Trains
By far the best means of
public transport in
Germany is the train.
The rail network ,
operated by the
privatized national
company Deutsche Bahn (DB;
www.bahn.de ) - formed
in 1994 from the union
of the old West and East
German...
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Buses
At such rare times as
you have to forsake the
trains for buses ,
you'll find no decline
in the standard of
efficiency. Most buses
are run in association
with DB and are known as
Bahnbusse. They're
organized into regional
associations, which...
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Boats
Travelling by boat is
another option, though
more for relaxation than
covering large distances.
All along the major
rivers, and in
particular the Rhine and
Mosel , there are
innumerable local boats
waiting to ferry you...
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Municipal public
transport
Municipal public
transport in most German
cities (though western
Berlin and Hamburg are
notable exceptions) is
still centred on trams .
Increasingly, these are
sleek modern vehicles
capable of moving at a
fair speed between stops.
They often...
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Planes
While
domestic
flights are numerous
and quick between the
major cities, they are
also expensive. Single
fares are available in
business class only, and
are far more expensive
than the cheapest
returns, which include
Frankfurt-Berlin for
DM220/¬110, Frankfurt-Hamburg
for DM260/¬130. If
you're in a desperate
rush, it's worth trying
to obtain one of these
tickets, even if it
means destroying the
return portion. Student
and youth fares are 25
percent less than normal
rates. Any tourist
office or Lufthansa
agent will be able to
provide full details of
the current offers. If
you definitely want to
fly between German
cities and are starting
and finishing your
journey in the UK, it's
cheaper to book all the
flights together,
although this usually
means that dates of
travel cannot be changed.
The same applies for
travellers from North
America, Australia and
New Zealand.
Driving and vehicle
rental
Foreigners may drive in
Germany for one year
with a national or
international driving
licence (for more than a
year you must have a
German licence). At
least third-party
insurance is
mandatory (normal third-party
insurance in Britain
does not cover foreign
travel, although more
extensive policies do).
It's not necessary to
carry a green card, but
some other form of proof
of insurance is
essential.
Seatbelts are
compulsory for all
passengers as well as
the driver, and
children under 12
years must sit in the
back. Understanding
right of way can be
problematic: if no right
of way is indicated,
priority is always with
vehicles coming from the
right. In cities, be
aware that trams
always have the right of
way. Unfamiliarity with
the traffic system means
that unwary visiting
drivers are prone to cut
in front of turning
trams at junctions - a
frightening and
potentially lethal
error. Also, when trams
halt at their designated
stops it's forbidden to
overtake until the tram
starts moving, to allow
passengers time to cross
the road and board.
Germany's highways,
or Autobahnen ,
are the most extensive
and efficient network in
Europe, though those in
the north can sometimes
be only two lanes. Fuel
stations, roadside
restaurants and motels
are located every
30-40km, and every city
and virtually all the
towns are within simple
striking distance, using
equally high-quality
secondaryroads to link
them to the Autobahnen.
A huge amount of work
has been done in the
former GDR to bring its
road system up to
western standards,
though many minor routes
still remain in a poor
state of repair.
There are no legally
enforced speed limits
on the Autobahnen
although there is a
recommended limit of
130kmph. The official
speed limit on country
roads is 100kmph, and in
built-up areas 50kmph,
unless a lower figure is
indicated.
Note that there are
on-the-spot fines
for speeding and other
offences. For speeding
these are charged on a
sliding scale from about
DM20-50/¬10-25; after a
cut-off point of roughly
25km above the limit,
you're charged and taken
to court.
Mitfahrzentralen
As in most other
countries today, casual
hitching is not
recommended as a safe
method of getting around
Germany.
However, the Germans
have developed an
institutionalized form
of hitching called
Mitfahrzentralen ,
located in most large
cities and listed
throughout the Rough
Guide . (Beware that
their addresses and
phone numbers tend to
change rapidly, so it's
always worth checking
the local directory.)
These are agencies that
put drivers and
travellers in touch with
each other for a nominal
fee, and then it's up to
the participants to work
out an agreeable fuel
contribution, usually a
simple two-way split,
although the agency does
suggest a reasonable
sum. There's a valuable
safety factor in this
system, since all
drivers have to notify
the agencies of their
addresses and car
registration numbers.
There are also a few
women-only agencies
, known as
Frauenmitfahrzentralen
.
Cycling
Cyclists are well
catered for in Germany -
at least in comparison
with the UK, US or
Australia - though
sensibly they're banned
from the Autobahnen
. Many smaller roads
have marked cycle-paths,
and bike-only lanes are
a common sight in cities
and towns. Fairly
hassle-free
long-distance cycling
is possible all over the
country, but obviously
you'll need a strong
pair of legs and a
sturdy, reliable machine
to get much joy out of
the Bavarian Alps. To
take your own bike on
a train , you need
to purchase a
Fahrrad-Karte
(bicycle ticket), which
costs DM6/¬3 for up to
100km, and DM12/¬6
otherwise. On express
services, you have to
take the bike to the
luggage van; on S-Bahn
and regional trains,
there are marked
carriages where cyclists
can stay with their
bikes.
Between April and
October, the best place
to rent a bike is
from a train station
participating in the
Fahrrad am Bahnhof
scheme (most of the main
stations), whereby a
bike costs from
DM10-20/¬5-10 per day.
You can return it to any
other participating
station and EuroDomino
or InterRail
card-holders get a 50
percent discount. This
is obviously perfect for
splitting train travel
with pedalling as and
when the mood, terrain
or weather takes you.
During the rest of the
year, or in an area
where there's no
suitable station, simply
look in the phone book
under Fahrradverleih
to find the address of a
local bike rental
outlet. Renting this
way, however, means
you'll have to leave a
deposit, usually around
DM50/¬25.
Walking and hiking
The German countryside
is laced with
colour-coded hiking
trails , most of
which are suitable for a
Sunday afternoon stroll,
though many trails are
actually sections of
much longer hikes. Very
few hikes pass through
remote or isolated areas
and there's always a
village, campsite or
youth hostel fairly
close by so you can make
a trek of just a few
hours or of several
days' duration without
much trouble. The best
of the trails are
described in the
Rough Guide and the
local tourist offices
have masses of
information and maps
( Wanderkarten )
relating to the walks in
their area. Because the
hikes are so easy, you
won't need any
specialist equipment,
but take a comfortable
day-pack for carrying
picnic provisions.
There are some
potential frustrations
, however. The
prevalence of trees in
all the scenic areas
(with the exception of
the Swabian Jura and the
upper reaches of the
Bavarian Alps) not only
means that you're only
occasionally rewarded
with long-range views,
but also ensures that
there's seldom much
chance to deviate from
the regimentation of the
marked paths. Don't let
this rigidity fool you
into skimping on proper
maps: at times the
trails can peter out or
become confused,
particularly when signs
have become weather-worn
or have been vandalized.
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