Car Rental in Germany
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When renting a car in Germany you will first have to choose what type of vehicle you want for example: Mini, Economy, Compact, Intermediate, Standard, Full-Size, Premium, Luxury, Minivans / MPVs or other vehicles such as trucks and special vehicles.
Rent your car from the following cities - Aachen, Aschaffenburg, Aschersleben, Augsburg, Baden-Baden, Bayreuth,Bergen, Berlin, Bernau, Bonn, Brandenburg, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Cologne, Dachau, Dortmund, Dresden, Duesseldorf, Erfurt, Essen, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hannover, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Leipzig, Mannheim, Munich, car hire Nuremberg, Stuttgart, Aalen, Boeblingen, Darmstadt, Gerlingen, Giessen, Gottingen, Ingolstadt, Kiel, Kronshagen, Leonberg, Lohr, Ludwigshafen, car hire Magdeburg, Maintal, Nienburg, Saarbrucken, Schweinfurt, Stadthagen, Verden, Wismar, Zweibruecken and others.
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Germany has a world-famous network of excellent roads and Autobahn (motorway) with no toll or fees for cars (trucks have to pay), but gasoline prices are kept high by taxation. In April 2006 prices float around 1,30 € per litre. At petrol stations you'll have the choice between Diesel, "Benzin" (unleaded gasoline), Super and SuperPlus (high octane). Also LPG (Liquid petroleum gas) is available with not so much problems on Highways. Here and there you might find "Erdgas", too; this is compressed natural gas not gasoline. In Germany, you may first fill up your tank and pay afterwards (only if the petrol station is staffed, of course).
Car rentals are available in most cities, and one-way rentals (within Germany) are generally permitted without an additional fee. When renting a car, be aware that most cars in Germany have manual gearbox (stick-shift), so you might want to ask for a car with an automatic gearbox if that's what you're used to.
Especially in Eastern Germany and in Hamburg you will note small, green, permanent arrows at traffic lights, pointing to the right. When the lights are red, you are still ordered to halt, but if there are no cars approaching, you are allowed to carefully turn right, despite the red traffic light. (The whole system does not apply if there are no green arrows).
Watch out for cyclists on sidewalk lanes, sometimes they are allowed to use the "wrong direction" lane.
The police will show blinking signs reading "Polizei Halt" (police, stop) if they want to stop you. Stay calm and friendly, hand over the driving license and car papers (if you rent a car, you will have a copy of the rental contract) when you are asked to. In most cases that is all what happens and if you respect traffic signs and speed limits it is very unlikely that you get stopped at all.
Speed limits (for cars) are the following in Germany (unless otherwise shown):
max. 5 km/h on "Spielstraßen" (marked by a blue/white sign showing playing kids)
max. 30 km/h in most residential areas within cities (marked with a sign "30-Zone Wohngebiet")
max. 50 km/h inside towns and cities (including "Kraftfahrtstraßen" (marked by a sign showing a white car on a blue ground)
max. 100 km/h outside towns and cities
There is no general speed limit on the "Autobahn" and - outside of towns and cities - also on "Kraftfahrstraßen" if there is any kind of barrier between lanes of different direction. However the recommended speed is 130 km/h and if you drive on the autobahn for your first time and are not yet used to the usual heavy traffic you should not exceed that speed.
Vehicles with a maximum speed of less than 60 km/h are not allowed on the "Autobahn" or "Kraftfahrstraßen".
German drivers tend to drive faster and more aggressively than you might be used to, especially on the parts of the highway system without speed limit, which is taken literally. Always have a look over your shoulder when changing lanes. Especially motorbikes may seem to appear out of nowhere within a second.
You must use the right lane if it's free, even if everybody seems to prefer the left and middle lanes (where they exist). Disobeying this law may be charged with a fine of 40€. Overtaking cars on the Autobahn is only allowed on the left side. Overtaking / Passing cars on the right is prohibited and you will be be fined. Exceptions are in traffic jams or at low speed within city limits.
Never ever reverse on a highway when you missed an exit. Go to the next exit and make a U-turn.
[Autobahns have an emergency lane where you're allowed to stop only in case of a breakdown. For everything else, always use the frequent service areas, as it is illegal to run out of gas on the Autobahn. Note that it is dangerous to stay in the car on the emergency lane! Arrows on the small posts along the Autobahn guide you to the next orange emergency phone. These will automatically connect you free of charge with an emergency call center which will help you get the police, an ambulance or just a mechanic. These phones should be the preferred choice over using your mobile since they transmit your exact location.]
In some areas emergency tracks are used as extra lanes in times of heavy traffic. But this is always announced by electronic light signs.
In case of a breakdown you may also call the ADAC, by members the world's largest automobile club. The number is +49 180 2222222 from fixed lines and 22 22 22 from mobile phones regardless of network. On the Autobahn, the ADAC must come to you free of charge. In other situations, there may be costs involved if you're not a member. If you're a member of a foreign AA or automobile club, you may want to check if the ADAC honours your membership.