Advice for a driving holiday in Germany

Whether you are driving, cycling or walking throughout Germany there are a number of rules and regulations you need to take into consideration. Yes, because it is Germany after all.

First rule is, bikes rule. But it's not the lycra clad fanatics who travel in packs and fight angry truckers for road space. In Germany with flat roads, bike lanes, and even special bike traffic lights, it's the best way for locals and tourists to get around.

Hiring bikes or even piking one up cheap at the markets to use during your stay, is common for travellers. Make sure you always lock up your bike - if you don't it's likely to get stolen, and the next time you'll see it is back at the markets being sold to someone else.

If you do hop on a bike, know that helmets are optional but recommended. Obviously it's better to be safe than sorry, especially when travelling on unfamiliar roads, but if you don't, you won't get fined. What you will be fined for is not having lights on your bike at night. Police patrol this very heavily - not only will it hurt your pocket, roads can be poorly lit, so you need them.

As many of the bike lanes are on footpaths rather than on the roads, it's easy to think it's ok to ride in the opposite direction to traffic flow - especially when roads are wide and it's inconvenient to cross over. But if you find yourself playing chicken with a local, and you're the one travelling in the wrong direction, you're not going to win.

Other than that, like most places, road rules that apply to motorists also apply to cyclists. So stop at stop signs, signal when turning, and give way to emergency vehicles.

If bikes aren't your thing, as a pedestrian you still need to be very aware of them. Be careful you're not walking on what you think is a nicely paved footpath, which is in fact a bike lane. If you do step in bike territory you will get run down.

Pedestrians also need to take j-walking seriously. One thing you are bound to notice is that in Germany nobody disobeys the green man at crossings. There's no eager pedestrian who starts edging out onto the road, because they know in half a second you'll be able to go. Cars whiz around corners at high speeds, and the timing of the lights at some major intersections tends to be a bit off. Not only is it a safety precaution, once again police are on the lookout, some even hiding nearby just to catch inpatient pedestrians.

If you're someone who lives life in the fast lane, you will want to experience Germany's infamous Autobahn. Described by many as "the ultimate driving experience," you are faced with a 12,200 km motorway, the third largest in the world, which gives you speedy access to most German cites.

Myth has it that fast drivers have the freedom of a speed limitless drive, with cars hooning by on a 20 lane superhighway. This isn't quite the reality. Around 55% of the motorway is subject to conditional limits, with a recommended maximum speed of 130km/h.

It's illegal to stop unnecessarily on the Autobahn, so make sure you have plenty of fuel. If you do run out of fuel and have to stop, this is seen as preventable. If you have a breakdown or accident, move to the shoulder, if possible and place a warning triangle 200 meters behind the scene.

Also, forget about riding a bike on the Autobahn, it's illegal. So is riding mopeds and anything else with a maximum speed of 60km/h or less. That includes pedestrians.

The minimum driving age in Germany is 17, and you will be able to use a valid licence from your country of origin, at least for a little while. You can drive on an international licence for six months starting from when you first arrived in the country. After that you will have to deal with a lot of tests and paper work to transfer to a Fuehrerscheine.

Right there. When you're in need.

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