Back Roads Germany (Dk Eyewitness Travel Back Roads)

17

Below far left Street sign indicating speed limit

Below left Road along vineyards, near Nierstein,

Rhineland-Palatinate Below center Painted

sign to a guesthouse Below center right Road

junction, Marburg, Hesse Below Winding road

through Lower Saxony

Above left Deer and cow crossing sign Above center Highway to Limburg an der Lahn, Hesse Above right Sign for the Romantic Road, Southern Germany

Buying Gasoline

Germany has a good network of gas

stations ( Tankstelle). Unleaded gas

(Benzin) and diesel are also widely

available. Leaded gas is no longer

sold but you can purchase a lead

substitute additive and add it to the

fuel tank. Fuel in Germany is quite

expensive. Prices can vary

substantially and are among the

highest in Europe. On smaller roads,

and in more remote areas, it might

sometimes take more time

to find a gas station, so make

sure that you have enough fuel

when traveling through less

densely populated regions. Visit

http://www.benzinpreis.de for the latest

updates on fuel prices in Germany.

DIRECTORY

INSURANCE AND

BREAKDOWN COVERAGE

Automobile Association (AA)

0870 600 0371 (UK) or +44 161 495

8945 (from abroad); http://www.theaa.com

Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil

Club (ADAC)

0185 101 112 (information); 01805 222

222 (breakdown service)

Royal Automobile Club (RAC)

+44 020 7930 2345; http://www.

royalautomobileclub.co.uk

COMMON ROAD SIGNS

Anfang

Start

Ausfahrt

Exit

Gefahr

Danger

Halt

Stop

Steinschlag

Falling rocks

Zentrum

Town center

Driving in Germany

lane. There is no sign indicating
otherwise, but there is a strict
rechts vor links rule, meaning that
a car or any other vehicle coming
from a street on your right has the
right of way.
Germans usually drive very fast and
quite aggressively. In the event of an
accident on the highway, or if a
traffic jam neces sitates an abrupt
reduction in speed, drivers should
turn on their flashing emergency
lights to warn other drivers.
Distances are indicated in

kilometers. Most road signs are
internationally understood, though
there are some signs which are
specific to Germany. For example,
on Autobahns, a yellow triangular
warning sign with a row of cars
indicates a possible traffic jam.
On mountain roads, a sign showing
a tire wrapped in a chain,
accompanied by the word Schnee,
warns of difficult road conditions
due to heavy snowfall requiring
snow chains. A yellow sign with
the word Umleitung indicates a
diversion. A horizontal blue arrow

with the word Einbahnstrasse refers
to a one-way street. A special rule
concerns the so-called Low Emission
Zones or Green Zones implemented

in 32 cities throughout the country.

One is only allowed to access such

a zone if the vehicle carries an

Emissions Badge (Umweltplakette).

If entering a Green Zone with a

vehicle that does not display such

a badge, you could be fined $

(€40). Visitors can obtain a sticker

permitting entry into environmental

(pollution-controlled) zones from car

dealers, repair centers and garages in

Germany. It can also be ordered

online at http://www.umweltplakette.de