Driving in Germany
Cars pay nothing on German roads, Autobahn included — the toll only applies to trucks. The catch is the Umweltzone: 36 cities require a green Umweltplakette sticker just to enter, vignette or not.
Rules current as of September 2026 — verify before you go.
Before you cross
2 checks- Tolls
- None for cars
- Winter tires
- Whenever conditions are wintry
- Emissions zone
- 36 cities need Umweltplakette
- Highway limit
- No general limit (rec. 130)
Tolls
1 ruleNo toll or vignette for passenger cars, campers under 7.5t, or motorcycles, on any road including the Autobahn.
Germany's Lkw-Maut toll system applies only to trucks over 7.5t — nothing to buy for a normal trip car.
Low-emission zones
2 rules · 2 fine risks36 cities — including Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, Cologne, Stuttgart, Frankfurt — require the green Umweltplakette sticker to enter, regardless of what you drove to get there.
Red and yellow stickers stopped being valid anywhere; only green (Schadstoffgruppe 4) is accepted now.
Driving in an Umweltzone without the sticker: €100 fine.
Enforcement is by camera and roadside checks, not just spot stops.
Equipment
1 ruleWinter tires (3PMSF-marked) required whenever conditions are wintry — ice, snow, or slush — not on fixed dates.
Since October 2024 the old M+S-only marking no longer satisfies the law by itself; the mountain-snowflake symbol is what's checked.
Speed limits
km/hAbout 70% of the Autobahn has no general limit — 130 km/h is the recommended (not enforced) speed there. Signed stretches run 100–130 km/h.
Unrestricted sections are still governed by a duty to drive at a speed you can safely stop within — not a free-for-all.
- 100Rural roads
- 50built-up areas
Emergency
Tap to callUse if you already know it's a police matter, not medical or fire.
You won't need to remember any of this.
Routebook flags these rules on any day your route crosses into Germany — right on the day it matters, no separate check.
Plan a trip through Germany