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Hi

Am landing in Munich in the third week of May. Was looking at renting a SUV for about 10 days. Is it better to do it online or visit the rental counters there

thanks

I have got the opportunity to ride around in Germany on my colleagues BMW G650GS, Can anyone let me know if I can ride a motor bike in Germany with an valid Indian national driving licence.

Yes, you can as long as the Indian DL allows you to do so. Fact is, in Germany, Motorcyclists have a separate License but you can use your Indian License for 6 months both for 2 and 4 wheelers and then incase required get an extension for another 6 months at an extra cost of ~5o euros.

So enjoy and have fun.

Well, before you rent a Car, I am sure you would have gone through the driving rules which are far more stricter than elsewhere.

Anyways, You dont have to do it online, all major airports here have counters of EuropeCar, sixt, Avis or Hertz to say the least and IMO EuropeCar is the best. So just go to any one of them and get whichever car you want.

Sorry: The OP was way too old for a reply. pls ignore.

Any idea if one can get his license renewed while on a business visa? had a DL from Germany, but exchanged it for a Canadian one while I was in Canada. Now would it be possible to exchange the Canadian one while I'm in DE on a business visit? would be staying at least for 2 weeks each time I visit.

Any pointers appreciated, thanks.

AFAIK, It doesn't matter which type of Visa you are holding, You are still allowed to drive with your IDL for 6 months.

Check this website for which country/state visa are allowed for an exchange with a German DL. You might get your answer.

HowToGermany.com

--Shiv

Hello everyone,

I am planning to visit my sister who lives in Bad Berka, Thuringia, Germany. I have a valid India driving license but plan on getting an IDP too, just in case someone demands it. I have a few questions -

• Bad Berka is a small place and a cab ride from Frankfurt/Munich is far more expensive than renting a car from the airport. My apprehension is whether it is okay to start driving right away or should I wait a day or two to get familiar with the roads, road signs and the general system.
  
• Is there a place where I can get a quick crash course of sorts about driving in Germany?
  
• Has anyone tried renting cars from Turo?
  
• Which rental companies have complete damage waivers? The ones where they don't charge you for the damage done as well as for the loss of revenue for the amount of time the vehicle is down for repairs if you have paid for the waiver/insurance?

Thankyou

I would wait a day or two. You could try a local driving school instructor who knows English and take 3-4 hours of tuition.

All the rental companies have waivers but they cost as much as the rental.

Pick up a policy from
https://www.worldwideinsure.com/car-...-insurance.php

It will cost less. You will need to initially pay and also get the repair invoices and submit for reimbursement. I have no idea how good they are though

Quick question - Have you driven in the US? If yes, I believe you need not have any apprehension on driving in Germany.

But, I would recommend you to go through the traffic signs, rules etc before you land in Germany.

I started driving on the second day of my arrival. My BIL drove an X4 from Frankfurt Airport to Paderborn. So, I quickly grasped the traffic manners/signs during the drive.

On the second day, I drove from Paderborn to Paris. :)

Also, I would recommend you to check SIXT for car rentals. They offered us a nice deal with full insurance for a 10 day trip.

No, I have not driven in the US or anywhere outside of India for that matter. Hence, the apprehension to start driving straight from the airport.
I have started learning the road signs and rules online.

I will check them out, however I plan on renting a car for a month. I read somewhere that a short term lease is also a good option if one plans to rent a car for longer than 3 weeks. Any idea about those?

Thankyou

Hi Abhishek, so how did it finally go? Did you end up driving?
Actually I知 in a similar fix/dilemma. I知 about to go on a business trip which requires me to travel from Frankfurt to Munich to Augsburg and to Hamburg. Whoever of my clients I speak to, simply tell me to get a car on rent, I even told them I知 used to right hand drive cars, they just didn稚 think that it matters.
Can anyone please advise, what to do? I drive about 3k kms a month on Indian roads, both city and highways, I知 always a strict adherer to traffic and other rules. Should I drive in Germany?

Are you familiar with the traffic rules followed? And general driving etiquette? Are you going alone or colleagues for company?

If colleagues are accompanying maybe worth taking the risk, as there could be people helping with navigation.

The questions you have raised makes me feel you are not confident enough, maybe next time around if you are alone. But atleast try to get familiar on a shorter ride so that next time you could drive.

Short answer: NO, you should NOT drive in Germany if this is your first time driving in Europe.
Long response: If the answer to any of the following is yes, please DO NOT drive in Germany: 1) In India, have you ever overtaken anyone from the left (irrespective of city/highway road); 2) Have you ever exceeded the speed limit?;
If the answer to any of the following is NO, you must not drive in Germany: 1) Do you stop for pedestrians at 'zebra' crossings?; 2) Do you know who has right of way at roundabouts?; 3) Do you know who has right of way on roads that have tramways or special 'bus' lanes? The fines would simply be too much if you breach any of the above three scenarios.
Inter-city public transport in Germany is very good, please consider those. Trains/buses are efficient and mostly on time. Locally too, most places have decent-to-good public transport, taxis are only if you really to need to save time.
Lane discipline is not a 'choice' when you are driving in Germany, whatever the speed.
Drive safe and drive smart, or use public transport.

Yes, I am familiar with traffic rules & etiquettes. Also, a colleague will accompany me for the initial couple of days, so hopefully that will help and both of us can drive.

All your long points were answered by me (in my head) in favour of driving in Germany. :coldsweat Lets see. I still prefer public transport, but it will cause a shortage of time and hauling luggage a pain.

Hi All -

Some wonderful inputs in this thread.

My wife and I are planning a self-drive trip across Bavaria in early October. Would really appreciate we could get on the below questions:

1) License Book: I have a book license (License book and not a card) - It has Roman letters but looks very "third world". Would that cause any problems while renting a car?
2) The online vs. at the airport: We land in Frankfurt at 8 PM and if we are unable to find a ride, it would be a panic situation at hand.
2.a) Would you advise booking online?
2.b) If yes, any website where one can get a good deal.
2.c) If no, given that this is the October fest season, any risk you see?
3) Car company: There are many rental car companies. The price difference between them is mindblowing. Any car company that is most cost-effective?
4) Beware: Anything to watch out for while renting cars in Germany? (Hidden costs etc)

Thank you for your guidance.