Changes

__NOTOC__{{infobox Country|country = Germany|map = <map lat='51.39920565355378' lng='9.9755859375' zoom='5' view='0'height='Germany320'width='260' is a great country for hitchhiking. Just make sure you get on the float='left'Autobahncountry='Germany' />|language = German|capital = [[Berlin]]|pop = 82,314,900|currency = Euro (motorway€)! There it is best to get to a |hitch = <good>|BW = DE}}[[File:2003 Hitch-hiking in Germany.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[User:Sigurdas|Sigurdas]] thumbing towards Nürnberg, 2003.]]'''Germany'Raststätte'' 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 areastations]], more seldom - parking lots) where drivers can legally stop and local roads. Germans are a little bit suspicious, but nice if you get from one to anotherknow them. You 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 find maps with the motorways people who hitchhiked themselves when they were younger. Many of them have families, jobs and the service areas along them. On most on ramps you will get also reasonably fast a ridecars now. Just make sure not to end up Because of the absence of speed limits on many motorways it's a "Schnellstrasse" (leading good country to the on ramp), where cars go fast and cannot stophitchhike long distances in short time.__TOC__

In == 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 '''Germany'Autobahn'' with no general speed limit (there are no can still be signs with speed limits on many highways. So you might first want to try to get a ride with fast cars before asking truck drivers! Trucks are great during nighttime, but like in [[France]], there are restrictions to when they might drive. In )* federal roads called ''Bundesstraße''Germany* country roads called ''Landstraße', most trucks aren't allowed to drive on Sundays or public holidays until 22:00Their use in hitchhiking is different and explained below.

If you are traveling specific highways=== Autobahn ===For more information, have a look at see the '''article [[:Category:Autobahn|Autobahn]]''' pages. There you'll find specific information about the ramps and hints along the highways, currently especially for the route [[Amsterdam]] - [[Berlin]] along the [[A2 (Germany)|A2]] and [[A30 (Germany)|A30]]!

== Cities ==<map lat='51[[File:Bundesautobahn_7_number.svg|thumb|left|150px|A traffic sign indicating Autobahn A7]] The autobahns in Germany are the fastest links between cities.39920565355378Their numbers consist of an ' lng='9.9755859375' zoom=A'5' view='0' height=and the number of the highway. On traffic signs the '400' float=A'right'/>is not mentioned but they can be distinguished by the blue colour of the sign. (''[[England|English]] names The lack of a general speed limit is something most Germans are proud of cities in brackets'')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.* [[Aachen]], [[Alsfeld]] [[Augsburg]]* [[Bad Bentheim]]As a general rule, [[Bad Oeynhausen]]you should always stick to the Autobahn as long as possible and try to change between major autobahns as little as possible, [[Bad Saulgau]]even if this means some detours. As soon as you are on the Autobahn and travel between service stations, [[Berlin]]you are hitching fast and reliable. For more information about this kind of hitchhiking, see the article on [[Bickenbachpetrol station hitchhiking]]. As trucks do not travel faster than 90 km/h you might want first try to get a ride hitching a personal car before asking truck drivers. Trucks are great for a night-ride; however, [[Bielefeld]]there are restrictions, [[Bonn]]like in France, [[Bremen]]of when trucks are allowed on an autobahn. In Germany most trucks aren'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.* [[Cottbus]]* [[Darmstadt]]If you travel a specific autobahn, have a look at the [[Dortmundautobahn]]page where you can find very specific information and hints about hitchhiking on German motorway ramps, [[Dresden]]etc. - for example, the route [[DüsseldorfAmsterdam]]* –[[EssenBerlin]]* along the [[Frankfurt am MainA2 (Germany)|A2]], and [[Freiburg im BreisgauA30 (Germany)|A30]]. ==== Getting onto the autobahn ====* [[GießenFile:Zeichen 330.svg|thumb|right|100px|The on-ramp sign of an autobahn]] To get onto the autobahn either hitch a ride from a city, [[Göttingen]]thumb at the on-ramp '''before''' the sign or go to a service station by public transportation and walk there. 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 windows (do not forget to smile!) and ask for a ride. If you look neither like a homeless nor like a drug dealer, [[Gildehaus]]they will be happy to help you. ==== Service stations and rest areas ====* [[Hamburg]]You have various possibilities for being dropped off along the autobahn to look for your next ride. As petrol station hitchhiking is faster, [[Hannover]]try to avoid being dropped at on-ramps where you have to thumb. On the autobahn, it is preferable to be dropped off at a service station instead of a rest area as rest areas have much less cars stopping.  [[Heidelberg]], [[HörstelFile:Zeichen 448.1.svg|thumb|right|150px|Autobahn traffic sign of an Autohof]]The ''Raststätte'' is the usual choice for hitchhiking because most cars tend to refuel there. Make sure your ''Raststätte'' has not just a restaurant but also a petrol stations because more people stop there and they leave quicker. Most ''Raststätten'' are on both sides of the autobahn and there is often a bridge or tunnel nearby to cross. Therefore you might consider hitchhiking to a ''Raststätte'' in the opposite direction first to 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 ''Autohof'' is a local fuel station that is marked on traffic signs on the autobahn. Food and fuel is cheaper there but most car drivers don't bother and thus mostly trucks stop there. This means that they are okay on weekdays but have to be avoided on Saturday evenings and Sundays at all cost. Another disadvantage for continuing on the autobahn is that local traffic also stops at the ''Autohof''. === Federal ''Bundesstraße'' roads ===* [[Ibbenbüren]]* [[KarlsruheFile: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, [[Kassel]]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 the 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. [[Kehl]]File:Zeichen 331.1 - Kraftfahrstraße, [[KölnStVO 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 ''CologneKraftfahrstraße''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. == The Ruhr area warning == 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 this area. See also the hitchwiki page of the [[KonstanzRuhr Area]].* [[Leipzig]], [[Lübeck]]* [[Magdeburg]]== Legal stuff ==Hitchhiking in general is legal in Germany. It is only forbidden to hitchhike on the Autobahn itself, [[Mönchengladbach]], [[München]] (meaning you standing on the autobahn or its emergency lane. It is also forbidden to walk on a ''MunichKraftfahrstraße''). 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, [[Münster]]just move to the parking space and hitchhike there.* [[NeuIf you want to start hitching at the on-Ulm]]ramps, [[Nürnberg]]make sure you stand before the rectangular blue sign indicating the start of the autobahn.* [[Osnabrück]]* [[Potsdam]]Just like other people, police may or may not be friendly towards hitchhikers. It is said that police controls are more frequent in the southern states of [[PuttgardenBavaria]]* and [[RavensburgBaden-Württemberg]]. As a foreigner you have to carry your passport at all times; a national ID card is sufficient if you are from another EU country. If you are being checked, [[Reutlingen]]be friendly, [[Rheine]], [[Riedlingen]], [[Rostock]]show it to them and they will leave you alone. === Car registration/number plates ===* [[Schwerte]]You can determine where a car is registered by its number plates. While tehre are certain plates on rented cars. (Europcar has „HH“ (Hamburg), [[Sigmaringen]]Avis – „EU“ (Euskirchen), [[Steinfurt]]Sixt – „M“ (Munich), [[Stuttgart]]* [[Trier]]* [[Ulm]]* [[Weingarten]], [[Wittenberg Hertz „DN-H“ (LutherstadtDüren))|Wittenberg]], other plates are associated with areas [[Wuppertal]https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_Kfz-Kennzeichen_in_Deutschland - DE], [[Würzburg]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration_plates_of_Germany EN]. The first letter is usually the district where it is registered. In addition, there is a little patch beside the number which tells you what state that number plate belongs to, which is useful if you do not know the district letters.

In Germany There are between one and three letters on a license plates start with an abbreviation of plate which show the city or region where the car is registered. So For example, look out for number license plates starting with '''B''' if you're hitching to [[Berlin]]!. Have a look at the articles on Wikipedia for more information: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_car_number_plates German car number plates] (in English) and [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_Kfz-Kennzeichen_in_Deutschland Liste der Kfz-Kennzeichen in Deutschland] (in German). Note that it is no longer required to change plates if you move, so a HH (Hamburg) car may very well belong to someone living in München (M). At the moment this is not yet a big problem, but 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 car might be going...

== Maps ==[[File: IMG 5392.JPG|thumb|250px|right|[[Tiziano]] hitching from [[Berlin]] to [[Munich]]]]Recommended maps for Germany are listed in [[Maps#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'''See contain all service stations, just the ones belonging to one of the big companies running them. For more information look here: [http://enwww.tank.wikipediarast.orgde/wikistandorte/German_car_number_plates German car number platesservicenetz/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: [http://de.wikipediaimageshack.orgus/wikiphoto/Liste_der_Kfzmy-Kennzeichen_in_Deutschland List of abbreviations usedimages/684/rastekarte.jpg/ Rastekarte] (in German) on Wikipedia for . This is the same one you will find at the service stations as big overview maps, more informationoften than not those can be nicked very easily as well.''

== Border crossings ==Germany implemented On the [[Schengen Agreement]]website: www. This meansautobahnatlas-online.de you can find detailed listings of all Autobahnen, that the border to other Schengen countries are open. At the borders to nonwith all drive-Schengen countries ([[Poland]]ups, [[Czech Republic]] and [[Switzerland]]) there are still checkpoints and German custom officers or sometimes police might control your luggage. These border crossings are usually among the best places in Europe to find a long distance ride. If you hitchhike on the border stand well behind the border pass on or close to the edge interchanges, all types of the border control area rest stops, tunnels, and additional services (shops and parkings) and the beginning of the motorway or national roadbridges along their ways, with exact kilometer allegations. It is best This comes along handy when hopping from station to leave the car 100-200 meter (in stead of 10 meter) after the border; in that case border guardians rarely bother about hitchhikersstation.

== Maps ==If you're not staying very long in Germany you can make it with any map of Germany showing you the gas stations on the highway. Go to any gas station along the highways and ask for On a "Autobahn-Guide". This "Autobahn-Guide" is for free! You'll get a map longer journey with an overview of all gas stations along the highways. More Information you can find here: several route options, [httphttps://www.tank.rastdiercke.de/standortecontent/servicenetz/index.php tank.rast.dedeutschland-stra%C3%9Fenverkehr-978-3-14-100800-5-64-1-1 this map]. You can also find showing the traffic volume of the different highways might help you deciding which could be faster due to more detailed maps there for ~5 Eurotraffic.

Very good maps for hitchhiking are '''Michelin Regional'''For those using mobile app MAPS.ME, the orange ones you may download a .kml file with all the numbers 541-546service plazas for viewing on your map offline. There are six of them, each covering a different part of Considering Germanyis extremely well mapped on [https://openstreetmap.<br />They are org OpenStreetMap], these locations can be assumed to be very detailed, on the motorway they show every single gas station, hotel, restaurant, or parking place accurate and they also have town maps for any bigger town within up-to-date. You can view the covered area[https://overpass-turbo.<br eu/s/MGq data extract here] and click Export >Ratio is 1:350000Download as KML and then open the . You can usually get them kml file on your phone to be loaded in local bookstores for about EUR 8MAPS.ME

== Eat Language ==Try to avoid eating on service stations on Despite German being the motorways. They are very expensive major language, (you even have to pay for with over 95% of the toiletspopulation speaking it as a first language [http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/european_languages/countries/germany.shtml]) and the food is usually very bad.At some service stations with a ''Sanifair'' system you get will find that many Germans speak English or French as a EUR 0,50 bill for second language. Other common languages in the toilet. You can buy things for EUR 0country are Turkish,50 with it at the petrol station shop Russian and at the restaurant.You can drink water from the tap nearly everywhere in GermanyArabic.

Keep in mind that most shops (including supermarkets) are not allowed === Learning to open on Sundays. There are ''no'' 24h-shops, but gas stations often offer a limited food section.speak German ===In bigger cities you The basic hitchhiker needs can usually get the cheapest food be satisfied by a look at the various Turkish and Italian Restaurantsphrasebook [[western Europe phrasebook|here]].

[[Image:IMG 5392When asking your drivers for help it pays off to know that the German word ''Straße'' for street contains the weird letter ''ß'' which looks a bit like a B. If you pronounce it like an ''s'' Germans will understand you. Contrary to popular belief the diacritics on Ä, ä, Ö, ö, Ü and ü are not metal umlauts and thus they do affect pronunciation.JPG|thumb|250px|right|[[Tiziano]] hitching from [[Berlin]] If in doubt try to [[Munich]]]]pronounce the word as if the diacritics didn't exist. For instance, if you pronounce the city ''Würzburg'' as ''Wurzburg'' you will probably be understood.

== Mitfahrgelegenheit Useful links ==Mitfahrgelegenheit is a website that people use to find rides or passengers. Often passengers are supposed to pay. And often you will find yourself being asked to pay for a ride. Refuse to pay if it's asked when you're getting out, and consider it when it's asked before you get in the car ("blah blah, because it would not be fair to the passengers who pay"). [[User:Guaka|Guaka]] is not sure how to deal with it, and accepted to pay only once, for a 250 km ride when it was already 18:00 or so. It might be possible to explain the bunch of people that people hitchhike to not pay, and that it can be considered a choice to use the website, and that picking up hitchhikers can be done irregardless of whether other people pay for rides or not.

* [http://www.hitch-hiking.org www.hitch-hiking.org - Information all about hitchhiking (English and German language)]* [http://www.liftershalte.info/?country=DE world map with good places to hitch]* [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/aurade.htm Highway restaurants in German]food/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/standorte/servicenetz/index.php/ Service stations on highways in Germany] == Trashwiki & Nomadwiki == {{nomadwiki}}

{{Highways DE}}{{Template:Cities Germany}}{{States Germany}}{{Template:Europe/countries}} {{IsIn|Western Europe}}