey take a little time or if you love to blast along on the autobahn, we always learn something new every time.

Det finns en massa lagar och regler kring vad du behรถver ha fรถr utrustning i bilen, regler kring bilbarnstolar, promillegrรคnser eller vad det รคr fรถr hastigheter som gรคller i tรคtbebyggt omrรฅde โ€“ de reglerna hittar du exempelvis hos Motormรคnnen. Hรคr har jag istรคllet samlat mina tips och trix โ€“ de dรคr restipsen som jag sjรคlv skulle ha รถnskat att nรฅgon berรคttat fรถr mig infรถr min fรถrsta bilresa till Tyskland!

1. Environmental zones โ€“ Environmental zones

Inom EU har man infรถrt miljรถzoner och dieselfรถrbudszoner i en stor mรคngd stรคder i Europa och dรฅ รคven i Tyskland. I vissa fall gรคller zonen (รคn sรฅ lรคnge) bara kommersiella fordon, men i mรฅnga fall gรคller det รคven personbilar. Fรถr att kรถra in i en zon krรคvs att du har skaffat en officiell klassificering pรฅ din bil genom ett klistermรคrke โ€“ sรฅ kallad Feinstaubplakette โ€“ som du fรคster i framrutan.

We hadn't had time to get an environmental sticker before we left, which meant we couldn't drive in Germany's major cities without risking a fine - even though our car would be ok on paper. To be sure that you can drive into your booked hotel in Cologne, before you leave, you can order an environmental sticker from Dekra. Then you don't have to rebook the hotel at the last second, which we had to do...

A tip: To find out in which cities there are environmental zones, I use the IPhone app Green-Zones. The app has good maps and descriptions of what applies in the environmental zones in each city.

Interesting views when driving in Germany
Interesting views after the autobahn

2. Free speed on the autobahn? Well

Germany's autobahn is known for its free speed, but nowadays many sections have speed limits. Often there is a speed limit of 130 km/h or less, but sometimes you pass a crossed-out white speed sign. This means that the previous speed no longer applies and that no new speed is regulated. So "free speed" on the autobahn to the next speed sign. Although the recommended speed on the autobahn is always 130km/h.

3. Raststรคtte och Autohof

There are plenty of places to stop and stretch your legs along the autobahn, but there are different types of rest stops. The service at the rest stop is usually shown with symbols under the road sign.

Ett Raststรคtte ligger nรคra vรคgen och har oftast restaurang, kiosk och toalett. Hรคr รคr bensinen oftast riktigt dyr!

En Autohof ligger lรคngre frรฅn autobahn โ€“ ibland flera kilometer โ€“ och har oftast liknande service som ett Raststรคtte. Hรคr รคr det mer fรถrmรฅnligt att tanka, det kan vara flera kronor billigare per liter jรคmfรถrt med ett raststรคtte.

There are different symbols on the road signs if there are chargers for electric cars or if there is petrol. Don't drive too fast, then you won't have time to see the small "power cord" by the tank symbol :)

A tip: Toilet visits usually cost 70 cents, but then you get a coupon for 50 cents to shop for. So buy sweets after you visit the toilet.

Sign with information along the autobahn
Rest area Lipperland about 5 km with electricity and petrol/diesel

4. Stau

Ett ord som รคr bra att kunna รคr Stau โ€“ kรถ. Och det รคr ofta stau pรฅ autobahn. Speciellt kring storstรคderna. Vรคgarna kring Mรผnchen och Hamburg har jag upplevt som vรคrst. Kรถr med fรถrsiktighet och anvรคnd Google maps eller Waze fรถr att fรฅ alternativa vรคgar och slippa kรถa.

It is common for the person who is last in the queue to turn on their hazard lights so that those coming behind at high speed must pay attention to the queue in time.

NOTE: If you use a GPS app, remember that it is forbidden to have speed camera alerts turned on.

5. The left lane on the autobahn

You only stay in the left lane if you have to overtake โ€“ and it has to be fast! In this file, you don't grind your way past slowly. Check the rearview mirror all the time - not just once.

NOTE: There is a great risk that a car will come in the left lane at 200 km/h with flashing headlights. Then it's just a matter of quickly changing the file.

6. Brown signs = Sights

Along the entire autobahn there is a fantastic service for us tourists โ€“ the brown sightseeing signs! Sights are shown here that are within a few miles of the autobahn and are often places that you have never heard of.

A tip: As a passenger, you therefore have the obvious task of quickly Googling what kind of attraction it is, so that you can spontaneously discover new exciting places!

Brown sign for attractions along the autobahn
Did you know there are volcanoes in Germany?

7. Sundays are truck-free (almost)

During weekdays, the trucks line up along the autobahn. On Sundays (and holidays) there are restrictions on truck traffic, so it is usually (almost) empty of trucks. A clearly nicer day for long drives and usually with fewer queues.

Tip: During July and August, it is also truck-free on many roads on Saturdays too! (However, not on all roads as on Sundays - you will find a map of the affected roads here)

8. Bei nรคsse โ€“ Olika hastigheter vid regn

Ofta kan du se hastighetsskyltar som har en underskylt som sรคger โ€bei nรคsseโ€. Det betyder att den lรคgre hastigheten gรคller โ€vid regnโ€.

9. Studded tires prohibited

Studded tires are prohibited, in winter road conditions you need studless winter tires. It doesn't just apply when you're driving in Germany, it also applies if you're going down to the Alps.

10. Cars/trucks

Sometimes you come across signs and files with the letters LKW and PKW at gas stations and ferries. LKW means trucks. PKW means passenger cars.

Those were my 10 tips for you who are going to drive in Germany! Do you have any more tips I've missed?

6 COMMENTS
  1. Hello!

    Can add with regard to queues that they are helped to form a "Rettungsgasse" where the waiting lane goes as far to the left as possible and the right lane goes as far to the right as possible so that the rescue vehicles can easily arrive in the middle. Practically!
    Really like the Autobahn otherwise, usually very good roads and you get there quickly. Thanks for a lot of great tips!

  2. Hi, thinking about this with environmental zones and the purchase of decals. Can I who have diesel Euro 5 buy myself "free" with a sticker and still go into the city? Or how the scar intended? etc. Peter

  3. Hello! if it's STAU or just heavy traffic, you can follow the blue square signs with U and a number, and you'll be directed to later access again. Note! Make sure you follow the same number all the time, as it sometimes happens that part of the road section is used by more numbers.

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Travel blogger, gastronaut, photographer and family adventurer with over 60 countries in his luggage. Eva loves trips that include beautiful nature, hiking boots and well-cooked food. On the travel site Rucksack, she takes you to all corners of the world with the help of her inspiring pictures and texts.

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