Does the autobahn really have no speed limits? Please give me information on the autobahn.?

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DeSaxe

The parts of the Autobahn without speed restrictions are becoming fewer, more and more signs go up all the time, plus a large amount of construction is happening and they are more and more cars on the road.
Autobahn driving is not relaxing at all and one can really become an aggresive driver if one is not careful. There does not appear to be as much autobahn as there use to be. Everytime I manged to get up to speed I have to slow down for someone, then when they finally get out of the left lane someone else pulls out in front. But by driving 260kph it does shorten distances.

Thomas t

The only reason why many Tourists (especially from the US) think that European Drivers are rude (tailgate, flashing lights, etc.) is, that their are not aware of the fact, that staying right is duty (as not in the us). The left lane is just for passing.

So, when you drive in the left lane with 100km/h for 10km, its no wonder that other cars behind, wants you to move your car to the right lane.
And often cars flash their lights, because someone switch to the left lane, without a look in the mirror.
But its very dangerous for someone passing with 180km/h in the left lane, when an idiot changes the lane, an youve got to slam on the brakes, just because the idiot cant wait you to pass.

And speeding is not the reason for traffic jams. Mostly there is just to much traffic.
Germany has one of the lowest death rates in traffic !!!

winnie2

There are still some stretches of Autobahn that don't have a speed limit, but there are more and more that do. You really have to watch the signs.

pinata

In general German Autobahn has no speed limit --- in special - more than 70 % have.
Greetings from Hamburg, Germany
Heinz

Alwin E

Native German, around 120.000 km on Autobahns, quick info:

The Autobahn DOES have speed limits, indicated by a round sign with a red border and a black number indicating the speed in km/h, or an overhead sign (mostly electronically switched) indicating the maximum speed for the following section of the autobahn. Stick to these limits, radar controls are frequent and fines are heavy.

When there are no official speed limits, 130 km/h (that's 80 mph) are the "recommended" speed. That means, you MAY go faster. Far faster. My maximum speed used to be 240 km/h (150 mph), but there's a big BUT: You can't drive that fast without being used to the German autobahns. Driving lanes may be narrow, and you can't drive for miles on end without having other people join the autobahn or leaving it, and you'll have to watch everything that's going on around you. You can speed up to 240, but only for a few kilometers, and then there will either be a speed limit or a building site. The autobahn is not a race track. And 240 km/h is helluvalot of speed for a driver who's not used to even something like 180 km/h (110 mph), the speed I prefer to move on the autobahn when and where it's possible. That's considered reasonable by most Germans.

More hints:

1.
The left lane is for passing, and for passing ONLY. The right lane is for driving. Passing on the right lane is a criminal offence, except traffic is so slow that there is no other way.

2.
Security distance ("Sicherheitsabstand") has to be kept. There are signposts every 50 meters, and you can calculate the appropriate distance by dividing your speed in km/h by 2. When you drive 100 km/h, the distance will be 50 m, that is, the distance between two signposts. If you drive up too close, you may be fined. (Many cameras up there on the main routes, so don't be too sure nobody saw it.)

3.
Signalling is a MUST when you change lanes. Do it early, and don't just "swing over". Signalling for your want to overtake on the fast lane and flashing your lights, while driving up close, however, is an offence that may be punished. (Although often seen.)

4.
Take care of trucks. Truckers are your friends and will assist you, as long as you're not a "StraÃŸensau" ("road pig"), and behave friendly.

One last hint:

In case you get in trouble (which I don't hope):

German police will overtake you and then have a flashlight up in the rear window that says "POLIZEI - BITTE FOLGEN" ("police - please follow"). If you see that sign flashing, do what it says, and follow them. Unlike U.S. police, German police will always stop in front of you, walk to your car, and ask you to show the papers or get out. On autobahns, they usually will show you video proof of your offense on the spot, and they will also cash you on the spot for minor offences. They SEEM friendly, but they carry arms, although you might not see them. So don't mess with them.

---
edit:
> and you'd damn well better be passing the cars on your right with a clear amount of speed and not just by going 5km/hr faster
Thanks, Brendon. I knew I forgot something important.

klbythebay@sbcglobal.net

Ja aber es ist bedingt !
Some parts have no speed limit but there are ever more and more zones where the limit is specified.

I seem to recall a few signs limiting it to 135 km/hr (85 ?mph) Ane people would hardly go faster than that anyway. In '73 I recal seeing headlights on the horizon behind me then a Mercedes Benz whizzing by at break neck speed while I was easing along at about 75. Last year I experienced no such event in Germany.

Ravin

Tofi is only partially correct in his answer: it is unwise to drive as an American on the autobahn IF you drive like an American. If you do, you endanger yourself and every other driver on the road, just like you do back home in the U.S.; but if you drive like a German, you'll be fine. Driving like a German means actually following the laws--staying the hell out of the left lane unless you're passing, and you'd damn well better be passing the cars on your right with a clear amount of speed and not just by going 5km/hr faster. That means blinking your lights at someone in that passing lane that is going slower than you. It means NOT passing on the right, under any circumstances. It means knowing what German right-of-way is and all the situations where it's important. It means recognizing standard international roadsigns. It means knowing where you're going BEFORE you get on the road and how to get there. It means not running out of gas on the autobahn unless you want a ticket. It means not flicking off or making any rude gestures at other drivers unless you want a ticket. It means recognizing the speed limits when they're posted (and there are many stretches of the autobahn with speed limits), but not burying the needle even in speed-limit-free areas, either. It means not using your cell phone while you're driving (unless you have a hands-free set) unless you want a ticket. It means taking your driving very seriously, instead of very casually, like American drivers tend to do. Otherwise... yes, Americans can drive on the autobahn. If they do it properly... they'll never want to drive in the U.S. again, out of sheer and absolute frustration at other American drivers. I have faced this problem every day that I have been back in the U.S. since I returned from Germany.

EDIT: Everything that the previous answerer, Alwin, said... is 100% correct.

EDIT: Thomas T is correct, too. Many Americans get into trouble driving in Germany because they don't have the sense to look in their mirror before they enter the left lane, much less have the sense to keep checking the mirror to see the long line of cars blinking at them and waiting to pass. Most Americans don't seem to realize that the left lane in the U.S. is meant for passing only, just as it is in Germany and most of the rest of Europe... the problem is, many American drivers either don't know or don't care about their own traffic laws, and American police are more concerned about passing out petty speeding tickets than chasing down truly reckless drivers (BIG HINT: speed does NOT equal recklessness. Being a stupid driver and not even knowing what the different lanes are for is far more reckless.)

Tofi

only 30% of the autobahn network are complete without speed limits. but yes - there you can really drive as fast as you want.

as an american you can't drive on an autobahn. the traffic, small roads, high speed,.... to difficult.

Caroline K

it was for the longest time, my mom just wrote me (she is from germany and I was raised there 19 years) that they started putting speedlimits up that are 120kmh ( = 75mph)
for the safety of drivers..

fady_old_jeans

there are speed restrictions on many parts but for the main you can just hold your foot down till the car blows up or you get to where your going.......be aware the German drivers are of the opinion that they are good drivers and the guy in front needs to be caught and passed..... there are many terrible accidents on the autobahn.cars and lorries alike....they think it is clever to come up behind you at three times the speed of light and flash their lights for you to move over .....always nice to see a lorry pull out and struggle to pass another lorry.watch over 500 car drivers going crazy lol

t_maia2000

Please read this article, it is spot on:
http://www.destination360.com/europe/germany/autobahn.php

As a general rule there is no speed limit, but very large sections have speed limits to prevent accidents.

Chinese tourists dream about driving fast on the Autobahn, and many travel to Germany and rent a Porsche just to experience this - only to be stuck in traffic jams, to crawl behind a truck at 80 kms/hr or be faced with a speed limit for 90% of their journey. Driving the autobahn is no more dangerous than driving on an interstate. Just keep in mind that taking over on the right is strictly prohibited and that you must always travel as far right as possible. Also see:

http://wikitravel.org/en/Germany#By_car

proudmomofboy!

yes they do. i am from there so i have been on the autobahn plenty of times. there are lots of parts that do have speed limits, but yet there are parts that u really dont have ANY speed limits, u can go whatever u want! been on it the fastest we've ever gone in the BMW we had, was 130 MPH close to 140MPH. very fast. and scary

tacomadc

There are less unrestricted speed limit zones than there used to be, especially near cities. This is because far too many people were dying in crashes!
Germans generally think the freeway belongs personally to them (especially if they drive an expensive car), and they will tailgate, flash their lights and whip around you dangerously fast and close to make a point if they think they had to slow down because of you. Drive very carefully to avoid becoming a statistic!
PS: The aggressive, bad driving is the reason Germany has so many horrible, hours long traffic jams every day. Some idiot caused a crash by driving too fast!

Peter T

At this time the autobahn in Germany does not have a speed restriction. The government wants to change it however.

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