SIGNS TO KNOW & THE AUTOBAHN

Getting around in a foreign country can be interesting, more so if you don't know the language. I can understand a certain amount of German, but I don't speak it, not really. I was lucky to have Don. After 30+ years away and not speaking German, it returned to him remarkably well. He spent a few weeks before the trip 'refreshing' - I got some 'Speak German in a Week' CD's from the library and he watched a program on PBS called Fokus Deutch religiously. Once he started speaking it, it came back better and better. It was funny, though. The people in the north were so happy to talk with him in German and commented frequently on how good his German was. The farther south we went, all Don would have to do is say one sentence and the Germans in the south and the Austrians would immediately switch to English.

Anyway, on a light note, here are a few signs to know if traveling in German speaking countries:

'Einbahnstrasse' on the arrow seems pretty self-explanatory, but our first day in country I missed it - I blame the lack of sleep and anything else that seems valid! I kept seeing this sign and thought it must be a street that went all around the city. When I finally commented that 'there's that street again,' Don could not contain himself any longer. If you haven't figured it out, it means one way street.







Here is some adolescent boy humor:

Keep entry (or driveway) clear.













Exit (for vehicles)
Abfahrt would be exit for people.










Umleitung - detour. I think I posted this before. This sign was the bane of our driving stint.











The old style horn is the post or mail sign. Gold is also the color for the post/mail.














A mailbox












Obvious













Without the universal female symbol, the WC might not mean anything to you, but that is the most frequently used sign for restrooms.










Just a side note: Many public toilets are pay toilets. This one was a little surprising - exact change is needed. There is a change machine in the hall, but if you were in a hurry? Ugh.















Doesn't this look like a picnic table? It's the Autobahn sign. And just a note on driving in Germany - it was WONDERFUL! The people were courteous and good drivers.
They have to be 19 to get a license and they have to pay a lot of money for one, so I think it makes better drivers on the whole. And the Autobahn is great. For the most part, you are not driving any faster than you do here, but having it posted in kilometers makes it sound like you are going faster: 110 Kilometers = 60-70 mph.







This is the other great thing about Germany and the autobahn:
notice the big trucks ALL IN THE RIGHT LANE! The right lane is for slower traffic and trucks occasionally move out to pass and then return to the right, the middle lane is for going the posted speed, and the left lane is for driving fast. I know, that's how it is here, too, but they actually follow those 'rules' there. I didn't see much tailgating - people know that if they are driving slower then the person coming up, they move to the right.





Don wasn't 100% positive, but he thinks the Autobahn works like this: There are posted speed limits -which in many areas are posted on light boards and change due to weather or congestion. You are free to drive faster than the posted speed. The catch is that, if you are in an accident, your insurance will not cover you if you are driving over the posted speed.