What is an insurance excess?

The excess is the amount you'll only be liable for in case of damage (under Collision Damage Waiver) or theft (under Theft Protection) of the vehicle. Information about the excess will be clearly stated in the price inclusion when you reserve a car on QEEQ.

How can I add an additional driver?

You are advised to make a request upon your arrival at the rental counter. Additional charge per day will incur unless '1 Additional Driver Included' is stipulated on the rental. Please note that the same licence and age requirement applies to the additional driver. The additional driver is supposed to present the required licence document along with the main driver at pickup.

Germany traffic rules and self driving car rental tips

The Complete Germany Driving and Rental Guide

Whether for leisure or daily use, driving is very popular in Germany, which is said to feature the most well-established and fast Autobahns. However, not all motorways in Germany have unlimited speed restrictions. You are allowed to drive as fast as the circumstances allows on 50% of the motorways, while for the other half are limited from 80 to 130 km/h, which are enforced.

Speed Limit and Traffic Signs

Driving in Germany is on the right side of the road. On Autobahns, one must take the right lane and overtake from the left.

Speed Limit

There is a speed limit of 50 km/h in rural areas and 100 km/h in built-up areas. Recommended maximum speed on motorways is 130 km/h.

Traffic Signs

German traffic signs can be classified into 4 types: regulatory, warning, information and direction signs.

Warning Signs

Warning signs are in red triangle shape with a few exceptions.

Bumpy Road

Level Crossing

Pedestrians

Children Crossing

Wild Animals Crossing

Regulatory Signs

German regulatory signs mostly feature circular shape with a red border, with some exceptions.

Give Way

Stop and Give Way

No U-Turn

No Overtaking

No Passenger Car

Information Signs

Information signs normally feature a square shape as well as blue background, with some other exceptions.

First Aid or Hospital

Car Park, Parking Garage

Toll Road

Stop-Customs

Direction Signs

German direction signs mostly feature a blue or yellow background and markings with location signs, route number information and distance.

Motorway Junction Sign to Service Area

Signpost at Junction Leading Onto a Minor Road

Diversion Sign

End of Diversion

Take a further step to read more useful information regarding Germany traffic signs here.

Seatbelt and Child Safety

Seatbelt Laws

The driver and all passengers are required by law to wear seatbelts if the car is underway. Failing to do so will incur an on-the-spot fine of €30.

Booster Seat Laws

Children over 150cm tall can sit in the front of the car. Younger ones will require appropriate restraints in the rear. Note that a baby must be seated in a baby seat facing backwards in the front passenger seat, and the front airbag must be disabled. If the child seat is not set properly, a fine of €60 will be imposed.

Parking, Fuel and Toll

Parking

· Permitted Parking

Drivers are allowed to park when a “Parkschein” can be found, and can pay the related parking fee to a parking machine. Insert coins to pay for the amount of time you wish to keep your parking spot. then place your ticket on the car’s dashboard in plain sight.

Germany Parking Machine Sign (Image from hiveminer.com)

· Permitted Parking

In Germany, you are considered "parked" if you leave your vehicle or if you stop/stand for longer than 3 minutes, unless you are actively boarding or discharging passengers or loading/unloading cargo.

You may not park in the following spots:

- Within 5 metres on either side of an intersection

- In front of driveway entrances or exits, or on the opposite side of the street

- If the roadway is too narrow to allow vehicles to enter or exit the driveway

- If parking will obstruct the use of marked parking places

- Within 15 metres on either side of a bus or streetcar stop marked with a green H-sign with yellow background

Germany_Traffic_Sign_Bus_or_Tram_Stop_15m_Parking_Prohibition_Prior_to_And_Behind_This_Sign_30m_Altogether

- Within 50 metres on either side of a white X-sign with red poles when outside of urban areas or within 5 metres when inside an urban area

Germany_Traffic_Sign_X_Sign_Give_Priority_to_Rail_Transport

- On a priority road outside of urban areas

- In front of a curb-cut or wheelchair ramp

- Adjacent to a traffic island or median

- On the street side of another parked vehicle ("double parked")

- On a marked bike lane - Anywhere there is a “No Parking” sign on the same side of the street

Germany_Traffic_Sign_No_Parking

Parking in forbidden areas will result in a parking fine that generally ranges from €5 to €25.

Fuel Prices

The average value for Germany gasoline price is €1.39 in January 2018 while diesel is €1.16.

Toll

Unlike trucks, passenger car can drive the Autobahn without toll fee.

However, cross a border into neighbouring countries such as Austria, Switzerland and Czech Republic will require purchasing a vignette that should be stuck on the car’s windshield. Make sure you let the car hire company know if you are planning to drive your vehicle outside Germany, and double-check at the counter whether the rented vehicle features the relevant vignette.

Traffic Violation

DUI Laws

Drivers with more than 2 years' experience are charged with a fine if found driving with 0.05% BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) or with 0.03% in conjunction with any other traffic offences or accidents.

Traffic Fines

There are traffic signs indicating a speed limit at many street sections. Drivers who are speeding in Germany may be caught by a speed trap and the fine ranges from €15 to €680 in town and €10 to €600 outside towns.

Germany Speed Trap （Image from ksta.de)

Travellers renting a car in Germany may receive billing details from their credit cards indicating that a certain amount has been debited, mainly because they have been found guilty of speed driving or prohibited parking. You can always contact QEEQ' 24/7 customer service team for clarifications on such cases.

Driving Licence and Age Requirements

Foreigners on short-term visit may rent a car and drive with a valid foreign driving licence for up to 6 months in Germany. All licences issued by the European Union are accepted. To drive in Germany, the driver must present a valid national driving licence that has been held for at least 1 or 2 years (according to different car hire companies).

You must be at least 18 years old to hire a car in Germany, and age may vary by car category.

Guest reviews

1 /

Anonymous

August 2, 2026

Destination: Hamburg

8Very good

It was okay overall

Destination: Frankfurt

10Excellent

It was okay overall, the whole process is pretty unmanned and mostly self-service.

July 31, 2026

Destination: Dusseldorf

Rented a BYD hybrid wagon in Germany this time – solid chassis, smooth acceleration, overall a great drive and ride. Service was generally good too. Little tip for anyone renting: when you pick up the car, make sure you specifically ask the staff for the blue parking permit card!

July 30, 2026

Destination: Berlin

Staff were super friendly, explained everything really clearly, and got things done fast.

July 28, 2026

Destination: Munich

Awesome experience – super efficient and really fast, plus it wasn’t crowded at all!

July 26, 2026

This rental company’s pretty decent. They’ll try to upsell you on upgrades, but you can just decline and it’s no big deal.

July 21, 2026

Destination: Erlangen

Pickup and swap went really smoothly.

July 15, 2026

We did a full Germany road trip this time, picking up a 9-seater Nissan van in Munich and driving all the way through the GP villages, Zugspitze, Neuschwanstein Castle, Füssen, Lake Mummelsee in the Black Forest, Metzingen, Stuttgart, and finally dropping the car off in Frankfurt. For such a long journey, this 9-seater was rock solid—super stable, really spacious, and even with a full group plus all our luggage, we never felt cramped. Being a diesel, it handled the German autobahn and mountain curves with smooth, reliable power. Everything was arranged through the rental platform: pickup and return were straightforward, the process was clear, and there were no hidden fees at all, which made driving in a foreign country feel really stress-free. The whole trip felt perfect—exploring all the famous spots in Southern Germany at our own pace was incredibly easy and flexible, so much more freedom than relying on public transport. Next time we come back to Germany, we’ll definitely choose QEEQ for self-driving again. Highly recommend a 9-seater MPV if you’re traveling with a group!

We did a self-drive trip all across Germany, picking up a 9-seater Nissan in Munich and driving ourselves through small GP towns, Zugspitze, Neuschwanstein, Füssen, Lake Mummelsee in the Black Forest, Metzingen, Stuttgart, and finally returning the car in Frankfurt. For such a long journey, this 9-seater was rock solid – super spacious, perfect for a group with all our luggage and never felt cramped. Being a diesel, it handled German autobahns and mountain curves really smoothly and reliably.
We relied entirely on the rental platform’s arrangements and everything was straightforward: pick-up and drop-off procedures were clear and simple, no hidden charges at all, which made driving abroad really stress-free. The whole trip was an amazing experience – we got to explore all the major sights in southern Germany at our own pace, with way more freedom than public transport could offer. Next time we come back to Germany, we’ll definitely choose QEEQ for self-drive again. Highly recommend a 9-seater MPV for friends traveling together in Germany!

Super easy process for both pickup and return.

Awesome experience overall.

Really great

July 14, 2026

Really efficient service and no annoying pushy insurance sales.

July 13, 2026

Really good!

July 12, 2026

Got a diesel car and had to top up the AdBlue on the way. The rental company quickly agreed to reimburse me, now just waiting for it to hit my account.

July 7, 2026

The whole process was smooth and picking up the car was really easy.

July 6, 2026

Super fast pickup process.

July 5, 2026

Destination: Cologne

Absolutely delighted with the whole experience.

July 4, 2026

The staff were super friendly. They saw I had a lot of luggage and offered a free upgrade, and even handed me some candy.

June 30, 2026

They actually gave me a nicer car than the one I booked, didn’t charge me anything extra, and didn’t try to push any add-on insurance. Pickup and drop-off were at convenient locations and everything was quick and easy. The car was in great condition and drove really well. Overall, I was very happy with the whole experience.

Really good overall.

June 26, 2026

Super satisfied, the whole drive was a blast.

June 25, 2026

The front desk staff at Alamo were really nice, and both agents who helped us were very friendly and welcoming.

June 24, 2026

The store was easy to spot with clear signs, and the service was fast and efficient. Overall, I’m really satisfied.

June 23, 2026

Very satisfied

Service was great. I booked the car pretty late so they couldn’t get the model I wanted in time, but they were really proactive in helping me sort it out and in the end I just paid the difference and switched to another model.

June 22, 2026

The guy at the rental counter spoke great English and was really patient and helpful.

June 21, 2026

Really happy with the whole experience. When we picked up the car we added an extra driver, and they gave us a good deal—just an extra 10€ to upgrade to a better car. The vehicle was pretty big, so it was super convenient for all our luggage. We drove ourselves for 10 days and everything felt great from start to finish.

June 20, 2026

June 14, 2026

Great service

Booked Budget on the platform. The lady at the counter was super efficient and explained everything really clearly, both for pickup and return. The car itself was in good condition.

June 12, 2026

Super convenient, they refunded my deposit in just about half an hour.

June 9, 2026

Had a pretty good experience overall. As long as you show up at your booked time, everything goes smoothly.

Really good, the car’s got plenty of power.

June 8, 2026

Pretty good overall.

May 29, 2026

May 17, 2026

The whole rental process was smooth and hassle-free, and they didn’t try to upsell anything extra.

May 14, 2026

Really good experience. The Alamo counter at Munich Airport was excellent—super efficient and the staff were friendly and helpful. Check-in and paperwork were handled really fast. They’d run out of the VW Passat I originally booked, so I paid a bit extra to upgrade to a 5 Series Touring. Totally worth it, it drove great.

May 12, 2026

Great customer service, and the staff all speak good English.

May 11, 2026

Overall it was fine, nothing to complain about.

Their pickup process is pretty advanced and efficient, so you don’t have to wait long at all.

Pretty good overall—the car was fairly new and it was really convenient to use.

Returned the car with a full tank but still got charged for fuel. Had to follow up afterwards to get the refund sorted out.

May 10, 2026

Super satisfied with everything.

Super efficient.

May 5, 2026

May 2, 2026

Great service at the Munich North branch. They noticed it was my first time upgrading and gave me a free upgrade on the car. Loved it!

April 29, 2026

Super satisfied with the whole experience.

Super happy with the whole experience – the staff didn’t try to push any extra insurance, the deposit was refunded quickly, and everything went really smoothly. I’ll definitely use this platform again next time.

Germany Car Rentals