Frankfurt City Guide - Getting There By Road

Germany has an excellent network of major ‘B' roads (Bundesstrassen) and ‘A' motorways (Autobahnen). Generally, there are no speed limits on much of the Autobahn network, but individually marked speed limits appear on a large percentage of motorway miles. A maximum of 130kph (81mph) is recommended. On normal roads, speed limits are 100kph (62mph) outside built-up areas, and 50kph (31mph) or 30kph (19mph) in built-up areas. Traffic drives on the right. The minimum age for driving is 18 years. Seat belts must be worn at all times and children under 12 years can only travel in the front seat with a child restraint. The legal maximum alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.05% (zero for under 21s). Foreign drivers require their national driving licence and proof of insurance - third party insurance is mandatory, but a Green Card is strongly recommended. A country identification sticker must be displayed on the vehicle.

Mitfahrzentrale are ‘car sharing' agencies that link drivers with travellers heading to the same destination. In Frankfurt, these include CityNetz Mitfahrzentrale, Am Hauptbahnhof 4 (tel: (069) 19444; website: www.citynetz-mitfahrzentrale.de), and the online company Mitfahrgelegenheit (website: www.mitfahrgelegenheit.de).

General information on travelling by car in Germany can be obtained from the Allgemeine Deutsche Automobil Club - ADAC (tel: 01805 101 112; website: www.adac.de), which also provides breakdown services throughout the country. Auto Club Europa - ACE also provides information on their info-service (tel: 01802 336 677; website: www.ace-online.de), as well as a breakdown service.

Emergency breakdown services: ADAC (tel: 01802 222 222) or ACE (tel: 01802 343 536).

Routes to the city: The Frankfurter Kreuz (near the airport, to the south of the city) is the most important junction in the German Autobahn network, where the A5 and A3 motorways connect. The A5 is the motorway to Frankfurt from the north (Hanover and Berlin) and the south (Karlsruhe and from across the border in Basel). The A3 connects Frankfurt with the east (Nürnberg) and west (Düsseldorf and Cologne).

Approximate driving times to Frankfurt: From Munich - 4 hours 15 minutes; Hanover - 3 hours 40 minutes; and Berlin - 5 hours 30 minutes.

Coach services: Deutsche Touring GmbH, Am Römerhof 17 (tel: (069) 790 3501; website: www.touring.de), operates international services between Frankfurt and numerous destinations, including London, Paris, Rome, Moscow, Copenhagen and Budapest. It also operates regional services, including destinations on the ‘Romantic Road' route from Frankfurt include Munich, Würzburg, Augsburg and Schwangau. All buses depart from the Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof Omnibusbahnof, at the main railway station. Tickets can be purchased at the station or on the bus.