Speed limit in Germany:
Cars, motor bikes, vans, camper vans, with an overall weight below 3.5 t.:
• Inside settlements: 50 km/h
• Outside of settlements: 100 km/h
• Autobahn speed limit: there are no general speed limits, except for marked sections, so keep an eye out for signs. The recommended speed on the German autobahn is 130 km/h.
Cars with an overall weight from 3.5t . to 7.5t., / light vehicles with an overall weight below 3.5t. including trailers and as well as camper vans:
• Inside a settlement: 50 km/h
• Outside of settlements: 80 km/h
• autobahns and roadways: 80 km/h
Other import traffic rules in Germany:
Speed limits during limited visibility:
If the range of visbility is below 50 meters, due to rain, snowfall or fog, the speed limit for all vehicles is 50 km/h.
Maneuvers on the autobahn:
Maneuvers like stopping, parking or turning are strictly prohibited outside of emergency situations. Entering or exiting the autobahn is only allowed at specifically designated spots. The «Ausfahrt» sign marks an autobahn exit.
Light and sound signals:
In Germany, drivers are allowed to give light or sound signals (short high beam flashes / using your cars horn), but only outside of settlements and only in cases of necessity. You are strictly prohibited to use these signals for pedestrians even they cross the street at the wrong spot for example. You may only signal pedestrians, if there is no other way to avoid an accident. If possible, slowing down would be more adviseable.
Pedestrians and cyclists in Germany:
The people in Germany are not used to sprint across the crosswalk. Therefore, do not be surprised if you have to wait until the pedestrians have finished crossing the street, even if their traffic light has gone red a few seconds ago. You can expect similar situtions with cyclists in Germany, and you should be extra careful when crossing bike lanes when you´re taking a turn. Drivers should not only look through the rearview mirror to make sure that there are no cyclists nearby but also over their right shoulder, as cyclists could easily get into your cars «deadzone», where they will not be visible through the rearview mirror. You may only pass a cyclist moving along the traffic lane if there is enough room, which should be no less than 1.5 m. Otherwise you will simply have to follow the cyclist until the lane becomes wide enough.
Passing beam and fog light:
Car lighting devices should be clean. During dusk or poor visibility it is necessary to turn on your passing beam, as the side-lights are not enough. In case of the snowfall, fog and rain, it is required to turn on the passing beam, even during daytime. The same thing goes for the fog light during heavy fog.
Overtaking and merging in Germany:
According to the traffic rules in Germany, you are only allowed to overtake vehicles from their left side. If the driver in front of you starts merging into the other lane and uses the turning signal, you should let him pass. Merging in front of a crossroad is prohibited in Germany. If you are standing in the wrong lane, you may only move in the directions the traffic signs indicate. If your current lane is about to end, you should not move into the other lane immediately. Instead use the turning signal before merging into the other lane according to the “alternatively merging rule”, one car from the left, then another from the right. Overtaking someone via the crosswalk is prohibited.
Traffic jams in Germany, the emergency lane rule:
You´re prohibited to change lanes during a traffic jam, even if it appears that cars on the other side are moving faster. If the traffic jam was caused due to an accident, according to Germanys laws, room has to be made for an emergency lane. Meaning, that drivers on each lane have to move towards their respective sides as far as possible to provide enough room for emergency vehicles to pass by. Even if the authorities and emergency vehicles have long since reached the accident site, you´re not allowed to move into the emergency lane. As for roads with multiple lanes, the following rules apply: the vehicles moving along the left and inside lanes should move to the left as far as possible; and the same thing applies vice versa for cars on the right.
Transportation of passengers (children) in Germany:
The amount of seats dictates the limit of passengers. All passengers as well as the driver are required to use a seatbelt. Children below the age of 12 that are less than 150cm tall may may only travel in the child seats.
Overtaking public transport vehicles in Germany:
You´re allowed to pass busses at bus stops, but may only do so at a pace of no more than 7 km/h. Busses that signal their approach at a bus stop may not be overtaken.
Traffic lights in Germany:
Some traffic lights have an additional section for a green arrow pointing towards a specific road. If this green arrow lights up you are free to continue into said direction, even if the main section of the traffic light is still red.
Using the cell phone while driving:
Using the cell phone while driving is strictly prohibited and can lead to a 80€ fine. If you are parked to answer a call, make sure to turn off the engine before doing so, otherwise you will still be in danger of receiving the fine.
Parking rules in Germany:
There is a difference between "parking" and "stopping". In Germany you are considered to be "parking" if you have left the car for even a second or have stopped at the same spot for more than 3 minutes. Therefore, watch the signs. In places where parking is prohibited, you should think twice before stopping and getting that water bottle from your trunk.
Parking lots (open and subway) in the downtowns of Germany often have fees tied to them. If you find a barrier at the entrance of a parking lot, press the button on the machine to your right, take the ticket produced by the machine, and the barrier will open up. While choosing a parking spot, watch out for signs indicating parking lots for the disabled or privately owned ones(usually marked by the owner’s surname or the plate number of his car) which you may not occupy. When you are ready to continue driving, use your parking ticket on a ticket machine, that is usually close to the barrier where you originally received said ticket. After inserting it into the machine, it will display the amount of money you are required to pay, most will offer the option to use cash or a credit card. After paying the fee, your ticket will be validated and returned to you. Once you reached the exit barrier, insert the validated ticket and it will open up. If the barrier does not move, you exceeded the permissible time limit at the stop after the validation (usually 20 min.). In this case you should turn off the engine, go back to the ticket validation machine and repeat the payment procedure. Do not try to back out, especially when leaving a parking house. More often than not, another driver will be waiting behind you.
If the parking lot is not equipped with a barrier, you will still have to pay and usually there will be a ticket machine nearby. Insert coins according to the pricing and the time limit for your parking spot will be displayed. Press the green button on the ticket machine and you will receive a parking ticket consisting of two parts. Leave the bigger part of the ticket on your cars front panel, so it can be see through the windshield. You can keep the small part with you, to remind you of the time limit of your parking.
Some parking spots are free during certain times of the day or for a limited period, in this example, two hours. For this purpose you should keep a “parking disk” (Parkscheibe) ready, which can be purchased at petrol stations. Use it to indicate when you arrived at the parking lot. If you entered at 14.15 for example, it is allowed to set the pointer to 15.00, correspondingly, you should leave the parking before 17.00.
Passage through the autobahns in Germany:
In Germany the use of autobahns for light vehicles is free, except for passing through Herrentunnel (1.20-2.70 EUR) and Warnowtunnel (2.36—4.60 EUR). The toll booths here will not accept cash on all lanes: For Herrentunnel, you can pay in cash on the two rightmost lanes, as for Warnowtunnel, it will be on the lanes 2 and 3.
Car fuelling in Germany:
Principal difference: we refuel our car first, then we pay. Come to the filling station, pour in necessary amount of fuel, remove the fueling nozzle, the machine will display the amount that needs to be paid, remember the station number, enter the gas station, tell the clerk your station number and pay, it will not be necessary to move your car during this entire process. If you want to stay and have a cup of coffee, you’d better pay for the fuel first, take the car to a parking lot and come back to the café.