Difference between revisions of "Germany"

From Hitchwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
m (→‎Useful links)
(Tags: Mobile edit, Mobile web edit)
 
(122 intermediate revisions by 53 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
−
taracel
 
 
{{infobox Country
 
{{infobox Country
 
|country = Germany
 
|country = Germany
 +
|map = <map lat='51.39920565355378' lng='9.9755859375' zoom='5' view='0' height='320' width='260' float='left' country='Germany' />
 
|language = German
 
|language = German
 
|capital = [[Berlin]]
 
|capital = [[Berlin]]
 
|pop = 82,314,900
 
|pop = 82,314,900
−
|currency = Euro (€)
+
|currency = Euro (€)
−
|hitch = {{good}}
+
|hitch = <good>
 +
|BW = DE
 
}}
 
}}
−
<map lat='51.39920565355378' lng='9.9755859375' zoom='5' view='0' height='320' width='260' float='left' country='Germany' />
+
[[File:2003 Hitch-hiking in Germany.jpg|thumb|left|250px|[[User: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. 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__
  
−
'''Germany''' is a member state of the [[European Union]] as well as the [[Schengen Agreement]]. It is a great country for [[hitchhiking]]. Just make sure you get on the ''Autobahn'' (motorway)! There it is best to get to a ''Raststätte'' ([[service area]]) where drivers can legally stop and get from one to another. You will often find [[maps]] with the motorways and the service areas along them. On most on ramps you will get also reasonably fast a ride. Just make sure not to end up on a "Schnellstrasse" (leading to the on ramp), where cars go fast and cannot stop.
+
== 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 (there can still be signs with speed limits)
 +
* federal roads called ''Bundesstraße''
 +
* country roads called ''Landstraße''
 +
Their use in hitchhiking is different and explained below.
  
−
In Germany there are no 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 Germany, most trucks aren't allowed to drive on Sundays or public holidays until 22:00.
+
=== Autobahn ===
 +
For more information, see the article [[Autobahn]].
  
−
If you are traveling specific highways, have a look at the '''[[Template:Highways DE|highways]]''' page or at the bottom of this article. 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]]!
+
[[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.
  
−
== License plates ==
+
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.
−
In Germany license plates start with an abbreviation of the region where the car is registered. So look out for number plates starting with '''B''' if you're hitching to [[Berlin]]! Have a look at [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_car_number_plates German car number plates] and [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_Kfz-Kennzeichen_in_Deutschland List of abbreviations used] (in German) on Wikipedia for more information.
+
 
 +
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 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'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 (Germany)|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 a city, 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, they will be happy to help you.
 +
 
 +
==== Service stations and rest areas ====
 +
You have various possibilities for being dropped off along the autobahn to look for your next ride. As petrol station hitchhiking is faster, 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.  
 +
 
 +
[[File: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 ===
 +
 
 +
[[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, 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.
 +
 
 +
[[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.
 +
 
 +
== 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 [[Ruhr Area]].
  
−
{{Template:Cities Germany}}
+
== 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 rectangular blue sign indicating the start of the autobahn.
  
−
== Border crossings ==
+
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 [[Bavaria]] and [[Baden-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, be friendly, show it to them and they will leave you alone.
−
Germany implemented the [[Schengen Agreement]]. This means, that the border to other Schengen countries are open. Since December 21th 2007, [[Poland]] and [[Czech Republic]] are also part of the Schengen area and only at the border to [[Switzerland]]) there are still checkpoints and German custom officers or sometimes police might control your luggage. If you want to hitchhike from a border check point, it might be better, to stand a little bit away from the check point, so you are out of the custom officers' sight.
 
  
−
== Carpooling ''(Mitfahrgelegenheit)'' ==
+
=== Car registration/number plates ===
−
Germany has a national carpooling website that gives the opportunity to the driver to post their journey in search of passenger to share the cost of the ride. The website, called [http://www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de/ Mitfahrgelegenheit] is sadly exclusively in german. Although, its system is pretty basic as you can scroll search from your departure point ''(von)'' to a destination ''(nach)'' with a date and # of passengers. If you search for a ride going outside Germany or to Germany from another [[Europe|european]] country, you can simply click the ''Europa'' link. Then you simply have to contact the driver yourself (most of the time through email, some does leave their phone number) and agree to a price and a departure point and time. This system can reveal a low expense alternative to hitching, a similar system also exists in [[Belgium]].
+
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 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.
  
−
Experience showed that sometimes hitchhiking is even faster than ''Mitfahrgelegenheit'', because drivers sometimes drive in each city they pass to get in new passengers or load them off.  
+
== License plates ==
 +
There are between one and three letters on a license plate which show the city or region where the car is registered. For example, look for 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: Abfahrt = Departure / Ankunft = Arrival''
+
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 ==
 
== Maps ==
−
[[Image:IMG 5392.JPG|thumb|250px|right|[[Tiziano]] hitching from [[Berlin]] to [[Munich]]]]
+
[[File:IMG 5392.JPG|thumb|250px|right|[[Tiziano]] hitching from [[Berlin]] to [[Munich]]]]
−
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 a "Autobahn-Guide". This "Autobahn-Guide" is for free! You'll get a booklet describing all Services and including a map with an overview of all gas stations along the highways. More Information you can find here: [http://www.tank.rast.de/standorte/servicenetz/index.php tank.rast.de]. You can also find more detailed maps there for ~5 Euro.
+
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''' contain all service stations, just the ones belonging to one of the big companies running them.
 +
For more information look here: [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: [http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/684/rastekarte.jpg/ Rastekarte]. 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.
 +
 
 +
On the website: www.autobahnatlas-online.de you can find detailed listings of all Autobahnen, with all drive-ups, interchanges, all types of rest stops, tunnels, and bridges along their ways, with exact kilometer allegations. This comes along handy when hopping from station to station.
 +
 
 +
On a longer journey with several route options, [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.
  
−
Very good maps for hitchhiking are '''Michelin Regional''', the orange ones with the numbers 541-546. There are six of them, each covering a different part of Germany.<br />
+
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 [https://openstreetmap.org OpenStreetMap], these locations can be assumed to be very accurate and up-to-date. You can view the [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
−
They are very detailed, on the motorway they show every single gas station, hotel, restaurant, or parking place and they also have town maps for any bigger town within the covered area.<br />
 
−
Ratio is 1:350000. You can usually get them in local bookstores for about EUR 8.
 
  
−
[[User:Platschi|Platschi]] suggests the ''Aral Straßen-Atlas Deutschland & Europa''. It contains a detailled map of '''Germany''' and bordering countries, with city maps of the biggest German cities and all service stations along the highway. Costs EUR 7,95. Available at all ''Aral'' service stations and bookstores.
+
== Language ==
 +
Despite German being the major language, (with over 95% of the population speaking it as a first language [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, Russian and Arabic.  
  
−
== Eat ==
+
=== Learning to speak German ===
−
Try to avoid eating on service stations on the motorways. They are very expensive (you even have to pay for the toilets) and the food is usually very bad.
+
The basic hitchhiker needs can be satisfied by a look at the phrasebook [[western Europe phrasebook|here]].
−
At some service stations with a ''Sanifair'' system you get a EUR 0,50 bill for the toilet. You can buy things for EUR 0,50 with it at the petrol station shop and at the restaurant.
 
−
You can drink water from the tap nearly everywhere in Germany.
 
  
−
Keep in mind that most shops (including supermarkets) are not allowed to open on Sundays. There are ''no'' 24h-shops, but gas stations often offer a limited food section.
+
When 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. If in doubt try to 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.
−
In bigger cities you can usually get the cheapest food at the various Turkish and Italian Restaurants.
 
  
−
{{States Germany}}
+
== Useful links ==
−
{{Highways DE}}
 
  
−
== Practical links ==
+
* [https://warmroads.de/en/hitchhiking-in-17-germany/ Comprehensive guide about hitchhiking in Germany] by [[User:Korn|Korn]] on https://warmroads.de
 
* [http://deu.anarchopedia.org/index.php/Deutschland:Trampstellen Hitchhiking spots in Germany], in German, on a GFDL wiki
 
* [http://deu.anarchopedia.org/index.php/Deutschland:Trampstellen Hitchhiking spots in Germany], in German, on a GFDL wiki
−
* [http://www.hitch-hiking.org www.hitch-hiking.org - Information all about hitchhiking (English and German language)]
+
* [http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Autobahn_1-999.png Overview of autobahns in Germany]
−
* [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 in Germany]
+
[www.mokli-help.de] helps you find free showers/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.best-restaurants.de/aurade.htm Highway restaurants in German]
+
*
−
* [http://www.tank.rast.de/standorte/servicenetz/index.php/ Service stations on highways in Germany]
+
 
 +
== Trashwiki & Nomadwiki ==
 +
 
 +
{{nomadwiki}}
  
−
<!--* [http://www.linksundrechts.com/karten/u_oesterreich.gif Autobahnübersicht Österreich]
+
<!--* [http://www.linksundrechts.com/karten/u_oesterreich.gif Autobahnübersicht Österreich]
−
* [http://www.autostrade.de/ Autobahnübersicht Italien]
+
* [http://www.autostrade.de/ Autobahnübersicht Italien]
−
* [http://stuenings-nt.stuenings.de/LuR/karten/01519.gif Autobahnübersicht Italien]
+
* [http://stuenings-nt.stuenings.de/LuR/karten/01519.gif Autobahnübersicht Italien]
  
 
* [http://www.bibione.com/index_de.html Bibione - Offizielle HP]
 
* [http://www.bibione.com/index_de.html Bibione - Offizielle HP]
−
* [http://www.bibione.com/vetrina/images/mappa_dintorni.jpg Bibione Übersichts Karte]
+
* [http://www.bibione.com/vetrina/images/mappa_dintorni.jpg Bibione Übersichts Karte]
 
* [http://www.bibione.com/upload//sito_bibione/162sito_bibione.jpg Bibione Strand]
 
* [http://www.bibione.com/upload//sito_bibione/162sito_bibione.jpg Bibione Strand]
 
-->
 
-->
  
−
{{Hitchbase_country|73}}
+
{{Highways DE}}
 +
{{Template:Cities Germany}}
 +
{{States Germany}}
 +
{{Template:Europe/countries}}
 +
 
 
{{IsIn|Western Europe}}
 
{{IsIn|Western Europe}}
 +
 +
 
[[Category:Germany| ]]
 
[[Category:Germany| ]]
 +
[[Category:Western Europe]]
  
 
[[de:Deutschland]]
 
[[de:Deutschland]]
 
[[es:Alemania]]
 
[[es:Alemania]]
 +
[[fi:Saksa]]
 
[[fr:Allemagne]]
 
[[fr:Allemagne]]
−
 
+
[[pl:Niemcy]]
−
__NOTOC__
+
[[ru:Германия]]
 +
[[tr:Almanya]]

Latest revision as of 18:55, 5 December 2023

Flag of Germany Germany
Information
Language: German
Capital: Berlin
Population: 82,314,900
Currency: Euro (€)
Hitchability: <good>
Meet fellow hitchhikers on Trustroots or BeWelcome
<map lat='51.39920565355378' lng='9.9755859375' zoom='5' view='0' height='320' width='260' float='left' country='Germany' />
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-ramps, service stations, more seldom - parking lots) and local roads. 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.

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 (there can still be signs with speed limits)
  • 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.

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 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'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 and A30.

Getting onto the autobahn

The on-ramp sign of an autobahn

To get onto the autobahn either hitch a ride from a city, 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, they will be happy to help you.

Service stations and rest areas

You have various possibilities for being dropped off along the autobahn to look for your next ride. As petrol station hitchhiking is faster, 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.

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

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, 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.

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.

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 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 rectangular blue sign indicating the start of the autobahn.

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 Bavaria and Baden-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, 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 - DE, 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.

License plates

There are between one and three letters on a license plate which show the city or region where the car is registered. For example, look for license plates starting with B if you're hitching to Berlin. Have a look at the articles on Wikipedia for more information: German car number plates (in English) and 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

Tiziano hitching from Berlin to Munich

Recommended maps for Germany are listed in 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: 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: Rastekarte. 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.

On the website: www.autobahnatlas-online.de you can find detailed listings of all Autobahnen, with all drive-ups, interchanges, all types of rest stops, tunnels, and bridges along their ways, with exact kilometer allegations. This comes along handy when hopping from station to station.

On a longer journey with several route options, 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 OpenStreetMap, these locations can be assumed to be very accurate and up-to-date. You can view the data extract here and click Export > Download as KML and then open the .kml file on your phone to be loaded in MAPS.ME

Language

Despite German being the major language, (with over 95% of the population speaking it as a first language [1]) you will find that many Germans speak English or French as a second language. Other common languages in the country are Turkish, Russian and Arabic.

Learning to speak German

The basic hitchhiker needs can be satisfied by a look at the phrasebook here.

When 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. If in doubt try to 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.

Useful links

[www.mokli-help.de] helps you find free showers/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)

Trashwiki & Nomadwiki

Check Nomadwiki for info on accommodation, showers etc. or Trashwiki for dumpsters...and share your wisdom :)


German highways

Major highways: A1 • A2 • A3 • A4 • A5 • A6 • A7 • A8 • A9

Minor highways: A10 • A11 • A12 • A13 • A14 • A15 • A17 • A19 • A20 • A21 • A23 • A24 • A25 • A26 • A27 • A28 • A29 • A30 • A31 • A33 • A37 • A38 • A39 • A40 • A42 • A43 • A44 • A45 • A46 • A48 • A49 • A52 • A57 • A59 • A60 • A61 • A62 • A63 • A64 • A65 • A66 • A67 • A70 • A71 • A72 • A73 • A81 • A92 • A93 • A94 • A95 • A96 • A98 • A99

German cities with more than 100.000 inhabitants

> 2.000.000: Berlin

1.000.000–2.000.000: Hamburg • München • Köln

500.000–1.000.000: Bremen • Dortmund • Dresden • Duisburg • Düsseldorf • Essen • Frankfurt am Main • Hannover • Leipzig • Nürnberg • Stuttgart

300.000–500.000: Bielefeld • Bochum • Bonn • Mannheim • Wuppertal

100.000–300.000: Aachen • Augsburg • Bergisch-Gladbach • Bottrop • Braunschweig • Bremerhaven • Chemnitz • Cottbus • Darmstadt • Erfurt • Erlangen • Freiburg im Breisgau • Fürth • Gelsenkirchen • Gera • Göttingen • Hagen • Halle (Saale) • Heidelberg • Heilbronn • Herne • Ingolstadt • Jena • Karlsruhe • Kassel • Koblenz • Kiel • Krefeld • Leverkusen • Lübeck • Ludwigshafen • Magdeburg • Mainz • Moers • Mönchengladbach • Mülheim • Münster • Neuss • Oberhausen • Offenbach • Osnabrück • Paderborn • Pforzheim • Potsdam • Recklinghausen • Regensburg • Remscheid • Reutlingen • Rostock • Saarbrücken • Salzgitter • Siegen • Solingen • Ulm • Wiesbaden • Witten • Wolfsburg • Würzburg

If you search cities with less than 100.000 inhabitants, have a look at the seperate Federal State articles. You find them at the bottom of this page.

Flag of Germany Federal States of Germany

Baden-Württemberg • Bayern (Bavaria) • Brandenburg • Hessen (Hesse) • Mecklenburg-Vorpommern • Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony) • Nordrhein-Westfalen (North Rhine-Westphalia) • Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate) • Saarland • Sachsen (Saxony) • Sachsen-Anhalt (Saxony-Anhalt) • Schleswig-Holstein • Thüringen (Thuringia)

City states: Berlin • Bremen • Hamburg

Countries of Europe

Albania • Andorra • Austria • Belarus • Belgium • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Bulgaria • Croatia • Cyprus • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Germany • Greece • Hungary • Iceland • Ireland • Italy • Kosovo • Latvia • Liechtenstein • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Macedonia • Malta • Moldova • Monaco • Montenegro • Netherlands • Norway • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Russia • San Marino • Serbia • Slovakia • Slovenia • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • Turkey • United Kingdom • Ukraine • Vatican

Retrieved from "https://hitchwiki.org/en/index.php?title=Germany&oldid=104980"