Transport & Getting Around
The main arrival and departure points in Germany are Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich and Dusseldorf. All of these airports service international flights. Berlin Schonefeld (www.berlin-airport.de) is the preferred airport for low-cost airlines, with companies such as Ryanair, Easyjet, Air Berlin and Germanwings servicing destinations throughout Europe. From the US, Lufthansa, United Airlines, Air Canada and Delta Air Lines have the most frequent flights.
Long-distance trains between major German cities and other countries are called EuroCity (EC) trains. The main German hubs with the best connections to and from major European cities include Hamburg (Scandinavia); Cologne (France, Belgium, Netherlands, and London via Eurostar); Munich (southern and southeastern Europe); and Berlin (Eastern Europe).
Frankfurt-am-Main has the widest range of international connections but not always the quickest.
Generally, the longer international routes are served by at least one day train and often a night train as well. Many night trains only carry sleeping cars, which cost more but are considerably more comfortable than a standard compartment.
Germany is serviced by an excellent autobahn (motorway) system. If you’re coming from the UK, the quickest option is via the Channel Tunnel; ferries take longer but are cheaper. Either way, you can be in Germany in three hours after arriving in France. Unless otherwise posted, the recommended driving speed on the autobahn is 130km/hr (approx. 80mph).
Driving in Germany is in the right hand lane and international signs such as ‘stop’ or ‘yield’ are used. One major difference is,in Germany, drivers give way to traffic on their right, unless they are on a ‘priority’ road, signaled by a yellow diamond sign. In most western countries, this is in reverse.
With Germany’s long tradition of car manufacturing, it’s also adds some fun to the trip and you can even visit some vintage motoring museums or manufacturing plants on route. Germany produces some of the biggest car brands in the business including AUDI, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Opel, Porsche and Volkswagen.
Athough hiring a vehicle can be a great way to tour the country, it can be expensive. For information, contact the Munich-based Allgemeiner Automobil Club (ADAC; 089 767 60); it has offices in all major cities and a national breakdown service.
