Driving with “Low Emission” Sticker in Berlin

Berlin is the largest city in Germany and one of the 16 states (Länder) of the Federal Republic of Germany. All main roads and motorways join the Berliner Ring, or the A10, from which you can access the inner city. The city motorway is usually very crowded during rush hour. Travelers, who do not like to be affected on individual mobility and do like to explore Berlin by car, will be surprised in a pleasant way. Compared to other large cities Berlin emerges as a comparatively car friendly town. Although there are traffic jams during rush-hour, the streets of Berlin are not too busy and well drivable. As of January 1, 2008, Berlin requires all cars to have a "Low Emissions" sticker in order to enter the city center (Low Emission Zone, "Umweltzone"). Information on obtaining a sticker (which must be done at least several weeks in advance) is available here.

High-speed vehicular traffic has a long tradition in Germany given that the first motorway in the world - Autobahn, the AVUS, and the world's first automobile were developed and built in Germany. Germany possesses one of the most dense road systems of the world. German motorways have no blanket speed limit. However, posted limits are in place on many dangerous or congested stretches as well as where traffic noise or pollution poses a problem. In many areas of Berlin you need to purchase parking tickets. Parking between 9 am and 6 pm or 8 pm is liable for costs in most inner city areas, whereas in certain parking zones this period is extended until midnight, e.g. the area around Rosenthaler Strasse. A big advantage of these parking zones is that - compared to other huge cities - it will be quite easy for you to find a parking space in Berlin's city centre. Numerous parking places and parking blocks also do facilitate car parking.

The national roads in Germany are called Bundesstraßen (means, federal road). A Bundesstraße is often referred to as "B" followed by its number, for example "B 1", one of the main east-west routes. More important routes have lower numbers. Odd numbers are usually applied to east-west oriented roads, and even numbers for north-south routes. Bypass routes are referred to with an appended "a" (alternative) or "n" (new alignment), as in "B 56n". Other main public roads are maintained by the Bundesländer (states), called Landesstraße (country road) or Staatsstraße (state road). The numbers of these roads are prefixed with "L", "S" or "St", but are usually not seen on direction signs or written in maps. They appear on the kilometers posts on the roadside. Numbers are unique only within one state. Meanwhile traveling in Germany, you can stay in four of Germany's major cities hotels, Berlin Hotels, Frankfurt Hotels, Köln Hotels and Munich Hotels.