Country Information

Germany_01

Location: Europe
Capital: Berlin
Population: 80 million
Currency: Euro
Language: German
Main Religion: Roman Catholic

Hello: Guten tag
Thank you: Danke

Dates in the country

Start of September 2017

Climate

German summers are hot and the winters are cold and snowy, but it can rain during any season so make sure you pack an umbrella! In winter the temperature can fall as low as 10°C (although the average sits around 3°C) and in summer it can get as hot as 35°C (with the average around 22°C)

Public Holidays


  • January 1st New Year’s Day
  • March/April Easter
  • May 1st Labour Day
  • May 5th Ascension Day
  • May 16th Whit Monday
  • October 3rd German Unity Day
  • December 25th Christmas Day
  • December 26th St Stephen’s Day


VISA


  • Australian and New Zealand passport holders planning a visit to any of the 28 Member States of the EU do not require a visa if their stay is no longer than 90 days in a six month period within the EU.
  • UK part of EU


Medical


Vaccines advised:

  • Tetanus
  • Tick-borne encephalitis


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Rules of the Road


  • Overtake to the left of the other vehicle in free flowing traffic. Overtaking on the right is only allowed in stationary traffic
  • It is compulsory for a driver to have driving licence, car registration and ownership and insurance documents in the car. Valid German, EU, EEA and foreign driving licences represented by an international driving licence (IDP/IDL) are accepted in Germany
  • Third party insurance is compulsory in Germany and is the minimum insurance requirement
  • Motor vehicle tax is compulsory. It is payable for a year in advance at the request of the local tax office.
  • An environmental badge is compulsory for vehicles driving within Environmental Green Zones.
  • It is illegal to drive while wearing headphones.
  • Mobile cellular telephones may only be used with a “handsfree” system. Using a handheld mobile phone while driving a motor vehicle or bicycle is punishable with a fine and (if applicable) points on the driving licence
  • Devices to evade police vigilance (such as radar detectors) are illegal and must be switched off if part of a Satellite Navigation system
  • Winter tyres or all weather tyres are required to be fitted during winter in Germany. Snow chains are recommended for travel in mountainous regions and are legally required if there are signs depicting a tyre with snow chains. A 50 Km/h speed limit applies to vehicles with snow chains attached
  • U-turns and stops may only be made in the event of an emergency or breakdown otherwise they are punishable by law
  • Dipped headlights are compulsory when driving through tunnels
  • Yellow headlights are illegal and dipped headlights must be used at night. It is illegal to use full beam headlights in urban areas
  • If you’re involved in an accident, it’s illegal to leave the scene without getting help or offering assistance. If it’s just your car in the accident, you must wait there for at least 30 minutes. Any driver involved in an accident must stop, secure the scene of the accident and call the police Tel:110. If there are injuries first aid must be provided at the scene and an ambulance called Tel: 112
  • Drive on the right in Germany
  • Carnet not generally required however may be required for Australian registered car.


Places to Visit


  • Bavaria
  • Oktoberfest 2017
  • Ulm – See friends
  • Neuschwanstein Castle


Route

A detailed route showing where we went overlanding and exploring. We jotted down the routes we travelled on a physical map which travelled with us from Australia to the UK, then transferred this to a digital form using Google Maps (KML and GeoRSS Layers) 

These are exact appropriations, maps differ between brands and converting from paper to digital may lose some details in translation. This should still show in great detail our route.