Car rental in Germany

Germany is an amazing country whose roads are considered nearly the best in Europe. At that German roads are free, which gladdens tourists very much. It is also possible to travel around the country by train, by bus or even by plane. Internal flights are widely developed and extremely popular. However, this all cannot be compared with planning the route and travelling on your own. In order to see all the sights it is necessary to have a car.

It is possible to hire a car in Germany at many different places such as:

• The airports of Munich, Frankfurt, Berlin and other large cities.
• Large cities and small towns which can be reached by train or regular bus.

Commonly known information about the country:

1. The fiat currency is Euro. It is possible to exchange Russian rubles for Euro at any bank and at all exchange offices located at hotels and airports. It is necessary to take into account that the banks in the country work only on weekdays from 8:30 till 13:00 or till 15:00. Concerning the exchange offices, their work day is much longer. It lasts from 6:00 till 22:00.
2. The majority of German car rental companies and hotels approve bank cards for payment. Even if a particular company does not accept bank cards, cash machines, which you can withdraw money from, are situated everywhere.

The peculiarities of car rental in Germany

It is necessary to mention the following peculiarities of car rental in Germany:

• The minimum age of the driver is 17. However, the minimum age required to drive some categories of cars is 21. If the age of the driver is less than 24, car hire companies tend to charge an additional rental payment which shall be made on site.
• In case it is stipulated in the rental agreement that the car will be hired in one city and returned in another city, this may result in an increase of the rental cost. There are companies which do not allow returning cars at other car rental stores. This makes tourists travel around the country and go back to the city they hired their car in.
• Such a service as car rental on condition of its returning in another country is in great demand. This is because the Schengen visa allows planning a long journey around Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria and other EU countries. In order to hire a car on such conditions it is necessary to pull socks up.
• Special fuel regulations which are worked out and applied by a car rental company. These regulations have two forms called ‘full-empty’ and ‘full-full’. In point of fact, these regulations are clear without any explanations. However, you should learn which form the car rental company, you are going to apply to, uses beforehand.

The average cost of rental cars in Germany

In Germany, it is possible to hire any type of car such as a small low-maintenance and economy car or a luxurious Mercedes or BMW. Please, take it into account when you are going to this country. As it is said in Russia, tastes differ. That is why we offer to get acquainted with the average prices for all types of cars:

Besides the categories mentioned above, it is easy to rent a convertible automobile which will let you enjoy your summer trip. Other categories of cars are also offered for rent. The choice of cars is extremely individualized. The manual and automatic transmission, fuel and diesel engine, the availability of integral GPS and many other parameters allow turning your trip around the country into a real fairytale.

Current regulations and speed limitations in Germany

Traffic in Germany is traditional, and the traffic regulations are rather strict. Some of them say the following:

• You are obliged to fasten the safety belts always and everywhere. This concerns the driver and all passengers sitting on front and back seats.
• Children must go only in child safety seats with suitable parameters such as the height, weight and age.
• It is necessary to turn on the dim light outside the city.
• Strict speed limitations are in force. The speed in cities must not be more than 50 km/h. On local highways, the highest allowed speed is 90 km/h. You can make not more than 110 km/h on national roads. It is possible to drive a car with a speed of not more than 130 km/h on expressways. It is not desirable to exceed the speed limit. Speed cameras are installed all over the country. They take ‘happy’ photos of road traffic violators. You should also know that the limitation of the minimum speed is in force on expressways. You cannot go with the speed of less than 60 km/h.
• Driving through a red light is a serious offence. Cameras are established at many places both in large cities and in small towns. They immediately take the photos of violators.
• Talking on the mobile phone without a hands-free device is strictly forbidden.
• The maximum blood alcohol level allowed to drive a car in the country is just 0.3 permile. However, it is necessary to point out that this indulgence is not applied in relation to the drivers who are younger than 21 years old. Their blood alcohol level shall be not higher than 0.0 permile.

In 2008, a special regulation limiting traffic in the so called ecological zones was brought into effect. The road sign with the inscription ‘Umweltzone’ is a restrictive sign. Only cars which have a special sticker on the windscreen can go further. This sticker confirms that their drivers have received a special permission to drive through ecological zones. There are also paid road sections such as the Warnowtunnel and Herrentunnel tunnels as well as the panoramic road Roßfeldpanoramastraße. The payment for driving through these sections is not high. On average, the cost is from 1.5 till 5 Euro per car.

Fines in Germany

Insurance packages in Germany

Three following insurance packages are obligatory to be formed when hiring a car:

• CDW– insurance which works in the event the rental car is damaged.
• TheftProtection (TP) – this is a package protecting from the car theft.
• TPL – this is the insurance of liability for the damage caused to third parties.

The packages can be both with a franchise which usually makes up from 800 till 1500 Euro and with a zero franchise. The second variant is more profitable since you do not have to worry about anything if the insurance event occurs. On the other hand, in such a case you will have to pay a higher insurance premium. In most cases, tires and windscreens are not included in the franchise. This means that the customer will have to repair them on his own.

The main peculiarity of cooperation with our company lies in the opportunity to form an additional insurance policy. Booking a rental car at our company, you can form a special Travelocars insurance package and get rid of any possible troubles. This is because we will compensate all the damage if the insurance event occurs.

How and where to fill a car in Germany

There are many large and small fuel stations in Germany. The quality of fuel is excellent and the prices are average by European standards. For tourists’ convenience, the fuel stations are situated directly in cities. Shops are located near the stations. These shops will be extremely useful to you when supermarkets are closed. On expressways, the fuel stations are often combined with special hotel complexes where it is possible to eat, have a rest, take a shower and etc.

The German fill their cars with lead-free fuel as well as with diesel fuel. There are also modern filling stations which sell bio fuel. However, in order to visit these stations you need to hire a car which uses bio fuel and the rental cost is much higher in this case. It is also necessary to point out that diesel fuel is cheaper than fuel 95 and fuel 98. Nevertheless, renting a diesel car is a little bit more expensive than renting a fuel one.

The averages prices for fuel are the following:

• Fuel 95 – 1.42 Euro per liter.
• Fuel 98 – 1.5 Euro per liter.
• Diesel fuel – 1.22 Euro per liter.

Parking rules in Germany

Concerning parking, everything is extremely strict in Germany. You can park your car only at the car parks. Thankfully, there are enough of them in German cities. Free car parks can be found on the territories of large molls and shopping centers. Almost all car parks have parking lots earmarked for as many cars as the number of visitors can be.

There are some peculiarities. The road sign with an inscription Anwohnerparken or Anliegerfrei says that only local inhabitants are allowed to park their cars at this place. In order to fulfill the parking regulations, it is necessary to have a special parking disc in the car. This disc allows pointing out the parking time. It is necessary to determine the parking time on your own at car parks where tickets are sold by parking meters. You must enter the corresponding combination of buttons and insert the money in the meter. In most cases, parking meters accept only coins.

The following fines are given for illegal parking:

• Illegal parking within up to half an hour –10 Euro,
• Illegal parking within up to an hour – 15 Euro,
• Illegal parking within up to two hours – 15 Euro,
• Illegal parking within up to three hours – 20 Euro,
• Illegal parking within more than three hours – 30 Euro.