The Autobahn

The German Autobahn, has taken on an almost legendary mystique. The reality is a little different than the legend. The myth of no speed limits is countered by the fact that Tempolimits are a fact of life on most of Germany's highways, and traffic jams are common. Signs suggesting a recommended speed limit of 130 km/h (80 mph) are posted along most autobahns, while urban sections and a few dangerous stretches sometimes have posted speed limits as “low” as 100 km/h (62 mph). The fact is that Germany's autobahn system is an extensive network of limited-access freeways that can usually provide a driver with a speedy route from city to city.

An autobahn sign in Germany. Road signs in Europe, unlike those in the U.S., give directions by city rather than north, south, east, or west. This stretch of A5 (Autobahn 5) near Heidelberg has a sign indicating we are headed for the Autobahnkreuz (interchange) for Heidelberg. To navigate, you need to know the next large town or city on your route. PHOTO © Hyde Flippo

Within six years after the completion of the first Cologne-Bonn autobahn in 1932, Germany added 3,000 kilometers (1,860 miles) of super highway to its road network. Although Hitler has often been given credit for the autobahn, the real precursors were the Avus experimental highway in Berlin (built between 1913 and 1921) and Italy's 130-kilometer autostrada tollway between Milan and the northern Italian lakes (completed in 1923). Although Germany’s depressed economy and hyperinflation of the late 1920s prevented plans for new autobahns from being carried out at the time, many miles of roadway were built during the time of the Third Reich. Hitler saw the construction of autobahns primarily as a military advantage; its benefit as a job-creation program in the 1930s was an added plus.

Checking your rearview mirror is essential on the autobahn! Drivers quickly learn the importance of looking in the rearview mirror before passing (on the left only!). At speeds of 130km/h (80 mph) and up, cars can suddenly appear out of nowhere. PHOTO © Hyde Flippo

Today's German autobahn system stretches 11,000 km (6,800 miles) across most parts of unified Germany. Plans to increase the number and length of autobahns and other highways have often met with citizen opposition on ecological grounds. One of the latest, a new stretch along the Baltic coast in northern Germany, has been surrounded by controversy by those concerned with quality-of-life issues versus those who see economic benefits for the eastern German region.

Austria also has an autobahn network, with some mountainous portions being built as toll (Maut) highways by public companies. Austria has a speed limit on its autobahns of 130 km/h (80 mph).

Extra: Die Autobahnpickerl

Austria and Switzerland charge drivers a toll for the use of their autobahns. Both countries use a “Vignette” (autobahn sticker) that must be displayed on a car’s windshield. But the two countries don't have the same fees or system. Learn more on the next page...

NEXT > Driving on the Austrian autobahn

Book excerpt ©1997 McGraw-Hill/Passport Books

Related Pages

ON THIS SITE

• The Autobahn - Part 2 - Autobahn tolls
• Driving in Germany (with links)
• Police (with links to German and Austrian police Web sites!)
• The Autobahnpolizei, the German “highway patrol”

ON THE WEB

• AutobahnRun.com - The June 2005 "Autobahn Run" invites your participation! (English or German)
• The Autobahn - From the “Texas HighwayMan” (Brian Purcell)
• Autobahn online - A very good German site about the autobahn
• Arbeitsgemeinschaft Autobahngeschichte - The history of the autobahn from a German association
• Auto Club Links for Austria, Germany, Switzerland:
• ADAC - The main German autombile club
• AvD - Another German autombile club
• ÖAMTC - The main Austrian autombile club
• EUAC - The "other" Austrian autombile club
• ACS - Switzerland
• Autobahngebühr - European autobahn tolls/fees (KFZ-Auskunft - in German)

NEXT > Driving on the Austrian autobahn