Planning to stay for 3 months in Berlin, Germany. Should I bring a car with me?
- By
- Aparna Patel
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- 28 Jul, 2023
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Just a little side note here: Berlin has at least two major companies which offer car sharing at reasonable prices. Parking is included in all parking zones. So if you really need a car you can get one very fast.
As of 2017 there are for example car2go or drive-now. Registration is simple and includes only a small one time fee, further fees will be raised by use, usually time based. As a thumb of rule for one driver alone it is more expensive then public transport but with 3 people it becomes equal. A driver license scan has to be sent for registration but who ever considered driving his own car in a foreign country should also be able to register there.
You probably won’t need to use car every day, but, depending on your preferences and lifestyle, you may want to have a car for weekend trips.
If you don’t like driving, leave it.
If you like driving, compare how much would it be for you to move car versus how much would it be to rent similar car in Germany. Driving in Germany is fun, and there’s a lot of places to travel to.
If you decide to bring it, you’ll need to figure out what’s the maximum amount of time you could use it without re-registration. Depending on your nationality and how long do you plan to stay, it may be better to sell your car in your come city/country and buy another one in Germany.
1 You don’t need a car for most personal local transportation
I’m a resident of Berlin since birth (some 25–30 years ago) and I never owned a car. Imho the transportation system is perfectly sufficient under most circumstances. The exceptions are according to my experience:
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You need to transport heavy or unwieldy objects on a regular basis.
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You need to ride often on weekday nights between 1:00 and 4:30 a.m. from or to a location far off from a night or metro line (so near or in the outskirts).
Add a bicycle to the mix and you can mostly circumvent the latter restriction and make many connections faster that require you to change many times during few stops.
Monthly¹ tickets (“VBB-Umweltkarte”) for adults ineligible for discounts are currently 81 € and transferable to other people.
2 You need a permit to enter the city with your car
Since 2008 all cars entering the inner city of Berlin (and some other German cities) require an environmental zone permit in order to avoid to face a fine. Permits are issued based on the vehicle type, fuel type, and exhaust fume emissions. You can apply for a permit in Germany, in your home country or per mail. For more info visit this link.
¹ “monthly” isn’t restricted to one calendar month; a monthly ticket is valid from the 17th of one month until and including the 16th of the next month.
Leave the car at home.
As you say, Berlin has “nearly perfect” public transportation coverage. If you find that you want a car for an errand or for a road trip, rent one. In addition to traditional car rental businesses, there are many short-term “car sharing” programs (similar to Zipcar in the US). Taking a taxi is another option.
Having a car in Berlin is more hassle than a convenience, just because of the parking situation, and the money you spend on parking meters.
Driving in Berlin is also not exactly fun with the traffic congestion, or much faster than the bus or subway either.
Leave your car at home, save the money and then decide after 3 months if you really need a car in berlin.
Credit:stackoverflow.com‘
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