# First timer travelling in Germany



## premiermotorhomes (Feb 13, 2008)

Good evening, 

I'm off to Germany on July 1st as a birthday trip as I turn 30 on June 28 and I am leaving on the 04:00 Dover to Dunkirk service and returning on the Dunkirk to Dover service at 18:00 on July 7 so if anyone is aboard, please say hello. You may miss me, but you won't miss my mode of transport :lol:, please see photos below, and my understanding is that she served originally as a civil defence vehicle built for radio communications and disaster control in case of nuclear attack in the cold war, and subsequently used by the volunteer fire service for training exercises etc.

Now I won't be camping and my van does not provide any accommodation, so does anyone have any recommendations on hotels or b & b's? I don't want to spend too much, as other costs such as fuel will be high.

My planned route is as follows; Dunkirk, Viersen, Nurburgring, Bad Waldsee, Wolfsburg, Hamburg then back to the UK.

Viersen is where my van was stationed, and as I understand it specifically at Elmpt and Nettetal so I want to spend the first day exploring the area, then on to Nurburgring which requires no further explanation 8) . I was planning to drive down to Bad Waldsee to visit Hymer, but its a long drive back up to the VW factory at Wolfsburg which will eat up my petrol allowance, so I am weighing up whether or no to go this far south as everything else I wish to do is in the north. I then want to visit Hamburg and the Miniatur Wunderland and then back to Dunkirk via Viersen.

Does anyone have any recommendations on attractions or places to visit on this round trip?

This is only my second trip driving on the continent, my first was Paris to visit Disney which was a stress free and easy experience and I have never done any long term driving abroad so if anyone has any tips to extend out to me that would be great.

Regards,
Chris


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## hogan (Oct 31, 2006)

All I can say is once you are on the autobahn the miles will just fly past.
Have stayed at Hotel Issenigger just outside Paderborn if you are heading that way.
Pm if you want more info re hotel.


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## bigcats30 (Aug 13, 2012)

Stay at the YMCA's!! In Germany (and I believe in Europe) they are fantastic for what you pay.

I can say about YMCA's in Germany as I've stayed in them and was shocked at how good they were for the price we had to pay.

Germany is awesome.

Oh and Hamburg will open your eye's :wink:


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## apxc15 (Dec 1, 2007)

Are you sure it's legal to drive around Germany in that vehicle?


What is your excuse when you get pulled over by the Polizie?


Pete 8)


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## 113016 (Jun 5, 2008)

Chris, Don't forget you may need an environmental sticker for the larger towns.
Here is a link, but it can be purchased elsewhere.
You can buy it before you go, or German MOT stations and I understand some larger vehicle dealerships.

This sticker will last for the vehicle life,

http://www.tuev-sued.de/auto_fahrzeuge/feinstaub-plakette/feinstaubplakette_ausland/england

http://www.tuev-nord.de/de/umweltplakette/ENGLISH_Low_Emission_Zone_8648.htm

http://www.lowemissionzones.eu/countries-mainmenu-147/germany-mainmenu-61

A recent thread about Germany

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/ftopict-132692-.html


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## tyreman1 (Apr 18, 2008)

I dont believe it.....a VW van that hasnt got a camper conversion in it,now theres a rare one


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## erneboy (Feb 8, 2007)

Have a good trip Chris. Germany is a great country, Alan.


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## premiermotorhomes (Feb 13, 2008)

Grath said:


> Chris, Don't forget you may need an environmental sticker for the larger towns.
> Here is a link, but it can be purchased elsewhere.
> You can buy it before you go, or German MOT stations and I understand some larger vehicle dealerships.
> 
> ...


Thanks Grath, now this I wasn't aware of and it does highlight how much research must be done prior to travel and how easy it must be not to know such things.

My van is a 1981 petrol, which the tables indicate I can not receive any LEZ stickers, which would mean I can't travel in these zones. They do have a vintage system where if a car is marked with 07 or H then they are exempt, however I expect this is specific to German registered vehicles.

Regards,
Chris


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## premiermotorhomes (Feb 13, 2008)

apxc15 said:


> Are you sure it's legal to drive around Germany in that vehicle?
> 
> What is your excuse when you get pulled over by the Polizie?
> 
> Pete 8)


Good morning Pete,

From the advice have been provided by a German owner of the same vehicle it is legal. It is illegal to drive as the Red Cross as this is trademarked and you clearly cant drive as the police!. The only thing I have to do is disconnect the siren and PA and cover the light up in a cover other than blue. Technically I have to cover the stadt coat of arms up, but I think this is worth risking as they van will be a talking point over there but 'Katastrophenschutz', 'Feuerwehr', city name and '112' stickers are legal to display so I can I pretty much drive her in all her glory!  

If pulled over I need to remind them that the vehicle is legal in the UK, this is of course undertaken whilst dressed in full firemans apparel whilst attempting to not look shifty or out of place in broken German :?

Regards,
Chris


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## foxtwo (Jun 23, 2012)

Hi Chris,

guess this is a funny idea and the car allways will be the "eyecatcher". You should go to a local firebrigade party, i bet they will pay you the drinks.

I see no difficulties in driving with the car in Germany. As far as i could see the colour is orange and the official colours of the german firebrigade cars is dark red. But anyway, what will the police do with you?....nothing. In case they make troubles, take a tape and cross out the letters till the police is away. You are british and you did not know, sorry about.
But really, i don´t think you will have any troubles, but a lot of fun.

For the actual "Umweltzonen" see this map.
http://gis.uba.de/website/umweltzonen/umweltzonen.php
Click on the pdf doc and you can see the LEZ dimensions in the towns.
I think not a big problem. It is only for the inner town centers, park outside , take a bus or a bike and this is it.
And be allways aware.....you have a firebrigade car, hahaha.

Best wishes and have fun
Bernd


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## commuter (Jul 13, 2011)

morning Chris hope you are well.

AFAIK umweltzone rules have changed since we went last year so the amber sticker we have which was ok to get us in to most major cities is no longer valid and a green sticker or an approved dp filter must be fitted. 

Currently our MH cannot be taken into places like Tuebingen so we can no longer park outside our friends house and stay the night but we are currently arranging to have a filter fitted at a Fiat dealership who are charging €999.00 but this will then give us free range to go anywhere in Germany (my wife is a German national so we have friends and family all over the place). 

The equivalent filter fitted in the UK using LEZ approved fitters via the T4L site would cost us between £1800.00 and £3500.00 so around £880.00 (based on todays exchange rate) is quite a saving. If we had a permanent German address we could get a €300.00 rebate 

ps just pmd you


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## premiermotorhomes (Feb 13, 2008)

foxtwo said:


> Hi Chris,
> 
> guess this is a funny idea and the car allways will be the "eyecatcher". You should go to a local firebrigade party, i bet they will pay you the drinks.
> 
> ...


Thank you Bernd,

As I understand it, Orange was a colour reserved for the Zivilschutz as my van was used for disaster control. I have attached a Type document for a FuKW Tel-85, although mine is a FuKW Tel-81.

I can't wait to see the reactions of everyone when I drive there  Free drinks sounds like a great perk, although there's so many fire stations and so little time :wink: It's just a shame that everyone in the UK doesn't have the same relationship with our services like you seem to in Germany.

Having now looked at the LEZ, it seems I can not drive in any of them as my van is a 1981 petrol so I am not eligible for any stickers so I will just need to be careful where I travel.

Regards,
Chris


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## premiermotorhomes (Feb 13, 2008)

commuter said:


> morning Chris hope you are well.
> 
> AFAIK umweltzone rules have changed since we went last year so the amber sticker we have which was ok to get us in to most major cities is no longer valid and a green sticker or an approved dp filter must be fitted.
> 
> ...


Good evening,

I didn't know it was so expensive for conversions to be undertaken to meet the requirement so I think I might stick with the bus, it also raises the question why is it so much more in the UK? Although if traveling regularly in Germany in so many places, then I expect all things considered its money well spent.

Regards,
Chris


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