Guide to Driving In Germany - Drive Safe in Germany

With our Drive Smart guide you're fully prepared to hire a car in Germany and stay safe on unfamiliar roads.

URBAN SPEED LIMIT

50 kph

urban
More info  

RURAL SPEED LIMIT

100 kph

rural
More info  

motorway speed limit

130 kph

speed limit
More info  

Drink Drive Limit

 50mg

drink and drive limit
More info  
urban
You drive in Germany on the Right side  
urban
The currency in Germany is EUR €
urban
To rent a car is  21 years and to drive is 18 years of age
urban
Current fuel price in Germany 1.74 €/Ltr

Driving Laws in Germany

Driving in Germany
Pocket guide to driving in Germany
Profile:
Germany
Berlin
EUR €
Driving in Germany
SPEED: (kph)
50
100
130
Speed limit in Germany
Holiday:
Rush hour in Germany
Cameras:
YES
YES
Speed cameras in Germany
FUEL:
1.74
1.72
EUR/Litre
Fuel prices in Germany
See Fuel Price in Germany for full statistics
MIN AGE:
18
21
Min driving age in Germany
DRINK:
50mg
Blood alcohol content
Drink driving in Germany
EMERGENCY:
112
Emergency phone number in Germany
DOCUMENT:
Driving documents in Germany
PHONES:
Yes
Hands free only
Mobile phone driving in Germany
SEATBELTS:
Yes
Yes
Seat belt in Germany
See here for current child seats law in Germany

Are there any special requirements for driving or hiring a car in Germany?

Driving in Germany is generally considered to be a pleasure because of the excellent roads there. However despite what you may have heard there are actually many sections of the autobahns which do have speed limits. Germany also has the second largest road system in the world. Cars are generally manual unless otherwise specified.


Vehicles entering an intersection from the right have right of way unless otherwise stated. Traffic entering the motorways must yield to traffic which is already on the motorways If you break down on the autobahns there are emergency phones located every two miles. Passing cars on the right is strictly prohibited. 

Germany uses a priority roads system to define right of way and this is marked by a diamond sign in yellow with a white border. Traffic on these roads has priority over traffic on all other roads. Traffic police show blinking signs which say Polizei Halt , meaning 'Police Stop' if they want to stop you. If police decide to pull you over they use a traffic paddle to indicate to you while their car will say 'Polizei bitte folgen'.

Rules of the road

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Emergency Services Numbers

Police Police: 112

Police Fire: 112

Police Ambulance: 112

Notes: Additional numbers:110 for police, 19222 is local-dial ambulance

DieselUnleaded
Feb , 2024

€ 1.72

€ 1.74

Jan , 2024

€ 1.71

€ 1.74

Dec , 2023

€ 1.68

€ 1.70

Nov , 2023

€ 1.73

€ 1.74

Parking Information

Parking regulations

Parking regulations
 
You cannot park within 15 metres of a bus stop or street car sign, within 5 metres of an intersection, or within 50 metres of a railway crossing sign.You can only park in the direction of the traffic, usually on the right of the road except on one way streets. If you park on the highway at night, your car must be illuminate – e.g. parking lights must be lit. This doesn't apply if there is adequate street lighting. Signs will indicate no parking or no waiting.
 
Paid parking
 
Paid parking on the street is payable by parking meter or ticket machine. The first half hour is usually free. Some areas are controlled by parking disc which you can buy from shops, garages or post offices.
 
Enforcement
 
You won't find wheel clamps in Germany but cars can be towed away if causing an obstruction. Some cities have parking attendants to monitor parking, others rely on the police or cameras. The fine is the standard €35
 
Disabled parking
 
Germany is party to the EU disability parking scheme and your blue badge should be accepted anywhere. It's always best to check on signs first for local differences.

What is a Parkscheibe?
A cardboard disc which you can buy at petrol stations. It is to be used in marked areas of limited but un-metered parking to indicate your time of parking.

Emergency Information

Emergency Information

Police Police: 112

Police Fire: 112

Police Ambulance: 112

The emergency services are on 112.

The American Embassy can be contacted on http://germany.usembassy.de/email/feedback.htm.
The UK Embassy can be contacted on https://www.gov.uk/world/organisations/british-embassy-berlin
 

What to do in an emergency

For breakdowns, call the emergency number given to you by the car hire desk when you collected the car. All accidents must be notified to the police, even if there is only minor damage and the parties resolve the issues. If someone has been hurt you must inform your insurance company within three days, if there's only damage then you have a week. If in a rental car, phone the emergency number given to you when you collected the car.

Wait for the police to arrive and get the other driver’s names, address and insurance details. Drivers must return to the scene of any serious accident or road death until the police arrive.  The police will give you an accident report which is required by your rental company. They can charge you a small fine of 25 Euros if you are in stationary traffic and 40 Euros if you are in moving traffic.
SOS Emergency Phone Box Germany

Handy Guides

World Driving Guides

Road Signs

Handy Phrases

  • Motorway - Autobahn
  • The pleasure of driving – Fahrvergnügen
  • German Driver's Licence  - Führerschein
  • Petrol – Benzin
  • Diesel – Diesel
  • Green card found in all rental cars - Zulassungsbescheinigung
  • Please follow police - Polizei bitte folgen
  • Unleaded – Bleifrei
  • Local traffic office  - Straßenverkehrsamt
  • Road construction - Baustellen
  • Petrol station – Tankstellen
  • Fines - Verwarnungsgeld
  • Fill up - Volltanken
  • Self service - Selbstbedienung or SB-Tanken
  • Country Lanes – Feldweg
  • Warning triangle  - Warndreieck
  • I have broken down - Ich habe aufgebrochen  
  • Where is the police station? - Wo ist die Polizei?
  • I have a flat tyre - Ich habe eine Reifenpanne
  • I have been in an accident - Ich habe einen Unfall gehabt 
  • Where is? - Wo ist? 
  • Where can I buy petrol? - Wo kann ich kaufen Benzin? 

Germany Fuel Price History

DieselUnleaded
Feb , 2024

€ 1.72

€ 1.74

Jan , 2024

€ 1.71

€ 1.74

Dec , 2023

€ 1.68

€ 1.70

Nov , 2023

€ 1.73

€ 1.74

Oct , 2023

€ 1.86

€ 1.86

Sep , 2023

€ 1.86

€ 1.90

Aug , 2023

€ 1.75

€ 1.84

Jul , 2023

€ 1.62

€ 1.79

Jun , 2023

€ 1.58

€ 1.80

May , 2023

€ 1.59

€ 1.77

Apr , 2023

€ 1.70

€ 1.81

Mar , 2023

€ 1.76

€ 1.78

Month, YearDiesel €/ltrUnleaded €/ltr
Feb , 2024 1.72 1.74
Jan , 2024 1.71 1.74
Dec , 2023 1.68 1.70
Nov , 2023 1.73 1.74
Oct , 2023 1.86 1.86
Sep , 2023 1.86 1.90
Aug , 2023 1.75 1.84
Jul , 2023 1.62 1.79
Jun , 2023 1.58 1.80
May , 2023 1.59 1.77
Apr , 2023 1.70 1.81
Mar , 2023 1.76 1.78

Hiring a Car

With our Drive Smart guide you're fully prepared to hire a car in Germany and stay safe on unfamiliar roads.
Phil Partridge
Posted by Phil Partridge
About the Author -

Travel writer, car rental guru, Phil has rented cars all over the world and shares his knowledge and experience on the Rhinocarhire.com Blog. Favourite country to visit: France.

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