Country
/ Speed Limits/Other Information |
Compulsory
Equipment |
-
Austria
- Motorways
- 80mph (130kph)
- Outside
built up areas - 62mph (100kph)
- Built
up areas - 31mph (50kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ 59.3p / litre
A
vignette has to be obtained at point of entry to pay motorway
taxes.
Tolls on some mountain roads.
In the
Vorarlberg and the Tyrol, maximum speed limit is 80 kph (50
mph).
Expressway speed limits are only 100 kph (62 mph) on the
following: A8 (Innkreis), A9 (Pyhrn), A10 (Tauern), A12 (Inntal),
A13 (Brenner), A14 (Rheintal).
On the spot fines for Speeding etc.
Police are empowered to collect fines of up to AS
500.
The officer must issue an official receipt. You'll have
two weeks to pay. You can request to bring the case before a
court instead, but you may be asked to make a security
deposit.
Accidents - Call Police if individuals have been injured or
considerable damage has been caused.
The
legal blood alcohol limit is 80 mg.
In exception
to the priority-on-your-right rule, trams coming from your
left have priority. Ascending vehicles have priority on
mountain roads.
Headlights
must be on at all times in built-up areas.
Parking lights are not necessary if your vehicle is visible
from at least 50 metres away.
Horns cannot be used in Vienna and are prohibited elsewhere as
indicated by signs.
Passing on
the right is allowed only on one-way streets or when passing
trams or when passing a vehicle that is indicating a left
turn.
You are not allowed to cross a solid yellow centre line. Give
warning of your approach by flashing your lights.
Parking:
Except for
when quickly loading and unloading, don't park in the
following areas: where you see a sign saying Halten Verboten,
where you see crosses on the road in front of houses, within
15 metres of pedestrian crossings or public transportation
stops, in front of fuel stations or any entrances, on narrow
roads, on the left of one-way streets, or on priority roads
outside built-up areas during conditions which significantly
reduce visibility. In Vienna it's illegal to park between 8:00
p.m. and 5:00 a.m. from December 15 to March 31 on roads with
tram rails; this rule allows for snow removal. Blue Zones or
Blaue Zones exist in many cities and are marked on their
boundary by the No Parking sign bearing the word Kurzparkzone
(short-term parking) or zone; blue road markings may mark the
zone. Fees are associated with Blaue Zones in Baden, Bludenz,
Bregenz, Feldkirch, Graz, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Krems, Linz,
St. Pölten, St. Veit/Glan, Salzburg, Schwaz, Vienna, Villach,
Völkermarkt, Wiener Neustadt and Wolfsberg. Tickets for the
Blaue Zones in the above cities can be purchased at machines
in the parking area or at banks or tobacconists. Unless
otherwise indicated by a sign, parking in Blaue Zones is
allowed for 3 hours. In the Blaue Zones of other towns, free
parking is allowed for 90 minutes. Parking tickets are not
required in these other towns, but you must obtain a parking
disc free of charge from tobacconists. Even motorcycles need
to display such a disc.
Fuel:
Most fuel
stations are open 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; stations in large
cities may operate 24 hours. Generally, major credit cards are
not accepted. Regular unleaded has an octane rating of 98.
Unleaded petrol is known as blyfrei normal or blyfrei super.
Regular unleaded petrol has an octane rating of 91; the octane
rating of super is 98. As for leaded petrol, super is no
longer sold; super plus (98 octane), containing a lead
additive, should be used instead. Diesel goes by its English
name. LPG is called autogas.
Tolls:
The word for
toll is Mautstelle. To use expressways other than the A13
Brenner, A9 Pyhrn, A10 Tauren, and S16 Arlberg Tunnel you must
purchase and display on your vehicle a tax disc. To use those
expressways listed you simply pay their tolls though the disc
entitles you to a 15 percent discount. Choose from 10-day,
2-month, and annual discs. They are sold at border crossings,
fuel stations and post offices and cost as follows:
|
10-days |
2-months |
car |
AS70 |
AS150 |
vehicle
3.5-7.5 tonnes |
AS300 |
AS1500 |
motorcycle |
NA |
AS80 |
The
major Austrian toll companies sell multiple-journey passes
which reduce the cost of the average journey. An additonal
charge may be tacked on per person if you have more than two
people traveling; the charge for children is lower or not
applied.
Credit cards are not accepted.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - 122 / Police - 133 / Ambulance - 144 / Breakdown - 120
or 123
Toll
Roads and Passes:
Several tunnels require
tolls, but vehicles displaying the expressway disc get a 15
percent discount:
Non-toll Mountain Passes
Non-toll mountain passes
tend to be much more difficult to negotiate than the passes
which charge a toll. If you're driving a vehicle, such as a
caravan, that is not allowed on or recommended for some of the
following passes, or if you wanna travel quickly across or
through the mountains, note that a mountain pass or tunnel
which charges a toll tends to be close by.
Road Signs
Abblendlicht Dipped headlights
Abstand halten Maintain distance
Alle Richtungen All directions
Altstadt Oldtown
Anfang Start, beginning
An geraden Tagen On even days (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday)
An ungeraden Tagen On odd days (Monday, Wednesday and Friday)
An Sonn- und Feiertagen On Sundays and holidays
Anleiger Frei Residents are free of this restriction
Anschluß Junction
Anwahner Frei Residents with indicated permit are free of this restriction
Auf dem Seitenstreifen On the shoulder
Ausfahrt Exit
Autobahndreieck Autobahn "T" junction
Autobahnkreuz Autobahn junction
Bauarbeiten Roadworks
Baustelle Roadworks
Baustellenfahrzeuge frei Construction vehicles only
Baustofflagerung Roadwork equipment
Bei Nässe During wet conditions
Belegt Full
Besetzt Full
Bitte Sauberhalten Please keep this a clean place
Bis Until
Dauer Duration
Durchfahrt verboten No through traffic
Einbahnstraße One-way street
Einfahrt Entrance
Einordnen Enter the lane, merge
Einsatzfahrzeuge frei Operations vehicles only
Ende End
Fahrbahnwechsel Change lanes
Fahrtrichtung Direction of travel
Frei Free, permitted
Freiefahrt Road is clear
Frostchäden Frost damage
Fußgänger Pedestrian
Eigen Own
Gasse Lane
Gefahr/gefährlich Danger, risk
Gesamte Entire
Glatteisgefahr Icy road
Grenze Border
Grenze Kontrolle Customs inspection
Halt Stop
Haltestelle Bus/tram stop
Keine, Kein No
Keine einfahrt No entry
Keine mofas No mopeds
Kfz. Motor vehicle
Kraftfahrzeugwerkstatt Motor vehicle repair shop
Krankenfahrzeuge frei Ambulances only
Kreuzung Intersection
Land- und forstwirt-
schaftlicher Verker
frei Agricultural and forestry vehicles only
Landschafts Schutzgebiet No parking
Langsam fahren Drive slowly
Licht einschalten Turn on lights
Lieferverkehr frei Delivery vehicles only
Linienverkehr frei Scheduled transit vehicles only
Links einbiegen Turn left
Lösen Take
Lkw. Heavy trucks
Mittwoche Weekdays
Nur Only
Nur mit Parkschein Only with a parking permit ticket
Parkhaus Parking garage
Parkplatz Parking lot
Parkscheibe Parking disc
Parkschein Parking permit ticket
Parkscheinautomat Parking permit ticket machine
Parkuhr Parking meter
Pkw. Private/passenger vehicles
Polizei Police
Radweg kreutz Bicycle-path crossing
Raststätte Service area
Rechts einbiegen Turn right
Rechts fahren Keep right
Rollsplitt Loose Material
Sackgasse Dead end, cul-de-sac
Schlechte Wegstrecke Bad section of road
Schulbus School bus
Schülerlotse School crossing guard
Seitenstreifen nicht
befahrbar Do not use shoulder
Sperrgebeit Restricted area
Sperrung Closure
Spur Traffic lane
Stadtzcentrum Town center
Stadmitte Town center
Stau Slow traffic;drive with care
Straße Street
Straßenbahn Streetcar
Straßenschäden Road damage
Streugut Road salt/sand
Stunde(n) Hour(s)
Tankstelle Fuel station
Überholen Passing
Überholen verboten No passing
Umleitung Detour
Unfall Accident; drive with care
Verboten Prohibited
Verengte Fahrbahn Road narrows
Verkehr Traffic
Verkehrshelfer School crossing guard
Verschmutzte Fahrbahn Dirt on the road
Vorfahrt Priority (right of way)
Vorfahrt beachten Yield
Vorfahrtstraße Priority road
Vorrang Priority (right of way)
Vorsicht Be careful
Weg Way, lane
Werktags Workdays
Wohnwagen Caravan, motorhome, RV
Zentrum Town center
Zufahrt frei Access permitted
The word bahnhof, whether alone
or incorporated in another word, indicates a train station.
The expressways are called autobahnen; one step down
are the national schnellstraßen highways, followed by
the national bundestraßen highways; the provincial landestraßen
are next in order, followed by the community roads or gemeindestraßen.
The autobahnen are denoted by green signs with white
characters. The schnellstraßen are indicated by blue
signs with white numbers and are the one type of intersecting
road that automatically has priority over all other roads. The
bundestraßen are noted by circular yellow signs with
black numbers.
Fuel
Most fuel
stations are open 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.; stations in large
cities may operate 24 hours. Generally, major credit cards are
not accepted. Regular unleaded has an octane rating of
98. Unleaded gasoline is known as blyfrei normal or blyfrei
super. Regular unleaded gasoline has an octane rating of
91; the octane rating of super is 98. As for leaded gasoline,
super is no longer sold; super plus (98 octane), containing a
lead additive, should be used instead. Diesel goes by its
English name. LPG is called autogas.
Driving
The minimum age of a driver is 18 years.
Children must be at least 12 years of age to sit in the front
seat (unless a special seat or seat belt is fitted or unless
they're over 1.5 meters tall). The use of seat belts is
compulsory for front- and rear-seat passengers. The legal
blood alcohol limit is 80 mg. Speed limits are as follows: 50
kph (30 mph) in built-up areas, 100 kph (62 mph) outside
built-up areas, 130 kph (81 mph) on expressways, and 100 kph
(62 mph) for cars with a caravan or trailer under 750 kg
traveling on expressways. If the trailer or caravan is larger,
contact a national motoring club for more information. In the
Vorarlberg and the Tyrol, maximum speed limit is 80 kph (50
mph). Expressway speed limits are only 100 kph (62 mph) on the
following: A8 (Innkreis), A9 (Pyhrn), A10 (Tauern), A12 (Inntal),
A13 (Brenner), A14 (Rheintal).
In exception to the
priority-on-your-right rule, trams coming from your left have
priority. Ascending vehicles have priority on mountain roads.
Headlights must be on at all times in
built-up areas. Parking lights are not necessary if your
vehicle is visible from at least 50 meters away. Motorcycles
must be operated with headlights on—night and day. Horns
cannot be used in Vienna and are prohibited elsewhere as
indicated by signs.
Passing on the right is allowed only on
one-way streets or when passing trams or when passing a
vehicle that is indicating a left turn. You are not allowed to
cross a solid yellow center line. Give warning of your
approach by flashing your lights.
Police are empowered to collect fines of
up to AS 500 on the spot. The officer must issue an official
receipt. You'll have two weeks to pay. You can request to
bring the case before a court instead, but you may be asked to
make a security deposit.
Parking
Except for when quickly loading and
unloading, don't park in the following areas: where you see a
sign saying Halten Verboten, where you see crosses on
the road in front of houses, within 15 meters of pedestrian
crossings or public transportation stops, in front of fuel
stations or any entrances, on narrow roads, on the left of
one-way streets, or on priority roads outside built-up areas
during conditions which significantly reduce visibility. In
Vienna it's illegal to park between 8:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m.
from December 15 to March 31 on roads with tram rails; this
rule allows for snow removal. Blue Zones or Blaue Zones
exist in many cities and are marked on their boundary by the No
Parking sign bearing the word Kurzparkzone (short-term
parking) or zone; blue road markings may mark the zone.
Fees are associated with Blaue Zones in Baden, Bludenz,
Bregenz, Feldkirch, Graz, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Krems, Linz,
St. Pölten, St. Veit/Glan, Salzburg, Schwaz, Vienna, Villach,
Völkermarkt, Wiener Neustadt and Wolfsberg. Tickets for the Blaue
Zones in the above cities can be purchased at machines in
the parking area or at banks or tobacconists. Unless otherwise
indicated by a sign, parking in Blaue Zones is allowed
for 3 hours. In the Blaue Zones of other towns, free
parking is allowed for 90 minutes. Parking tickets are not
required in these other towns, but you must obtain a parking disc
free of charge from tobacconists. Even motorcycles need to
display such a disc.
Don't leave an unhitched trailer in a
public parking place. In Salzburg, the Tyrol, and Upper
Austria, it's illegal to park caravans outside special parking
lots or within 500 meters of a lake. And don't park a caravan
within 200 meters of the Grossglockner High Alpine Road or on
the expressway in Salzburg. Violaters are subject to heavy
fines and the towing of the vehicle.
Banks
Open on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to noon
or 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 (5:30 p.m. on
Thursday).
Shops
Open on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m. and on Saturday morning till 1:00 p.m.; smaller shops may
close from noon to 2:00 p.m.
National Holidays
Jan 1; Epiphany; Easter Mon; Labor Day;
Ascension; Whit Monday; Corpus Christi; Assumption; Aug 15;
Oct 26; Nov 1; Dec 8, 25, 26.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Police, tel. 133; Fire, tel. 122;
Ambulance, tel. 144. Emergency road service and technical
assistance is available from ARBÖ, tel. 123; or ÖAMTC, tel.
120. The local prefix must be added to these numbers. Note
that emergency phones are placed along major roads. Österreichischer
Automobil Motorrad-und Touring Club (ÖAMTC), FIA and AIT
member, Schubertring 1-3, 1010 Vienna 1, tel. 1 711 99, office
hours from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.
|
Warning
Triangle
First Aid kit
Documents
Driving license
Passport
3rd Party insurance
Vehicle registration
Green card
Non Europeans must carry an International Driving Permit.
|
- Belgium
- Motorways/Dual
Carriageways - 74mph (120kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - 55mph (90kph)
- Built
up-areas - 31mph (50kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ 60.9p / litre
On the
spot fines for Speeding etc.?
Accidents - Call Police if individuals have been injured or
considerable damage has been caused.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - ? / Police - ? / Ambulance - ? / Breakdown - ?
belgium
Customs
Non-EC citizens may import the following
free of duty: 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250 grams of
tobacco, 2 liters of still wine, 1 liter of spirits or 2
liters of aperitif wine, 50 grams of perfume. Other imported
goods from non-EC countries cannot exceed BF 2000 in value.
There are no restrictions on the import and export of
currency. You can import 10 liters of spare fuel free of duty.
Equipment
You are required to carry a warning
triangle in your vehicle; though this does not apply to
motorcyclists. Helmets are compulsory for motorcyclists and
their passengers.
Tolls
Antwerp's Liefkenshoek Tunnel.
Road Signs
Note that there are two languages
generally spoken in Belgium: Flemish in the northern half, and
French in Brussels and in the southern half. Antwerpen
(Flemish) is Anvers (French); Brugge is Bruges; Bruxelles is
Brussel; Gent is Gand; Luik is Liège; Leuven is Louvain;
Namen is Namur; Bergen is Mons; and Doornik is Tournai. The
words "Passage Difficile" and "Moeilijke
Doorgang" indicate a difficult section. The word station
in Flemish indicates a train station; while the word in French
is gare. International expressways are signified by
green signs with white characters preceded by the letter E;
national highways are noted by blue signs with white letters
preceded by the letter A. As part of a new naming
convention, lesser highways may have two road numbers—both
the old and the new—preceded by an N.
Fuel
Most fuel stations are closed from 8:00
p.m. to 8:00 a.m., and all day Sunday, but stations along
expressways are open 24 hours, seven days a week. Major credit
cards are accepted at stations in large towns and along the
expressways. Leaded super gasoline has an octane rating of 98
or 99. Unleaded gasoline is known as normale sans plomb,
essence sans plomb, ongelood, unverbleit, or loodvrije
benzine. Unleaded regular has an octane rating of 92; the
octane rating of super is 95.
Driving
The minimum age of a driver is 18 years.
Children must be at least 12 years of age to sit in the front
seat (unless a safety seat is fitted). The use of seat belts
is compulsory for front- and rear-seat passengers. The legal
blood alcohol limit is 50 mg. Speed limits are as follows: 50
kph (30 mph) in built-up areas, 90 kph (56 mph) outside
built-up areas, and 120 kph (74 mph) on expressways.
In exception to the priority-on-your
right rule, trams always have priority.
Headlights must be on between dusk and
dawn and during inclement weather. The horn should only be
used outside built-up areas.
Police are empowered to impose and
collect fines on the spot. Fines range from BF 750; for
visitors the fine for a highend offense is BF 5600. You must
place a security deposit if you refuse to pay. Police may
request that you take a blood alcohol test; although you can
by law refuse, you might as a result be arrested.
Parking
Blue Zone
parking
areas—indicated by signs placed at their periphery—exist
in Antwerp, Bruges, Brussels, Gent, Liège, and Öostende.
However, where meters or the like are in place in the zones,
discs are not required or sufficient. You can obtain a parking
disc from police or service stations, some merchants, or
offices of the RACB motoring club. Outside these zones a
parking disc must be used where the parking sign includes an
extra panel bearing the image of a disc or where the words "Disque
Obligatoire" or "Schijf Verplicht"
indicate the beginning of a Blue Zone. Don't park
within 15 meters of a tram, bus or rail stop or near where
tram or rail lines cross the road. Some parking garages are
not manned on weekends and holidays; operate the barrier
automatically with the proper coins. Wheel clamps are used in
Antwerp and Gent.
Banks
Open on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon
and from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Shops
Open from 9:00 a.m. to noon and from
2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. (supermarkets stay open until 8:00
p.m., and on Friday most shops are open until 9:00 p.m.) every
day but Sunday.
National Holidays
Jan 1; Easter Mon; Labor Day; Ascension;
Whit Mon; July 21; Aug 15; Nov 1, 11; Dec 25.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Police, tel. 101; Fire & Ambulance,
tel. 100. If you are in an accident, you must—unless people
are injured—move your vehicle off the road so that traffic
is not obstructed. Before you do this be sure to properly note
the post-accident position of the vehicles; this includes
marking the tire position with chalk, and taking photographs.
Royal Automobile Club de Belgique (RACB),
FIA member, 53 rue d'Arlon, 1040 Brussels, tel. 02
2870911; office hours from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.
Touring Club Royal de Belgique (TCB), AIT member, 44
rue de la Loi, 1040 Brussels, tel. 02 2332211; office hours
from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays and from 9:00 a.m. to
noon on Saturday.
|
Warning
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Documents
Driving license
Passport
3rd Party insurance
Vehicle registration
Green card
|
-
Bulgaria
- Motorways/Dual
Carriageways -##mph ###kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Built
up-areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ ##.#p / litre
On the
spot fines for Speeding etc.?
Accidents - Call Police if individuals have been injured or
considerable damage has been caused.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - ? / Police - ? / Ambulance - ? / Breakdown - ?
Customs
You may import the following free of
duty: 250 grams of tobacco, 1 liter of hard liquor, and 2
liters of wine. Items for personal use are also free of duty.
Visitors should declare expensive items such as cameras. You
can import 20 liters of spare fuel free of duty.
License and Insurance
You must carry an International Driving
Permit. Many people have trouble finding auto insurance that
covers the newly democratic Eastern states. You can arrange
such insurance for vehicles (except motorcycles) registered in
the UK by contacting Black Sea & Baltic General Insurance
Co., Ltd., 65 Fenchurch Street, London EC3, England, tel. 0171
709 9202 or 0171 709 9292. Contact embassies, consulates or
tourist information offices for more information. (See the Resources
chapter.)
Equipment
You must carry a warning triangle in
your vehicle; though this does not apply to motorcyclists. All
drivers must carry a first aid kit in or on their vehicle.
Helmets are compulsory for motorcyclists and their passengers.
Tolls
Foreign-registered vehicles using
expressways or four-lane rods must pay tolls: 2 leva per km
for a private car, 3 leva per km for a van with less than 12
seats, and 4 leva per km for a bus. There's also a toll to
cross the bridge over the Danube between Rousse, Bulgaria, and
Gjourguevo (Giurgia), Romania: 210 leva plus a $1 tax for a
private car, 390 leva plus a $2 tax for a van with less than
12 seats, 60 leva for a motorcycle.
Road Signs
Town names are given in both Bulgarian
and French.
Fuel
Fuel stations are located in large towns
and every 35 km or so along main roads. Most stations operate
from 6:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., but some are open 24 hours. Fuel
in blue pumps is of much better quality. Leaded regular has an
octane rating of 86; the octane rating of super is 96.
Unleaded gasoline is known as bes olovo bleifrei; the
super variety has an octane rating of 93. Some stations accept
credit cards.
Driving
The minimum age of a driver is 18 years.
Children must be at least 12 years of age to sit in the front
seat. The use of seat belts is compulsory for front-seat
passengers. The legal blood alcohol limit is 0 mg. Speed
limits are as follows: 50 kph (30 mph) in built-up areas (40
kph for motorcycles and for cars towing a trailer), 90 kph (54
mph) outside built-up areas (70 kph for motorcycles and for
cars towing a trailer), and 110 kph (66 mph) on expressways
(100 kph for motorcycles and for cars towing a trailer).
Drivers who have held their license for less than two years
are limited as follows: 50 kph (30 mph) in built-up areas, 70
kph (44 mph) outside built-up areas, and 100 kph (62 mph) on
expressways.
In exception to the
priority-on-your-right rule, trams always have priority.
Pedestrians on banded cross walks have priority over all
vehicles except trams.
In towns drivers must use headlights
where lighting is not good. Fog lights or headlights should be
used when weather significantly reduces visibility. Unless
otherwise indicated, horns can be used outside built-up areas.
Police are empowered to collect fines on
the spot; they should issue a receipt.
Parking
On one-way streets, park on the right
only. Blue Zone parking is in effect in many built-up
areas; tickets are used instead of discs.
Camping
Camping is quite popular in Bulgaria.
Campgrounds along the Black Sea—especially those which are
part of a larger vacation complex—tend to fill up quickly.
Motorhomes are a novelty; sites with electrical connections
are offered, but don't plan to fill up on propane. An
International Camping Carnet is not required. Free-camping
without appropriate permission is not legal.
Banks
In main towns, open on weekdays from
8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., and
on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Shops
In main towns most are open from 8:00
a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays, and
from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
National Holidays
Jan 1; March 3; May 1, 2, 24; Sep 9, 10,
Nov 7; Dec 24, 25.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Police, tel. 166; Fire, tel. 160;
Ambulance, tel. 150. For emergency motoring assistance,
telephone 146. In case of an accident which results in only
minor damages to the vehicles and no injury to the occupants,
the vehicle owners are not required to involve the police. But
if the other driver is not insured, you should contact the
police so theyÕll create a proper report which you you can
present to your insurance company. Union of Bulgarian
Motorists (SBA), FIA and AIT member, 3 Place
Positano, 1000 Sofia, tel. 87 88 01 or 87 88 02, office hours
from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays.
|
Warning
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|
-
Czechoslovakia
- Motorways/Dual
Carriageways -30mph (50kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - 56mph (90kph)
- Built
up-areas - 78mph (130kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ ##.#p / litre
On the
spot fines for Speeding etc.?
Accidents - Call Police if individuals have been injured or
considerable damage has been caused.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - ? / Police - ? / Ambulance - ? / Breakdown - ?
Customs
Keep all receipts. Only antiques
purchased at government-appointed shops may be exported. You
may import 20 liters of spare fuel free of duty. A map showing
the locations of fuel stations which sell unleaded gasoline is
available at the border.
Tolls
To travel the expressways your vehicle
must bear a special sticker on its windshield. The sticker
costs 800 Kc and is valid for a year.
Road Signs
The following signs are unique to the
Czech and Slovak Republics.
CHODTE VLEVO Pedestrians walk on the left
DALKOVY PROVOZ Bypass
H NEMOCNICE Hospital
JEDNOSMERNY PROVOZ One-way traffic
OBJÌZDKA Detour
PRUJEZD ZAKÁZÁB Closed to vehicles
The Czech word nádrazí
indicates a train station.
Fuel
Fuel stations are usually located on the
edge of towns. Stations on international roads and in large
towns are open 24 hours. Credit cards are accepted in main
towns and in popular tourist areas. Finding a station in
Prague is difficult. Leaded regular gasoline has an octane
rating of 91; the octane rating of super is 96. Lead-free
gasoline is known as natural; its octane rating is 95
or 98. Diesel is designated by a sign that reads TT Diesel.
Driving
The legal blood alcohol limit is 0 mg.
Speed limits are as follows: 50 kph (30 mph) in built-up
areas, 90 kph (56 mph) outside built-up areas, 130 kph (78
mph) on expressways, 80 kph (50 mph) for a car with a caravan
or trailer traveling outside built-up areas or on expressways.
Headlights must be on when weather
impairs visibility. Horns can be used only to warn of danger
or to signal that you are about to pass. Horns are prohibited
in central Prague between 9:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., from March
15 to October 15, and from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. the rest of
the year.
Trams should be passed on the right; if
there is no room on the right, trams can be passed on the
left. It's illegal in Prague to pass trams on the left.
Police are empowered to collect fines of
up to 2000 Kc on the spot. Fines of up to 15,000 Kc may be
imposed for later collection. Laws and regulations are
enforced with vigor in the Czech Republic.
Parking
Parking is only allowed on the right
side of the road, but this restriction does not apply to
one-way roads. Parking along a tram line is prohibited unless
a 3.5-meter wide lane is left between the vehicle and the tram
lane. Don't park within 5 meters of an intersection,
pedestrian crossing, or public transportation stop. Don't park
within 15 meters of a train crossing.
Your vehicle is banned from the Prague
city center unless you're staying in a hotel there. But don't
worry, the true city center is really a rather small area. If
you're staying in a private room near Wenceslas Square (Vacavske
namesti), try parking on one of the streets behind the
National Museum; parking on these streets is unrestricted and
free of charge. Illegally parked vehicles may be towed or
clamped.
Banks
Open on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00
p.m.
Shops
Open on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m. Some close from noon to 2:00 a.m.; some open until noon
on Saturday.
National Holidays
Jan 1; Easter Monday; May Day; May 8;
Oct 28; Dec 25, 26.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
The emergency telephone number for
motorists is 154; Police, tel. 158; Fire, tel. 150; Ambulance,
tel. 155. Any accident resulting in injury or causing damages
in excess of 1000 Kcs must be immediately reported to police.
If you plan to export the vehicle, it's advisable to contact
the police even if damages are slight: the police will give
you a certificate to ease the exporting process. Ustredni
Automotoklub CSFR (UAMK), FIA and AIT member, Na
Rybnicku 16, 120 76 Prague 2, tel. 22491 1843; office hours
from 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on weekdays. The CSFR operates a
breakdown service; in Prague, tel. 7734555. Another club is
Autoklub Ceské Republiky (ACR), FIA member, Opletalova
29, 110 00 Prague 1, tel. 22421 0266; office hours from 7:30
a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays. Autoturist, Na Rybnicku 16, 120
76 Prague 2, tel. 2 203 355, office hours from 7:30 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. on weekdays, is an information service for motoring
tourists.
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Green card
International
Driving Permit.
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-
Denmark
- Motorways/Dual
Carriageways -##mph ###kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Built
up-areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ ##.#p / litre
On the
spot fines for Speeding etc.?
Accidents - Call Police if individuals have been injured or
considerable damage has been caused.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - ? / Police - ? / Ambulance - ? / Breakdown - ?
Customs
You may import 10 liters of spare fuel
free of duty if arriving from an EC country.
License
Foreign licenses are accepted until
their expiration date passes.
Equipment
You must carry a warning triangle;
though this does not apply to motorcyclists. Helmets are
compulsory for motorcyclists and their passengers.
Fuel
Fuel stations that are not in large
towns often close at night; many, however, offer self-service
pumps which accept 100 Kr notes 24 hours a day. Major credit
cards are generally accepted. Leaded super gasoline has an
octane rating of 98. Unleaded Gasoline is known as blyfri
benzin. Regular unleaded has an octane rating of 92; the
octane rating of super is 95 or 98. Diesel is called dieselolie.
LPG goes by its English name.
Road Signs
Ensrettet kørsel One-way Street
Fare Danger
Farligt sving Dangerous curve
Fodgaengerovergang Pedestrian crossing
Gennemkørsel forbudt No through road
Hold til højre Keep to the right
Hold till venstre Keep to the left
Indkørsel forbudt Do not enter
Korsvej Crossroads
Omkørsel Detour
Vejarbejde Road in repair
Vejen er spaerret Road closed
Driving
The minimum age of a driver is 18 years.
Children under 3 years of age must be seated in a special
child restraint. The use of seat belts is compulsory for
front-seat passengers. The legal blood alcohol limit is 80 mg.
Speed limits are as follows: 50 kph (30 mph) in built-up
areas, 80 kph (50 mph) outside built-up areas, 110 kph (68
mph) on expressways, and 70 kph (44 mph) for cars with a
caravan or trailer traveling outside built-up areas or on
expressways.
If a line of triangles is painted across
the road, it means you must yield. You must also yield to
buses. Beware of bicyclists.
Headlights must be used at all times.
Use your lights instead of your horn to signal warning in
circumstances not involving immediate and extreme danger. When
wiaitng at a level train crossing use only sidelights,
headlights should be off.
Police are empowered to collect fines on
the spot.
The Danish Tourist Board distributes a
leaflet on intra- and international ferry services.
The completion of the new 18 kilometres-long
Great Belt bridge and tunnel linking the islands of Sealand
and Funen revolutionised the infrastructure of domestic travel
with the first seamless surface connection all the way from
the European continent to Copenhagen. The technological
masterpiece includes the world's second longest suspension
bridge (6.6 kilometres). The next step will be the opening of
the Øresund bridge and tunnel for cars and trains in the year
2000. It will link Copenhagen with Malmö in Sweden.
Parking
Parkering/Standsning/Stop Forbudt
means no parking/no stopping; you are, however, allowed
a three-minute grace period for loading and unloading when in
such a zone. Parking discs allow parking for usually one hour
and are required where no parking meters are in place in
central Copenhagen. Discs are available at banks, fuel
stations, post offices, tourist offices, and the motoring club
(FDM) offices. Parking meters usually allow up to 3 hours of
parking. Meters are checked on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00
p.m. and on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., they accept
1 Kr and 25 øre coins. In other large towns, parking on the
street is often restricted to one hour; this is indicated by
the standard No Parking sign bearing the words "1-times
zone". (A series of slashes across this sign
indicates the end of the restriction.)
Banks
Banks in Copenhagen are open on weekdays
from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and on Thursdays until 6:00 p.m.
Outside Copenhagen the banking hours vary. ATM machines are
often out of service in Denmark; if you find one that works
for you, consider withdrawing more cash than you usually do.
Shops
Open on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30
p.m. and on Saturday until noon.
National Holidays
Jan 1; Maunday Thur; Good Fri; Easter
Mon; June 5; Ascension; Whit Mon; Dec 24, 25, 26, 31
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Police, Fire, and Ambulance, tel. 112.
All highways have emergency phones. The rescue corps, Falck,
tel. 33 14 22 22, can help 24 hours a day. The national
motoring club is Forende Danske Motorejere (FDM), AIT
member, FDM-Huset, Firskovvej 32, Lyngby, Copenhagen, tel. 45
93 08 00, office hours on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
and on Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to noon.
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-
Finland
- Motorways/Dual
Carriageways -74mph (120kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - 50mph (80kph) or 62mph (100kph)
- Built
up-areas - 30mph (50kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ ##.#p / litre
Unleaded
petrol is known as lyijyton polttaine.
Police are
not empowered to collect fines on the spot; but the fines are
extremely steep, the minimum being 150 FIM. You pay up at a
bank or post office.
Accidents - Call Police if individuals have been injured or
considerable damage has been caused.
The
legal blood alcohol limit is 50 mg.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - ? / Police - ? / Ambulance - ? / Breakdown - ?
The minimum
age of a driver is 18 years.
Approaches
to priority roads are denoted by a sign showing a red triangle
on a yellow background. In another exception to the
priority-on-the-right rule, trams always have priority.
Headlights
must be used at all times. Use of horns in towns and villages
is illegal except in the case of immediate and extreme danger.
Otherwise, horns and headlights should be used when poor
visibility demands them.
Passing is
allowed on the right if you are traveling a multi-lane road,
but be careful not to cross the white line which indicates the
bicycle and pedestrian lane.
Parking
Parking lights must be on if you're parked in a dimly lit
public spot.
Wheel clamps aren't used, but illegally parked vehicles may
be towed.
Licence
Foreign
licences are accepted for a duration of one year, after which
a Finnish licence must be obtained.
Fuel
Some
stations are open 24 hours, and almost all have automatic
pumps that accept cash and major credit cards. Leaded petrol
is not available; however, an unleaded substitute with a
special additive is. Unleaded regular petrol has an octane
rating of 95; the octane rating of super is 98.
Customs
You may import up to 10 liters of spare
fuel free duty and tax.
License
Foreign licenses are accepted for a
duration of one year, after which a Finnish license must be
obtained.
Fuel
Some stations are open 24 hours, and
almost all have automatic pumps that accept cash and major
credit cards. Leaded gasoline is not available; however, an
unleaded substitute with a special additive is. Unleaded
regular gasoline has an octane rating of 95; the octane rating
of super is 98. Unleaded gasoline is known as lyijyton
polttaine.
Road Signs
Aja hitaasti Drive slowly
Ajo sallittu omallo vastuulla Proceed at your own risk
Aluerajoitus Local speed limit
Kelirikko Frost damage
Kokeile jaruja Test your brakes
Kunnossapitotyö Road in repair
Lossi-farja Ferry
Päällystetyötä Road being resurfaced
Tie rakenteilla Road construction
Tulli Customs
Varo irtokivia Loose gravel
Expressways are denoted by the
characters M1 to M999. First class main roads take the numbers
1 to 39; second class main roads take 40 to 99; other highways
take 100 to 999; lesser main roads take 1000 to 2999; and
local roads take the numbers 11,000 to 19,999.
Driving
The minimum age of a driver is 18 years.
The use of seat belts is compulsory for front-seat passengers.
Children must be constrained either by seatbelts or in a child
seat. The legal blood alcohol limit is 50 mg. Speed limits are
as follows: 50 kph (30 mph) in built-up areas, 80 kph (50 mph)
or 100 kph (62 mph) outside built-up areas, 120 kph (74 mph)
on expressways, and 80 kph (50 mph) for cars with a caravan or
trailer traveling outside built-up areas or on expressways.
Finnish drivers who have held their license for less than two
years must drive with special plates and are limited to lower
speeds. When the two-year initial period is up, drivers are
subjected to further driving testsespecially a test of their
ability to drive on ice.
Approaches to priority roads are denoted
by a sign showing a red triangle on a yellow background. In
another exception to the priority-on-the-right rule, trams
always have priority.
Headlights must be used at all times.
Use of horns in towns and villages is illegal except in the
case of immediate and extreme danger. Otherwise, horns and
headlights should be used when poor visibility demands them.
Passing is allowed on the right if you
are traveling a multi-lane road, but be careful not to cross
the white line which indicates the bicycle and pedestrian
lane.
Police are not empowered to
collect fines on the spot; but the fines are extremely steep,
the minimum being 150 FIM. You pay up at a bank or post
office.
Parking
Parking lights must be on if you're
parked in a dimly lit public spot. Wheel clamps aren't used,
but illegally parked vehicles may be towed.
Banks
Open on weekdays from 9:15 a.m. to 4:15
p.m.
Shops
Open on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00
or 9:00 p.m. and on Saturday until 2:00 or 6:00 p.m. Many
shops are open on Sundays during the summer.
National Holidays
Jan 1; Epiphany; Good Fri; Easter Mon;
May Day; first Sat after Ascension; Whit Sat; first Sat in
Nov; Dec 6, 25; St. Stephen's Day.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Call 10022 for Police, 112 for Fire or
Ambulance; check telephone boxes for contrary instructions.
The Automobile and Touring Club of Finland (Autoliitto
or AL) patrols the roads from Friday evening to Sunday
night; in Helsinki, tel. 09 774 76400 (24 hours). Immediately
report any accidents to the Finnish Motor Insurers' Bureau,
tel. 09 680 401 or 09 019 251, FAX 6804 0368, and to the
police. The bureau's Finnish name is
Liikennevakuutusyhdistys, and its head office is at Bulevardi
28, 00120 Helsinki 12. The national motoring club is
Autoliitto Automobile and Touring-Club of Finland (ATCF), FIA
and AIT member, Hämeentie 105 A, 00550 Helsinki, tel.
358 9 774761, FAX 358 9 77476444, office hours from 8:30 a.m.
to 5:30 p.m. on Monday and from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on
other weekdays.
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-
France
- Motorways
- 80mph (130kph)
- Motorway
(wet weather) - 68mph (110kph)
- Motorway
- urban stretches - 68mph (110kph)
- Dual
carriageways - 68mph (110kph)
- Dual
carriageways (wet weather) - 62mph (100kph)
- Paris
ring road - 49mph (80kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - 55mph (90kph)
- Outside
built-up areas (wet weather) - 49mph (80kph)
- Built-up
areas - 31mph (50kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ 64.1p / litre
On the
spot fines for Speeding etc.
Accidents - You must complete a 'constat
l'amiable', both parties must sign. If
dispute or refusal to complete form obtain a 'constat
d'huissier' (a written report from a
bailiff). Call Police if individuals have been injured or
accident impedes traffic flow.
Main roads have priority, right of way given to cars
approaching from the right. Give way to cars already on the
roundabout.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - 18 / Police - 17 / Ambulance - 15
Tolls
An autoroute on which tolls are
charged is indicated by a sign, usually blue, reading péage.
Green signs indicate non-toll expressways. On sections of autoroute
in the proximity of large cities no toll is charged. Visa and
MasterCard are among the cards accepted. When you enter an autoroute,
take a ticket from the gate machine. This ticket identifies
your starting point on the autoroute. You do not pay a
toll until you reach your exit point. Automatic toll machines
at exits (insert your ticket) take credit cards or coins and
give change and, if required, receipts. You do not have to
sign a receipt when you use a credit card. Personel rather
than machines do work certain lanes. And they're used to the
machines and, especially, the drivers on the other lanes
screwing things up. So if you do something stupid like I'm
prone to, a worker will quickly materialize to amiably solve
the problem. Last time I stuck my credit card into the slot
which issues the entry ticket, despite the immediacy of a
large green "button" bearing a lifesize hand icon.
My card disappeared inside and after a moment which I
puncuated with various facial contortions and obscene
mutterings, a gracious employee arrived, gave me a few prosaic
sentences in French and proceeded to quickly open the machine,
retrieve my card, and hand it to me with a smile. I high-fived
the green button and was on my way.
Vehicles are classified as belonging to
one of three groups.
- Private car or van with 2 axles, up
to 9 seats, and with a height less than 1.3 meters as
measured vertically from the front axle.
- Vehicle or combination of vehicles
with more than 2 axles and with a height of less than 1.3
meters as measured vertically from the front axle. Tolls
for these vehicles are, on average, 50 percent more
expensive than tolls for category-1 vehicles.
- Caravans and vans having more than 9
seats, buses with two axles, commercial vehicles with two
axles and a height greater than 1.3 meters as measured
from the front axle. Tolls for these vehicles are, on
average, 66 percent more expensive than tolls for
category-1 vehicles.
- Motorcycles. Tolls for motorcycles
are, on average, 30 percent cheaper than tolls for
category-1 vehicles.
Road Toll for a Category-1 Vehicle
A1 Paris to Lille 56 FF
A1 Paris to Roye (Amiens) 33
A1 & A2 Paris to Belgium 55
A2 Bapaume to Hordain 24
A4 Calais to Strasbourg 218
A4 Paris to Metz 114*
A4 Metz to Strasbourg 68*
A5 Melun to Troyes 40
A5 Troyes to Semoutiers 27
A6 Calais to Lyon 250
A6 Paris to Beaune 90
A6 Paris to Lyon 142
A6 & A 36 Paris to Mulhouse 168
A6 & A40 Paris to Geneva 189
A7 Calais to Marseille 372
A7 Lyon to Aix-en-Provence 107
A7 & A9 Lyon to Montpellier 107
A8 Aix-en-Provence to Nice 95
A8 Calais to Nice 450
A9 Calais to Le Perthus 451
A8 Cannes to Italy 35*
A9 Orange to Le Perthus 106
A9 Orange to Narbonne sud 71
A9 & A55 Montpellier to Arles 25
A10 Paris to Tours 99
A10 Tours to Bordeaux 133
A10 Calais to Bordeaux 334
A10 & A71 Paris to Clermont-Ferrand 150
A11 Paris to Le Mans 79
A11 Paris to Angers 156*
A11 & A81 Paris to Rennes 120
A13 Paris to Tancarville (Le Havre) 35*
A13 Paris to Caen 60*
A26 Calais to Paris 123
A26 Calais to Reims 93
A4 Calais to Strasbourg 218
A26 Reims to Troyes 42
A26 & A31 & A6 Reims to Lyon 170
A26 & A31 & A6 &
A40 Reims to Geneva 220
A31 Beaune to Dijon 7
A31 Langres nord to Toul (Gye) 35
A31 Dijon to Toul (Gye) 61
A31 & A6 Nancy to Lyon 120
A31 & A6 & A40 Nancy to Geneva 170
A36 Beaune to Besançon Center 25
A36 Paris to Mulhouse 168
A36 & A6 Mulhouse to Lyon 120*
A36 & A6 & A40 Mulhouse to Geneva 170*
A40 Calais to Genève 312
A40 Calais to LeFayet 339
A40 Geneva to Chamonix 28*
A41 Annecy to Chambéry 40
A41 Annecy to Chamonix 18*
A41 Chambéry to Grenoble 25
A41 Chambéry to Scentier 42
A42 Pont d'Ain to Lyon 18
A43 Lyon to Chambéry 50
A43 & A48 Lyon to Grenoble 45
A43/431 Lyon to Les Abrets 30
A43/431 Lyon to Albertville 96
A48/43 Bourgoin to Grenoble 27
A48/43 Calais to Grenoble 312
A49 Grenoble to Valence 45
A50 Marseille to Toulon 19
A51 Sisteron to Aix-en-Provence 44
A52 Aix-en-Provence to Aubagne 16*
A54 Arles to Nimes ouest 10
A55 Arles to Nimes 10
A57 & A8 Toulon to Cannes 50
A61 Toulouse to Narbonne sud 59
A61 & A9 Toulouse to Le Perthus 90
A61 & A9 Toulouse to Montpellier 95
A62 Bordeaux to Toulouse 87
A63 St. Geours-de-Maremme to Spain 40*
A64 Sames to Tarbes est 52
A71 Orléans center to Bourges 47
A71 Bourges to Clermont Ferrand 64
A71 Calais to Clermont Ferrand 262
A72 Clermont-Ferrand to St. Etienne 51
A81 Paris to La Gravelle 128
N937 Nantes to Montaigu 10*
*Some toll barriers on route are operated automatically by your deposit of the exact toll
in coins.
Several tunnels require tolls.
During daylight hours vehicle ferries
run across the Gironde estuary between Royan and Le Verdon,
and in the south between Blage and Lamasque. Crossing times
are 30 and 25 minutes, respectively, and the ferries make one
roundtrip per hour.
Tolls are charged on the following
bridges.
Non-toll Mountain Passes
Fuel
Fuel is more expensive along the
superhighways than at supermarkets; look to fill up or "faire
le plain" at supermarkets on main roads exiting
towns. A map called la carte de l' esssence moins chève
showing locations of such supermarkets close to highway exits
is available through French Government Tourist Offices. Major
credit cards are accepted. You can pay at a booth or by
inserting your card into a machine near the pumps. If the
person who preceded you chooses to pay at the booth and hasn't
yet succeeded in doing that, you may have to wait to pump your
fuel until they pay. Especially when opting to pay at the
booth note the total fuel charge on the pump so you won't be
overcharged; sometimes the operator may depend on your honesty
and let you quote the total at the booth. Vehicles equipped
with a catalytic converter may carry 10 liters of spare fuel
but may not carry it on ferries to Corsica. Curbside pumps
grace many Paris streets, making filling up in the city a
breeze; and, yes, they do take credit cards. Signs depicting a
pump and indicating distance in meters to the mini-station
point the way. Interestingly, these operations also sell
firewood.
The blue pump dispenses leaded regular
gasoline with an octane rating of 98. The green pumps gives
unleaded gasoline is known as essence sans plomb. Super
unleaded gasoline has an octane rating of 95 or 98. Often,
diesel fuel is called by its English name; otherwise, diesel
is called gas-oil or gaz-oil. LPG is called Gaz
de pétrole liquéfié (GPL).
Road Signs
Aire de repos Rest stops
Allumez vos lanternes
(or feux) Turn on your lights
Attention au feu Beware of traffic signal
Attention travaux Beware roadworks
Autre directions Other directions
Barrière de dègel Trucks not allowed
Chaussèe dèformèe Bumpy road ahead
Cèdez le passage Give way (Give priority to the other road)
Centre ville Town center
Chambre de Hôtes Bed and Breakfasr
Col Mountain pass
Ferme Closed
Gendarmerie Police station
Gîte Spartan bed and breakfast; many serve food
Gravillons Loose chippings
Haute tension Electric line
Interdit aux piètons No pedestrians
Nids de poules Potholes
Ouvert Open
Pas Mountain pass
Prochain èchangement gratuit No toll at next exit
Rappel Remember
Route barrèe Road closed
Sens-unique One-way
Serrez a droite Keep to the right
Sortie Exit
Suivre Follow
Sur On
Toutes directions All directions
Vitesse adapteè sècuritè Adapt your speed for safety
Voie unique One lane road
Voitures Cars
Blue signs and the letter A
indicate Autoroute péage or toll roads, while
green signs and the letter N (RN on older maps)
indicate non-toll Route National highways. D
roads are provincial or routes départementals. Just
follow the signs in green if you wanna avoid tolls but still
make good time. To exit a metropolitan area follow the signs
that read "Toutes Directions" (All
Directions) or "Autre Directions" (Other
Directions). Exits or sorties off the autoroutes
are sometimes embellished by an orange panel marked "Bis";
these signs indicate alternate routes which avoid areas prone
to congestion at peak driving times. A free map of Bis
routes is published in June each year by the French
Government; check for this map at tourist offices in France if
you haven't already obtained it. Itineraires de délestage
are routes that avoid the cities; these are signified by blue
signs with yellow arrows. To avoid rush hour in large cities
don't drive between 7:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. or between 4:30
p.m. and 7:30 p.m. The word gare indicates a train
station.
Driving
The legal blood alcohol limit is 50 mg.
Generally, speed limits are as follows: 50 kph (30 mph) in
built-up areas, 90 kph (56 mph) or 110 kph (68 mph) outside
built-up areas, and 130 kph (81 mph) on expressways. During
good weather the minimum speed in the far left lane of
expressways is 80 kph (49 mph). In bad weather, limits are
lowered to 80 kph (50 mph) outside built-up areas, 100 kph (62
mph) when multiple lanes are provided in each direction, and
110 kph (68 mph) on expressways. Visitors who've held their
license for less than one year must always observe a 90 kph
(56 mph) speed limit. The speed limit on Paris's Périphérique
(ring road) is 80 kph (49 mph). This same 80 kph limit applies
to cars towing a trailer that's not as heavy as the car. If
the trailer is less than 30 percent heavier than the car, the
limit is 65 kph (39 mph); if the trailer is more than 30
percent heavier, the limit is 45 kph (28 mph). In both cases a
plate showing the maximum speed must be displayed on the back
of the trailer, and the vehicle-trailer combination is not
allowed in the far left lane of expressways.
A flashing red traffic light means Do
not enter; flashing amber means Caution; flashing
yellow arrows mean Yield. A sign reading "Danger
Prioritè à Droite" reminds you that traffic on the
right has priority at intersections. A sign reading "Passage
protégé" indicates that you're approaching a road
that has priority. When traffic on a roundabout has priority,
this is indicated by a red-bordered triangular sign bearing
the roundabout symbol and the words "vouz n'avez pas
la priorité" (you do not have right of way) or "cèdez
le passage" (give way). You must give bicyclists a
clearance of at least one meter when you pass them.
Motorcycles must be operated with the
headlights on—night and day. Vehicles parked in dimly lit
public places must have their parking lights on. Horns should
only be used in cases of immediate and extreme danger. If a
driver coms up behind and flashes you, he's communicating that
he wants to pass.
Broken center lines indicate a section
of road where passing is allowed. Where three or five lanes
exist the middle is to be used for passing by traffic going
both directions. On the autoroute a double-thick white
line designates the mandatory slow lane. A moving tram on a
two-way street may be passed on the right only. A moving tram
on a one-way street, however, may be passed on the left. Do
not pass a stopped tram which passengers are boarding or
disembarking.
Some police are empowered to collect
fines of up to 2500 FF on the spot. If you cannot immediately
produce your vehicle registration document and driving
license, you may be fined 75FF. And if within five days you do
not present them at a police station, 900FF may be tacked on.
For minor offences a fine is payable within 30 days. A deposit
might be required if a serious offence is committed by a non
resident.
By the—literal—way, Napolean planted
those nice poplars that line the roads to give his troops
shade to march in.
Parking
Follow the local parking customs. Often
you'll see cars parked half-on and half-off the sidewalk. If
this practice seems to be the norm in an area, go ahead and do
it. I've had no problem consistently finding free and
well-located parking spots in downtown Paris.
Don't park where the curb is painted
yellow. If, based on whether the date is even or odd, parking
is allowed on one side of the street or the other, signs
reading "Coté du Stationnement, jour pairs"
(even) or "impairs" (odd) are in place.
Parking on the left side of a street is allowed along one-way
streets only. The end of a no parking zone is indicated by a
sign reading "Fin d'interdiction de stationner."
On dark streets, parking lights must be left on. In Paris,
parking is not allowed along two main axes rouges or
red routes: the north-south route includes the Ave. du Général
Leclerc, a portion of the Blvd. St. Michel, the rue de Rivoli,
Blvd. Sébastopol, Blvd. Strasbourg, Blvd. Barbès, Blvd.
Ornano, rue Lafayette, and Ave. Jean Jaurès; the east-west
route includes the left banks of the Seine and the Quai de la
Mégisserie. Do not leave a vehicle parked in the same spot
along a Paris street for more than 24 hours; this also applies
to Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-St. Denis, and Val de Marne.
Pay-and-display machines (horodateurs)
are common throughout France. Unless otherwise indicated,
parking is free of charge from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. and on
weekends, public holidays, and during the whole of August.
Provincial towns often offer free parking from noon to 1:30
p.m. The tariff and time limit are shown on the machine. FF1,
FF2, FF5 and FF10 coins are accepted. Press the red button to
get a ticket. Larger cities have Blue Zones where
parking discs or tickets must be displayed on vehicle
dashboards. Discs should be displayed on the inside of the
windshield, with the clock hands set to show time of arrival
and planned time of departure. The limit in Blue Zones
is 1.5 hours from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., except from 11:30
a.m. to 2:30 p.m., with no tickets required on Sundays or
public holidays. The discs or tickets may be obtained from
tourist offices, certain shops, and police stations. The
police charge for the discs, but the tourist offices don't. In
Paris and some other large cities, illegally parked vehicles
may be wheel-clamped or towed.
Banks
Open on weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30
a.m., but times vary. Most banks close for about an hour at
lunch time.
Shops
Open from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. and
from 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. every day but Sunday. Some shops,
however, close on Monday instead of Sunday; and food sellers
open at 6:00 or 7:00 a.m.
National Holidays
Jan 1; Easter Mon; Labor Day; May 8;
Ascension; Whit Monday; July 14; Aug 15; Nov 1; Nov 11; Dec
25.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Police, tel. 17; Fire, tel. 18;
Ambulancecall the number given on the phone box or call the
police. Expressways and main highways have roadside emergency
telephones every 2 km. If an accident involving personal
injury or substantial damage occurs in a town, contact a
policeman (agent de police) to make a report. On
country roads, contact a gendarme. If the accident
involves damage only, contact a huissier from the
nearest town. A huissier is a court official who is
part assessor and part bailiff. The party requesting the huissier's
services must pay the fee for completing a report on the
accident. Accidents also should be reported to the Bureau
Central Français des Sociétés d'Assurances contre les
Accidents Automobiles, 36 ave. du Général de Gaulle, 93171
Bagnolet cedex, tel. 1 49 93 65 50. Automobile Club de France,
FIA member, 68 Place de la Concorde, 75008 Paris,
tel. 1 43 12 43 12, office hours from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
on weekdays. Automobile Club National (ACN), FIA and AIT
member, 5 rue Auber, 75009 Paris, tel. 44 51 53 99, office
hours from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00
p.m. (Friday until 5:00) on weekdays.
|
Warning
Triangle
Bulbs
Breathalyser
Documents
Driving license
Passport
3rd Party insurance
Vehicle registration
Green card
|
-
Germany
- Motorways
(recommended max.) - 80mph (130kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - 62mph (100kph)
- Built
up-areas - 31mph (50kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ 59.5p / litre
On the
spot fines for Speeding etc.
It's
illegal to run out of petrol on the motorway (autobahn)
Accidents - Call Police if individuals have been injured or
considerable damage has been caused.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - 112 / Police - 110 / Ambulance - 110
German
Road signs - http://www.enconnect.net/greengrl/zeichen.htm
License
Generally foreign drivers licenses are
valid for one year. Technically a German translation of the
license is required, but it's not likely you'll be asked for
one. You can if necessary buy one from the German ADAC
motoring club for some DM 70. Alternatively you can buy an
Internaional Driving Permit from your country's national auto
club for a lot less before you go abroad.
Non-toll Mountain Passes
Fuel
In general major credit cards are
accepted. Stations, though, are not half as prolific as in the
USA. And don't expect to find any conveniently situated near
airport rental locations. Leaded super gasoline has an octane
rating of 98. Unleaded gasoline is called bleifrei normal
or bleifrei super. Regular unleaded gasoline has an
octane rating of 91; the octane rating of super is 95 or 98.
Diesel is, in fact, called diesel. LPG is called autogas.
Road Signs
Abblendlicht Dipped headlights
Abstand halten Maintain distance
Alle Richtungen All directions
Altstadt Oldtown
Anfang Start, beginning
An geraden Tagen On even days (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday)
An ungeraden Tagen On odd days (Monday, Wednesday and Friday)
An Sonn- und Feiertagen On Sundays and holidays
Anleiger Frei Residents are free of this restriction
Anschluß Junction
Anwahner Frei Residents with indicated permit are free of this restriction
Auf dem Seitenstreifen On the shoulder
Ausfahrt Exit
Autobahndreieck Autobahn "T" junction
Autobahnkreuz Autobahn junction
Bauarbeiten Roadworks
Baustelle Roadworks
Baustellenfahrzeuge frei Construction vehicles only
Baustofflagerung Roadwork equipment
Bei Nässe During wet conditions
Belegt Full
Besetzt Full
Bitte Sauberhalten Please keep this a clean place
Bis Until
Dauer Duration
Durchfahrt verboten No through traffic
Einbahnstraße One-way street
Einfahrt Entrance
Einordnen Enter the lane, merge
Einsatzfahrzeuge frei Operations vehicles only
Ende End
Fahrbahnwechsel Change lanes
Fahrtrichtung Direction of travel
Frei Free, permitted
Freiefahrt Road is clear
Frostchäden Frost damage
Fußgänger Pedestrian
Eigen Own
Gasse Lane
Gefahr/gefährlich Danger, risk
Gesamte Entire
Glatteisgefahr Icy road
Grenze Border
Grenze Kontrolle Customs inspection
Halt Stop
Haltestelle Bus/tram stop
Keine, Kein No
Keine einfahrt No entry
Keine mofas No mopeds
Kfz. Motor vehicle
Kraftfahrzeugwerkstatt Motor vehicle repair shop
Krankenfahrzeuge frei Ambulances only
Kreuzung Intersection
Land- und forstwirt-
schaftlicher Verker
frei Agricultural and forestry vehicles only
Landschafts Schutzgebiet No parking
Langsam fahren Drive slowly
Licht einschalten Turn on lights
Lieferverkehr frei Delivery vehicles only
Linienverkehr frei Scheduled transit vehicles only
Links einbiegen Turn left
Lösen Take
Lkw. Heavy trucks
Mittwoche Weekdays
Nur Only
Nur mit Parkschein Only with a parking permit ticket
Parkhaus Parking garage
Parkplatz Parking lot
Parkscheibe Parking disc
Parkschein Parking permit ticket
Parkscheinautomat Parking permit ticket machine
Parkuhr Parking meter
Pkw. Private/passenger vehicles
Polizei Police
Radweg kreutz Bicycle-path crossing
Raststätte Service area
Rechts einbiegen Turn right
Rechts fahren Keep right
Rollsplitt Loose Material
Sackgasse Dead end, cul-de-sac
Schlechte Wegstrecke Bad section of road
Schulbus School bus
Schülerlotse School crossing guard
Seitenstreifen nicht
befahrbar Do not use shoulder
Sperrgebeit Restricted area
Sperrung Closure
Spur Traffic lane
Stadtzcentrum Town center
Stadmitte Town center
Stau Slow traffic;drive with care
Straße Street
Straßenbahn Streetcar
Straßenschäden Road damage
Streugut Road salt/sand
Stunde(n) Hour(s)
Tankstelle Fuel station
Überholen Passing
Überholen verboten No passing
Umleitung Detour
Unfall Accident; drive with care
Verboten Prohibited
Verengte Fahrbahn Road narrows
Verkehr Traffic
Verkehrshelfer School crossing guard
Verschmutzte Fahrbahn Dirt on the road
Vorfahrt Priority (right of way)
Vorfahrt beachten Yield
Vorfahrtstraße Priority road
Vorrang Priority (right of way)
Vorsicht Be careful
Weg Way, lane
Werktags Workdays
Wohnwagen Caravan, motorhome, RV
Zentrum Town center
Zufahrt frei Access permitted
The word bahnhof, whether alone
or incorporated in another word, indicates a train station.
International autobahns are signified by green
rectangles bearing an E; while the letter A is
used to signify intranational autobahns. National roads
are marked by black numbers on a yellow background. Unlike in
the USA, there are few roadside signs which indicate the road
number. Exit numbers are signed on the 300-meters-to-exit
sign, which is depicted below. A U on a blue sign is
sometimes used to indicate a detour. If two numbers are given
where you would expect to see a speed limit, these numbers
represent the speed range. "SO" or Sonntag
= Sunday; "MO" or Montag = Monday;
"DI" or Dienstag = Tuesday; "MI" or
Mittwoch = Wednesday; Werktage or Mittwoche
= workdays or weekdays; "DO" or Donnerstag =
Thursday; "FR" or Freitag = Friday;
"SA" or Samstag or Sonnabend = Saturday.
The hierarchy of the roads is well
established. Forest and field ways (Wäldwege and Feldwege)
are one-lane paved or unpaved (sealed or unsealed) roads a
rung above a footpath. Access to a Waldweg is often
restricted by a barrier. City streets (Straßen) are
next up and of course run the gamut. County roads (Kreisstraßen)
consist of two lanes running between smaller towns. Although
officially denoted by a "K" preceding a number, this
designation is not posted on signs. State roads (Landestraßen)
are similar but connect larger towns. Likewise denoted by
an "L" preceding a number, again unposted. Federal
roads (Bundestraßen) are bigger and denoted by a "B"
number, in this case posted. These are usually two lanes but
can swell to four or six, at which point they are considered
expressways (Kraftfahrstraße, otherwise known as
Autobahnähnlich or "autobahn-similar" roads)
and are marked by a square blue sign bearing a white head-on
view of a car. Motor vehicles only may travel these
autobahn-similar expressways. Emergency phones are in place at
5 to 7 km intervals along the Bundestraßen. I detail
the king of roads—the Autobahnen—below. They are
signified by an "A" prefix (non-posted) followed a
one, two or three digit number, the third being employed for
metropolitan spurs only. Unlike the USA's system of numbering
North-South routes with odd numbers and East-West routes with
even, the numbering follows no plan. Moreover the cardinal
directions are not used as indicators. Instead city names
serve this purpose.
Driving
The minimum age of a driver is 17 years.
Children must be at least 12 years of age to sit in the front
seat (unless the seat is equipped with a child restraint).
Children under 12 years of age and seated in the rear of the
vehicle must be in a child seat if such a seat is fitted; the
fine for violating this is 40 DM. The use of seat belts is
compulsory for front- and rear-seat passengers. The legal
blood alcohol limit is 50 mg. Speed limits are as follows: 50
kph (30 mph) in built-up areas, 30 kph (18 mph) in built-up
areas when you see painted on the road white triangles
pointing at you or when you see the new "30-Zone"
sign, 100 kph (62 mph) or 130 kph (81 mph) outside built-up
areas, a recommended 130 kph (81 mph) on the autobahnen
(there being no speed limit on most stretches of the autobahnen;
though on the more congested, urban, or curvy stretches limits
90 kph to 120 kph (54 to 72 mph) are to be expected, and the
limit may reach as low as 60 kph (36 mph) in construction
zones), and 80 kph (50 mph) for cars with caravans or trailers
traveling outside built-up areas or on expressways. Trucks and
buses are usually limited to 80 kph or 100 kph on expressways;
so if the high speeds are not for you, you can slide in with
the big boys and go with their slower flow. When the
visibility is below 50 meters, speeds are limited to 50 kph.
Often numbers are painted on lanes to indicate speed limits;
especially true when safety demands a rather sudden slowdown.
Automatic cameras are used extensively
to catch violators. These may be permanently rigged or in
unmarked police cars parked on the shoulder. The ticket will
be posted a few days later to the address on the registration.
Rental companies will forward such tickets to the offending
client. Don't expect the photo to accompany the ticket: police
stopped including these a few years ago after the photos in
several cases exposed spousal infidelities. You'll have to go
to the station to see the photo.
Fines are as follows. Driving 21 to 25
kph over the speed limit can result in a DM100 fine; 26 to 30
will cost you DM120; 31 to 40 over equals DM200 and loss of
license for a month; 41 to 50 costs DM250 and loss of license
for a month. Going thru a red light is fineable at DM400.
Passing on the right (illegal!) can cost you DM100. You will
lose your license immediately for one month if upon your first
offense of the 50 mg blood alcohol limit the breathalyzer
shows you are above the 80mg level. On second and third
offenses the loss period increases to three months. Blood
alcohol levels between 50 and 109 mg are punishable by DM500,
DM1000 and DM1500 fines for first, second and third offenses,
respectively. All the fines listed above have
"points" associated, from one to four, depending on
the severity of the offense. Your accumulaiton of points is
filed and when it reaches a certain number, your license is
revoked, or you may be forced to attend driving classes.
Pedestrians, bicycles, mopeds and any
vehicle with a max speed rating less than 60 kph (36 mph) are
prohibited from traveling on the Autobahn. Highbeam
headlights are a no-no. In case of traffic jams, drivers must
position so as to create between the left-most lane and its
neighbor a lane for emergency vehicles. It's illegal to stop
on shoulders and ramps and it's illegal to run out of fuel. If
your vehicle breaks down or collides with another you must if
possible report this immediately to the Autobahn
Administration via a roadside emergency telephone. Specially
designed and posted detours are in place for every stretch of
the Autobahn so as to expeditiously handle road
closure. The detours are broken up into sequentially numbered
segments (odd numbers indicating one direction, even numbers
in the other) which terminate at each Autobahn entrance. Carry
on until you find an entrance open. These detours also provide
a great way to get around congestion.
While the Autobahnen were built
for safety and speed, they were also designed to conform
aesthetically to the landscape, like a garden path. But if you
use the left lane of the Autobahn don't consider
spending any leisurely time there; you'll need to be going
over 170 kph to extend your stay beyond the most utilitarian
window, and even then tailgaiting is the rule. If you're the
one doing the tailgaiting, don't even think about passing on
the right, as that is highly illegal on all German raods.
There's somewhat of a pecking order amongst svelte cars, in
which VWs cede to Audis, which cede to BMWs, which
cede to Mercedes, which cede to the kings of the road, Porsches.
Ironically, though, slow-downs occur frequently, due to
construction, wheather, accident or simple congestion. Major
traffic jams are quite common on Fridays, Sundays and holidays
(Feiertage). The autobahnen leading to and from
Berlin, especially on the A2 between Hannover ad Berlin, are
notorious for this. And bad queues involving two-hour waits
commonly occur on the A12 leading to and from Poland at the
Frankfurt am Oder border crossing. So generally beware of the
extremes!
If, by the way, you want to drive a
challenging sanctioned course where the highest reasonable
speeds are dependent more than elsewhere on physics, try the Nürburgring,
a motor-racing track coursing through undulating, wooded
countryside near Eifel, situated between Bonn and Trier, very
near the renowned Mosel River valley. The track takes its name
from the Nürburg ruin which lies inside the 20 km-long (12
mile) old nothern loop. A new loop, completed in 1984, now
hosts the prestigious road races. Despite its relatively short
4.5 km (2.8 miles) length the new course includes 14 corners
and varies in altitude by as much as 56 meters. Apart from
competitions and practice sessions, the loops are open for
public use. A lap costs something like 1012 DM. But I doubt
your insurance will cover this fling. And know that you'll be
sharing the course with every other Franz, Udo and Wolfgang
willing to fork over the small sum and say to hell with
insurance coverage. Accidents are said to be common. Call the
ADAC (see below) to get an objective assessment. Apply at the
track's Information Bureau B258; little advance notice is
necesssary. The onsite Rennsportmuseum (Motor Racing Museum)
may justify a visit even if you don't take to the course. A
similar experience can be had at the Hockenheim Ring southwest
of Heidelberg.
The instructions of police override
those of traffic signals, which override signs, and all of
these override the default right-side priority. Furthermore
the default goes into effect only where two roads of equal
status meet; otherwise traffic on the road of higher status
gets the nod. Most traffic signals in Germany are turned off
at night. A flashing yellow traffic signal or a traffic signal
with no lights operating indicate that the sign(s) posted next
to the rightmost signal, or in the absence of such sign(s) the
priority-road or default right-side priority rules, are in
effect. Note: Where the default right-side rule is
in effect, it is quite tacitly and blatantly assumed. And
sometimes this runs rather counter to a North American's
intuition. Take the case of an uncontrolled "T"
intersection of two equal roads. You might think traffic on
the through street of the "T" would have priority.
But, no, traffic on the right must be yielded to.
(Left-turning vehicles, however, should always yield in this
situation.) Moreover the proliferation of roadsigns is jarring
increasingly on the evolving German sensibility and in turn
there is a movement afoot to decrease signage, especially
where it encroaches on the aesthetic appeal of a neighborhood.
Thus increasingly the onus is on the individual driver to know
his priority or lack thereof.
When traffic is badly congested all the
rules mentioned in this paragraph go out the window and the
"zipper" rule (Reißverschluß) comes in to
play. As the name suggests, vehicles are expected to take
turns proceeding from each direction or lane.
Trams always have priority, but
otherwise you can drive on their tracks and basically treat
them like cars—they'll stop if they have to. Buses have
priority when leaving stops.
Right turns at a red light are only
possible where there's a green arrow simultaneously pointing
right (more common in the eastern states), and then only after
you've come to a complete stop and checked the traffic.
Left turns signaled by a green arrow are
protected when the signal is on the left side of
the intersection; otherwise the arrow indicates a permitted
left turn that nonetheless must yield. On three- and five-lane
two-way streets the center lane is for left turns only.
In built-up areas horns should only be
used in cases of immediate and extreme danger. Outside
built-up areas you can use the horn to indicate you intend to
pass. At night you must flash your headlights to warn of your
intention to pass. It is illegal to use the center lane of a
three- or five-lane two-way street to pass. Oftentimes mirrors
posted above the streetside let you see around sharp curves
and corners. Trams can be passed along either side on one-way
streets; but on two-way streets they should be passed on the
right only. Never pass a tram when passengers are boarding or
disembarking it. Outside built-up areas you cannot pass a
school bus which has stopped and has its red lights flashing.
It is illegal to drive with your parking
lights only, but you must use your low beams during bad
weather. Motorcyclists must drive with headlights on at all
times.
Police are empowered to collect fines of
up to 75 DM on the spot, but violators may be allowed to pay
during the following week. Foreigners, however, are often
asked to place a bond or deposit, and face having their
vehicle impounded if they refuse.
It's serious business to publicly
humiliate a person in Germany. If it's proven that you gave a
certain other driver the finger (Stinkefinger), you are
subject to a DM 2200 fine! Tapping your forehead or passing
your hand in front of your eyes is considered just as
insulting! And a gesture of thumb and index finger circled
together may be the worst, drawing as it does in Germany a
simile with the least visible bodily orifice. (Though in
France and Italy this gesture signifies excellence. Go
figure.) Call an officer or any uniformed state official an
idiot (Idioten) and kiss DM 3000 goodbye. There's an
official list of such offensive words and phrases and
corresponding fines. And, hey, smartass, the English
equivalents are not exempt.
Card-operated public phones are prolific
but coin-operated versions are quite rare. Consider buying a
phonecard to use in case you want to make hotel reservations
from the road or in case of emergency. They are sold in
postoffices, among other places.
It's illegal to wash a vehicle on a
public street; this must be done on private property.
On a recent trip to Berlin I found
driving there particulary easy—rather wide, well organized
and signed streets and avenues and not much traffic. The other
cities seem a bit more tricky but not daunting.
Parking
Don't let your relationship to Germany
be mediated by concrete or asphalt constantly. Germans are
still essentially forest peoples. Inasmuch as each city sports
a stadtwald or city forest, it is perhaps closer to the
truth to say rather that each forest boasts a city. Germans
are proud of their forests and their forest heritage and as
such roughly 40 percent of the country is said to be forested.
Extensive networks of foot-, bicycle- and equestrian paths are
maintained in most of these forests. So go to the forest,
recalling Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood and so on.
What you'll discover is the heart of Germany.
You are considered parked if you leave
your vehicle or if you stop for more than three minutes,
unless you are loading or unloading cargo or passengers.
Parking is prohibited within 5 meters of a pedestrian crossing
or an intersection or a built-up-area level railroad crossing,
within 10 meters of a traffic light or stop sign or yield sign
if you might obstruct the view of the signal or sign, within
15 meters of a bus or tram stop, within 50 meters of a level
railroad crossing outside a built-up area, and along a
priority road outside a built-up area. No parking zones along
streets (for instance, near bus stops) are indicated by a
zig-zag white line painted on the street. You must leave a
least 3 meters betwen your vehicle and the middle of the
street or the nearest lane divider. You may not park or stop
in a traffic lane if there is a shoulder or parking lane.
Vehicles over 2.8 tons cannot park on the sidewalk. Parking
discs (Parkscheibe) are required in Blue Zones or Blaue
Zones. You can buy these discs at fuel stations, tourist
information centers and tobacconists. In some urban areas a
system has been introduced which allows only permit-bearing
vehicles of local residents to park between 7 and 10 a.m. and
4 and 7 p.m. These Anwohnerparkzonen, however, were
recently declared illegal by a federal court in Berlin. For
now the signs warning of these zone remain. Although cities
such as Frankfurt have simply instructed parking inspectors to
stop issuing the DM30 violation tickets in regard to the old
rule, others plan to continue enforcing these zones. And
Cologne's response has been to order 400 new parking meters
for residential areas. Residents will be allowed to park free
of charge, but visitors will have to pay. Generally, parking
is allowed only on the right, except along one-way streets,
where both sides do service, and except where rails obstruct
the right side. In the residential traffic calming zones
described above parking is limited to marked spaces.
Touch-parking (maneuvering a car into a parking space by
nudging the cars front and back) is illegal. A sign showing an
eagle in a green triangle indicates a wild-life reserve and
signifies that parking is limited to designated lots. You can
spend the night in a vehicle parked on the street, but only
one night per parking spot. And you must use leave your
parking lights on unless illuminated by an all-night street
light. Street lights that do not stay on all night are
marked with a white and red band around the post. Illegally
parked vehicles may be wheel clamped; in which case the
offender should call the police to resolve the situation.
The Parkleitsystem is a parking
guidance system using a series of electric signs around the
central area of a city. These blue-and-white signs indicate
the occupancy of various nearby parking garages. Next to the
name of the parking garage is either a number which shows the
current number of free spots or the word besetzt
(full). A very useful system indeed.
Camping
The former West Germany's campgrounds
are top notch, sporting all the amentities—including
excellent restaurants; those in the former East are catching
up. Generally sites are not reservable. Expect to pay per car,
per person, per tent or caravan, and for hot showers and
electricity. Free-camping is allowed for one night at highway
rest areas, but it's illegal elsewhere unless you have the
permission of, say, the farmer and, technically, the police.
Banks
Generally open weekdays from 8:30 a.m.
to 2:30 p.m. (5:30 p.m. on Thursday); some banks close from
12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Shops
Open on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to noon
and from 1:00 or 1:30 p.m. to 6:00 or 6:30 p.m. Large stores
stay open during lunch hours. Grocery stores say open until
8:00 p.m. now. Open until 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Police, tel. 110; Fire, tel. 112;
Ambulance, tel. 110. Allgemeiner Deutscher Automobil-Club (ADAC),
FIA and AIT member, Am Westpark 8, 81373 Munich,
tel. 089 76760, office hours from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 a.m. on
weekdays (8:00 a.m. to noon in other main towns) and until
noon on Saturday. The ADAC's 24-hour breakdown service or Straßenwachthilfe
is free of charge to members and non members alike (though
of course you will have to pay for parts). In their flagship
yellow vehicles the patrols have duly earned the moniker
"yellow angels". ADAC also offers a 24-hour
information service, tel. 089 22222. Automobil-Club von
Deutschland (AVD), FIA member, Lyonerstraße 16,
60528 Frankfurt am Main, tel. 069 66060, office hours from
8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, also runs an emergency
patrol service on major roads. Emergency call boxes (Notrufsäulen)
can be found at 2 km intervals along the Autobahn (i.e.
you are never more than a kilometer, or six-tenths of a mile,
from such a phone) and every 5 to 7 km along Federal Highways (Bundesstraßen).
Arrows on the white reflector posts lining the road indicate
the direction to the nearest emergency phone. Lift the phone's
microphone cover and wait for the Autobahn Administration (Autobahnmeisterei)
dispatcher to answer. The newer phones have an activation
button instead of a cover. Most dispatchers speak English.
You'll be asked for your location—which is designated by a
kilometer figure on a label inside the cover or near the
speaker—and the nature of the incident you are reporting.
Where these special emergency phones are not available dial
01308 19211. Police, fire fighters, ambulances, emergency
doctors, and if necessary a medical evacuation helicopter will
all respond to an Autobahn crash.
|
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First Aid kit
Documents
Driving license
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Vehicle registration
Green card
|
-
Greece
- Motorways/Dual
Carriageways -##mph ###kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Built
up-areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ ##.#p / litre
On the
spot fines for Speeding etc.?
Accidents - Call Police if individuals have been injured or
considerable damage has been caused.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - ? / Police - ? / Ambulance - ? / Breakdown - ?
Customs
You may import the following free of
duty: one carton of cigarettes or cigars, or 0.25 pounds of
smoking tobacco; 1 liter of alcohol or 2 liters of wine; and
gifts to a value of 10,000 dr. There is no duty on articles
intended for personal use. Foreign bank notes in excess of
$1000 must be declared. There are no restrictions on
traveler's checks. You may import an unlimited amount of Greek
currency and export up to 40,000 dr plus $1400 in foreign
currencies. Importation of spare fuel is prohibited. The
maximum period for temporary importation of a
foreign-registered vehicle is 6 months. Details about your
vehicle will be entered in your passport upon entry.
Equipment
You must carry a warning triangle and
fire extinguisher in your vehicle; though this does not apply
to motorcyclists. All drivers must carry a first aid kit in or
on their vehicle. Helmets are compulsory for motorcyclists and
their passengers.
Tolls
Vehicles are classified as follows: (1)
car or van with up to 10 seats, (2) caravan, (3) car with
caravan, (4) motorcycle.
Vehicle Category
Route 1 2 3 4
Athens to Corinth 500 dr 1000 1600 2000
Corinth to Patras 500 1200 2000 2000
Corinth to Tripoli 1000 1800 2400 3000
Athens to Lamia 1000 1800 2800 3200
Lamia to Larissa 500 1000 1600 2000
Larissa to Katerini 500 1000 1600 2000
Katerini to Theslnki 500 1000 2000 2000
Fuel
Many stations close at 7:00 p.m. Some
stations accept credit cards. Lead-free is widely available.
Regular unleaded gasoline has an octane rating of 91 or 92;
the octane rating of super is 96 or 98. Unleaded gasoline is
called amoliwdi wensina. Unleaded super gasoline has an
octane rating of 95.
Road Signs
The word stathmos indicates a
train station.
Driving
Greece suffers Europe's worst accident
rate in terms of the number of collisions per vehicle. Red
traffic lights are consistently ignored, and other driving
habits are marginally reasonable.
The minimum age of a driver is 18 years.
Children must be at least 10 years of age to sit in the front
seat. The use of seat belts is compulsory for front-seat
passengers. The legal blood alcohol limit is 50 mg. Speed
limits are as follows: 50 kph (30 mph) for cars and 40 kph (25
mph) for motorcycles in built-up areas, 110 kph (68 mph) for
cars and 70 kph (44 mph) for motorcycles outside built-up
areas, and 120 kph (75 mph) for cars and 90 kph (56 mph) for
motorcycles on expressways.
Many roads are three lanes wide: the
middle lane is used for passing in both directions. If there
is little room to pass on the road, fast drivers expect slow
drivers to pull onto the shoulder in order to let them by.
Multitone horns are illegal. Use of a
vehicle's horn in towns is allowed only in cases of immediate
and extreme danger.
Passing is illegal when approaching a
train crossing that isn't equipped with a barrier.
Fines should be paid to the public
treasury, not to a police officer.
Greek-registered vehicles owned
by persons who do not reside within the center zone of Athens
(the "designated area" or "daktilio")
cannot enter that zone, but this restriction does not apply to
vehicles rented or those bearing foreign plates and, in either
case, belonging to a person staying for less than forty days.
Persons who reside in the center ("daktilio")
of Athens and own a vehicle with Greek plates can drive
that vehicle in that area only on even or odd dates —
depending on whether their plate number is even or odd,
respectively — or outside the hours between 8:00 am and 8:00
pm. These center-zone restrictions are lifted during the month
of August.
Parking
You are not supposed to park within 3
meters of a fire hydrant, within 5 meters of an intersection,
or within 15 meters of a public transportation stop, though
practically no one follows this rule. If you park in a No
Parking zone in Athens or certain other areas, the police
may remove your license plates if you owe a traffic fine or
fines.
Banks
Open Monday through Thursday from 8:00
a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Shops
Open from 8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on
Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. Open from 8:00 a.m. to 1:30
p.m. and from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. every other day but
Sunday.
National Holidays
Jan 1; Epiphany; Shrove Mon; Mar 25;
Good Fri; Easter Mon; Labor Day; Whit Mon; Aug 15; Oct 28; Dec
25, 26.
BBC Radio Hours and Corresponding
Frequencies
5:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.: 9410, 12095 and
15070 kHz
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.: 9660, 15070 and 17640 kHz
4:00 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.: 9410, 12095 and 15070 kHz
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Police, tel. 100 (Athens, Corfu, Patras,
Piraeus, Thessaloniki) or 109 (Athens' suburbs); Fire, tel.
199; Ambulance, in Athens tel. 166 (see the phone directory in
other towns). The Automobile and Touring Club of Greece (ELPA),
FIA and AIT member, 24 Messogion St., 115 27
Athens, tel. 748 8800, office hours from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30
p.m. on weekdays and from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturdays.
ELPA provides 24-hour road-side assistance (OVELPA) free of
charge to tourists within town limits; tel. 104. Outside town
limits, ELPA provides the service for a charge. This service
extends to the islands of Crete and Corfu. Another motoring
club is the Hellenic Touring Club, AIT member, 12
Politechniou St., Athens 104 33, tel. 52 40 854 or 52 48 600,
office hours on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and from
5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00
p.m.
|
Warning
Triangle
Documents
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Passport
3rd Party insurance
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|
-
Iceland
- Motorways/Dual
Carriageways -##mph ###kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Built
up-areas - 30mph (52kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ ##.#p / litre
On the
spot fines for Speeding etc.?
Accidents - Call Police if individuals have been injured or
considerable damage has been caused.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - ? / Police - ? / Ambulance - ? / Breakdown - ?
Driving
The speed limit on tarmac roads is 90
kph (55 mph); on gravel roads it is 80 kph (48 mph); and in
populated areas it is 50 kph (30 mph).
A vehicle's headlights must be on when
it is being driven — day or night. All vehicle occupants
must wear seat belts.
There are many one-lane bridges: take
turns crossing!
Be careful of loose gravel. You may not
be used to driving on gravel roads, and they can be dangerous.
Sometimes the road surface changes suddenly from tarmac to
gravel. Before this happens it is vital to reduce speed; apply
the brakes gently; though it is often not easy to see such
changes coming. When cars meet or pass on gravel roads there
is a danger of loose stones being thrown up by the tires; of
course this danger can be reduced by slowing down. The
shoulder of gravel roads is often soft and drivers must be
careful not to let the outside wheels skid in the soft gravel.
Highland roads may become impassable at
very short notice. Investigate weather and road conditions
before setting off. The weather in Iceland changes very
quickly: not only from day to day but even several times in
the same day. As a result the the rivers and streams often
swell quickly. There have been some tragic accidents involving
foreign tourists who have tried to cross unbridged rivers in
the highlands. Even when people use the right place to cross,
many forget that heavy rain or melting snow may mean that a
river is dangerous. Spring-fed rivers may rise with rain,
while glacial rivers carry more water in warm and sunny
weather. Never try to corss a river with a lot of water if you
are driving a small car with an unprotected engine. Try to
cross in convoy with other vehicles so that help is available.
Wear warm clothes and alwsy have brightly colored protective
clothing.
Of course in winter, roads are often
snow covered. Salt is not used and streets and roads are not
ploughed with great frequency. Water often freezes at higher
air temperatures than foreigners are used to associating with
icy roads, for the angle of the sun during winter is so low
that far less warming radiation reaches the ground. Of course
all vehicles have snow tires and these are quite effective.
Driving in snow is an art form which the residents have
perfected. Study how they use both slowness and speed to drive
safely.
On many country roads you'll encounter
hills over which it is impossible to see oncoming traffic. In
many cases these hills are signposted "BLINDHAED"
(blind rise).
You are supposed to slow to a crawl when
passing a horse and rider along a country road; the rider
should acknowledge your courtesy by waving thanks. (You'll be
amazed at the number of beautiful Icelandic horses and the
number of horse riders you'll see in Iceland.) Always give
right of way to domestic animals. A driver who injures or
kills an owned animal is required by law to pay compensation
to the owner.
BBC Radio Frequencies
648, 6195, 9410, and 12010 kHz
Voice of America Radio Frequencies
792, 1197, 9760, and 15260 kHz
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Tel. 1777 or 1779; police, tel. 112.
|
Warning
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Documents
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Passport
3rd Party insurance
Vehicle registration
Green card
|
-
Ireland
- Motorways
- 70mph (112kph)
- Main
roads - 62mph (100kph)
- Built-up
areas - 31mph (50kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ 51.6p / litre http://www.irishfuelprices.com/
Accidents - Call Police if individuals have been injured &
seek medical assistance.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - 999 / Police - 999 or 112 / Ambulance - 999
Breakdown = AIT Tel 1-800 66 77 88 (0800 88 77 66 in NI), FIA
Tel 1-800 53 50 05 (0800 82 82 82 in NI)
Customs
You may import free of duty the
following goods if they were not taxed in the EC: 200
cigarettes or 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars or 250 grams of
tobacco, 2 liters of wine, 1 liter of alcoholic beverage
consisting of over 22 percent alcohol by volume or 2 liters of
alcoholic beverage consisting of under 22 percent alcohol by
volume, 50 grams of perfume, 0.25 liters of toilet water, and
other goods to a value of IR£34 per person (IR£17 for
persons under 15 years of age)—up to 12 liters of beer is
included in this last allowance. You may import free of duty
the following goods if they were taxed in the EC: 800
cigarettes, 10 liters of spirits, 45 liters of wine, and 55
liters of beer. Domestic cats and dogs from outside the United
Kingdom, or other types of animals from outside Northern
Ireland, cannot be imported. Irish Customs will issue a permit
of temporary importation to drivers of caravans and to drivers
of cars towing trailers and caravans. A vehicle that is
temporarily imported cannot be driven by an Irish citizen.
Equipment
Helmets are compulsory for motorcyclists
and their passengers.
Concessions for Hostellers
Irish Ferries offers discounts on their
services between LeHarve, France, and Rosslare, Ireland, and
between Cherbourg, France, and Rosslare, Ireland
Stena Sealink Line offers 25 percent
discounts on their services between Britian and Ireland. The
discount does not apply to service between Stranraer,
Scotland, and Larne, Northern Ireland, on Friday and Saturday
sailings during July and August.
Aran Ferries TEO offers a 10 percent
discount on round trip to the Aran Islands.
Island Ferry Service offers a 14 percent
discount on return journey from Baltimore to Cape Clear and a
25 percent discount on single fares for those over 18 years of
age from Burtonport to Aranmore.
Michael Nee Car and MiniBus Hire, Canal
Stage, Ballinafad, Co. Galway, offers a 10 percent discount on
car and bike hire.
National Bus Company (CIE) offers
discounts.
Rail/Bus Rambler Tours make discounted
packages available to hostellers. Also, special rates for
hostellers wishing to visit the Aran Islands from Indreabheán
Youth Hostel.
Rent-a-Bike Centers at Lower Gardiner
St., Dublin and Rosslare Harbor, Co. Wexford, offer a 10
percent reduction on bicycle hire.
Available from Killarney Youth Hostel:
discounts on local tours and half price on Bus Éireann
services from Killarney.
Tolls
There's a thirty-minute car ferry across
the River Shannon between Tarbert in Co. Kerry to Killimer in
Co. Clare. The ferry leaves Killimer every hour on the hour
and Tarbert every hour on the half-hour. The cost per car is
IR£7 one way; foot passengers pay IR£1.50. Contact Shannon
Ferry Ltd., tel. 065 53124. There's a ten-minute car ferry
operating continuously which takes one hour off the driving
time between Ballyhack, Co. Wexford, and Passage East, Co.
Waterford. First sailing occurs at 7:20 a.m. on weekdays, 9:30
a.m. on Sunday, with last sailing at 10:00 p.m. (summer) or
8:00 p.m. (winter). The cost per car, including passengers, is
IR£3.50 one way; foot passengers pay 80p; car loads pay IR£5.50
for return passage; foot passengers pay IR£1, tel. 051 82480.
Fuel
Stations are usually open from 7:30 a.m.
to 10:00 p.m., but some stay open 24 hours. Credit cards are
accepted. Leaded super gasoline has an octane rating of 98;
the octane rating of unleaded super is 95.
Road Signs
Primary highways are marked by an N
(for National) and a number between one and
twenty-five. Secondary highways are marked by an N and
a number above fifty. County roads are marked with an R
(for Regional). All T (Trunk) and L
(Link) routes are being renumbered as N or R
roads; you'll encounter both old and new signs. What's more,
road signs are often in both Irish (Gaelic) and English; but
in the northwest, most are solely in Irish. The
"yield" sign is a red triangle with its point down
and bearing the words "Yield Right of Way" or "Geill
sli". Distances are marked in kilometers on the new
green signposts and in miles on the old white signposts. Speed
limits tend to be listed in miles per hour. Be sure you have
the correct papers if you wanna drive between Ireland and
Northern Ireland. Don't drive on roads near the border which
are marked "Unapproved Road".
Driving
Driving is on the left. The minimum age
of a driver is 17 years. Children must be at least 12 years of
age to sit in the front seat (unless the seat is equipped with
a child restraint). The use of seat belts is compulsory for
front-seat passengers. The legal blood alcohol limit is 100
mg. Generally, speed limits are as follows: 48 kph (30 mph) in
built-up areas, 96 kph (60 mph) outside built-up areas, and
112 kph (70 mph) on expressways. Cars towing a trailer are
limited to 80 kph (50 mph) on all roads.
Horns cannot be used between 11:30 p.m.
and 7:00 a.m. It's illegal to use fog lights except in fog or
falling snow.
Parking
Except where there are yellow lines on
the road and except within a bus stop area, any restrictions
you encounter are lifted after 6:00 p.m. Penalties for
dangerous parking are stiff. Parking in Dublin is especialy
very difficult now, and the police there employ wheel clamps.
Generally, parking meters are checked from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30
p.m. from Monday through Saturday; maximum parking time is 2
hours. Fines may be collected on the spot for parking
violations. Tip lot attendants about 20p when you exit. Cork
and Limerick employ the parking disc system in their central
areas. A disc allows for 1 to 3 hours of parking.
Banks
Open on weekdays from 10:00 a.m. to
12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Shops
Open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every
day but Sunday.
National Holidays
Jan 1; Mar 17; Easter; first Mon in June
and Aug; last Mon in Oct; Dec 25.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Police, Fire, and Ambulance, tel. 999.
Royal Irish Automoble Club, Dawson St. 34, Dublin, C.2, tel.
01 77 51 41.
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Documents
Driving license
Passport
3rd Party insurance
Vehicle registration
Green card
National vehicle oval country of registration plate
|
-
Italy
- Motorways
- 80mph (130kph)
- Main
roads - 55mph (90kph)
- Built-up
areas - 31mph (50kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ 61.9p / litre
On the
spot fines for Speeding etc.
Accidents - Call Police if individuals have been injured &
seek medical assistance.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - 113 / Police - 113 / Ambulance - 113
Customs
It's illegal to import or carry spare
fuel.
License
Non European licenses and old-style
green European licenses must be accompanied by an
International Driving Permit. EC format pink/green licenses,
however, are acceptable without an IDP.
Equipment
You must carry a warning triangle in your
vehicle; though this does not apply to motorcyclists. Helmets
are compulsory for motorcyclists and their passengers.
Tolls
Tolls are charged on the autostrade.
Tickets are obtained upon entry to the expressway system and
paid upon exiting. Tolls (except in Sicily) can be paid with
cash or a Viacard. Motorists can purchase a 50,000 or
90,000 lire Viacard from toll booths, fuel stations,
some banks, tourist offices, and tobacconists. Viacards
are accepted on all routes except the A18 and A20. At
automatic barriers, the card should be inserted into a slot on
the controlling machine. The lanes which accept credit cards
are signed by a large "T" and by small icons of the
various card companies and are usually the rightmost lanes.
You do not have to sign a receipt when you use a credit card.
Personel rather than machines do work certain lanes. And
they're used to the machines and, especially, the drivers on
the other lanes screwing things up. So if you do something
stupid like I'm prone to, a worker will quickly materialize to
amiably solve the problem. Last time the machine ate my card.
With little delay I was dramatic host of that modern malady
credit card agnst, until moments later when an affable female
worker arrived and defused the scene by directing us to wait
on the side of the road for a few minutes while she retrieved
the card. She succeeded and with a smile and wave launched my
gang and me down the road to a happy retrospective marked by
us mirroring her good humor and suffused by a tacit snicker at
my knee-jerk reaction. ticket, despite the immediacy of a
large green "button" bearing a lifesize hand icon.
My card disappeared inside and after a moment which I
puncuated with various facial contortions and obscene
mutterings, a gracious employee arrived, gave me a few prosaic
sentences in French and proceeded to quickly open the machine,
retrieve my card, and hand it to me with a smile. I high-fived
the green button and was on my way.
Vehicles are classified as follows.
- Car whose height as measured
vertically from the front axle is less than 1.3 meter, or
a motorcycle.
- Three-wheeled vehicle or a vehicle
whose height as measured vertically from the front axle is
greater than 1.3 meters. Tolls for these vehicles are
virtually the same amount as tolls for category-1
vehicles.
- Vehicle or combination of vehicles
with 3 axles. Tolls for these vehicles are, on average, 29
percent greater than tolls for category-1 vehicles.
- Vehicle or combination of vehicles
with 4 axles. Tolls for these vehicles are, on average, 2
times greater than tolls for category-1 vehicles.
- Vehicle or combination of vehicles
with 5 axles. Tolls for these vehicles are, on average,
2.42 times greater than tolls for category-1 vehicles.
Route Toll for a
Category-1 Vehicle
A1 Milano to Bologna 16,500 lire
A1 Milano to Roma 45,500
A1 Milano to Napoli 62,500
A1 & A21 Torino to Piacenza 14,500
A3 Napoli to Salerno 1500
A4 Torino to Milano (Ghisolfa) 10,000
A4 Milano to Venezia (Mestre) 21,500
A4 & A21 Piacenza to Brescia 6000
A4 & A23 Palmanova to Udine 2100
A5 Torino to Aosta 17,500
A5 Aosta to Santhià 15,500
A6 Torino to Savona 13,500
A7 Milano to Genova 12,000
A8 Milano to Varese/Sesto Calende 3600
A9 Milano to Como/Brogeda, Switz. 4200
A10 Genova to Savona Vado 4000
A10 Savona Vado to France 19,500
A11 Firenze to Pisa 6500
A12 Genova to Rosignano 25,000
A12 Rome to Citavecchia 5000
A13 Bologna to Padova 9500
A14 Bologna to Taranto 58,500
A14 & A25 Bologna to Pescara 26,000
A15 Parma to La Spezia 13,000
A16 Napoli to Canosa 21,500
A18 Messina to Catania 5000
A19 & A20 Cefalu to Buonfornello 1300
A20 Messina to Furiano 9500
A21 Torino to Piacenza 14,500
A22 Brénnero to Modena 28,500
A23 Udine to Tarvisio 8500
A24 Roma to L'Aquila to Teramo 12,000
A24 & A14 Brénnero to Verona 21,500
A25 Roma to Pescara 14,000
A26 Genova to Arona 14,500
A26 Voltri to Tortona 6500
A27 Venezia (Mestre) to Vittoria Veneto 6000
A30 Caserta to Nola to Salerno 4500
A31 Vicenza to Piovene Rocchette 2500
A32 Frèjus Tunnel to Torino 12,700
The following tunnels connect Italy to
Austria, France or Switzerland and require a toll.
Tolls are charged on the following
mountain passes.
Non-toll Mountain Passes
Non-toll mountain passes tend to be much
more difficult to negotiate than the passes which charge a
toll. If you're driving a vehicle, such as a caravan, that's
not allowed on or recommended for some of the following passes
or if you wanna travel quickly across or through the
mountains, a mountain pass or tunnel which charges a toll
tends to be close by.
Fuel
Fuel stations along expressways are open
24 hours. Along other roads, fuel stations are open from 7:00
a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. from May
through September; from October through April the stations
close at 7:00 p.m. Credit cards are accepted. Only 25 percent
of non-expressway fuel stations are open on Sunday and public
holidays; those that are open on Sunday close on Monday. If a
fuel station is closed, it displays its hours and the location
of the next station. Some stations, however, have pumps that
accept bills automatically. Fuel prices are regulated by the
government, so don't waste time shopping around. Prices along
the autostrade are 20 lire higher per liter, and 20
lire more are added per liter for night service (unless the
pump automatically accepts bills or credit cards). Credit
cards are accepted at autostrada stations and at some
75 percent of stations on lesser roads. Regular leaded
gasoline has an octane rating of 85 or 88; the octane rating
of super is 98 or 100. Unleaded gasoline is called benzina
sensa piombo, super bleifri, or super senza.
Unleaded super gasoline has an octane rating of 95. Diesel is
called gasolio. LPG is called GPL (gas liquido).
It's illegal to carry spare fuel.
Road Signs
Centro Paese Town center
Entrata Entrance
Incrocio Crossroads
Lavori in corso Roadworks ahead
Parcheggio Parking ramp
Passaggio a livello Train crossing
Rallentare Slow
Senso Vietato No entry
Sosta Autorizzata Parking allowed during times shown
Sosta Vietata No parking
Stazione Di Polizia Police station
Svolta Bend
Tutte le Direzion All directions
Uscita Exit
Vietato Ingresso Veicoli No entry for vehicles
Vietato Transito Autocarri Closed to heavy vehicles
Autostrade
(toll expressways), superstrade
(non-toll express highways), strade stratali (main
roads), strade provinciali (secondary roads) and strade
comunali (local roads) combine to offer efficient and
interesting options for driving. The word stazione
indicates a train station.
Driving
The minimum age of a driver is 18 years.
Children 412 years of age must use a special restraint. The
use of seat belts is compulsory both for front- and rear-seat
passengers. The legal blood alcohol limit is 80 mg. Speed
limits are as follows: 50 kph (30 mph) in built-up areas, 90
kph (55 mph) on secondary roads outside built-up areas, 110
kph (68 mph) on main roads outside built-up areas, and 130 kph
(81 mph) on expressways. On expressways, cars with engines
smaller than 1090 cc and motorcycles with engines smaller than
150 cc are limited to 110 kph (68 mph). Cars towing a caravan
or trailer, and caravans over 12 tons, are limited to 70 kph
(44 mph) outside built-up areas and to 80 kph (50 mph) on
expressways. Caravans between 3.5 and 12 tons are limited to
80 kph (50 mph) outside built-up areas, and to 100 kph (62
mph) on expressways. Expressway speeds are reduced to 110 kph
(68 mph) during the following: Saturday and Sunday, the
Thursday before Easter through the Wednesday after, midweek
national holidays, December 20 through January 7, and from the
Saturday before the second Sunday in July through the first
Sunday in September.
Headlights are required from half an
hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise. Headlights
should also be used under bridges and in tunnels. Only use
foglights in conditions of poor visibility. Use of the horn is
prohibited in built-up areas except in cases of immediate and
extreme danger; at night flash your horns instead. Outside
built-up areas, however, you must use the horn to signal your
intention to pass.
The middle lane of three-lane roads is
for passing. Passing on the right is permitted when the driver
ahead has signaled a left turn and has moved to the center of
the road or when multiple lanes are traveling in your
direction. By the way, don't be surprised to find Italians
paying remarkably little respect to lane definition. In other
words, they drive all over the road.
Anything hanging off the end of a
vehicle, such as a bicycle, must be tagged with a reflective
red and white striped sign 50 cm square. The signs are sold at
most automotive shops in Italy. You may be fined 100,000 lire
if you fail to satisfy this requirement.
Police are empowered to revoke your
license and to collect fines on the spot. For
foreign-registered vehicles, police can collect one-fourth of
the maximum fine on the spot. If you contest the fine, you
must deposit half the maximum amount in cash (foreign is OK)
or in the form of a surety.
To thwart car theives, police are
increasingly subjecting foreign-registered vehicles to spot
checks. To pass such a check, operators must present vehicle
and personal identification documents—including written
permission from the owner if it's a borrowed vehicle. Vehicles
which don't pass may be confiscated.
Parking
Generally, parking is on the right side
of the road. Parking in a Blue Zone or Zona Disco
is for limited time periods. Parking discs for these zones may
be obtained at fuel stations, tourist offices, and motor club
offices. When parked in these zones from 9:00 a.m. to 2:30
p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Monday through
Saturday (except holidays) your vehicle must display a parking
disc. Maximum parking time during these periods is one hour.
Some cities also have Green Zones or Zona Verde
where parking is prohibited from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and
from 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays.
In Florence, all vehicles are banned
from the city center from 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays;
visitors may enter the center in their vehicle during these
times to load or unload but must then move on to park outside
the center.
In Rome a sign reading "zona
tutelato" indicates that parking is prohibited from
7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekdays; punishment for violating
this ordinance may include a prison sentence.
In Venice, parking is very difficult to
find. Park instead at one of the mainland car parks; you can
take a bus or ferry from there to the city. The parking
facility at Mestre, however, is a well-known haunt of thieves.
In the Tronchetto garage, park on the left side, not on the
right. These mainland facilities are linked to the island by
ferry and bus services.
Naples (along with Seville, Spain) is
Europe's most infamous lair of thieves. Furthermore, driving
in Naples is notoriously difficult. Instead of taking your
vehicle into Naples, stay on the Ischia or Sorrento Peninsula.
For quick transport to the city, take the catamaran or aliscafi.
Banks
Open on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30
p.m. and from 2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Shops
Open on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00
p.m. and from 3:30 or 4:00 p.m. to 7:30 or 8:00 p.m. Open
until noon on Saturday.
National Holidays
Jan 1, Easter Mon; Apr 25; Labor Day;
Aug 15; Nov 1; Dec 8, 25, 26.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Police, tel. 113; Fire, tel. 115;
Ambulance, tel. 118. The Automobile Club d'Italia (ACI), FIA
and AIT member, Via Marsala 8, 00185 Rome, tel. 06
49921, office hours from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and from 3:00
p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Monday through Saturday, operates a
breakdown service on all roads, tel. 116. This service offers
free tows to visitors driving in Italy with foreign license
plates or with a car rented at the Rome or Milan airports.
Renters must show plane tickets and the rental contract to get
the service free of charge. Another club is the Touring Club
Italiano (TCI), AIT member, Corso Italia 10, 20122
Milan, tel. 02 85261, office hours from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
on weekdays and from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday; tel.
8526263 for information on their breakdown service.
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Warning
Triangle
Bulbs
First Aid kit
Documents
Driving license
Passport
3rd Party insurance
Vehicle registration
Green card
|
-
Luxembourg
- Motorways
- 74mph (120kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - 62mph (100kph)
- Built
up-areas - 31mph (50kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ 43.4p / litre
Fuel
Generally, major credit cards are
accepted. Leaded super gasoline has an octane rating of 98.
Unleaded gasoline is called essence sans plomb. Regular
unleaded gasoline has an octane rating of 91; the octane
rating of super is 95. It's illegal to carry spare fuel.
Driving
The minimum age of a driver is 18 years.
Children under 12 years of age, or less than 1.5 meters tall,
and seated in the front seat must be in a safety seat. The use
of seat belts is compulsory for the driver and for passengers.
The legal blood alcohol limit is 80 mg. Speed limits are as
follows: 50 kph (30 mph) in built-up areas, 90 kph (56 mph)
outside built-up areas, and 120 kph (74 mph) on expressways.
Limits for cars towing a trailer are as follows: 75 kph (46
mph) outside built-up areas, and 90 kph (56 mph) on
expressways.
Generally, traffic on the right has
priority. Common knowledge of this rule supplants Stop
and Yield signs in many cities.
Motorcycles must be operated with the
headlights on—night and day. Do not use the horn in built-up
areas or at night, except in the case of immediate and extreme
danger. Use the horn outside built-up areas during daylight
hours to warn of your intention to pass or to warn of your
approach on mountain roads. Also use the horn in weather
conditions that significantly restrict visibility. Flash your
lights to indicate your intention to pass.
Passing is allowed on the left only.
Police are empowered to collect
fines—usually equaling 500 LF per offense, but occasionally
as high as 3000 LF—on the spot.
Parking
Blue Zone
parking zones exist in
Dudelange, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg City, and Wiltz.
Parking discs for these zones can be obtained from the ACL
motoring club, police stations, shops, and tourist offices.
Luxembourg city has parking meters and machines that dispense
parking tickets. Wheel clamps are placed on illegally parked
vehicles.
Banks
Generally open on weekdays from 8:30
a.m. to noon and from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Shops
Open from 9:00 a.m. to noon and from
2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day but Sunday.
National Holidays
Jan 1; Carnival Day, mid February;
Easter Mon; May Day; Ascension; Whit Mon; June 23; Aug 15; All
Saints; All Souls; Dec 25, 26.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Police, tel. 113; Fire, and Ambulance,
tel. 112. Automobile Club du Grand Duché de Luxembourg (ACL),
FIA and AIT, 54 route de Longwy, 8007 Bertrange,
tel. 450045-1, office hours from 8:30 a.m. to noon and from
1:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays.
|
Warning
Triangle
Documents
Driving license
Passport
3rd Party insurance
Vehicle registration
Green card
|
-
Netherlands
- Motorways
- 74mph (120kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - 49mph (80kph)
- Built
up-areas - 31mph (50kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ 67.9p / litre
Customs
You may import free of duty the
following goods if they were not taxed in the EC: 200
cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250 grams of
tobacco, 2 liters of wine or 1 liter of alcohol consisting of
more than 22 percent alcohol by volume, 50 grams of perfume or
25 centiliters of toilet water, and other goods to the value
of Fl. 125. Limits are very lax on goods if they were
taxed in the EC. For example, you may import free of duty the
following such goods: 800 cigarettes, 10 liters of liquor
consisting of over 22 percent alcohol by volume or 90 liters
of wine or 110 liters of beer. Tobacco and alcohol allowances
are for those at least 17 years of age. All personal items are
considered free of duty, assuming you plan to take them with
you when you leave. There is no limit on the import and export
of Dutch currency. You can import 10 liters of spare fuel free
of duty.
Equipment
You must carry a warning triangle in
your vehicle.
Tolls
Between Breskens and Vlissingen and
between Perkpolder and Kruiningen a car ferry runs across the
Westerschelde estuary. Journey times are 20 minutes and 15
minutes, respectively, and journeys are frequent.
The ferries to the islands in the North
don't carry visitors' cars, only the cars of locals. The
exception is the ferry from the city of Den Helder to Texel,
the most western of the the so-called Waddeneilanden.
No toll is charged any longer to cross
the Waalbridge (Prins Willem Alexander Bridge).
Kiltunnel (Dordrecht to 's Gravendeel):
3.50 Fl. for cars and motorcycles.
Fuel
Major credit cards are accepted. Leaded
super gasoline has an octane rating of 98. Unleaded gasoline
is called loodvrije benzine. Regular unleaded gasoline
has an octane rating of 91; the octane rating of super is 95.
Diesel is called dieselolie. LPG goes by its English
name. Unlike in other contries, the LPG pumps are not put
aside on a separate island; instead they are located beside
the gasoline pumps. LPG is available at nearly all fuel
stations near the expressways. In urban areas, however, LPG
pumps are rather rare; law requires they be located at a
remove of about 200 meters from other buildings.
Road Signs
Centrum Town center
Doorgaand Verkeer Through traffic
Doorgaand verkeer gestremd No throughway
Eenrichtingsverkeer One-way street
Langzaam rijden Slow
Opspattend Grind Loose surface
Parkeerplaats Parking lot
Politiebureau Police station
Pas op: filevorming Attention: frequent traffic jams
Rechtsaf toegestaan Right turn allowed
Stadscentrum Town center
Tegenliggers Traffic from the opposite direction
Wegomlegging Detour
Werk in uitvoering Construction zone
Above the expressways near the bigger
cities you'll see real-time traffic information signs helping
you choose less congested routes. There are two keywords to be
aware of: file followed by a kilometer reading
indicates a traffic jam at that distanct ahead; reistijd
indicates the traveling time to the indicated city.
International expressways are denoted by
an E. Intranational expressways are signified by an A.
Other highways are marked by an N. A blue sign bearing
an illustration of a white house can mean children at play,
pedestrians have priority, bicycles on the right have
priority, or park only where you see a sign marked P.
Signs with names written in white borders usually indicate a
place within an urban area; sometimes this place is prefaced
with the name of the urban area. The word station
indicates a train station. A traffic pillar with green on top
and yellow running down its long axis indicates that motor
vehicles may pass on either side but other traffic must go to
the right only.
The Hague is called Den Haag in
Dutch, and sometimes is signposted with the older name s'
Gravenhage. Other cities with double names are Den Bosch ('s
Hertogenbosch) and Gorinchem (Gorkum). In the
northern province Friesland the regional language might be
officially used, but in all such cases the Dutch names must be
used also.
Driving
The minimum age of a driver is 18 years.
To sit in the front seat, children must be at least 3 years of
age and in a safety seat; younger children must sit in a
safety seat in the rear. The use of seat belts is compulsory
for front-seat passengers. The legal blood alcohol limit is 50
mg. Speed limits are as follows: 50 kph (30 mph) in built-up
areas, 80 kph (50 mph) outside built-up areas, and 100 kph (60
mph) or 120 kph (74 mph) on expressways (unless another limit
is signposted). When on urban expressways look especially for
small yellow 100-kph signs atop the crash barrier of the
expressways. The minimum speed limit on expressways is 60 kph
(37 mph). Cars towing a trailer or caravan must observe an 80
kph (50 mph) limit outside built-up areas.
Priority roads are denoted by a
white-bordered, yellow-orange, diamond-shaped sign or, of
course, by the international priority sign. Trams have
priority where roads of equal importance intersect. Bicyclists
proceeding straight through an intersection always have
priority. Cycle lanes exist on each side of most main roads.
Cycle lanes denoted by broken lines may be used by motor
vehicles if this does not interfere with cyclists. Pedestrians
on crosswalks always have priority.
Use your horn whenever you present a
risk to traffic. At night flash your headlights instead.
It's illegal to cross a continuous white
line at any time, even when turning. Trams should be passed on
the right unless it's safer to pass on the left. Trams should
be passed only on the right, unless there is no room on the
right, in which case they can be passed on the left. Trams
should not be passed when passengers are boarding or
alighting. Signs which state that overtaking is prohibited do
not apply to motorcycles.
In some areas, police are empowered to
collect fines on the spot. Speeding in a work-in-progress area
(Werk in uitvoering) carries fines about 35 to 50
percent higher than normal.
Parking
Vehicles parked publicly overnight need
to be somehow illuminated unless they're in a parking ramp or
in a built-up area and within 30 meters of a street light. Do
not park near a bus stop where the road or curb or pavement is
painted black-and-white or yellow. Blue Zones exist in
most towns and are indicated by the standard No Parking sign
bearing the words "Parkeer Zone". (A series
of slashes across the sign indicates the end of the zone.)
Parking discs for these zones can be obtained from police
stations, ANWB motoring club offices, and tobacconists. Wheel
clamps are placed on illegally parked vehicles.
Banks
Open on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m. (or later). Banks in small towns often close at 4:00 p.m.
and might be closed on some mornings and/or afternoons.
Shops
In bigger cities supermarkets are open
until 8:00 p.m. at least. Open from 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. to 5:00
or 5:30 a.m. every day but Sunday. Some close for Monday
morning. Some stay open until 9:00 p.m. on Thursday and
Friday.
National Holidays
Jan 1; Good Fri; Easter Mon; April 30;
May 5; Ascension; Whit Mon; Dec 25, 26.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Police, Fire, and Ambulance, tel. 112.
The most helpful motoring club is Koninklijke Nederlandsche
Toeristenbond (ANWB), AIT member, Wassenaarsweg 220,
the Hague, tel. 0800 0888 (toll free) or 070 314 7147, office
hours from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays. Uniformed ANWB
mechanics called Wegenwacht (road watch) patrol the
highways 24 hours a day in their trademark yellow cars. The
ANWB also maintains phone boxes along major roads. You may be
required to buy temporary membership in the ANWB to take
advantage of these services. Another motoring club is
Koninklijke Nederlandsche Automobil Club (KNAC), FIA
member, Binckhorstlaan 115, Den Haag 2516 BA, tel. 070 383
1612, office hours from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.
A hospital is called Ziekenhuis.
Signs bearing a lone "H" indicate a hospital. First
aid is called SEH or SpoedEisende Hulp (urgently
assistance required), or EHBO or Eerste Hulp Bij
Ongelukken (first aid at accidents).
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-
Norway
- Motorways/Dual
Carriageways -##mph ###kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Built
up-areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ ##.#p / litre
On the
spot fines for Speeding etc.?
Accidents - Call Police if individuals have been injured or
considerable damage has been caused.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - ? / Police - ? / Ambulance - ? / Breakdown - ?
Customs
You can import 15 liters of spare fuel
free of duty.
Equipment
Children under 4 must sit in special
safety seat. The fine for breaking this rule is 500 NOK.
Snow tires are compulsory in the winter. Helmets are
compulsory for motorcyclists and their passengers. Caravans
must use caravan mirrors, which should be folded down or
removed when the vehicle is not being driven. Towed caravans
which are up to 2.3 meters wide can be pulled by any sort of
car, but those between 2.3 and 2.5 meters wide must be towed
by a car at least as wide. The maximum length of a
car/caravan combo is 18.5 meters. The maximum width of a
motorhome is 2.5 meters; max length is 12.4 meters.
Tolls
For a brochure describing in great
detail the myriad internal ferry services of Norway, contact
the Norwegian Tourist Board.
There's an NOK 12 toll on vehicles up
to 3.5 metric tons (3500 kg) entering the center of Oslo.
Vehicles entering the center of Bergen must pay an NOK 5
toll on weekdays but not on weekends or public holidays.
There's a similar NOK 11 toll charged on vehicles entering
Trondheim's city center.
The following stretches of road impose
tolls. We list the price in NOK for a private car (or a
private car/trailer combo less than 3500 kg).
Road Closings
Several important roads are kept open
all year. Road 134 from Oslo to Stavanger to Bergen to
Drammen, across Haukelifjell mountain, is one such road. So
is the E6 from Oslo to Trondheim, across Dovrefjell
mountain. Some roads are closed for short periods because of
snow, and others are closed by decree for the whole winter.
The following roads are closed for some period during the
year; the road number is given, followed by the road's
county or the two cities it connects, and finally the rough
dates during which weather may force the road to be closed.
Fuel
It's illegal to use diesel fuel from
the red pump. This fuel is subsidized for farmers. Ink in it
stains the tank. If you're found to have such a stained
tank, the fine is about $600. Fuel stations are usually
closed from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. on weekdays, though
these times vary greatly; some stay open 24 hours. During
weekends stations are open only in highly populated areas.
Major credit cards are not always accepted. Leaded super
gasoline has an octane rating of 98. Unleaded gasoline is
called blyfritt kraftstoff or blyfri and has
an octane rating of 95. LPG (autogas) is sold at the
following stations:
Roads Signs
Arbeide pa Vegen Roadwork ahead
Bakketopp Hill top
Enveiskjøring One-way traffic
Ferist Cattle grid
Gammel Veg Old road
Grøfterens Ditching work
Ikke Møte No passing, single line traffic
Kjør Sakte Drive slowly
Løs Grus Loose surface
Møteplass Passing bay
Omkjøring Diversion
Rasteplass Rest stop
Sentrum City center
Svake Kanter Soft shoulder
Veg under Anlegg Road under construction
Veiarbeide Roadworks
The Norwegian word stasjon
indicates a train station. Speed control bumps are not
always signposted.
Driving
The minimum age of a driver is 18
years, but you must be 18 to rent or borrow a
Norwegian-registered vehicle. The use of seat belts is
compulsory for front- and rear-seat passengers. The legal
blood alcohol limit is 50 mg and penalties for exceeding it
are extremely severe. (Medicines which should not be taken
if you intend to drive soon thereafter are marked by a red
triangle.) Speed limits are as follows: usually 30 kph in
residential areas (note: speed control bumps are not always
signposted), 50 kph (30 mph) in built-up areas, 80 kph (50
mph) or 90 kph (56 mph) outside built-up areas, and 80 kph
(50 mph) or 90 kph (56 mph) on expressways. Cars towing a
caravan or trailer are limited outside built-up areas to 80
kph (50 mph) if the towed vehicle has brakes, and to 60 kph
(37 mph) if the towed vehicle does not have brakes.
Trams always have priority. In
mountainous areas, vehicles traveling downhill have
priority; vehicles going up the hill must reverse into a
passing bay if there's not enough room for two vehicles to
pass. It is illegal to drive off-road.
One reader writes:
Important to WARN about
the ridiculous rule regarding junctions. One must give way
to the car in the intersection to the right hand side EVEN
if your road is the through road at a T junction. You only
have the right of way if you are on a "yellow diamond
road" Use caution though as YDR's are often poorly
marked and can suddenly change status with minimum
warning. (If you don't see the sign you could be driving
under the mistaken impression that you have the right of
way, when suddenly a car pulls out in front of you.) To
further compound the risk locals tend to not bother
looking left nor slowing down for intersections, when they
have right of way at an intersection.
You may wish to inquire
about the exact rule definitions from the local
authorities. My tip-off is based on "close
calls" while living and driving in Norway.
Thanks for the time, F.E.
Fait
Headlights must be on at all times
while driving. Excessive use of horns is illegal.
Trams in Oslo should be passed on the
right, but they may be passed on the left if there's no room
on the right or if traveling on a one-way street.
Police are empowered to collect fines
on the spot.
Parking
Parking on main roads or on bends is
not allowed. A sign that reads "All stans forbudt"
means No stopping allowed. Parking meters are
differentiated as follows: Yellow = one-hour, Gray =
two-hour, Brown = three-hour. Parking regulations are
strictly enforced.
Camping
Normally the fixed price per site is
80 to 150 NOK, with additional charges per person. Many
campgrounds rent bookable cabins—some quite spartan, some
large and sporting one or two bedrooms, kitchen, shower and
toilet. Prices range from 200 to 600 NOK. Often campgrounds
accept an International Camping Carnet or the 60 NOK
Norwegian Camping Card (Nosrk Campingkort), which
entitle you to special deals and result in quicker service.
The Norwegian card is sold at participating campsites. Some
campgrounds may require one of these cards. Open fires are
not allowed from April 15th to September 15th. Often only 2
Amps of power come through the electrical hookups. PRO-GAS
plants in Bergen, Kristiansand, Oslo, Stavanger, and
Trondheim can fill built-in propane tanks. As described
earlier free-camping is generally practiced; just stay on
uncultivated land at least 150 meters from the nearest
residence for no more than two nights, and ask permission if
it seems the thing to do. It is illegal to empty toilets
outdoors. Rest stops and emptying sites for toilets are
marked on the Norway Camping map available from the
Norwegian Tourist Board. Also marked on that map are the
roads unsuitable for caravans. The many lay-bys along the
roads are not meant for overnight stays. Parking overnight
on the roadside is OK, though, if you are not in the way.
Some cities provide parking lots especially for motorhomes.
You can contact the Norwegian Caravan Club at Norsk Caravan
Club, Solheimveien 18, N-1473 Skårer, tel. 67 97 49 20, FAX
67 90 13 13.
Banks
Open on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to
3:45 p.m., usually an hour longer on Thursday.
Shops
Open on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m. Open until 1:00 or 2:00 p.m. on Saturday.
National Holidays
Jan 1; Maunday Thur; Good Fri; Easter
Mon; Labor Day; May 17; Whit Mon; Ascension; Dec 24 (part),
25, 26.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Police, tel. 112; Fire, tel. 110;
Ambulance, tel. 113. The Norges Automobil-Forbund (NAF), AIT
member, Storgt. 2, N-0155 Oslo, tel. 22 34 14 00, FAX 22 33
13 73, office hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays
and from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday. The NAF
maintains emergency telephones along mountain roads and from
June 16th to August 14th operates a 24-hour service that
patrols main roads and passes, tel. 22 34 16 00, FAX 22 42
88 30. To find out your nearest emergency pick up service
contact Viking Redningstjeneste, tel. 800 32 900 (toll free)
or 22 08 60 00; or Falken Redningskorps, tel. 800 30 050 or
22 95 00 00. Another motoring club is Kongelig Norsk
Automobilklub (KNA), FIA member, Drammenasveien 20-C,
N-0255 Oslo, tel. 22 56 10 09, office hours from 8:30 a.m.
to 4:00 p.m. on weekdays (3:00 p.m. in summer). If you must
use a telephone directory, look under redningstjeneste.
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|
-
Poland
- Motorways/Dual
Carriageways -##mph ###kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Built
up-areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ ##.#p / litre
On the
spot fines for Speeding etc.?
Accidents - Call Police if individuals have been injured or
considerable damage has been caused.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - ? / Police - ? / Ambulance - ? / Breakdown - ?
Customs
Visitors over 17 years of age may import
the following free of duty: items for personal use, 2 cameras
and up to 24 rolls of film, 250 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 250
grams of tobacco, 5 liters of beer, 2 liters of wine, 1 liter
of spirits. The import or export of Polish legal tender
without an appropriate permit is forbidden. There are no
limits set on the import of foreign legal tender into Poland.
Foreign tourists are requested to declare in writing all
currencies which they bring into Poland. Vehicles permanently
registered abroad are subject to temporary customs clearance,
i.e., for the duration of the traveler's stay in Poland.
Should such a vehicle not be taken out of the country, the
owner is obliged to pay customs duty and turnover tax. You may
import 10 liters of spare fuel free of duty.
The following are designated border
crossings.
It's common to queue for two hours on
both sides of the Frankfurt am Oder/Swiecko crossing between
Germany and Poland.
The Polish Motoring Association (PZM)
maintains offices at all border crossings. These offices
provide such services as currency exchange, insurance sales,
sales of maps and tourist guides, and information about
traveling conditions in Poland.
License
EC format pink/green license is
accepted; old-style green or non-European license must be
accompanied with an International Driving Permit.
Equipment
You must carry a warning triangle, fire
extinguisher and first-aid kit in your vehicle; though this
does not apply to motorcyclists. Helmets are compulsory for
motorcyclists and their passengers.
Road Signs
Expressways are designated by the letter
E.
Fuel
Most fuel stations now stay open 24
hours. Regular leaded gasoline has an octane rating of 94; the
octane rating of super leaded is 98. Unleaded gasoline is
called benzyna bezolowiowa. Regular unleaded gasoline
has an octane rating of 95; the octane rating of super
unleaded is 98. A high proportion of fuel stations along
highways sell LPG.
Driving
The minimum age of a driver is 17 years.
Children under 10 years of age must be in a safety seat to sit
in the front. The use of seat belts is compulsory for
front-seat passengers. The legal blood alcohol limit is 20 mg.
Speed limits are as follows: 60 kph (37 mph) in built-up
areas, 90 kph (56 mph) outside built-up areas, 130 kph (78
mph) on expressways, and 70 kph (44 mph) for cars with a
caravan or trailer traveling outside built-up areas or on
expressways. The minimum speed limit on expressways is 40 kph
(24 mph). Apart from built-up areas there are residential
zones—marked by entry/exit signs—where the speed limit is
20 kph (12 mph).
There are large numbers of horse-drawn
wagons carrying agricultural products on the public roads
during harvest periods. Unlit horse-drawn wagons are a
particular hazard.
Motorcycles outside built-up areas must
be operated with headlights on—night and day. Between
November 1 and March 1, all vehicles must use
headlights both night and day.
Use of horns is illegal in built-up
areas. Use your vehicle's headlights to warn of your intention
to pass. However, when passing in poor visibility you must use
your vehicle's horn to give warning.
Trams may be passed on the right; but
when a tram stops and there is no island to accept
disembarking passengers, drivers must yield to the passengers
who cross to the sidewalk.
Police are not empowered to collect
fines on the spot.
Parking
If parked in darkness on an unlighted
street, a vehicle's parking lights must be on. Vehicles
weighing less than 2.5 metric tons (2500 kg) can park with one
set of wheels on the sidewalk as long as a path remains for
pedestrians. Do not park within 5 meters of a pedestrian
crossing.
Camping
Most campgrounds are open from mid June
to mid September, with the onsite stores open only during July
and August. Don't count on finding a washing machine. Though
illegal, free-camping without the appropriate permission is
quite tolerated.
Banks
Open on weekdays from 8:00 or 9:00 a.m.
to 3:00 or 6:00 p.m.
Shops
On weekdays, supermarkets in bigger towns
are open from 8:00 or 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 or 9:00 p.m.; while
big shops in towns are open from 7:00 or 8:00 a.m. until 7:00
or 8:00 p.m., and smaller shops are open fron 8:00 a.m. until
7:00 p.m. On Saturdays, supermarkets in bigger towns are open
from 8:00 or 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 or 9:00 p.m.; while big shops
in towns are open from 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 or 4:00 or 6:00
p.m., and smaller shops are open fron 8:00 a.m. until 1:00 or
4:00 p.m. or are closed. On Sundays, supermarkets in bigger
towns are open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 or 6:00 p.m.; while big
shops in towns are open from 8:00 or 9:00 a.m. until 1:00
p.m., and smaller shops are closed.
National Holidays
Jan 1; Easter Mon; Labor Day; May 3;
Corpus Christi; July 22; Aug 15; Nov 1, 11; Dec 25, 26.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Police, tel. 997; Fire, tel. 998;
Ambulance, tel. 999. The mobile phone helpline is tel. 112.
Polski Zwiazek Motorowy (PZM), FIA and AIT
member, 85 Solec St., 00950 Warsaw, tel. 22 499 361 or 22 499
212 or 22 498 449, office hours from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on
weekdays. The PZM operates an assistance service, tel. 981.
The service and one hour of mechanical work is free of charge
to AAA, AA, CAA and NAC members if the service occurs within
25 km of towns in which the PZM maintains an office. Details
of this service can be obtained from PZM offices in towns and
at the frontier. POLTOS runs a similar service, tel. 954.
Usually these services operate from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.,
but some close at 3:00 p.m. Another motoring club is Auto
Assistance, 19 Sandomierska St., 00-950 Warsaw, tel. 22 290
374. Letters of credit issued by the FIA or AIT
may suffice to pay for assistance services nationwide. The
holders of such documents should contact the AUTOTOUR
Motoring Tourism Bureau of Auto Assistance. Accidents must be
reported to the police and the Polish Insurance Association.
It's illegal to leave the scene of an accident or to not
administer first aid to accident victims.
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-
Portugal
- Motorways
- 74mph (120kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - 62mph (100kph) or 55mph (90kph)
- Built
up-areas - 31mph (50kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ 54.7p / litre
Customs
Non-EC citizens over 17 years of age may
import the following free of duty: 200 cigarettes or 250 grams
of tobacco, 1 liter of liquor consisting of greater than 22
percent alcohol by volume or 2 liters of liquor consisting of
less than 22 percent alcohol by volume, 2 liters of wine, 100
milliliters of perfume, and items intended for personal use.
There is no limit on the amount of currency that may be
imported. But no more than 100,000 Esc or the equivalent of
500,000 Esc in foreign currency may be exported without proof
that at least this much was imported. Ask for a temporary
importation form (Delegaçao Aduaneirá) at the border;
Portuguese police may request this form. If bringing in a
caravan, you must provide—on plain paper or on a form that's
available at the border—an inventory of its items.
License
EC format pink/green license is
accepted; old-style green or non-European license must be
accompanied with an International Driving Permit.
Equipment
You must carry a warning triangle in your
vehicle; though this does not apply to motorcyclists. Helmets
are compulsory for motorcyclists and their passengers.
Tolls
Vehicles are tolled based on the
following classifications.
- Vehicle with an axle height, as
measured vertically from the front axle, of less than 1.1
meters (with or without a trailer); motorcycle.
- Vehicle with 2 axles and an axle
height, as measured vertically from the front axle, of
more than 1.1 meters
- Vehicle with 3 axles or an axle
height, as measured vertically from the front axle, of
greater than 1.1 meters.
Toll for each Vehicle Category
Route 1 2 3
A1 Lisbon to Santarém 470 Esc 820 1060
A1 Santarém to Fatima 510 890 1140
A1 Fatima to Coimbra 760 1330 1700
A1 Coimbra to Aveiro 380 670 860
A1 Aveiro to Porto 570 1000 1280
A2 Lisbon to Marateca 390 690 870
A3 Porto to Braga 380 700 900
A4 Porto to Amarante 500 890 1160
A5 Lisbon to Cascais 160 340 340
A6 Marateca to Montemor-o-Novo 550 950 1230
A8 Lisbon to Torres Vedras 300 710 910
A toll is levied on southbound vehicles
crossing the 25 de Abril Bridge which links Lisbon with the
south bank of the Tagus River at the end of the Vila Franca de
Xira expressway.
A car ferry makes ten 30-minute
crossings per day of the Sado Estuary between Setúbal and
Troia. Other ferries run across the Tagus (Tejo) Estuary
between Lisbon and Cacilhas, Barreito, Montijo, and Porto
Brandão.
Road Closings
In the winter, roads 231, 232, 338, and
339 through the Serra da Estrela may be closed due to snow.
Fuel
Fuel stations are usually open from 7:00
a.m. to 10:00 p.m. or midnight; otherwise they're open 24
hours. Major credit cards are accepted but entail a surcharge
of 100 Esc. Leaded gasoline has an octane rating of 98.
Unleaded gasoline is called gasolina sin plomo or
gasolina sem chumbo. Unleaded super gasoline has an octane
rating of 95 or 98. Diesel is called gasóleo. LPG is
called gáz líquido. It's illegal tocarry spare fuel.
Road Signs
The word estação indicates a
train station. Roads are classified as expressways (AE),
principal roads (IP), national roads (EN), municipal roads (EM),
and lesser municipal roads (CM).
Driving
The minimum age of a driver is 17 years.
Children must be at least 12 years of age or in a safety seat
to sit in the front seat. The use of seat belts is compulsory
for front-seat passengers traveling outside built-up areas.
The legal blood alcohol limit is 50 mg. Speed limits are as
follows: 50 kph (31 mph) in built-up areas, 90/100 kph (56/62
mph) outside built-up areas, and 120 kph (74 mph) on
expressways. Though cars towing a trailer are limited to 70/80
kph (43/50 mph) outside built-up areas and to 100 kph (62 mph)
on expressways. Unless otherwise indicated, the minimum speed
on expressways is 40 kph (24 mph). Visitors who have held
their license for less than a year must obtain from the ACP
motoring club and display on their vehicle a yellow disc with
the number 90 on it; the 90 indicates that the
driver is limited to 90 kph (56 mph). Cars towing a trailer or
caravan are limited to 50 kph (31 mph) in built-up areas, 70
kph (43 mph) outside built-up areas, and 90 kph (56 mph) on
expressways. When driving across the 25 de Abril Bridge in
Lisbon you must travel 3050 kph (1831 mph).
Roads are often three lanes wide; the
middle lane is used for passing in both directions. At night
in rural areas watch out for animal-drawn, unlit carts.
Only use the horn in cases of immediate
and extreme danger.
When a tram stops and there is no island
to accept disembarking passengers, drivers must yield to
passengers crossing to the sidewalk.
Police are empowered to collect fines on
the spot.
Parking
You must park in the same direction as
moving traffic, except where parking is allowed on one side of
the road only. Illegally parked vehicles are subject to
immobilization.
Camping
Most campgrounds are open year round.
Those run by the Portuguese Camping Federation require an
International Camping Carnet. Propane gas bottles can be
filled in Faro, Lisbon, and Porto. Free-camping without
appropriate permission is illegal, but it's tolerated most
everywhere but a few of the more popular beach areas.
Banks
Open on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00
p.m.
Shops
Open on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00
p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Open until 1:00 p.m. on
Saturday. Shopping centers are open daily from 10:00 a.m. to
midnight.
National Holidays
Jan 1; Shrove Tues; Good Fri; Apr 25;
Labor Day; Corpus Chrisit; June 10, 13 (Lisbon), 24 (Porto);
Aug 15; Oct 5; Nov 1; Dec 1, 8, 24, 25, 26.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Police, Fire, and Ambulance, tel. 112.
Orange emergency telephones are along main roads. The national
motoring club is Automóvel Club de Portugal (ACP), FIA
and AIT member, Rua Rosa Araújo 24-26, 1200 Lisbon,
tel. 01 56 3981, office hours from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and
from 2:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. on weekdays. South of Coimbra the
ACP breakdown service can be contacted at tel. 01 942 50 95,
FAX 01 941 94 99 (8:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. everyday); to the
north of Coimbra call 02 31 67 32 or 01 830 1127, FAX 02 31 66
98 (8:00 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
on the weekend). First aid can be called at these numbers 24
hours a day. Other Portuguese drivers readily assist stranded
motorists. Use your best judgment if another driver comes to
your aid; consider asking them to phone for help.
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-
Russia
- Motorways/Dual
Carriageways -##mph ###kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Built
up-areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ ##.#p / litre
On the
spot fines for Speeding etc.?
Accidents - Call Police if individuals have been injured or
considerable damage has been caused.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - ? / Police - ? / Ambulance - ? / Breakdown - ?
Customs
To obtain a visa, you must present proof
that you've delineated your itinerary and booked accommodation
before your departure. Moreover, visas are rarely issued to
individuals who have not booked through a recognized tour
company. And motorists limited to 300 miles per day and must
secure an itinerary card and special "Autotourist"
visa. Arrange itineraries through Intourist.
License and Insurance
You must carry an International Driving
Permit. Many people have trouble finding auto insurance that
covers the newly independent Eastern states. Auto insurance
for Russia or the other countries of the former USSR is
available through the agency Ingosstrakh (offices in
several European countries) or at the border posts at Brest
(on the Polish border) and Uzhgorod (on the Czech border).
Insurance for Contact embassies, consulates or tourist
information offices for more information. (See the Resources
chapter.)
Equipment
You must carry a warning triangle, fire
extinguisher and first aid kit in your vehicle; though only
the first aid kit is required of motorcyclists.
Fuel
Fuel stations are rare, with one every
100 km or so on average. Therefore you should carry some spare
fuel. Since western oil and antifreeze are also rare, carry a
spare supply of these as well. The most widely available fuel
is gasoline with an octane rating of 75, but 95 octane and
diesel can be found.
Driving
The use of seat belts is compulsory for
front- and rear-seat passengers. The legal blood alcohol limit
is 0 mg. Speed limits are as follows: 60 kph (37 mph) in
built-up areas, 110 kph (68 mph) outside built-up areas.
Avoid driving at night. Use your horn
only in cases of immediate and extreme danger. It's an offence
to drive a dirty vehicle.
Police are empowered to collect fines on
the spot.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Obtain help from traffic police or an
Intourist office. If your vehicle is damaged, be sure to
secure an official accident report (spravka) to ease its
export. Spare parts are rare; consider bringing some along.
|
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-
Spain
- Motorways
- 74mph (120kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - 62mph (100kph) or 55mph (90kph)
- Built
up-areas - 31mph (50kph)
Customs
Visitors may enter with unlimited
foreign and Spanish currency. You can't leave with more than
100,000 ptas and foreign currency to a value of 500,000 ptas,
unless you can prove that you declared to customs any excess
when you entered the country. You may import 10 liters of
spare fuel free of duty.
License
EC format pink/green license is
accepted; old-style green or non-European license must be
accompanied with an International Driving Permit.
Equipment
You must carry two warning triangles in
your vehicle; motorcyclists, however, need not carry a warning
triangle. You must carry spare bulbs of the correct wattage
for your lights. Vehicles are required to have at least two
rear view mirrors. Drivers must have a clear view of at least
50 meters; thus caravans should be equipped with extension
mirrors. Helmets are compulsory for motorcyclists and their
passengers riding motorcycles which have an engine larger than
125 cc.
Tolls
Private cars (with or without caravans)
and motorcycles pay tolls as follows.
Route Toll
A1 & A68 Burgos to Mirands de Ebro 1145 ptas
A2 from A7 juntion to Zaragoza 2205
A4 Sevilla to Cadiz 1345
A6 Madrid to Adanero 1075
A7 La Jonquera to Barcelona 1345
A7 Barcelona to Salou 1270
A7 Salou to Valencia 3385
A7 Valencia to Alicante 2240
A8 Bilbao to San Sebastian 1655
San Sebastian to France 215
A9 La Coruña to
Santiago de Compostela 580
A9 Pontevedra to Vigo 415
A15 Pamplona to Tudela 1245
A18 Barcelona to Manresa 710*
A19 Barcelona to Malgrat de Mar 440
A66 Oveido to Leon 1290
A68 Bilbao to Zaragoza 4755
*355 for a motorcycle
A16's Tunnel Garraf between
Castelldefels & Sitges charges a toll of 300 ptas for
motorcycles; 620 ptas for a car, a van, a minibus, or a car
towing a small trailer; and 1095 ptas for a caravan or a car
towing a caravan.
C138/D929's Bielsa Tunnel runs through
the Pyrénées between Aragnouet and Bielsa, France; 3 km
long; usually open all year, but closes from 10:00 p.m. to
6:00 a.m.l.
C1411's Cadi Tunnel between Bellver de
Cerdanya and Bagá. The tunnel runs west of the Tosas Pass: 5
km long; 1030 ptas for cars and motorcycles, 1280 ptas for
cars with a small baggage trailer, 2795 ptas for caravans and
for cars with a large trailer.
Near Barcelona the Vallvidrera Tunnel
charges a toll of 340 ptas for motorcycles; 430 ptas for a
car, a van, a minibus, or a car towing a small trailer; and
685 ptas for a caravan or a car towing a caravan.
Compania Transmediterranea SA operates
year-round ferry services to the Balearic and Canary
Islands:BarcelonaPalma (Mallorca); ValenciaPalma; BarcelonaMahón
(Menorca); ValenciaMahón ; BarcelonaIbiza; ValenciaIbiza;
PalmaMahónIbiza; CádizLas Palmas (Grand Canaria); CádizSanta
Cruz (Tenerife); FuerteventruaLanzaroteGomeraHierroLa Palma.
Non-toll Mountain Passes &
Tunnels
Non-toll mountain passes and tunnels
tend to be much more difficult to negotiate than those which
charge a toll. If you're driving a vehicle (such as a caravan)
that's not allowed on or recommended for some of the following
passes, or if you wanna travel quickly across or through the
mountains, note that a mountain pass or tunnel which charges a
toll tends to be close by.
Fuel
Prices are government regulated, so
don't waste time shopping around. Some fuel stations accept
credit cards. Regular leaded gasoline has an octane rating of
92; the octane rating of super is 97. Unleaded gasoline is
called gasolina sin plomo. Unleaded super gasoline has
an octane rating of 95. Diesel is called gas-oil. LPG
is called gases licuados del petróleo.
Road Signs
Aparcamiento Parking ramp
Ceda el Paso Give Way
Centro Town center
Comisaria Police station
Cuidado Drive with care
Desvío Detour
Dirrección Única One-way street
Obras Roadworks
Peligro Danger
Todas Direcciones All directions
Roads marked A for autopista
are toll roads. Roads marked N are known as autovias
and are the main, non-toll highways; these are often virtually
as fast as—and more scenic than—the autopistas. A sign
showing a stylized picture of a camera indicates an especially
good view.
Driving
The minimum age of a driver is 18 years.
Children under 12 years of age must be seated in an approved
child seat to sit in the front of a vehicle. Seat belts are
compulsory for front- and rear-seat passengers. The legal
blood alcohol limit is 80 mg. Speed limits are as follows: 50
kph (30 mph) in built-up areas, 90 kph (56 mph) or 100 kph (62
mph) outside built-up areas, and 120 kph (74 mph) on
expressways. In residential areas the maximum speed is 20 kph
(12 mph). Cars towing a trailer are limited to 80 kph (50 mph)
on divided highways, 70 kph (44 mph) on other roads.
Immediately outside many towns are
sensors which detect your speed as you approach the town. If
you're going over the speed limit, a traffic light at the edge
of the town is automatically turned to red so that you must
come to a stop before entering the town. Two red lights mean No
entry. Jaywalking is illegal and its prohibition is
strictly enforced. Generally, traffic on the right has
priority. Normally where a minor road intersects a major road
there's a sign reading "Stop" or "Ceda
el Paso" (give way); if such a sign is not in place,
the traffic on the major road still has priority.
Motorcycles must be operated with
headlights on—day and night. All vehicles must have
headlights on in tunnels. In built-up areas horns may be used
only in cases of immediate and extreme danger. Elsewhere don't
use the horn unnecessarily, but don't hesitate to use it in
warning.
When in daylight and outside a built-up
area, you must use the horn to indicate your intention to
pass; at night, flash the headlights instead. It's illegal not
to use your vehicle's directional to indicate your intention
to pass. And if a vehicle comes up behind you signaling that
it wants to pass and if you see that the road ahead is clear,
you must signal with your vehicle's right blinker to
acknowledge the situation. Trams which are stopped and
accepting or letting off passengers may not be passed.
Police are empowered to collect fines of
up to 50,000 ptas on the spot. Foreigners must pay on the spot
unless they can present a Spanish bail bond or an address of a
Spanish friend or company who will guarantee payment of the
fine. If the fine cannot be paid or guaranteed, the vehicle
will be impounded and the driver detained until the fine is
paid. There's usually a discount of 20 percent for immediate
settlement. The police will issue a Boletin de Denuncia
which specifies the offense and the amount of the fine. Check
carefully that the fine amount noted on the document matches
the amount you paid. Follow the English instructions on the
back of the document if you wanna dispute the charge; you have
15 days to file a written dispute, and you can write your
argument in English.
Parking
In some cities a blue line on the street
indicates resident-only parking; in other cities, check for
signs. Don't leave anything of value in a parked vehicle.
Parking garages are a safer alternative to the street, but you
might wanna check prices before you enter with your vehicle.
On one-way streets, parking is allowed on even dates along the
side with even addresses and on odd dates along the side with
odd addresses; in both cases, park in the direction of traffic
flow. Do not park within 5 meters of intersections or
entrances to public buildings. Blue Zones or Zona
Azul are indicated by signs. Parking in these zones is
allowed for 1.5 hours from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Parking
discs can be obtained from hotels, travel agents, or the town
hall. Some large towns have Zona ORAs in the center of
the town; parking in such a zone is allowed in conjunction
with display of a ticket which must be bought at a
tobacconist; tickets are valid for 30, 60, or 90 minutes.
Illegally parked vehicles may be towed.
Banks
Open Monday through Saturday from 9:00
a.m. to 2:00 p.m. from October through June. Closed on
Saturday during the summer.
Shops
Open on weekdays from 9:00 or 10:00 a.m.
to 1:00 p.m. and from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Open and close
one hour later on summer afternoons. Open until noon on
Saturday.
National Holidays
Jan 1; Epiphany; Mar 19; Maunday Thur;
Good Fri; Labor Day; Ascension; Corpus Christi; July 25; Aug
15; Oct 12; Nov 1; Dec 6, 8, 25. Many local variations.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
In Madrid, Barcelona and other large
towns: Police, tel. 091; Fire, tel. 080; Ambulance, tel. 092.
Elsewhere refer to the telephone directory. The Traffic
Control Department maintains a network of emergency phones
along main roads and provides roadside assistance; call the
operator and ask for auxilio en carretera. The national
motoring club is Real Automóvil Club de España (RACE), FIA
and AIT member, José Abascal 10, 28003 Madrid, tel.
447 3200, office hours from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m.
Friday) on weekdays.
-
Spain (Andorra)
- Outside
built-up areas - 55mph (90kph)
- Built
up-areas - 37mph (60kph)
- Some
villages - 12mph (20kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ 41.6p / litre
Accidents
- Call Police if individuals have been injured.
Drivers
that need to wear glasses must have a spare pair in the
vehicle.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - 080 / Police - 091 or 092 / Ambulance - 061
Non-toll Mountain Passes
Fuel
Unleaded gasoline is known as either essence
sans plomb or gasolina sin plomb. Diesel fuel is
known as diesel. LPG is known as Gaz de pétrole
liquéfié (GPL). Fuel is much cheaper in Andorra than in
France or Spain.
Driving
Snow tires or chains are essential in
the winter. Police are empowered to collect fines on the spot.
Speed limits: 40 kph (25 mph) in built-up areas, 70 kph (44
mph) outside built-up areas. Police are empowered to collect
fines on the spot. Other regulations approximate those of
France.
Banks
Open on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00
p.m. and from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Saturday from 9:00
a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Shops
Open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
National Holidays
Third Sat in July; last Sun in July and
following Mon and Tues; July 25, 26, 27; first Sat in Aug, and
following Sun and Mon; Aug 15, 16, 17; Sep 8, 16, 17.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Police, tel. 17; Fire and Ambulance,
tel. 18. Automobil Club d'Andorra, FIA member, Babet
Camp 4, Andorra-la-Vella, tel. 20 8 90.
|
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Vehicle registration
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|
-
Sweden
- Motorways/Dual
Carriageways -##mph ###kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Built
up-areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ ##.#p / litre
On the
spot fines for Speeding etc.?
Accidents - Call Police if individuals have been injured or
considerable damage has been caused.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - ? / Police - ? / Ambulance - ? / Breakdown - ?
Fuel
Some pumps actually accept SEK 20
or SEK 50 or SEK 100 bills; These pumps are called sedel
automat; old-fashioned self-serve pumps are called tanka
själv. Generally, fuel stations are open from 7:00 a.m.
to 7:00 p.m., but in cities and along main roads they syay
open until 8:00 or 10:00 p.m., or for 24 hours. You'll have to
exit the expressway to find fuel stations; but on the
expressway, signs abound pointing to them. In general, credit
cards are accepted. Leaded super gasoline has an octane rating
of 96 (normal) or 98 (premium). Unleaded gasoline is called blyfri
95 (or 98); and it has an octane rating of 95 (or
98). Diesel is, in fact, called diesel. LPG is called autogas.
Propane is called gasol. Gasoline and diesel are both
dispensed from green pumps. You may carry 30 liters of spare
fuel.
Road Signs
International expressways are designated
by white characters on a green background. Intranational roads
are denoted by white characters on a blue background.
Driving
The minimum age of a driver is 18 years.
The legal blood alcohol limit is 20 mg. Speed limits are as
follows: 50 kph (30 mph) in built-up areas, 70 kph (44 mph) or
90 kph (56 mph) outside built-up areas, and 110 kph (68 mph)
on expressways (though this is reduced to 90 kph near major
towns). Cars towing a trailer are limited to 80 kph (50 mph).
Large elongated arrows on the highway signify the minimum
distance you are expected to maintain between your vehicle and
the next.
Trams have priority. When a tram stops
and there is no island to accept disembarking passengers,
drivers must yield to passengers crossing to the sidewalk.
Pedestrians have priority on a crosswalk, but they're required
to cross streets via crosswalks only.
You must use headlights at all times
when operating a vehicle. Use of the horn is illegal in
built-up areas except in cases of immediate and extreme
danger. Outside built-up areas, you're encouraged to signal
with the horn or headlights if you intend to pass another
vehicle. If a vehicle behind you signals that it wants to
pass, you must acknowledge it with your vehicle's right
blinker if from your vantage point the road ahead is clear.
If you're driving relatively slowly,
other drivers will expect you to move over onto the shoulder
of the road to let them pass; the road shoulders in Sweden are
extra wide to accommodate this practice. On steep hills this
shoulder takes on the status of a full-fledged lane. Do not,
however, use the shoulder as if it were another lane. Some
narrow roads forego using a solid white line to indicate a
zone where passing is dangerous; instead these roads are
divided by elongated white lines at short intervals. These
lines mean that visibility is impaired in one or both
directions and that any passing should be undertaken with
special care. Trams must be passed on the right. If there
isn't an island at a tram stop, give way to boarding and
alighting passengers. Trams operate in Göteborg, Malmo, and
Norrköping.
Police are not empowered to collect
fines on the spot. Fines range from 300 to 1200 Kr, but if two
or more offences are already on record and the new fine or
fines brings the total over 2500 Kr the offender must go to
court.
Parking
Maps showing parking regulations and
zones in major cities may be obtained from police or local
offices of the national motoring clubs. Parking meters are
usually checked between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Park on the
right-hand side of the road. If parking on the street
overnight, check the signs to be sure you're not parking on a
street that's slated to be cleaned that night. A yellow sign
with a red line across its bottom means parking is somehow
restricted in the vicinity. Sweden imposes incredibly high
fines for parking violations.
Banks
Open on weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00
p.m., but some stay open until 5:30 p.m.
Shops
Open on weekdays from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00
p.m. Open until 1:00 or 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Some larger
stores stay open from 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 or 11:00 p.m. every
day but Sunday.
National Holidays
Jan 1; Epiphany; Good Fri; Easter Mon;
Labor Day; Ascension; Whit Sun; Whit Mon; Sat btw June 20 and
26; Sat btw Oct 31 and Nov 6; Dec 25, 26.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Police, Fire, and Ambulance, tel. 112.
Larmtjänst, a roadside service run by a confederation of
Swedish insurance companies, can be contacted 24 hours a day
by calling 020 91 00 40 (toll-free) for towing, 020 22 00 00
for other reasons. There are two national motoring clubs:
Motormännens Riksförbund (M), AIT member, Sveavägen
159, 10435 Stockholm, tel. 86 90 38 00, office hours from 8:30
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays; and Kungl Automobil Klubben (KAK),
FIA member, Gyllenstiernsgatan 4, S-11526, Stockholm,
tel. 0890 0055, office hours from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Monday through Thursday and from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on
Friday.
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-
Switzerland
- Motorways
- 74mph (120kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - 62mph (100kph) or 49mph (80kph)
- Built
up-areas - 31mph (50kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ 52.7p / litre
A
vignette has to be obtained at point of entry to pay motorway
taxes. Tolls on some mountain roads.
Use lights in tunnels.
Use the horn in cases of immediate and extreme danger only. Flash
your headlights instead.
In mountain areas ascending cars have priority. Yellow post
buses have priority all the time.
Breakdown Insurance is recommended.
On the spot fines for Speeding etc. Also use GATSO's
Accidents - Call Police if individuals have been injured or
considerable damage has been caused.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - 118 / Police - 117 / Ambulance - 117 or 144 / Breakdown
- 140
The minimum
age of a driver is 18 years.
Seat belts are compulsory for front-seat passengers.
The legal blood alcohol limit is 80 mg.
Trams always
have priority.
Buses have priority when leaving a bus stop.
Blue posts are used to indicate an upcoming intersection with
a priority road. Traffic going up a mountain has priority,
except where signs displaying a yellow posthorn on a blue
background signal that postal buses have priority.
A red slash going through such a sign indicates the end of the
postal priority zone. Some of these mountain postal roads are
one way; such cases are indicated by a white rectangle placed
below the blue rectangle/yellow horn sign.
Some mountain roads require one-way traffic during certain
hours only; these hours will be posted at either end of such
roads.
When
passing, do not cross a double white line.
When completing a passing maneuver, you must signal with your
vehicle's right blinker before you re-enter the right lane.
Moving trams must be passed on the right if there's enough
room; otherwise they may be passed on the left.
A stationary tram should be passed on the left, unless it's
stopped at a passenger island, in which case it may be passed
on the right.
Motorcyclists are not allowed to pass long columns of vehicles
or to weave in and out of traffic.
Parking
Do not
park where you see a sign that reads 'Stationierungsverbot'
or 'Interdiction de Stationner'.
Parking on the sidewalk is illegal except where signs
indicate otherwise.
Many towns have Blue Zones that restrict parking during the
period 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on weekdays.
Obtain discs free of charge from ACS or TCS motoring club
offices. In Basel, Berne, and Geneva you can get discs at
fuel stations, restaurants, kiosks, police stations, and
garages.
In Laussanne a Red Zone system is also in effect; discs good
for both zones (one side for each zone) can be obtained from
the TCS offices or the tourist information offices.
Wheel clamps are in use.
Fuel
Fuel
stations along expressways are usually open from 6:00 a.m.
to 10:00 p.m. or midnight. Those along Basel North, Pratteln
North/South, and Coldrério East/West (N2), however, stay
open 24 hours. Along other roads, fuel stations are open
from 6:00 or 7:00 or 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 or 8:00 p.m. Outside
of open hours fuel is commonly available from automatic
pumps that accept 10 and 20 SwF notes or credit cards. And
some stations which do not always stay open 24 hours do stay
open 24 hours during the summer. Many stations do not accept
major charge cards like Visa, MasterCard or American
Express. Normal unleaded petrol has an octane rating of 95;
unleaded super has an octane rating of 98. Unleaded petrol
is called bleifrei, essence sans plomb, or benzina sensa
piomba, depending on whether you're in a German-, French-,
or Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, respectively .
Likewise, diesel is called diesel, diesel, or gasolio; and
LPG is called autogas, Gaz de pétrole liquéfié (GPL), or
gas liquido (GPL).
Tolls
A visible sticker or vignette which allows the vehicle to
travel Switzerland's express highways is required which is
valid until the end of the year. You can buy this vignette for
40 SwF (about $27) at Swiss National Tourist offices, Swiss
Customs posts (the border), Swiss post offices, or Swiss
garages. At the border you can pay in SwF, DEM, FF, £'s and $.
You can also pay inside the Customs office on-site by credit
card.
The vignette is valid until the end of the January of the year
after you buy it, is non transferable, and should be
thoroughly affixed to the windshield.
If you buy it from the person stationed for this purpose
outside the office (who accepts only cash), they will insist
on affixing the sticker. If you buy inside the office you can
affix the sticker yourself. You must obtain a separate
vignette for a trailer or caravan.
If your vehicle doesn't bear a properly affixed vignette and
the Swiss police catch you driving on an expressway, you'll be
subject to a 100 SwF fine-on top of the vignette's cost.
Road numbers
on green signs indicate toll expressways. (This convention is
just the opposite of that in France, where blue signs indicate
toll expressways or autoroutes and green signs indicate
non-toll expressways.)
If the police catch you driving these toll expressways without
sporting a vignette, you'll be fined 100 SwF and forced to buy
the vignette on top of that
Braunwald, Murren, Rigi, Wengen and Zermatt cannot be reached by private
motor vehicle; park at the local railway station and go on by
public transport.
Customs
Persons 17 years of age or older may
import the following free of duty: 400 cigarettes or 100
cigars or 500 grams of tobacco or half of these amounts if
entering from a European country, 2 liters of alcoholic
beverage consisting of under 15 percent alcohol by volume, and
1 liter of alcoholic beverage consisting of over 15 percent
alcohol by volume. There are no limits on the amount of
currency you can import or export. You can import 25 liters of
spare fuel free of duty. Caravans and trailers less than 2.3
meters wide and 8 meters long can be imported without hassle.
Those between 2.3 and 2.5 meters wide may enter if towed by a
four-wheel drive vehicle or a vehicle weighing more than 3.5
tons. The total length of the combo must not exceed 18 meters.
Equipment
Helmets are compulsory for motorcyclists
and their passengers. If in the front seat, children under 7
years of age must be seated in an approved child seat.
Tolls
Note that cars rented in Switzerland
come with a visible sticker or vignette which allows
the vehicle to travel Switzerland's express highways until the
end of the year. You can buy this vignette for 40 SwF
(about $27) at Swiss National Tourist offices, Swiss Customs
posts (the border), Swiss post offices, or Swiss garages. At
the border you can pay in SwF, DEM, FF, £'s and USD. You can
also pay inside the Customs office onsite by credit card. The vignette
is valid until the end of the January of the year after you
buy it, is non transferable, and should be thoroughly affixed
to the windshield. If you buy it from the person stationed for
this purpose outside the office (who accepts only cash), they
will insist on affixing the sticker. If you buy inside the
office you can affix the sticker yourself. You must obtain a
separate vignette for a trailer or caravan. If your
vehicle doesn't bear a properly affixed vignette and
the Swiss police catch you driving on an expressway,
you'll be subject to a 100 SwF fine—on top of the vignette's
cost. Expressways offer the only hope for speedy and level
motor travel through mountainous Switzerland. By using the
toll expressways instead of other roads you'll save a lot of
fuel; the vignette will probably pay for itself in
terms of these fuel savings. Still, it's not absolutely
necessary to use the Swiss expressways; I abstained on one
trip. You have to ask yourself this: Why do I wanna travel
quickly and horizontally through Switzerland? Carefully study
your map and the Switzerland chapter to determine if you want
a vignette.
Road numbers on green signs indicate
toll expressways. (This convention is just the opposite of
that in France, where blue signs indicate toll expressways or autoroutes
and green signs indicate non-toll expressways.) If the police
catch you driving these toll expressways without sporting a
vignette, you'll be fined 100 SwF and forced to buy the
vignette on top of that.
Because the following two tunnels are
part of the expressway system, vehicles must bear a vignette
to pass through them.
The following tunnels require tolls.
A car ferry sails between Horgen and
Meilen across Lake Zurich all year, and another sails between
Beckenreid and Gersau on Lake Lucerne from April through
October. There are also ferry services between Constance and
Meersburg, Germany, and between Romanshorn and Frederichshafen,
Germany, on Lake Constance.
Non-toll Mountain Passes
Non-toll mountain passes tend to be much
more difficult to negotiate than the passes which charge a
toll. If you're driving a vehicle, such as a caravan, that's
not allowed on or recommended for some of the following
passes, or if you wanna travel quickly across or through the
mountains, note that a mountain pass or tunnel which charges a
toll tends to be close by. And don't be intimidated by the
prospect of a rail tunnel: they do not require a reservation
and are well organized and very easy, and fun even, to use.
The Touring Club Suisse, tel. 022 35 80 00, provides English
descriptions of the current conditions of mountain passes. The
same information is available in French, German and Italian by
phoning 123 or 163.
* Part of the famed "three-pass
drive" which loops just east of Interlaken. This
drive is spectacular beyond description but not especially
difficult. Restaurants, hotels and inns dot the drive, usually
at the summits. The Postal Bus passenger service also does the
drive.
Fuel
Fuel stations along expressways are
usually open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. or midnight. Those
along Basel North, Pratteln North/South, and Coldrério
East/West (N2), however, stay open 24 hours. Along other
roads, fuel stations are open from 6:00 or 7:00 or 8:00 a.m.
to 6:00 or 8:00 p.m. Outside of open hours fuel is commonly
available from automatic pumps that accept 10 and 20 SwF notes
or credit cards. And some stations which do not always stay
open 24 hours do stay open 24 hours during the summer. Many
stations do not accept major charge cards like Visa,
MasterCard or American Express. Normal unleaded gasoline has
an octane rating of 95; unleaded super has an octane rating of
98. Unleaded gasoline is called bleifrei, essence
sans plomb, or benzina sensa piomba, depending on
whether you're in a German-, French-, or Italian-speaking part
of Switzerland, respectively . Likewise, diesel is called diesel,
diesel, or gasolio; and LPG is called autogas, Gaz de pétrole liquéfié
(GPL), or gas liquido (GPL).
Road Signs
German ...
Abblendlicht Dipped headlights
Abstand halten Maintain distance
Alle Richtungen All directions
Altstadt Oldtown
Anfang Start, beginning
An geraden Tagen On even days (Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday)
An ungeraden Tagen On odd days (Monday, Wednesday and Friday)
An Sonn- und Feiertagen On Sundays and holidays
Anleiger Frei Residents are free of this restriction
Anschluß Junction
Anwohner Frei Residents with indicated permit are free of this restriction
Auf dem Seitenstreifen On the shoulder
Ausfahrt Exit
Autobahndreieck Autobahn "T" junction
Autobahnkreuz Autobahn junction
Bauarbeiten Roadworks
Baustelle Roadworks
Baustellenfahrzeuge frei Construction vehicles only
Baustofflagerung Roadwork equipment
Bei Nässe During wet conditions
Belegt Full
Besetzt Full
Bitte Sauberhalten Please keep this a clean place
Bis Until
Centrum City Center
Dauer Duration
Durchfahrt verboten No through traffic
Einbahnstraße One-way street
Einfahrt Entrance
Einordnen Enter the lane, merge
Einsatzfahrzeuge frei Operations vehicles only
Ende End
Fahrbahnwechsel Change lanes
Fahrtrichtung Direction of travel
Frei Free, permitted
Freiefahrt Road is clear
Frostchäden Frost damage
Fußgänger Pedestrian
Eigen Own
Gasse Lane
Gefahr/gefährlich Danger, risk
Gesamte Entire
Glatteisgefahr Icy road
Grenze Border
Grenze Kontrolle Customs inspection
Halt Stop
Haltestelle Bus/tram stop
Keine, Kein No
Keine einfahrt No entry
Keine mofas No mopeds
Kfz. Motor vehicle
Kraftfahrzeugwerkstatt Motor vehicle repair shop
Krankenfahrzeuge frei Ambulances only
Kreuzung Intersection
Land- und forstwirt-
schaftlicher Verker
frei Agricultural and forestry vehicles only
Landschafts Schutzgebiet No parking
Langsam fahren Drive slowly
Licht einschalten Turn on lights
Lieferverkehr frei Delivery vehicles only
Linienverkehr frei Scheduled transit vehicles only
Links einbiegen Turn left
Lösen Take
Lkw. Heavy trucks
Mittwoche Wednesdays
Nur Only
Nur mit Parkschein Only with a parking permit ticket
Parkhaus Parking garage
Parkplatz Parking lot
Parkscheibe Parking disc
Parkschein Parking permit ticket
Parkscheinautomat Parking permit ticket machine
Parkuhr Parking meter
Pkw. Private/passenger vehicles
Polizei Police
Radweg kreutz Bicycle-path crossing
Raststätte Service area
Rechts einbiegen Turn right
Rechts fahren Keep right
Rollsplitt Loose Material
Sackgasse Dead end, cul-de-sac
Schlechte Wegstrecke Bad section of road
Schulbus School bus
Schülerlotse School crossing guard
Seitenstreifen nicht
befahrbar Do not use shoulder
Sperrgebeit Restricted area
Sperrung Closure
Spur Traffic lane
Stadtzcentrum Town center
Stadmitte Town center
Stau Slow traffic;drive with care
Straße Street
Straßenbahn Streetcar
Straßenschäden Road damage
Streugut Road salt/sand
Stunde(n) Hour(s)
Tankstelle Fuel station
Überholen Passing
Überholen verboten No passing
Umleitung Detour
Unfall Accident; drive with care
Verboten Prohibited
Verengte Fahrbahn Road narrows
Verkehr Traffic
Verkehrshelfer School crossing guard
Verschmutzte Fahrbahn Dirt on the road
Vorfahrt Priority (right of way)
Vorfahrt beachten Yield
Vorfahrtstraße Priority road
Vorrang Priority (right of way)
Vorsicht Be careful
Weg Way, lane
Werktags Workdays
Wochentage Weekdays
Wohnwagen Caravan, motorhome, RV
Zentrum Town center
Zufahrt frei Access permitted
French ...
Aire de repos Rest stops
Allumez vos lanternes
(or feux) Turn on your lights
Attention au feu Beware of traffic signal
Attention travaux Beware roadworks
Autre directions Other directions
Barrière de dègel Trucks not allowed
Chaussèe dèformèe Bumpy road ahead
Cèdez le passage Give way (Give priority to the other road)
Centre ville Town center
Chambre de Hôtes Bed and Breakfasr
Col Mountain pass
Ferme Closed
Gendarmerie Police station
Gîte Spartan bed and breakfast; many serve food
Gravillons Loose chippings
Haute tension Electric line
Interdit aux piètons No pedestrians
Nids de poules Potholes
Ouvert Open
Pas Mountain pass
Prochain èchangement gratuit No toll at next exit
Rappel Remember
Route barrèe Road closed
Sens-unique One-way
Serrez a droite Keep to the right
Sortie Exit
Suivre Follow
Sur On
Toutes directions All directions
Vitesse adapteè sècuritè Adapt your speed for safety
Voie unique One lane road
Voitures Cars
A sign depicting a tire with chains on
it or a sign reading "chaines à neige"
obligatoires means that snow chains are necessary to
navigate the road ahead. Snow chains for your tires can be
rented from fuel sations marked "Service de Châines
à Neige" or "Schneekettendienst".
The word indicating a train station will be either gare,
bahnhof or stazione depending on whether you are in
a French-, German- or Italian-speaking portion of Switzerland,
respectively.
Driving
You can recieve helpful information in
French, German and Italian by calling the following numbers:
general, tel. 111; snow conditions and tourist infor, tel.
120; weather, tel. 162; road conditions, tel. 163; avalanche
bulletin, tel. 187. Many roads are closed to caravans and
trailers.
It's often impossible to "make good
time" in this mountainous country if you don't use the
expressways; roads rarely approximate a straight line between
destinations. Check your Switzerland road map carefully when
planning your schedule. But besides realizing the limits that
these roads impose, you should realize the potential they
offer—you'll be enveloped by natural beauty on every turn.
Plan to drive for driving's sake, and try to minimally
constrain yourself with time-related issues. Ask yourself this
question: Why do I wanna drive quickly through Switzerland?
The minimum age of a driver is 18 years.
Seat belts are compulsory for front-seat passengers. The legal
blood alcohol limit is 80 mg. Speed limits are as follows: 50
kph (30 mph) in built-up areas, 80 kph (50 mph) outside
built-up areas, and 100 kph (62 mph) or 120 kph (74 mph) on
expressways. Cars/trailer combos which weigh less than 1000 kg
are limited to 80 kph (50 mph) outside built-up areas; if the
combo weighs over 1000 kg, it's limited to 60 kph (37 mph)
outside built-up areas and to 80 kph (50 mph) on expressways.
Roadside automatic radar-triggered cameras help enforce these
limits.
The mountain resort towns of Braunwald,
Murren, Wengen and Zermatt cannot be reached directly by
private motor vehicle. Park at the railway or sky tram station
and complete the journey via public transport.
Trams always have priority. Buses have
priority when leaving a bus stop. Blue posts are used to
indicate an upcoming intersection with a priority road.
Traffic going up a mountain has priority, except where signs
displaying a yellow posthorn on a blue background signal that
postal buses have priority. A red slash going through such a
sign indicates the end of the postal priority zone. Some of
these mountain postal roads are one way; such cases are
indicated by a white rectangle placed below the blue
rectangle/yellow horn sign. Some mountain roads require
one-way traffic during certain hours only; these hours will be
posted at either end of such roads.
Use headlights in tunnels. Motorcycles
must be operated with headlights on—night and day. Use the
horn in cases of immediate and extreme danger only; flash your
headlights instead.
When passing, do not cross a double
white line. When completing a passing maneuver, you must
signal with your vehicle's right blinker before you re-enter
the right lane. Moving trams must be passed on the right if
there's enough room; otherwise they may be passed on the left.
A stationary tram should be passed on the left, unless it's
stopped at a passenger island, in which case it may be passed
on the right. Motorcyclists are not allowed to pass long
columns of vehicles or to weave in and out of traffic.
Police are empowered to collect fines on
the spot.
Parking
Do not park where you see a sign that
reads "Stationierungsverbot" or "Interdiction
de Stationner". Parking on the sidewalk is illegal
except where signs indicate otherwise. Many towns have Blue
Zones that restrict parking during the period 8:00 a.m. to
7:00 p.m. on weekdays. Obtain discs free of charge from ACS or
TCS motoring club offices. In Basel, Berne, and Geneva you can
get discs at fuel stations, restaurants, kiosks, police
stations, and garages. In Laussanne a Red Zone system
is also in effect; discs good for both zones (one side for
each zone) can be obtained from the TCS offices or the tourist
information offices. Wheel clamps are in use. Braunwald,
Murren, Rigi, Wengen and Zermatt cannot be reached by private
motor vehicle; park at the local railway station and go on by
public transport.
Banks
Open on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30
or 5:00 a.m.
Shops
Open on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 12:15
p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Open from 9:00 a.m. to
4:00 p.m. on Saturday. Department stores stay open during
lunch hours.
National Holidays
Jan 1; Good Fri; Easter Mon; Ascension;
Whit Mon; Dec 25.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Police, tel. 117; Fire, tel. 118;
Ambulance, tel. 144 or 177. The breakdown service Touring
Secours can be reached by dialing 140. Anglo-phone, tel.
157 5014, is a 24-hour hotline that provides data ranging from
weather reports to English-speaking doctor referals; it's
available in Switzerland only and costs 1.4 SwF per minute.
Touring Club Suisse (TCS), AIT member, 9 Rue Pierre
Fatio, 1211 Genèva 3, tel. 022 737 12 12 (022 735 8000 for
road and touring info), FAX 022 786 0992, varying office hours
from Monday through Saturday, offers 24-hour roadside service.
Automobile Club de Suisse (ACS), FIA member, 39
Wasserwerkgaße, 3000 Berne 13, tel. 031 328 31 11, office
hours weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to noon and from 2:00 p.m. to
5:30 p.m.
|
Warning
Triangle
Documents
Driving license
Passport
3rd Party insurance
Vehicle registration
Green card
|
-
Turkey
- Motorways/Dual
Carriageways -##mph ###kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Built
up-areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ ##.#p / litre
On the
spot fines for Speeding etc.?
Accidents - Call Police if individuals have been injured or
considerable damage has been caused.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - ? / Police - ? / Ambulance - ? / Breakdown - ?
Register in your passport all valuables.
Your vehicle will be noted on your passport as imported goods;
it must be exported within a certain amount of time. If your
vehicle belongs to another private party, you must present a
letter of authorization from the owner and certified by a
lawyer. Keep all receipts to prove that items you obtained in
Turkey were bought with legally exchanged currency.
Tolls
Tolls are charged between Edirne and
Istanbul, Istanbul and Izmit, Izmit and Gebze, Tsarsus and
Pozanti, Ankara and Gerede, and Izmir and Çesme. In the
direction Europe to Asia, tolls are charged on the Bosphorus
and Faith Sultan Mehment bridges: 150,000 TRL for cars, vans,
motorhomes; 20,000 TRL for motorcycles
Fuel
Many fuel stations along main highways
are open 24 hours; others are open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00
p.m. Fuel stations are not as numerous as in other countries,
so fill up your vehicle's tank whenever you can. Credit cards
are generally accepted. Regular unleaded gasoline has an
octane rating of 91; the octane rating of super is 96.
Unleaded gasoline is called kursunsuz benzin. Unleaded
super gasoline has an octane rating of 95. Diesel also goes by
the name mazot. LPG is getting more popular and is
available at many stations.
Road Signs
Dikkat Attention
Dur Stop
Gümrük Customs
Fotograf ve Film Cemek Yasaktir Photography forbidden
Hastahane Hospital
Nufus Population
Raki-M Altitude
Tamirat Roadworks
Yabancilara Yasaktir No trespassing
Yasak Bölge Entrance forbidden
Yavas Slow
Driving
Seat belts are compulsory for front- and
rear-seat passengers. The legal blood alcohol limit is 50 mg.
Speed limits are as follows: 40 kph (24 mph) in built-up
areas, 90 kph (56 mph) outside built-up areas, and 130 kph (78
mph) on expressways. Cars towing a trailer or caravan are
limited to 40 kph (25 mph) in built-up areas, and 70 kph (44
mph) outside built-up areas.
Headlights should always be used when
driving. Use of the horn is illegal except in cases of
immediate and extreme danger.
Police are empowered to collect fines on
the spot.
Parking
A sign reading "Park Yapilmaz"
means No parking. Do not park within 25 meters of
danger signs.
Banks
Open on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to noon
and from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Shops
Open on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00
p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Open from 9:00 a.m. to
1:00 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday.
National Holidays
Jan 1; Apr 23; May 19; Seker Bayrami and
Kurban Bayrami are moveable religious festivals; Aug 30; Oct
28 (part), 29. When a holiday falls on a Fri, the following
Sat is also observed as a holiday.
Breakdown, Accident or Emergency
Highway patrol, tel. 155; Police, tel.
156; Fire, tel. 110; Ambulance, tel. 112. Ask at your hotel
and/or at a tourist information office about how to contact
one of the roadside services. The Türkiye Turing Ve Otomobil
Kurumu (TTOK), FIA and AIT member, I. Oto Sanayi
Sitesi Yani, Camlik Caddesi, 4 Levent, Instanbul, tel. 212 282
8140, office hours from 8:30 a.m. to noon and from 12:30 p.m.
to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, offers a repair service. All
accidents must be reported to the police so the police can
prepare a report for the Turkish Insurance Bureau. If your
vehicle must be repaired, prices are generally not too high;
just give a little tip to the mechanic doing the work, and
take all vehicle documents with you if you leave the shop.
|
Warning
Trianglefire extinguisher
and first-aid kit
Documents
Driving license
Passport
3rd Party insurance
Vehicle registration
Green card
|
-
United
Kingdom
- Motorways
- 70mph (112kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - National Speed Limit - 60mph
(96kph) unless sign-posted differently
- Built
up-areas - 30mph (48kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ 75.9p / litre
-
- International
Driving Permit (IDP) for up to 12 months is required for
holders of non UK driving license
Telephone
Numbers
Fire - 999 / Police - 999 / Ambulance - 999 / Breakdown
- (AA, RAC, and others)
Fuel
Few fuel stations are open 24 hours.
Gasoline, called petrol, is often advertised in terms
of imperial gallons (1.19 US gallons per imperial gallon).
Pumps, however, measure in liters. Leaded gasoline is
identified by four stars (****) and has an octane rating of
97. Premium unleaded gasoline has an octane rating of 95; the
octane rating of super is 98.
Driving
Driving is on the left-hand side of the
road. Seat belts must be worn by all vehicle occupants. The
legal blood alcohol limit of drivers is 0 mg. Speed limits
vary often and greatly; they are generally 30 mph (48 kph)
where street lighting is in place in towns and cities, 40 mph
(64 kph) in suburban areas, 60 mph ( 97 kph) on non-divided
highways, and 70 mph (113 kph) on motorways and divided
highways which provide multiple lanes in your direction—the
fast lane being that nearest the median or middle.
Flashing amber traffic lights warn that
you must give priority to pedestrians on the crossing.
Pedestrians on a striped crosswalk always have legal
right-of-way. At intersections a dashed or double-dashed line
across your path, or a triangle or a series of triangles
pointed toward you on the roadway, indicate that you should
give priority to the traffic on the other road. If a triangle
or series of triangles points away from you, you have
priority. There are very few Stop signs in the UK; instead
priority rules and electric traffic signals control traffic.
Generally, priority is given to vehicles on the right. Where
priority is the prime control, vehicles entering priority
roads are under no obligation to stop unless yielding to a
vehicle on the priority road. This can alarm foreign drivers
at first, as vehicles seem to come flying out of side roads
and partially onto the priority road with little thought of
stopping; but alas they do stop. As the above discussion
suggests, vehicles on a roundabout have priority; vehicles
entering a roundabout must yield. And roundabouts are, to put
it mildly, legion. In fact roundabouts appear so frequently as
to be almost comical; but they are the logical extension of
the almost religious deference given to the
priority-on-the-right rule, which allows for the admittedly
sane and civilized minimization of the number necessary road
signs and full stops.
Where your lane is marked by a solid
white line, you cannot pass and you cannot turn to the right.
This last rule is rather counterintuitive to some foreigners,
as it often precludes a right turn across the oncoming lane
and into a side road, street or driveway. To effect such right
turn in such case you must drive up to the next
roundabout—and believe me, it won't be too far up
ahead—and turn back so you can make what is then a legal
turn to the left.
When multiple lanes travel in one
direction, you should pass or "overtake" using the
lane toward the median or center of the road. Refrain from
passing on the other side, the outside. It's not a good
idea to flash your headlights to indicate you want to pass, as
this is likely to offend the driver ahead of you. Better just
express a sense of urgency by using your indicator and
hovering quite near behind the vehicle and somewhat toward the
center of the road—but without tailgaiting. You are supposed
to slow to a crawl when passing a horse and rider along a
country road; the rider should acknowledge your courtesy by
waving thanks. Always give right of way to domestic animals.
Small country lanes are very often
harrowingly narrow, with ancient hedgerows like thick walls of
rock defining either side. Don't, however, shrink from driving
such roads, as they can be avenues to beautiful scenery
(though the hedges often maddeningly occlude the views) and
fun to drive; but when doing so you must be almost constantly
prepared to bring your vehicle to a crawl and negotiate some
sort of compromise with the oncoming traffic.
It is illegal for a driver to use a cell
phone ("handy" or mobile phone) while driving.
An intimate, cheap and versatile way to
get around the back roads of Scotland is by riding along on
postal vehicles. Post offices in Scotland offer the Scottish
Postbus Guide free of charge. You don't need an envelope
or a stamp; just a couple of £s allow you to go wherever the
mail does. There are 144 routes in Scotland. You can get
details from Royal Mail, PR Department,130 Old Street, London,
EC1V 9QP, tel. 0171 320 7193; or Royal Mail Scotland &
Northern Ireland, PR Department, 102 West Port, Edinburgh, EH3
9HS, tel. 0131 228 7407.
Parking
Pay-and-display machines are common. A
single yellow line painted on the curb means parking in that
spot is restricted during daylight hours. A red line or double
yellow lines mean more complicated rules apply; look for signs
on nearby lamp posts to get the specifics. Of course, you may
not park on striped crosswalks; moreover, you cannot park in
the zone that precedes a crosswalk, a zone marked by zigzag
lines or by rows of studs. In London, wheel clamps are used on
illegally parked vehicles: £38 release charge—plus £40 on
the Red Route, £30 elsewhere in London, or £20 outside
London proper.
Banks
9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Some banks
are open on Saturday mornings.
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Documents
Driving license
Passport
3rd Party insurance
Vehicle registration
Green card
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-
United
States of America
- Motorways
- 65mph (104kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - National Speed Limit - 55mph
(88kph) unless sign-posted differently
- Built
up-areas - 25/30mph (40/48kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ 35p / litre ???
Telephone
Numbers
Fire - 911 / Police - 911 / Ambulance - 911 / Breakdown
- n/a (AA, RAC, and others)
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Documents
Driving license
Passport
3rd Party insurance
Vehicle registration |
-
Yugoslavia
- Motorways/Dual
Carriageways -##mph ###kph)
- Outside
built-up areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Built
up-areas - ##mph (##kph)
- Petrol (Unleaded)
@ ##.#p / litre
On the
spot fines for Speeding etc.?
Accidents - Call Police if individuals have been injured or
considerable damage has been caused.
Telephone Numbers
Fire - ? / Police - ? / Ambulance - ? / Breakdown - ?
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Warning
Triangle
Documents
Driving license
Passport
3rd Party insurance
Vehicle registration
Green card
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