Car rental in Berlin

If you have violated any traffic regulation in Berlin, please note that refusing to pay the penalty on the spot can lead to more serious consequences – after the police applies to the court, you will be charged a dramatically higher amount than was stated initially. So, it is recommended to obey all the traffic rules. Here is a list of penalty amounts payable in case of traffic violations:

• Parking in a pedestrian area – € 15;
• Infringement of the minimum distance between two cars, depending on driving speed, may cost you from € 25 to € 400;
• For an incorrectly performed overtaking manoeuvre you will pay € 70;
• Having driven through a red traffic light you will be obliged to pay a penalty depending on how long the red light has been on. Less than 1 second – € 90, more than 1 second – € 200;
• Overtaking in a prohibited area, i.e. in places marked with a "no overtaking" sign, will lighten your wallet by € 150.

In short, if you are going to rent a car in Berlin, you would be better to follow the local traffic regulations. This will help you avoid spoiling your holiday impressions.

If you decide to park your car in a place not intended for this, you are most likely to receive a penalty for such a violation. For example, a parking space against the direction of traffic, or a parking zone intended for local residents, would be considered an inappropriate place. Also, law-abiding Berliners will be rather displeased if you exceed the prepaid parking time. In order to control such "rebels", special automated control devices are used, which record the entrance to and exit from the parking zone. Here are the fines payable in case you leave a parking space late:

• Under 30 minutes – € 10;
• One hour – € 15;
• Two hours – € 20;
• Three hours – € 25;
• More than three hours – € 30.

At some filling stations it is possible to purchase a parking disc, which enables you to leave your car in parking zones not equipped with automated control systems. This disc should be fixed in a clearly visible position behind the car windscreen and must show the parking start time.

Of course, it is expected that when a car is rented, and especially in such a law-abiding city as Berlin, no one will drink alcohol while at the wheel. Still, if you are tempted by the famous German beer, you should remember that the blood alcohol level should not exceed 0,3‰. At the same time, if you have not committed any infringement and the alcohol tester shows 0,5‰, but not higher, you are most likely to get away with this, even if you are not a local resident but just a client of a car rental service in Berlin.

Alcohol level exceeding:

• Higher than 0,5‰, but lower than 1,1‰ is punished by a fine of € 500. But this is just for a start;
• The second violation leads to a € 1000 penalty and deprivation of your driving licence for a period of 3 months;
• The third alcohol limit violation costs € 1500, as well as deprivation of your driving licence for a period of 3 months;
• An alcohol level higher than 1,1‰ will result in a six-month jail term and deprivation of your driving licence for a period of 5 years;
• If your driving experience is less than 2 years, or you are under the age of 21, drinking alcohol while driving is completely forbidden. That means the blood alcohol content level must be 0‰.

There are no toll roads in Berlin and its surroundings. The only thing to remember is that when driving into the centre of the city, you are required to purchase a sticker indicating an acceptable emissions level for your car. This is due to the fact that Berlin is included in one of the environmentally protected areas, while driving on the roads themselves is completely free of charge. However, the sticker is mandatory, though not that expensive – from € 5 up to € 15. In any case, the journey will bring you unforgettable pleasure.