Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [698]
Long Distance
Deutsche Touring ( 069-790 3501; www.touring.de) runs daily overnight services between Hamburg and Mannheim via Hannover, Frankfurt, Göttingen, Kassel and Heidelberg. If you book early, trips between any two cities cost just €9. Fares top out at €49 for the full Hannover–Mannheim route for tickets bought on the bus. Children under 12 pay half-price.
Berlin Linien Bus ( 030-861 9331; www.berlinlinienbus.de) connects major cities (primarily Berlin, but also Munich, Düsseldorf and Frankfurt) with each other as well as holiday regions such as the Harz, the islands of Rügen and Usedom and the Bavarian Alps. One of the most popular routes is the express bus to Hamburg, which makes the journey from Berlin in 3¼ hours 12 times daily with one-way fares ranging from €9 to €21.50.
Tickets are available online and from travel agencies. Children under four years travel for free and discounts are available for older children, students, those over 60 and groups of six or more.
For details on the Europabus service along the Romantic Road, Click here.
CAR & MOTORCYCLE
German roads are excellent and motoring around the country can be a lot of fun. The country’s pride and joy is its 11,000km network of autobahns (motorways, freeways). Every 40km to 60km, you’ll find elaborate service areas with petrol stations, toilet facilities and restaurants; many are open 24 hours. In between are rest stops (Rastplatz), which usually have picnic tables and toilet facilities. Orange emergency call boxes are spaced about 2km apart. Simply lift the metal flap and follow the (pictorial) instructions.
Autobahns are supplemented by an extensive network of Bundesstrassen (secondary ‘B’ roads, highways) and smaller Landstrassen (country roads). These are generally more scenic and fun as you wind through the countryside from village to village – ideal for car or motorcycle touring. You can’t travel fast, but you won’t care. No tolls are charged on any public roads.
If your car is not equipped with a navigational system, having a good map or road atlas is essential, especially when negotiating the tangle of country roads. Navigating in Germany is not done by the points of the compass. That is to say that you’ll find no signs saying ‘north’ or ‘west’. Rather, you’ll see signs pointing you in the direction of a city, so you’d best have that map right in your lap to stay oriented. Maps cost a few euros and are sold at bookstores, train stations, airports and petrol stations. The best are published by Freytag & Berndt, ADAC, Falk and Euromap. Free maps available from tourist offices or rental agencies are generally inadequate.
Seat belts are mandatory for all passengers and there’s a €30 fine if you get caught not wearing one. If you’re in an accident, not wearing a seatbelt may invalidate your insurance. Children need a child seat if under four years and a seat cushion if under 12; they may not ride in the front until age 13. Motorcyclists must wear a helmet. The use of hand-held mobile phones while driving is very much verboten (forbidden).
Driving in the cities is not nearly as much fun as in the countryside thanks to congestion and the expense and overall scarcity of parking. In the city centre, parking is usually limited to parking lots and garages charging between €0.50 and €2 per hour. Note that some garages and parking lots close at night and charge an overnight fee.
Many cities have electronic parking guidance systems directing you to the nearest garage and indicating the number of available spaces. Street parking usually works on the pay-and-display system and tends to be short-term (one or two hours) only. For long-term and overnight parking, consider leaving your car outside the centre in a Park & Ride (P+R) lot, which are free or low cost.
Automobile Associations
Germany’s main motoring organisation, the Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC; for roadside assistance 0180-222 2222, from a mobile phone 222 222; www.adac.de)