When we visited Germany, I decided to rent a car in Berlin so we could see a few smaller towns, visit Europa Park, tour King Ludwig’s castles, and get to Munich for our flight back to the US. Some people said I was crazy. Why would you want to drive when they have such a great network of trains? Driving worked out well for us. In fact, it was one of the more enjoyable parts of the trip.
See more of Germany
One advantage from driving anywhere vs. taking a train is the chance to slow down or stop wherever you want. Even when we were on the Autobahn, we enjoyed seeing castles off to the right and left, and were amazed when we first caught a glimpse of the Alps after heading south from Stuttgart.
Cheaper
We are a family of four, so every time we traveled we needed either a group ticket or four separate tickets. With a rental car, it was all one cost, whether it was just me or the whole family. The car rental for the week ended up being $175. We drove 1562km (970 miles) and our total cost for gas (we filled up three times) was $161. While this might seem like a lot, just four tickets from Berlin to Munich would have been almost $100. Add in train tickets to Stuttgart and Fussen, a bus trip to Rothenburg, etc. and you can see we came out way ahead.
Go where you want
Having a car gave us the freedom to pick where we wanted to go and just as important, spend as much time there as we wanted. For example, we spent one night in Rothenburg OT. You could see the waves of tourists enter and leave town on a set schedule as they had to get back to their buses. After dinner we were able to enjoy ice cream on the steps of the Rathaus, then wandered along the old walls as the temperatures cooled.
Stop for a fan
Hopefully you won’t be there like us when temperatures were in the mid-90s. But if you are, it’s nice to have the freedom to stop at the local Real and buy a fan (plus have room in the back of the car to store the fan and not have to shove it into luggage). Real also was running a sale on gummy bears, always a good snack for a road trip.
The thrill of driving through a gate built in 1400. The agony of cobblestones when you need the restroom!
As I mentioned, we stayed in Rothenburg. Our bed-and-breakfast was inside the medieval walls so we had the thrill of driving through the Rodertor, one of the 14th century gates. That’s something I probably will never do again. We also drove in circles on Quedlinburg’s cobblestone streets as the GPS told us to keep making turns that weren’t there. We finally studied a printed map, came into town from another road, and quickly found our way.
No limits
Given the construction seemingly occurring on every Autobahn, seeing the no limits sign (meaning all speed limits were off) was a manna from heaven. I did venture into the left lane, after checking several times to make sure no one was flying up behind me. And once I pushed the car up to 100mph, just to say I’d driven (legally) at that speed.
The inevitable wrong way down a one-way street
During our stay in Bamberg, I had to move our car from on-street parking before 8am. I hadn’t had coffee, wasn’t really paying attention, and ended up turning down a very short street that apparently was one-way. I should have noticed the bike weaving in front of me, trying to tell me I was going the wrong way. Or the guy at the end of the road with his arms crossed and a very stern expression on his face. However, no other cars came along and we quickly found the parking garage.
Thinking Germany is tiny
Germany certainly looks small on a map, and it’s not like having to drive across the US. But every day, we spent a couple of hours in the car. It wasn’t bad – sometimes it was relaxing to get off our feet and listen to music as we enjoyed the German countryside. But while Germany and Europe seem small, as seen from a car they are much larger.
Watch out for bikes and trams
When I was leaving Berlin, I made sure to look all around me for bikes. When we had walked around Berlin, we noticed they are everywhere. Similarly, I’ve never driven on the same roads as trams. Hopping on and off one in Berlin made it much easier to understand the dynamics – that people are exiting the tram and may cross lines of traffic so you have to stop. Be aware of the rules regarding trams when you’re driving.
Signage
I mentioned the missed no-entrance sign above. Before I left the States, I spent some time familiarizing myself with German road signs. I didn’t want to be driving at 80mph (or faster) and not be able to react quickly. There’s even a website where you can quiz yourself.
Rental car companies
Like in the US, rental car companies may try to hit you with surprise fees when you return your car. We used Auto Europe, which provides prices from different rental car companies. We got a good deal on a Passat wagon from Europcar (the Passat ended up being a Skoda). However, after reading reviews I was somewhat nervous when we returned the car. We must have done a good job because we weren’t charged anything extra and the staff person was very polite.
Paid parking
One disadvantage of driving is having to pay for parking. Usually it’s just three or four euros, and most of the towns have parking readily available. Make sure you have a PIN for your credit card because some lots can only be exited after you pay at a machine.
Gas is expensive
Gas is more expensive, but the cars get great gas mileage. For our trip in a Skoda Octavia wagon, we got 38mpg. You definitely don’t want to drive a SUV or larger car around Europe without considering what the gas will cost.
Speaking of gas mileage, most cars still have manual transmissions. I hadn’t driven one in 15 years but it quickly came back to me. There was a small cheer in the car when I actually got it moving (without killing the engine). Know that if you want an automatic transmission, it will likely cost more and there may be less options.
Download a map app
We never used a printed map (except for Quedlinburg) because the app we downloaded was great. Not only did it give us directions, it would beep if I was exceeding the speed limit. Roads in Germany went from 50kph to 70kph to 100kph in the blink of an eye, but there often weren’t signs. So it might only be 70 where I thought it was higher. It was a nice feature to keep any tickets at bay.
I really enjoyed driving in Germany. The Autobahn makes sense and everyone follows the rules – slower cars keep right, left is for passing. Cars will come up on you quickly, but we found the fastest drivers often were in an Audi or Mercedes wagon instead of a Porsche.
And the small towns were fun too. Most smaller town have a divider in the road to let you know you’re in a different speed zone. It’s a really effective way to slow traffic through the towns. We saw school kids going home, fruit stands along the roads, bicyclists and hikers, and beautiful views.
If I get back to Germany, I’m definitely driving again. If you’re tempted, you should give it a try too.
Photo by Marley