What is the speed limit in Germany?

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Robert K

Sorry guys: all wrong.

In towns and cities: 50 km / 30 Miles
in side streets of towns/cities: 30 km/ 20 Miles
in streets with playing kids (special sign): 5 Miles

on local streets with one lane each direction between towns:
100 km/ 65 Miles

Autobahn: in metro areas: 100 or 120 km/ 63 - 75 Miles

Only Autobahn between metro areas: no limit

Usually there are "speed limit signs" = round white with the maximum allowed speed surrounded by a red circle, at the end of the zone is the same sign in white and the number is crossed out. Then the normal rule applies (depending on which street you are).

The speed limit in Germany is much stricter controlled by the police ! There are automatic radar station (very small) and they take nice pictures of you which are valid in a court.

Danijel

Robert K is soo right (I hate the radars)! Except:

GENERALLY there is no speed limit on German Autobahns, just a "speed recommendation" of 130 km/h, but you can drive as fast as you want. BUT you'll find very often speed limits (very odd - mostly around 120 km/h) due to dangerous circumstances (curves, areas where traffic congestions occur frequently, etc) or environmental issues (villages in the nearby - noise!; deer pass; natural parks)

wetdreamdiver

I agree with Robert K and want to add something:
DO NOT go to Germany and think you can drive fast like you do when you speed in the U.S. when the cops aren't looking! It's a totally different animal...first of all, you cannot pass on the right. If you do, somebody here will call in on you for driving unsafely. Yes, you can go 300 KPH if your car is capable and safe doing so, but there's nothing stopping an old lady from merging left to pass while you do.
If you had an American car over here and decided they were going to max it out on the Autobahn, let me clue you in: They build them geared lower over here for higher top-end; and the inspections are MUCH more stringent than they are in ANY state in the Union! 90% of the cars in the United States over 2 years old wouldn't be able to pass a German inspection(called TUV), because not only do they grade the performance level and gas consumption of the car and it's horsepower rating, they check to be sure of tread depth and that all four tires match exactly! It's a lot of fun, but be cool...there are still rules and a few cops around to keep you honest!

Chris

Well, as the others already mentioned, it all depends:

Most of the roads in Germany are well maintained "'Bundes- or Landstrassen" with a speed limit of 100km/h (62mph).
Furthermore, some of these "Bundesstrassen" are so called "Schnellstrassen" (blue sign with a white car on it) where you may go 120km/h (74mph). Those "Schnellstrassen" often have two lanes in each direction.
Around urban areas or at crossways, the speed often is limited at 70 or 80km/h (43/50mph) on those roads.

In towns- a town begins at the yellow sign indicating its name- it is 50 km/h (30mph).
In some residential areas in towns, there s a speed limit of 30km/h (19mph)- thank God there s not so many of them- whenever you re entering such a "Zone 30", there will be a sign or some road marking.

On the Autobahn, there generally is no speed limit. So if there s no sign, you may drive as fast as you want if the traffic and the weather allow it- there only is a "speed recommendation" of 130/110km/h (blue sign: Richtgeschwindigkeit).
Despite that fact, on many Autobahnen-especially around big agglomerations- the speed is limited to 130 or 120km/h. In Northern Germany, you can see that much more often than in the South or East.

By the way, in comparison to other European countries, there definitely aren t so many radar controls. For instance in France, Austria, the Netherlands, United Kingdom or Switzerland there are far more- especially on the freeways there.
In Germany, the speed is more often controled in urban areas or in towns.
A fine for speeding will also cost you much less than in most of the other European countries (20km/h above the speed limit will cost you about 30-50â‚¬ whilst it ll cost you at least 150 francs in Switzerland or 140â‚¬ in Belgium).
The thing they control much more often on German Autobahnen than in all other European countries is the distance between two cars and there recently has been a campaign against those who always drive on the left or the middle lane (that blocks the other drivers).

Anyway, driving in Germany still is fun if you re not living in one of the big agglomerations (the Ruhr region sucks)- I think the greatest thing besides the Autobahn still are those well maintained "Landstrassen", especially when they re curvy (you can find a lot of them in Bavaria).

Okole

on the Autobahn (German Highway) it is whatever you feel comfortable driving. Im not sure how many highways they have like this, but for other side roads and streets the limits will be posted much like where ever you live.