How to Drive the Autobahn

The German autobahn is thought by some to be the ideal place to drive, with no speed limits and wide open roads. However, the autobahn can be intimidating for those who have not driven it before. As someone who has taken on the autobahn and actually enjoyed driving it, here are some tips before getting on the road (and no, you won't have to prepare yourself for driving the autobahn by driving luxury cars on a test track).

First, autobahn is the German road for highway and can be used to refer to roads in any country, but for the intent of this conversation, we'll assume that the autobahn refers to highways in Germany. As previously stated, there is no set speed limit for the autobahn, so drivers can go at whatever set speed they choose. However, this doesn't mean that you can drive however you please on the autobahn. The trick is to drive in the right ("slow") lane whenever you are driving the autobahn at a "slower" speed, such as 130 kph (or 80 mph).

Only use the left ("passing") lane of the autobahn when actually passing a car and make sure to pass as quickly as possible. Failure to pass quickly or not maintain a speed of 160 kph or higher while in the left lane of the autobahn will give the cars behind you an excuse to ride your bumper until you move into the right lane. Believe me, if you don't move quickly enough to the right lane when passing, the cars behind you will get so close to your bumper that you will sure that they will hit you, so this is a rule that you won't easily forget.

These rules may seem intimidating, but they actually make driving the autobahn quite easy, unlike the U.S. where slow drivers can and will decide to pick whichever lane suits them. Speed demons who enjoy driving at speeds above and beyond 160 kph (100 mph) may decide to stay in the left lane for a longer period of time as long as they don't encounter a faster car behind them, while slower cars can easily travel the autobahn by remaining in the right lane. One more note: if you do intend to drive the autobahn in Germany and don't drive a stick shift, make sure to specifically ask for an automatic transmission when making your rental car reservation since the majority of cars in Germany are stick shift.