DE - Germany

Germany (in German Deutschland) is a central European state and founding member of the European Union. It borders Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria and Switzerland to the south and France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Holland to the west.

By bike:
Sign for bicycle and pedestrian path
Germany is generally suitable for bicycles, with many cycle paths in the cities. There is also a network consisting of well-marked and long-distance cycle routes. The German Bike Network (Radnetz Deutschland) comprises twelve official routes (D1-12). You can download the GPX tracks for each section of the web page for free.

Cyclists are expected to follow the same road rules as motor vehicles. While in theory cyclists are subject to many of the same road rules as people in cars or motorbikes, the application tends to be more forgiving and for example the DUI limit is much higher (at 1.3 per mill) than 0 , 5 per thousand for motorists. The use of a mobile phone while driving is also tolerated, but not as with a motor vehicle. If there is a cycle path parallel to the road affixed with white-blue “cycle” signs (see right), the cyclist must use it. These cycle paths are generally one-way, unless explicitly stated otherwise, and you can be fined for going in the wrong direction. In some cities, cycle paths are marked with stones with dark red pavement in the main pedestrian area. Be careful though, as cyclists and pedestrians tend to move beyond these limits. Cycling on the sidewalk is not allowed unless marked as a cycle path by specific signage (there are exceptions for children under the age of 10).

Most railway stations, commercial areas, hotels and commercial offices have bicycle stands (some covered) with a place to attach your bicycle lock chain.

On regional trains there is usually a carriage that allows you to bring your bike on board. InterCity trains also allow you to take a bike, however ICEs do not. Usually bringing a bicycle requires a separate ticket and / or reservation.

If you want to bring your bicycle on a long-distance bus, you need to book several days in advance and it may not be successful, as the bicycle storage is very limited (only two or three per bus).

Several German cities offer bicycle sharing programs, most of which are run by nextbike or Deutsche Bahn. They are a great way to travel short distances within a city, but not the best option for longer tours, because the maximum rental time is usually 24 hours. Classic bicycle rental still exists in many cities, as well as in smaller villages near the coast that many tourists see. They often require a deposit or identity card for rental.