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[[Image:IMG 5392.JPG{{infobox Country|thumbcountry = Germany|250pxmap = <map lat='51.39920565355378' lng='9.9755859375' zoom='5' view='0' height='320' width='260' float='left' country='Germany' />|rightlanguage = German|capital = [[TizianoBerlin]] hitching from |pop = 82,314,900|currency = Euro (€)|hitch = <good>|BW = DE}}[[Berlin]] to File:2003 Hitch-hiking in Germany.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[MunichUser:Sigurdas|Sigurdas]]thumbing towards Nürnberg, 2003.]]'''Germany''' is a member state of the [[European Union]] as well as the [[Schengen Agreement]]. It is a great country for [[hitchhiking]], both on motorways (via [[on-ramp]]s, [[rest area|service stations]], more seldom - parking lots) and local roads. Just make sure Germans are a little bit suspicious, but nice if you get to know them. Thumbing makes it easier for them to say "no", because they do not even have to look at you. Those who will stop are often people who hitchhiked themselves when they were younger. Many of them have families, jobs and fast cars now.Because of the absence of speed limits on many motorways it's a good country to hitchhike long distances in short time.__TOC__ == Road types ==To hitchhike efficiently in Germany it is good to know the three different kinds of roads between cities and towns. By descending speed these are:* motorways or expressways called ''Autobahn'' with no general speed limit (motorwaythere can still be signs with speed limits)! There it * federal roads called ''Bundesstraße''* country roads called ''Landstraße''Their use in hitchhiking is different and explained below. === Autobahn ===For more information, see the article [[Autobahn]]. [[File:Bundesautobahn_7_number.svg|thumb|left|150px|A traffic sign indicating Autobahn A7]] The autobahns in Germany are the fastest links between cities. Their numbers consist of an '''A''' and the number of the highway. On traffic signs the ''A'' is not mentioned but they can be distinguished by the blue colour of the sign. The lack of a general speed limit is something most Germans are proud of demonstrating to you and what makes them the best choice for longer distances. Subsequently walking and hitchhiking is illegal on the autobahn and the emergency lane. As a general rule, you should always stick to the Autobahn as long as possible and try to change between major autobahns as little as possible, even if this means some detours. As soon as you are on the Autobahn and travel between service stations, you are hitching fast and reliable. For more information about this kind of hitchhiking, see the article on [[petrol station hitchhiking]]. As trucks do not travel faster than 90 km/h you might want first try to get to a ride hitching a personal car before asking truck drivers. Trucks are great for a night-ride; however, there are restrictions, like in France, of when trucks are allowed on an autobahn. In Germany most trucks aren''Raststätte'' t allowed on motorways on Sundays or public holidays before 22:00. As most truck drivers stop earlier truck traffic already gets less on Saturday afternoons. If you travel a specific autobahn, have a look at the [[autobahn]] page where you can find very specific information and hints about hitchhiking on German motorway ramps, etc. - for example, the route [[Amsterdam]]–[[Berlin]] along the [[A2 (service areaGermany) where drivers can legally stop |A2]] and [[A30 (Germany)|A30]]. ==== Getting onto the autobahn ====[[File:Zeichen 330.svg|thumb|right|100px|The on-ramp sign of an autobahn]] To get onto the autobahn either hitch a ride from one a city, thumb at the on-ramp '''before''' the sign or go to anothera service station by public transportation and walk there. You will often find maps A good possibility is to look for a street with traffic lights that leads to an autobahn. Wait for the red light, then knock at the motorways windows (do not forget to smile!) and the service areas along themask for a ride. If you look neither like a homeless nor like a drug dealer, they will be happy to help you.

In Germany there are no speed limits on many highways==== Service stations and rest areas ====You have various possibilities for being dropped off along the autobahn to look for your next ride. So you might first want to As petrol station hitchhiking is faster, try to get a ride with fast cars before asking truck drivers! Trucks are great during nighttime, but like in [[France]], there are restrictions avoid being dropped at on-ramps where you have to when they might drivethumb. In GermanyOn the autobahn, trucks aren't allowed it is preferable to drive on weekends from Saturday 10 PM to Sunday 10 PM or on public holidaysbe dropped off at a service station instead of a rest area as rest areas have much less cars stopping.

==License plates==In Germany license plates start with [[File:Zeichen 448.1.svg|thumb|right|150px|Autobahn traffic sign of an abbreviation of Autohof]] The ''Raststätte'' is the region where the car is registeredusual choice for hitchhiking because most cars tend to refuel there. So look out for number plates starting with Make sure your ''Raststätte''has not just a restaurant but also a petrol stations because more people stop there and they leave quicker. Most 'B'Raststätten'' if are on both sides of the autobahn and there is often a bridge or tunnel nearby to cross. Therefore youmight consider hitchhiking to a 're hitching 'Raststätte'' in the opposite direction first to [[Berlin]]!get onto the highway quicker. At the entrance of the petrol station shop there are usually map stands that show the surrounding area and other service stations in Germany.With a few exceptions all service stations can be entered by foot from the side and feature an unlocked door in the fence or wall.

:The off-autobahn ''See [http://enAutohof'' is a local fuel station that is marked on traffic signs on the autobahn.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_car_number_plates German Food and fuel is cheaper there but most car number plates] drivers don't bother and [http://dethus mostly trucks stop there.wikipediaThis means that they are okay on weekdays but have to be avoided on Saturday evenings and Sundays at all cost.org/wiki/Liste_der_Kfz-Kennzeichen_in_Deutschland List of abbreviations used] (in German) Another disadvantage for continuing on Wikipedia for more information.the autobahn is that local traffic also stops at the ''Autohof''.

==Border crossings= Federal ''Bundesstraße'' roads ===Germany implemented the [[Schengen Agreement]]. This means, that the border to other Schengen countries are open. At the borders to non-Schengen countries ([[Poland]], [[Czech Republic]] and [[Switzerland]]) there are still checkpoints and German custom officers or sometimes police might control your luggage, especially if you come from [[Eastern Europe]]an countries like [[Poland]] (searching for forged branded goods, smuggled tobacco, etc.), or if you come from or cross over into Switzerland (black money is often smuggled over that border). If coming in with a commuter train, they easily take you out of your train to search your belongings, while your train continues without you.

Nevertheless[[File:Bundesstraße 42 number.svg|thumb|right|150px|A traffic sign indicating Bundesstraße B42]] The federal ''Bundesstraße'' roads are indicated by yellow signs and carry numbers like ''B6'' or ''B49''. Like in the case of the autobahn the ''B'' is not written on traffic signs, this seems but federal roads can be distinguished by the yellow colour of the sign. As they are smaller and carry more local traffic they should only be used to get from and to the autobahn, though there are a few exceptions to be very unlikely nowadaysthe rule.

Their general speed limit is 100 km/h and they usually have no emergency lane so they are difficult to thumb. To get a ride either try petrol stations or choose a place where have a lot of space to see you and stop or where they are going slower, e.g. town exits. Police might consider it illegal to thumb in sites where cars cannot stop without putting the traffic in danger. [[File:Zeichen 331.1 - Kraftfahrstraße, StVO 2013.svg|thumb|right|150px|A fraffic sign indicating the beginning of a ''Kraftfahrstraße'']]To make it more complicated some of the ''Bundesstraßen'' are a so called ''Kraftfahrstraße''. For them most of the ''Autobahn''-rules apply (e.g. no pedestrians and bikes allowed). You can recognise a ''Kraftfahrstraße'' by the sign of a white car in front of a blue backround.   === Smaller federal ''Landstraße'' roads === These roads are not numbered on traffic signs and usually connect minor towns. As most of them have lower speed limits thumbing is likely to work. As they might not have a lot of traffic coming through they should only be used for getting from and to you final destination. ==EatThe Ruhr area warning ==__TOC__Try When hitch hiking towards and from Belgium, be carreful passing the Ruhr area (Dortmund, Essen, Duisburg). Once you get in, it's difficult to get out. Raststättes are rare and passing traffic avoids this region. We tried on several places and had to take the train to pass this area (lost 5 hours). There are sufficient work arounds to avoid eating this area. See also the hitchwiki page of the [[Ruhr Area]]. == Legal stuff ==Hitchhiking in general is legal in Germany. It is only forbidden to hitchhike on the Autobahn itself, meaning you standing on the autobahn or its emergency lane. It is also forbidden to walk on a ''Kraftfahrstraße''. You are perfectly fine stopping at service stations and asking the people but keep in mind that service stations are private property / leases. It occasionally happened that owners try to get rid of hichthikers at "their" service station. If that happens, just move to the parking space and hitchhike there.If you want to start hitching at the on -ramps, make sure you stand before the motorwaysrectangular blue sign indicating the start of the autobahn. They  Just like other people, police may or may not be friendly towards hitchhikers. It is said that police controls are very expensive (more frequent in the southern states of [[Bavaria]] and [[Baden-Württemberg]]. As a foreigner you even have to pay for carry your passport at all times; a national ID card is sufficient if you are from another EU country. If you are being checked, be friendly, show it to them and they will leave you alone. === Car registration/number plates ===You can determine where a car is registered by its number plates. While tehre are certain plates on rented cars. (Europcar has „HH“ (Hamburg), Avis – „EU“ (Euskirchen), Sixt – „M“ (Munich), Hertz „DN-H“ (Düren)), other plates are associated with areas [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_Kfz-Kennzeichen_in_Deutschland - DE], [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_Germany EN]. The first letter is usually the toilets) and district where it is registered. In addition, there is a little patch beside the food number which tells you what state that number plate belongs to, which is usually very baduseful if you do not know the district letters.At some service stations you get == License plates ==There are between one and three letters on a 1€ bill for license plate which show the city or region where the toiletcar is registered. You can buy thinks For example, look for 1€ license plates starting with it '''B''' if you're hitching to [[Berlin]]. Have a look at the petrol station shop articles on Wikipedia for more information: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_car_number_plates German car number plates] (in English) and at the restaurant[http://de.wikipedia.You can drink water from the tap nearly everywhere org/wiki/Liste_der_Kfz-Kennzeichen_in_Deutschland Liste der Kfz-Kennzeichen in Deutschland] (in GermanyGerman).

Keep in mind Note that most shops it is no longer required to change plates if you move, so a HH (including supermarketsHamburg) are not allowed car may very well belong to open on Sundayssomeone living in München (M). Also most supermarkets close at 20:00 or even earlier. There are ''no'' 24h-shopsAt the moment this is not yet a big problem, but gas stations often offer in due course it may lead to the situation that license plates become as useless as those in many other countries for determining the direction a limited food sectioncar might be going..In bigger cities you can usually get the cheapest fast-food at the various Turkish and Italian Restaurants.

==Biggest citiesMaps ==* [[Berlin]]* File:IMG 5392.JPG|thumb|250px|right|[[HannoverTiziano]]* hitching from [[KölnBerlin]] (Cologne)* to [[DüsseldorfMunich]]* [[Dortmund]]* Recommended maps for Germany are listed in [[Frankfurt am MainMaps#Germany|this article]]. You can easily hitch through Germany with just a map that has all service stations along the Autobahn on it. There are maps at many service stations in a little free booklet which are quite misleading, they do '''not''' contain all service stations, just the ones belonging to one of the big companies running them. * [For more information look here: [Hamburg]http://www.tank.rast.de/standorte/servicenetz/index.php tank.rast.de]* [. For a good map to print out and bring with you that has all the service stations on it have a look here: [München]http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/684/rastekarte.jpg/ Rastekarte] (Munich). This is the same one you will find at the service stations as big overview maps, more often than not those can be nicked very easily as well.

==Cities=====[[BadenOn the website: www.autobahnatlas-Württemberg]]===[[Freiburg]]online.de you can find detailed listings of all Autobahnen, [[Karlsruhe]], [[Konstanz]], [[Ravensburg]]with all drive-ups, [[Reutlingen]]interchanges, [[Stuttgart]]all types of rest stops, [[Ulm]]tunnels, [[Weingarten]]and bridges along their ways,with exact kilometer allegations. This comes along handy when hopping from station to station.

===[[Bayern]] (Bavaria)===[[Augsburg]], [[München]], [[Nürnberg]]On a longer journey with several route options, [[Würzburg]https://www.diercke.de/content/deutschland-stra%C3%9Fenverkehr-978-3-14-100800-5-64-1-1 this map]showing the traffic volume of the different highways might help you deciding which could be faster due to more traffic.

===For those using mobile app MAPS.ME, you may download a .kml file with all the service plazas for viewing on your map offline. Considering Germany is extremely well mapped on [[Hessen]] (Hassia) ===[[Darmstadt]https://openstreetmap.org OpenStreetMap], these locations can be assumed to be very accurate and up-to-date. You can view the [[Gießen]https://overpass-turbo.eu/s/MGq data extract here]and click Export > Download as KML and then open the .kml file on your phone to be loaded in MAPS.ME

===[[Nordrhein-Westfalen]] (North-Rhine Westphalia) =Language ==[[Aachen]]Despite German being the major language, (with over 95% of the population speaking it as a first language [[Bielefeld]], [[Bonn]], [[Düsseldorf]], [[Köln]], [[Wuppertal]http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/european_languages/countries/germany.shtml]) you will find that many Germans speak English or French as a second language. Other common languages in the country are Turkish, [[Mönchengladbach]]Russian and Arabic.

===[[Sachsen]] (Saxony) Learning to speak German ===The basic hitchhiker needs can be satisfied by a look at the phrasebook [[Dresdenwestern Europe phrasebook|here]].

==Useful links =[[Schleswig-Holstein]]===[[Puttgarden]]

* [http://www.hitch-hiking.org www.hitch-hiking.org - Information all about hitchhiking (English and German language)] * [http://www.liftershalte.info/index.php Worldmap with good places to hitch] * [http://www.hitchbase.com/ Database with good places in Germany and other countries] * [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Autobahn_1-999.png Overview of highways autobahns in Germany]* [http://www.bestmokli-restaurantshelp.de] helps you find free showers/food/aurade.htm Highway restaurants in German] emergency accommodations, some of the listed ressources are aiming to ‘solve the problem of homelessness’ - just pick what suits you (please delete if it doesn’t belong here)* [http://www.tank.rast.de/ Service stations on highways in Germany]

{{nomadwiki}} <!--* [http://www.linksundrechts.com/karten/u_oesterreich.gif Autobahnübersicht Österreich]* [http://www.autostrade.de/ Autobahnübersicht Italien]* [http://stuenings-nt.stuenings.de/LuR/karten/01519.gif Autobahnübersicht Italien] * [http://www.bibione.com/index_de.html Bibione - Offizielle HP]<BR>* [http://www.bibione.com/vetrina/images/mappa_dintorni.jpg Bibione Übersichts Karte]<BR>* [http://www.bibione.com/upload//sito_bibione/162sito_bibione.jpg Bibione Strand]

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