Germany
has the world's second largest road system (after the US.) There are 636,000km
of roads with over 221,000km of this total being trunk roads and highways. These
roads carry a huge and growing volume of traffic. In 1990, there were over 42
million registered vehicles, up from 32 million in 1986 and 19 million in 1950.
In addition, Germany serves as the crossroads of Europe funneling much of the
continent's east-west and north-south traffic.
(Left: Typical rural road.)
You will find that the roads in Germany
are well engineered and maintained; rarely will you find a pothole, and snow
removal is almost instantaneous. Signage is uniform and comprehensive. To put it
succinctly, Germany's roads leave little to be desired.
One note about the road system: most of
the roads in the former East Germany have now been rebuilt or upgraded from
their previously dilapidated condition. Unfortunately, the expense of doing this
has resulted in delays in maintenance and expansion of roads in the west. Still,
the overall quality of the road system is excellent.
Germany has a hierarchical road system
ranging from unpaved forest paths to the world-renown Autobahn. Here is a brief
description of the road types in Germany.
- Forest/country
lanes (Waldweg, Feldweg):
Paved and unpaved one-lane
roads. These are in generally good repair. Forest lanes are usually
restricted with access controlled by a barrier.
- City streets
(Straße):
All town and city streets are paved, sometimes with cobblestones. Generally
in good repair. Frequently narrow with tight corners, but usually with
enough room for two cars to pass. Usually named (although signs may be hard
to find at times). Variable traffic.
- Community
Link roads (Gemeindeverbindungsstraße):
Somewhat narrow two-lane roads connecting villages and smaller towns.
Usually well-maintained. Light traffic.
- County roads
(Kreisstraße):
Somewhat narrow two-lane roads connecting small and medium-sized towns.
These roads have official numbers which start with a "K" or
possibly the county code. Sometimes these numbers may appear on guide signs,
but usually not. Universally well-maintained. Light to moderate traffic.
- State roads
(Landstraße or Staatsstraße):
Very similar to County roads.
Usually connect larger towns. Again, these roads have official numbers (usually
four digits) starting with an "L" or "St", but these
numbers do not appear on signs. Universally well-maintained. Moderate to
heavy traffic.
- Federal
roads (Bundesstraße): Somewhat
larger and usually significantly busier than State and County roads. The
routes are numbered with "B" numbers (i.e. B35) and marked with
signs. These roads are usually two lanes but frequently, especially in
metropolitan areas, these roads are upgraded to 4 or 6 lane expressways (Kraftfahrstraße,
Schnellstraße), or so-called "Autobahn-similar" (Autobahnähnlich)
roads, marked with
signs. Federal roads connect large towns and cities and tourist areas.
Usually equipped with emergency phones at 5-10 km intervals. Universally
well-maintained. Generally heavy traffic.
- Motorways (Autobahn):
See my special Autobahn
page.
- European
Highways (Europastraße):
These aren't separate roads,
but rather are codesignated with other highways, usually Autobahns. The
European Highway System, with routes designated with an "E",
provides for continuous numbering between countries. For example, near
Saarbrücken, the German A6 crosses into France and becomes France's A32.
However, both roads carry the E50 designation making it easy for
international travelers to follow the route. European Highways are marked
with this sign:
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© This page and all of
its contents are Copyright 2002 by Brian K. Purcell
NOTICE: The information
contained on this site is provided "as-is". Although I make reasonable
efforts to keep it updated, I make no guarantee regarding accuracy and assume no
responsibility for inconveniences or other issues arising from its use. All
opinions expressed are strictly my own.