Driving in Germany

So you're in Germany and you've decided you want to buy a car and start driving. Great! There are a few things you'll need to get sorted out first. The first one being your Driver's License.

If you come from Canada, Australia, New Zealand or any one of a whole list of countries, you'll be able to swap your home license for a German one. As for the USA, depending on what state your license is from, you may have to take the theory test. Below is a link to a PDF fact sheet for holders of a foreign driving license outside of the EU.

Fact sheet for holders of foreign driving licences from states outside the European Union and the European Economic Area on driving licence provisions in the Federal Republic of Germany

Now that you got that all sorted, you need to get some wheels. There are a few routes you can take. If you're not ready to fully commit to buying a car you can sign up for one of many car sharing programs. Car2go is fairly popular. They have an English website and are pretty wide spread.
These work pretty well if you live in a large urban centre like Berlin or Cologne. Not such a great option if you live in a small Bavarian village.

If car sharing doesn't work for you and you want to buy a car then you'll need to know a few things. Buying a car in Germany is a tricky process. Throw in a language barrier and it can be a pretty stressful ordeal. Buying from a reputable dealership is probably your safest option. Because they're trying to sell you something. They'll usually bend over backwards to bridge the language gap. A pattern I've come to notice in Germany. You want something from them? "Speak German!" They want something from you? "Of course I can speak English!" If you're in the Düsseldorf area, Jenna from Life in Düsseldorf has a great article on where to buy used cars in Düsseldorf. Check it out.

Used Car Websites in Dusseldorf

Once you've bought a car you'll then have to make sure it has been inspected, insure it and register it. Usually in that order. The HU/AU inspection (TÜV) is something all cars need to have if they are considered road worthy. New cars will need to be inspected after three years and then every two years after that. Without this certification your car will be not allowed on the road. Once you know the car has been inspected you can go ahead buy some insurance. You need to buy insurance before you register your car. You can buy car insurance online and print out all the necessary documents at home. Once you have your proof of insurance you can then register the car and take it home. If you're buying off of a car lot, then they'll be able to do most of it there with you. If you're buying from a private person then you'll have to take care of it yourself. To register you'll have to seek out your closest 'Kfz Zulassungsstelle'.

Now it's time to drive right? Couple of points to note before you start flying down the Autobahn at 200kmh.

• Contrary to popular belief the highway system in Germany has speed limits. Although some stretches have no speed limit, many parts do. They can also change with the traffic conditions.
• 4 way stop procedure is different in Germany. It's always right before left, meaning the vehicle on the right has the right of way. 
• Watch out for cameras. Speed cameras are everywhere.
• If you're from Canada or the USA you'll notice that the streets are a lot narrower. Drive carefully.
• Some traffic signs are different here. Take the time to learn them. Here's a cheat sheet below.

So now you should be all set. Europe is a great place to road trip in. Within a couple of hours you can be in a completely different country with a completely different culture. Taking a road trip to Spain or Italy is absolutely doable and is one of the funnest ways to see Europe. So happy road tripping and drive safe everyone.