{"id":611,"date":"2015-11-17T15:26:25","date_gmt":"2015-11-17T15:26:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adventureproof.com\/?page_id=611"},"modified":"2017-01-14T20:53:12","modified_gmt":"2017-01-14T20:53:12","slug":"how-to-drive-on-the-german-autobahn","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/adventureproof.com\/?page_id=611","title":{"rendered":"How to Drive on the German Autobahn"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Autobahn is an elaborate network of expressways running throughout much of\u00a0Europe. What sets the German version of this road system apart from its neighbours\u00a0is that much of it has no maximum speed limit. None. Or as the Germans would say: “Keine Geschwindigskeitsbeschr\u00e4nkungen!<\/em>” Right.\u00a0Whether a road without speed limits sounds like a dream come true or a terrible\u00a0nightmare, the reality is that the Autobahn is\u00a0a major and useful component of Germany’s transportation system. And because it’s German, you can\u00a0safely assume\u00a0that it’s orderly, efficient, and facilitated\u00a0by\u00a0a tall stack\u00a0of rules and regulations.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Autobahn Entrance<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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End of Temporary Speed and Passing Restrictions<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>
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Driving on the Autobahn is an active process. Dense traffic and\u00a0unbridled speed demand it. In seconds, a\u00a0speck\u00a0in your mirror can turn\u00a0into the front grille of an SUV, bearing down on you at the speed of the\u00a0Concorde. But not everyone hurtles\u00a0down the asphalt at paint-blistering speed:\u00a0endless convoys of transport trucks and motor homes move at a\u00a0much slower pace. Driving in these conditions has little in common with traditional driving\u00a0styles. Certain habits ingrained in the North American freeway tradition\u2014such as merging slowly from an on-ramp, passing on the right, riding\u00a0the middle lane, and passing on cruise control\u00a0(possibly with only one hand on the wheel)\u2014would be extremely dangerous in Germany. On the Autobahn, other drivers expect you to be alert, act decisively, and to follow the rules. Mistakes made at 300 km\/h (180 mi\/h) have different\u00a0consequences than ones made at 100 km\/h (60 mi\/h), after all.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

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Unfortunately, as much as going fast is a feature of the Autobahn, so is going slow\u2014or at times\u2014not going at all. Traffic jams, called “Stau<\/em>” in German, are common. While the average traffic jam is 2 km (1.2 mi) long, they can easily stretch to more than 20 km (12 mi) and set you back hours. Road construction,\u00a0traffic accidents and weather are the leading causes, aggravated by rush hour and holiday traffic. Stau is so common, that German states stagger school holidays in order to\u00a0reduce\u00a0congestion. Other initiatives\u00a0include prohibiting trucks on Sundays, changing speed limits dynamically, and at times permitting traffic\u00a0on the shoulder. Despite these measures, you’re less likely to experience serious delays if you avoid holidays, stick to weekdays, or hit the road\u00a0early.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Driving on Shoulder Permitted<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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Truck Traffic is Prohibited on Sundays<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>
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For those apprehensive about driving on the Autobahn, following a few simple rules\u00a0will make your own journey safer and more pleasant. Click on the link below for a\u00a0detailed\u00a0guide explaining\u00a0what to expect and how to behave around other drivers. Extra sections provide\u00a0tips in case of accident or breakdown, and some useful German vocabulary. While this information\u00a0is specifically intended for the German Autobahn, much of it will apply to other European expressways. The guide is printer-friendly, so definitely\u00a0bring\u00a0it along on your next\u00a0trip to Europe. Viel Spass!<\/p>\n

\u21d2 How to Drive on the German Autobahn (Free PDF)<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n

(Road sign images courtesy of Wikipedia Commons)<\/p>\n

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(Road sign images courtesy of Wikipedia Commons)    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":230,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"page-fullwidth.php","meta":{"kt_blocks_editor_width":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventureproof.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/611"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventureproof.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventureproof.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventureproof.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventureproof.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=611"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/adventureproof.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/611\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":988,"href":"https:\/\/adventureproof.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/611\/revisions\/988"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adventureproof.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/230"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adventureproof.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}