German Autobahn Driving with No Speed Limit and Other Tips and Cautions

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Buzzing along the autobahn at what feels like breakneck speed, pushing the needle of your rented Opel Astra to 160 kilometers an hour (about 95 mph), feeling the freedom of an open speed limit, no radar wielding black & whites waiting behind the sign board to nab your lead foot, Robby Gordon’s got nothing on you. Then you glance in your rearview and see a tiny black object. The next second, it’s the silver eye of a Mercedes AMG coming up behind doing about 225kph (See Mercedes Benz Museum). You dutifully yank the wheel to scoot back to your slow as growing grass right lane, before receiving the dreaded headlight flash.

Autobahn Driving photo

When I first heard of the German autobahn I thought it was some mysterious race track lost in the Black Forest, like the miniature one at Disneyland. But it’s just Germany’s version of the super highway, engineered for high-speed and the truly egalitarian theory of driving as fast as you’re comfortable, just get the heck out of the way. Stay to the right unless you’re passing. In fact, it’s illegal to pass on the right. And if you should attempt this casual maneuver, the local Teutonic driver at whose bumper you’ve been staring at for the past few minutes in tight traffic will wave a camera to warn he will take a picture of your license. It is difficult to resist the urge to wave back at them as you whip past. But do resist the urge because your rental car company will just send you the charge for the ticket on your Visa card. The Greens in Germany have Autobahn rest stop photo

been for years now trying to end the road rageless freedom of the no speed limit autobahn and when you fill your tank, you clearly get the idea why. Remember that 2.15 euro on the meter that doesn't look so bad is per liter not per gallon, so multiply it by 3.78. It can be cheaper for long distances to get a diesel car, but make sure you put diesel in it and not gas (Benzine). There are regular rest stops along the autobahns with restaurants and fuel. Sleeping in your car at a designated rest stop is not a problem. Some have showers. The wash rooms are usually free, but a tip for the cleaning person on duty is usual.

German Autobahn No Speed Limt sign photo

When there is no limit (indicated by a sign with four thin diagonal black lines), you may find a cruising speed between 120-150 kph fairly common depending on your thrill tolerance and fuel consumption. When there is a speed limit it may be around 120 kph. Speed limits around cities drop to between 80-100 kph, with some electronic lane control signs that vary with changing traffic conditions, and 80 through construction zones. The real pleasure of the autobahn is you get to go the speed you're comfortable with, and if you're running late, you can just go a little faster.

The other reason to reconsider speed without limits is when you’re rolling along in the verdant countryside, far from any city where the normal speed limit slows and congestion is as expected as the Washington beltway, you smoothly cruise past a sign placed out by the roadside “Stau” (conjestion). This might be your clue to find an exit and take a scenic back road detour, because there is no traffic jam like an autobahn wreck. That Mercedes which passed you awhile back has slammed into a slow moving shoebox car passing a truck. If you’ve missed the last exit opportunity, you simply park along with a few hundred new found friends for a couple of hours and wait until the emergency crane comes out to hoist the mangled metal from the road.

Some of the auobahns are under reconstruction and can get very congested at times. If driving through an area you can listen to the radio and even if unfamiliar with German language, the traffic reports can give you a clue what is happening, usually mentioning a city, a route number and kilometers distance and the word "stau" means congestion on a highway that distance from the city. © Bargain Travel Europe

These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission.

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		THE AUTOBAHN E-TICKET RIDE 160 to 0 in .5 seconds Buzzing along the autobahn at what feels like breakneck speed, pushing the needle of your rented Opel Astra to 160 kilometers an hour (about 95 mph), feeling the freedom of an open speed limit, no radar wielding black & whites waiting behind the sign board to nab your lead foot, Robby Gordon’s got nothing on you. Then you glance in your rearview and see a tiny black object. The next second, it’s the silver eye of a Mercedes AMG coming up behind doing about 225kph (See Mercedes Benz Museum). You dutifully yank the wheel to scoot back to your slow as growing grass right lane, before receiving the dreaded headlight flash. When I first heard of the German autobahn I thought it was some mysterious race track lost in the Black Forest, like the miniature one at Disneyland. But it’s just Germany’s version of the super highway, engineered for high-speed and the truly egalitarian theory of driving as fast as you’re comfortable, just get the heck out of the way. Stay to the right unless you’re passing. In fact, it’s illegal to pass on the right. And if you should attempt this casual maneuver, the local Teutonic driver at whose bumper you’ve been staring at for the past few minutes in tight traffic will wave a camera to warn he will take a picture of your license. It is difficult to resist the urge to wave back at them as you whip past. But do resist the urge because your rental car company will just send you the charge for the ticket on your Visa card. The Greens in Germany have been for years now trying to end the road rageless freedom of the no speed limit autobahn and when you fill your tank, you clearly get the idea why. Remember that 2.15 euro on the meter that doesn't look so bad is per liter not per gallon, so multiply it by 3.78. It can be cheaper for long distances to get a diesel car, but make sure you put diesel in it and not gas (Benzine). There are regular rest stops along the autobahns with restaurants and fuel. Sleeping in your car at a designated rest stop is not a problem. Some have showers. The wash rooms are usually free, but a tip for the cleaning person on duty is usual. When there is no limit (indicated by a sign with four thin diagonal black lines), you may find a cruising speed between 120-150 kph fairly common depending on your thrill tolerance and fuel consumption. When there is a speed limit it may be around 120 kph. Speed limits around cities drop to between 80-100 kph, with some electronic lane control signs that vary with changing traffic conditions, and 80 through construction zones. The real pleasure of the autobahn is you get to go the speed you're comfortable with, and if you're running late, you can just go a little faster. The other reason to reconsider speed without limits is when you’re rolling along in the verdant countryside, far from any city where the normal speed limit slows and congestion is as expected as the Washington beltway, you smoothly cruise past a sign placed out by the roadside “Stau” (conjestion). This might be your clue to find an exit and take a scenic back road detour, because there is no traffic jam like an autobahn wreck. That Mercedes which passed you awhile back has slammed into a slow moving shoebox car passing a truck. If you’ve missed the last exit opportunity, you simply park along with a few hundred new found friends for a couple of hours and wait until the emergency crane comes out to hoist the mangled metal from the road. Some of the auobahns are under reconstruction and can get very congested at times. If driving through an area you can listen to the radio and even if unfamiliar with German language, the traffic reports can give you a clue what is happening, usually mentioning a city, a route number and kilometers distance and the word "stau" means congestion on a highway that distance from the city. © Bargain Travel Europe These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel Europe and WLPV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission. SEE ALSO: LTU AIRLINES TO DUSSELDORF GERMANY'S BLACK FOREST More than Ham & Cuckoo Clocks HAMBURG'S REEPERBAHN Street of rope and an all night party TRAVELING EUROPE ON A BUDGET

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THE AUTOBAHN E-TICKET RIDE 160 to 0 in .5 seconds

THE AUTOBAHN E-TICKET RIDE
160 to 0 in .5 seconds