Self-driving in Europe is becoming more and more popular as it gives travelers more flexibility and control over their time and itineraries that do not have to be limited by train connections or schedules. After last winter’s adventure in the Baltics, I decided to take a few days and drive through Germany.
I started in Frankfurt where I picked up my cute little Opel Meriva and headed down to Baden Baden before returning up to Heidelberg and then taking a couple of days to explore the Romantic Road.
I was on my own and was at first a little bit worried about doing this in January. The weather was miserable, of course, but the state of the roads, the signage and the wonderfully behaved German drivers made up for it. My Garmin, or as Germans call it, Navi, worked flawlessly and soon enough, I got used to the generous speed limits and zipped on the Audobahn like a female version of Schumacher, or as Germans call him, Schumi.
Some things to remember when driving in Germany:
– Keep in the right lane, as the left lane is only used for passing.
– Bring spare Euros for parking (free on Sundays).
– Speed limits do exist, even on the Audobahn, especially when weather conditions worsen. You may encounter signs for 100km/h speed limit during rain or wind.
– Make sure you know if your rental car runs on diesel or regular gas.
– Brace yourself for excruciatingly high prices of gas.
– Brace yourself for excruciatingly horrendous German radio (you will feel that you are driving back to the eighties!).
– Have fun and be safe.
Call 800.633.1008 or 813.251.5355
