Have you ever driven in Germany/on the Autobahn before?? Or in another country where the roads were completely different? 🚗 Share your stories and experiences in the comments below! 👇
I spent 36 years in Europe, mostly Germany. Vilseck, Grafenwoehr, Hohenfels, Nuremberg, Frankfurt, Russelsheim, usw. I was also in France and Belgium, so yes, I've been on the Autobahn many times and enjoyed every minute of it. I'll be 82 on the 23rd and I miss Europe very, very much. Thx for bringing back some good memories. Take care and God bless. Bis naechste mal, pas gut auf dich auf, tschuss und Gott Segnet.
Lived 3 years in Niedersachsen and then another 6 years in Hessen, so driven quite a bit. Seen some really interesting things, like a Porsche 911 that was 2 meters up in tree next to the Autobahn.
Your girlfriend is a national from the best country in the world, car engineering and how to use that power!!! U are so lucky!! She's beautiful and cars are unlimited speed and you've got best brands in the world 🌍 and ilove Germany although I live in UK and I'm Portuguese... Lived in lots of EU countries and I've got a nice luggage 😅😅
This wasn't on the Autobahn, but driving in Munich, with my wife as navigator, I told her to just look at a sign, and then look on the map for that street name to determine where we were. This was pre internet and GPS. We drove round and round while she looked for Einbahnstrasse on the map. This was 1984,and we still laugh about it.
Some years ago I read about some tourists who had parked their car somewhere in the city center of cologne and were careful enough to write down the name on the next street sign. After they wanted to return to their parked car and didn't find it, they asked a police officer where the "Einbahnstraße" is, because that's where they had parked their car. -Well, I guess that unfortunately it took longer than they expected until the car was found.
the german "Autobahn" is in fact an "Einbahnstrasse".. you would not belive how often i heard on the radio, that someone didn't manage to find the correct "Auffart" ^^ ..sry for beeing a bit off topic.. so they told me in the radio : there is an "ghostdriver" on the "Autobahn " from point A to point B... bee carefull, stay at the right lane and do not overtake!! ( one of them ? i see hundrets^^) i shurely could say 5 of 7 days a week at least one of them ... but over 13.200 Kilometer Autobahn are watched..
I was in Germany in 86-88 and 90-91, and when I took the written International Driving Test, there were I think 50 signs and 100 questions. I got 100% on both. Woo Hoo!
Woah you sir are a really lucky man 😊 i think at my time 2016 there were round about 250 questions and 100 signs Nowadays people need to learn 1500 questions 😮 Here in germany there is a statistic which shows 8 out of 10 people dont get their license which is a bitter pill to swallow infact of 3000€ overall costs for license
Hmmm interesting. I just got my international driving license in US to drive everywhere in EU. Took 15 min and $20 to complete some paperwork and they took me two pictures. That's it!. No tests no nothing.
@@car9167 these guys are talking about the US Forces Europe driving test. I actually studied it a bit for a trip in Germany several years before I served there, but I apparently failed the part about no right turn on red. Got my cousin a ticket in the mail. I told him it was okay. We were in Speyer.
When we landed in Frankfurt in '83, we were picked up by a family friend who also happened to be stationed in Bad Kreuznach. On the way from the airport to BK, I asked him what "Ausfahrt" meant. He said, "Oh, haven't you heard of Ausfahrt? That's like the biggest city in this part of Germany. That's why there are so many exits leading to it." Bahahahaha
That cannot happen because it's worldwide known that germans DO NOT have any humor at all. ("Dienst ist Dienst, Schnaps ist Schnaps und Spaß muss sein") 😂
In 2015 my wife and I took delivery of an M3. We drove it about 3,500 miles through Germany, Austria, Italy, france Belgium, And Nederlands. Sometimes on secondary roads, sometimes on the A-bahn. The car had a limiter and could not go more that 155 Mph. But that was really fast enough. Mostly due to the traffic and driving 150 mph for an hour is exhausting. We still have the car and every time I start it the memories come back……best vacation ever!
@@tnit7554 well, not really. The spedo is off by about 5% (reads higher than actual) and while it showed a max of 165 or so, the gps was showing 156… at the time you could attend a BMW driving course in Germany and after sucessful completion BMW would remove the limiter (it is in the ECM software). I believe the F80 is capable of about 190 with no limiter…..but who cares.
I was lucky to do 7 BMW European Deliveries over 25 years. Definitely agree, an incredible experience to explore the Alps, the Romantische Straße, the autobahn, and the Nürburgring. German car manufacturers have a “Gentlemen’s Agreement” to artificially limit top speed to 250 km/h as a compromise between the “speed freedom” folks and the environmentalists. But Porsche and special BMW models have higher top speeds.
@@tnit7554 Why not???-Yes,BMW right off the bench,are limited too 250km/h aka 155mph!-Among other reasons,this,because for higher speeds,you would need different,very costly tyres!
Herzlichen Dank für diesen Beitrag aus der Heimat. Ich bin, wie Du, ein Deutscher in USA. (Virginia) Diese Beiträge bringen mir ein Bisschen die Heimat auf den Schirm.
Hello Feli, Hello Ben, This is BY FAR my most favorite video of the 2 of You together! So much FUN! Feli, I LOVE listening to You talk, but I had no idea till today, that You can sing. Just the little bit You did in this video, I can tell You have a Beautiful singing voice! ✨ More singing PLEASE! 😊😎
I was in Germany for 2 years. 1983 and 1984. Driving on the autobahn was intimidating but I was young and loved it. If you've ever wanted the thrill of running a Corvette, full throttle, at 155 mph, and be legal, then this is the place for you. I also learned right off to pass quickly and then get the hell back over. Because there are faster cars coming. You don't get to hang in the fast lane. They'll run you off the road. I remember one time we took the command staff from our brigade into Wurzberg to the Bishops residence for some high level briefing with the city leaders. There was division command staff and nato staff there also. This building and grounds are the most gorgeous and palatial that I've seen but actually every city in germany has something equally incredible. The interior design and furnishings are awe inspiring, but on this occasion I was relegated to guard duty with other MP personnel. We were standing in the parking lot, which is huge, and a big car pulls up with some elderly people inside. They called me over and asked if I was an American soldier and spoke English. They were americans also. Of course I said. They wanted directions to Nuremberg. I said, "sure, I've been there many times. I told them, look up on that hill straight ahead towards that castle. That highway that you're seeing all the cars on is the autobahn 3. Take it east and it will take you straight to Nuremberg. A couple hours maybe. They said, "oh no, we don't want to take the autobahn. We just got off that crazy thing". Haha. I laughed a little and said, "yeah I understand , but I can never explain to you the secondary roads directions. You would get lost. Just get on that autobahn and don't pass. Lol. Stay behind the trucks until you can't see anyone coming in the fast lane". God what a beautiful country Germany is.
'Secondary roads' is actually also rather simple from Würzburg to Nürnberg. The B8 (Bundesstraße, meaning Federal Road) is a direct connection. Good starting point would probably be the B19 which passes to the east of the Universitätsklinik (university hospital, should be easy to find on signs), turn onto B8, then simply go straight. OK, more or less straight, the B8 does go through towns on the way, but just stay on it and you will reach Nürnberg eventually.
@@ytgray yes but try to explain that to someone that's never been there. They were tourists from America. They rented a car in Frankfurt at the airport and we're heading to Nuremberg. I told them they could follow me but I'm not going there today.
Like a LOT of Americans, I spent several years in Kitzingen before and when the wall came down. I only drove US Army vehicles on the autobahn back then. But recently, I spent 4 years living in Italy and made a trip back to Kitzingen to see what the place looked like after 30+ years. I had my own personal Mustang and drove from Garmisch onto 95 into Munich. Then to Regensburg, onto the 3 towards Nuremburg and Wurzburg. Then taking the 7 all the way back south to Austria again. 95 South of Munchen was perfect to open it up and get it to 230 KPH. 3 lanes and not much traffic. I still have the Vignette on the windshield from Austria. It's part of the car's history now. A lot of thumbs up while driving it in Deutschland. Some of the Audi drivers were not happy that I was passing them. Lol.
Ich bin Deutscher und habe auch schon in den Staaten Urlaub gemacht. Ich finde Audi BMW Mercedes super toll und qualitativ top . Aber ich würde immer ein amerikanisches Musclecar bevorzugen .
@@dennislibuda04p Ich stimme zu! Ich liebe Ford Mustang. Ich habe 2018 GT and 1968 Fastback. Funfzig jahre auseinander. Entschuldigen mein nicht gudes Deutsch.
I drove mostly Army trucks in convoys but one time I had to take a soldier to the airport in Frankfurt and back to Ansbach in an army jeep that topped out at about 55 mph at night. Very scary.
@@omardiaz666 No. I served with the 501st AB(C),1st Armor Division long before the 12th came along. We had AH1 Cobras and I served in an armament platoon.
Being too slow on the Autobahn is defo just as scary as driving at 130mph in the flow. Anything passing one at 100mph more in relation to oneself is a psychological event. It's not normal...😂❤
I love the Autobahn! I learned to drive in Germany as a teenager (US Military dependent) in my parents Chevy station wagon in 1975. I have many Autobahn kilometers under my belt.
I drove on the Autobahn for the first time (also my first time in Germany) back in August 2023. As an American I was terrified at first but soon became more comfortable and generally stayed in the right lane. I did get brave and eventually got in the middle lane and hit 150 km/h. My best friend in the backseat was cheering me on but my husband next to me in the front seat was freaking out and yelling at me. We still laugh about it - great memories!!!
How nice, dear Feli, that you and Ben are visiting Germany again. I wish you both much fun. I had to laugh a little when you told Ben to keep his hands on the steering wheel. My husband is Italian as has lived in Germany for 34 years. When he sometimes starts to argue, sometimes he didn`t keep his hands on the steering wheel and I or our daughter had to point it out to him. Just southern temperament.😅Lovely Greetings from northern Germany.
I have three good stories from driving in Germany on work trips between 2016 - 2019: 1) Driving the Peugeot they rented to me from Frankfort down to Ramstein and back, not so fun on the Autobahn, 2) getting a camera-trap speeding ticket in the Mercedes C class for 6 km/hr over the speed limit, even the Germans laughed at that, and 3) bumping a different C class into a German's Mercedes mini-van, in a hotel parking garage. Even said German noted it was "a small garage, and you have a big car!"
What a delightful video. The banter between Feli and Ben is priceless. The contrast between individual vehicle speeds would be stressful to me on the fast portions of the Autobahn. If you are a "car person", I can see the appeal of the Autobahn to those people.
I rented a car in Berlin through AutoEurope. I specified a C class Mercedes. When I got to Hertz to pick it up, the man behind the counter said, "We have a really nice car for you today. It is a Volvo station wagon." I wasn't sure if he was joking or serious. He was serious and it turned out to be a really nice car with every possible upgrade, including traffic monitoring navigation with a lovely female British voice directing us around traffic snarls.
In my youth a Mercedes was more of an old-people-car, because many people saved for a Mercedes but they had the money only in old age. So, it is/was kind of luxurious.
That was a fun video! I’ve enjoyed many of your videos, but this is my first comment. As a BMW fan, I’ve taken several trips to München over the last 30 years, and I love driving on the autobahn. Since Germany has much better driver training than the US and they are better at following rules, the driving environment is more predictable. I’ve said many times that “I feel safer on the autobahn at 200 km/h (125 mph) than on an Interstate at 70 mph. Fahren rechts makes SO much sense for safety and traffic flow. I love the digital signs to warn of a wet road or stau (traffic jam) ahead. The speed limit reduces from 130 km/h to 100 km/h to 70 km/h for a “soft landing” into traffic. Brilliant! I used to guide groups of Americans on road trips in Germany, so I wrote and shared a document titled “Driving in Deutschland” to prepare them before the trip. A video like this would have been very helpful then, and I’m sure it helps your fans now. Danke sehr!
Good job . I drove on the autobahn in 2022 for the first time. I was anxious also. The fast cars on the autobahn were flying by so fast. Looks like we both survived.
The wife and I were in Germany in Sept 23. My first visit. We rented an Audi A3, very smooth. We loved the country and no issues driving mainly because of our GpS phone app. I really didn't feel comfortable going fast on the A bahn i remember seeing 90 mph a couple times but what i do remember was 98% percent of big trucks staying in the far right lane traveling about 50 mph it was awesome! It was like watching a convoy for hundreds of miles. I wish the UsA would make the trucks stay to the right.
I'm from Denmark and have been driven on the Autobahn a few times. I love it. Not for the speed, but for the culture. I drove from Denmark to Bruxelles and back and entering Germany from either Holland or Denmark traffic just got easy. I did speeds of around 150-160 km per hour when I could. Never felt nervous or overwhelmed. It just works! :-)
On a trip to Yellowstone several years ago, I got pulled over on a long straight road in Idaho for doing 70 mph. I apologetically produced my German driver's license, and the cop let me go with just a warning, "Sir, this is not an autobahn. Please drive carefully". I learned my lesson.
In my experience you can often get away with driving over the speed limit in many foreign countries when you act like an ignorant tourist. “Oh, I’m sorry sir, I hadn’t noticed. I’m not from here”.
I learned to drive a car in Germany in 1952 and also drove at that time on the Autobahn. It was more pleasant than today, when I visit Germany. I still have my original German driver license. Greetings from Northwest Arkansas.
I'm from the US (drive on the right) and I drove in the UK (drive on the left) from downtown London to Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, then back to London). That was quite the experience. I found TH-cam video, before hand, of how to do it, though. That was SOOOO helpful! Maybe you need to do a Driving in Germany series 😃
I was in Germany, for business, back in 1996. We drove on the Autobahn a few times. I was surprised at how quickly you adapt to the higher speed. We were cruising at 110 mph and after a short while it felt normal.
I remember my first time driving on the Autobahn I was to scared to go above 80 for the first few trips. Ben yes you can drive an old Charger in Germany I did. The Army shipped my 1970 Dodge Charger with a 440 Six Pack engine for me. That car loved the Autobahn but you are right the side streets were tight. I would even take the long way home just to avoid a few narrow streets. You did a great job for your first time.
This was one of the "funnest" videos of you guys. It was like we were just hanging out with you for a half hour. Very entertaining! Gotta laugh about going 130 km/h because not long ago there was a news story about Indiana State Troopers nabbing a guy on I465 around Indianapolis going 130... MPH! 😳
An amusing story from a group of Americans with me on a road trip through Germany. A first-timer said that “I’m surprised that I haven’t heard of that city Ausfahrt. It must be pretty large since all exits seem to go there.” 😉
Back in the 80’s I had to drive from Pirmasens , where I was stationed up to Wiesbaden. It was normally a country road trip, but they had just opened a new section on the autobahn. I was driving my new 89 Volvo . I ran it up to 100 MPH and hit the cruise control. I was in cruise at 100 and a Porsche went passed me like I was going backwards. Loved the autobahn. BTW, His term for making turns is nothing new. I grew up just north of Boston Massachusetts, and we always called a U-Turn Banging a Youie. (pronounced you-ee)
Thats funny i studied in Pirmasens and a lot of my colleagues lived in the old us army baracks. We just missed by a couple of years. 😉 The Autobahn is great speeding makes me be more focused and therefore it is mutch safer for me. when i have to drive a long time at low speed 80 or 130 kph i always start losing focus which is very dangerous. it s the opposite of what you would expect. 🤣
I was in Germany from 95-01. My first experience on the autobahn was driving 85-90 mph and being past by a 911 that I never saw coming in the rearview mirror and it shook my car. I love the autobahn, and the german driving etiquette. When I finally came back to the US and picked up my vehicle from the port in Baltimore to drive home I95 was almost terrifying. Right away I missed the autobahn, not for the speed but for all the drivers following the rules.
Hi Feli, first let me say that was an excellent video showing some of the challenges faced by an America's first experience on the AB. I spent 10 years there during my career and my first experience was on the AB between Schweinfurt and Frankfort. We were doing doing 85 in an American car that was not designed for for sustained higher speeds. But, I did drive a variety of vehicles including my first German car a 1965 Audi, then a 1976 German VW Beetle, then a 1983 VW, a 1984 AMC (now out of business), and finally in 1991 I brought my 1986 Pontiac Fiero with me from the states. Each had their own unique handling characteristics while on the AB, but my favorite was the Fiero. It had a speedometer ceiling of 130 MPH ( 209 KPH) and you know I just had to test it. I was on the AB between Frankfort and Mannheim when I hit a stretch with no speed limit. The car handled great but the speedometer was hitting 130 MPH and bouncing so I believe i was doing about 140 actual speed. I was passing everything in sight when I glanced in my rear-view mirror and there was a BMW sitting right on my bumper flashing his headlights and behind him a Porsche. I was shocked but I pulled over the first chance I had and slowed down. Needless to say they passed me like i was sitting still. On the opposite side of the coin I had the unfortunate experience in 1991 of seeing several Trabants with their 2-cycle engines on the AB chugging along at about 60 MPH. Needless to say just about everyone was passing them as soon as we could. There were some less pleasant experiences in Army vehicles (tanks, jeeps, etc.) in convoys on the AB. Once the entire convoy was stopped by some Bundesgrenzschutz. Apparently someone in the American convoy had thrown some trash from their vehicle which caused a German civilian car who was passing to swerve and scrap the Army truck and came to a stop on the left side of the AB. The BGS held the convoy until the Polizi could get there and investigate. A soldier was arrested and the convoy commander had to go to great lengths to get him freed. Another time on a country road a young lady was driving too fast and on a curve, never saw the American tank coming in the opposite direction. She hit the tank head-on but luckily she was not injured as the car came to rest with the tank's track sitting right in front of her windshield. In comparison, as you know, here in the states we have varying speed limits depending on what state you are driving in and in what type of area it is. Did you know that Texas has the highest speed limits in the United States. Rural interstates have a speed limit of 85 miles per hour while urban interstates have a speed limit of 75 miles per hour. Other roads that are not residential are posted at 75 miles per hour as well. The worst was the round about in Paris and trying to enter and exit it. Scotland and Ireland were challenges as my wife and I stayed on country roads instead of the motorways. Sorry about the length but I had many experiences in Germany and in Europe. This year we are planning on driving up to Montana and then back down the spine of the Rockies before heading back home to Kentucky. .
Love the vlog. I remember driving my crew on the autobahn in an Opal cadet at 200 km/hr. It identified that even the lowliest car was very capable on the autobahn in Germany. Cars with tuned suspensions and well matched tires. I kinda of knew the German vehicles were different, but this trip really solidified that belief. Already understood the passing only left lane. We had a successful adventure on German roads. I got to drive a bmw many years later on the autobahn and it was just as fun and exciting.
I was in Germany for 3 years (USAF) and in order to drive off base, I had to take a 100 question test (I missed ONE!). While the Autobahn was fun at first, what was really fun were the curvy roads from town to town. My friend lived off base and we used to race from his apartment to the base and back. The speed limit was 100 kph (62 mph) and we NEVER went the speed limit! It was very fun! My American friends told me I drove like a German. I considered that to be a compliment. Oh - the best hand position for driving is 9 and 3 - NOT 10 and 2.
We are currently in Germany and have been on multiple autobahn roads the problem in this area is there are sections of the autobahn that slow down for seemingly no reason then allow speed up to unlimited. We had A place today where we had to slow down to 80kph and speed right up again and there was no construction or any reason we could see to have to slow down. They have you slow down to 60 kph to go through a tunnel on the autobahn. The slowdowns come without much forewarning so you are always using the brakes much more than we have to in the US. There Are few stretches in the Rammstein area where you would make much better time at a steady speed. The traffic lights are right over the car not across the intersection where you can actually see it so if you are the first one at the intersection the ones above you are almost impossible to see.
@@Ljw48 Hi there. I have two comments. The first one is a bit picky - I'm German after all 😉. The area is not called the Rammstein area, the city is only spelled with an "m", so it is the Ramstein area. Rammstein is the name of the famous German band with the songs “Engel”, “Du hast” and “Deutschland” to name just a few. They had made the same mistake 😇. And the second note concerns the position of the traffic lights. If it shows red, then you are not allowed to drive further than the maximum position of the traffic light. This means that in Germany, where the traffic lights are at the front of the intersection, you are not allowed to drive into the intersection (exception: there are other signs that allow you to turn right, for example). And in the USA this means that you are allowed to drive into the intersection, but only up to the middle of the intersection where the traffic lights are. Therefore you can also turn right there. Together with the requirement that you must not block intersections and that you must always be careful at intersections, this explains the difference in traffic lights. In principle, the legal situation in Germany and the USA is the same. Lots of greetz from Hannover, Germany. Klaus
Living in the Netherlands, an Autobahn test ride from time to time is a must, especially for young people. I enjoyed it many times but when you can't do a daily Autobahn ride, it can be exhausting. Good video, thanks a lot.
I was in Germany 80-81. Stationed in Garmisch. Threw a rod in a Army sedan on the autobahn going to Augsburg. Speeds on the autobahn blew me away. Loved being in Bavaria
As a US soldier in Germany, and a driver, I logged over 180,000 miles in Germany, driving everything from VW vans, to Mercedes 50 pax motor coaches. And everything in between. I drove for passengers, rarely for cargo. My personal car was a VW Jetta. The US civilian driver license written exam was quite a challenge. A 100 question test, that you had to get 90% right, and identify 50 traffic signs, with 100% accuracy. Rarely did anyone get a first time pass. At least you were spared a road test, if you held an American license. The fastest I've ever driven on the Autobahn in my Jetta, was 119 MPH, DOWNHILL, on the Wurzberg Hill! At 2:00 AM on a Sunday morning, with nothing else on the road. Just couldn't make 120. And THAT, freunden, is a ROLLERCOASTER!
I am guessing you were on the A3 heading East from Würzburg, when it does the big drop towards the Main before getting to Kitzingen. Yep, that is quite a slope to go down.
There's a similar part when coming from Cologne to Frankfurt, going through the valley where Neustadt/Wied is (after passing the Bad Honnef exit). The best thing there is when you're literally putting the pedal to the metal on that downhill slope, you might be witnessing an ICE train almost "flying" past to your right at 300kph. So you're basically firewalling it downhill, thinking you're fast and trying to get as much energy as possible for the long, less steep uphill slope that will slow you down no matter what, only to completely get left in the dust by a fricken train that makes you feel like you're just about to come to a halt. It's awesome!
I remember that test. I took it in 1971 and passed it. The tricky signs were the blue and white signs-white wit a blue bike said no bikes on weekends and blue with a whir bike said bikes only on weekdays or something like that. First time I thought about that in 55 years or so!
@@crouchb15 I drove from Germany to Italy once and I remember having to pay tolls for Switzerland, but not for Italy. Drove to Milan then Savona for a cruise. But this was 10 years ago, so maybe I forgot about the tolls.
When my wife and I were stationed in Germany, I have to admit that our first time on the Autobahn was intimidating, but we got used to it pretty quickly. I've since told people that if you want to learn how to really drive, drive on the Autobahn, because it teaches you to be constantly aware of your surroundings......or else. Ha! We drove a Chrysler Grand Caravan in Germany, got her up to over 100 mph. Granted, we had to buy something to attach to the windshield wipers as, at times, they'd pop up from the windshield at high speeds. But she handled the Autobahn like a pro.
I lived in Germany for 33 years so I got my license there and shortly after getting my license.. not even a week later I was driving in the US.. I've driven in many german and US cities but so far the worst driving experience I've had is on the QEW and the 401 in Canada... the traffic is insane and drivers are soooo unsafe its crazy. Now when I go to visit my family in Canada from NY I take the long way around and cross the border in Alexandria Bay or Cape Vincent and take the ferry over. It's a couple of hours longer but sooooo much more relaxed the trying to get through Toronto traffic.
I'm American and living in Austria, speed limit here in Tirol is only 100 km/hr on the autobahn, once I cross the border to Germany, I then can drive 130 km/hr and really enjoy it, there are only a few more stretches of the autobahn in Germany with no speed limit, I once did over 200 km/h for a while and loved it but people were passing me as if I was parked on the highway! I drive a lot here in Europe and admit that driving in Germany on the autobahn is the most thrilling experience for anybody. Love your videos, they are great!
When I was stationed at Sembach from '78-'81 I had a 1972 Mustang with a 302 engine. I made a run to Frankfurt one day to get some concert tickets (Boney-M!!), and it was a beautiful clear day, little traffic, and a long, straight section of Autobahn, so I just floored it. The speedometer ended at 120MPH (193KPH), with the high beam indicator just around the dial a little bit from that. I went past the 120 to high beam (or, as I later described to friends, I got the car up to lightspeed!) Then there was some traffic building, so I backed it off to a more sedate 110, and was still getting passed like I was standing still. Loved driving on the Autobahn, and everywhere else in Germany.
200 is nothing. A 20 year old Skoda diesel kombi will drive 200 all day. It starts to get a little thin upwards of 250-260. Many cars could do it but they are limited electronicly. Only modified cars and proper supercars get up there. Thats not to say it doesnt happen every day. One day i was driving 260 myself when i saw i porsche in the back mirror coming closer like he was absolutely cooking. I moved aside and he just flew past me like he must have been doing 330-340 something like that. It was a GT2 RS i belive, didnt have much time to look at him he was gone so fast.
@@ohauss Shure. As i understand US roads you would not even want to go any faster than 85 Miles anyways. The Autobahn rides smooth especially the parts that have no speed limit. German cars are designed with the Autobahn in mind, they ride so smooth and stable its like you are on rails. Perhaps thats why they have their image of beeing smooth, luxurious and well built. We have the TÜV aswell that makes shure all cars are in perfect working order and safe.
A couple of years ago we were driving home through Germany in the middle of the night, and right in front of us a 50km stretch of Autobahn opened up that had been closed for maintenance. 4 brand (refurbished?) lanes and nobody in front of me. Since then, I know that yes, my little car can get to 230 (more probably a little more, but that was my limit right there). After that I really needed to go to a gas station though, as that drains your tank like you wouldn't believe.
As an American, my first time on the Autobahn was in 1959 as a 6-year old passenger in my parent's Opel. Not a lot of traffic back in those days. Quite a few VW Beetles, which were very slow. Our Opel used to pass them all the time. Skipping ahead in time, I went back to Germany in 1981-83 and thoroughly enjoyed the Autobahn at 200 kph. I drove like a German driver and obeyed the traffic rules, so I never had a problem. In later years, when I went back on group business trips, I was always the designated driver. Except for August when everyone goes on vacation/holiday and there are traffic jams/Stau everywhere. 🙂👍
My father told me how they used to sunbath on the Autobahn next to a little lake as kids in the 50s. The first to run away from an approaching car lost. Not a lot of traffic back then indeed.
I lived and worked in Munich for 4 years and lived in Bavaria for almost ten years. I returned to the US a few months ago and I miss my friends and miss Germany! And yes, I driven on the autobahn obviously and loved every bit of it! ;-)
Hi Feli, this is Dave, I'm from and live in Cincy. The terms Ben uses for turns are different from what we were taught and generally used growing up. The terms we always used were "Ralph" for right, and "Louie" for left. When it is said, you say "hang a Ralph" or "hang a Louie"!😊
Very entertaining! I'm a Brit and have been driving since 1968. During the 80's and 90's I spent time all over Europe, mostly for business, and got to drive in France, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. All except once I rented a car locally, as I prefer that. Having driven a lot on the Motorways in the UK, once I got used to the car being left hand drive I found the Autobahn OK. The last time I was in Germany I had a 2 week gig in Amsterdam, and for the weekend I flew my girlfriend over from London, and rented a Mercedes from Avis. It was an S500, and we drove to Berlin and back. Lovely car and very easy to drive at speed. I've also driven in California, Nevada, Texas & Georgia. The biggest issue was dealing with different standards for road signs and speed limits. In all my time driving the only place I've been stopped for speeding was on I5 half way from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Admittedly I was doing 97 mph! Because of the more uniform regulations and signage, I prefer driving in Europe, though my favourite road is probably the Pacific Coast Highway in California. I've done that trip several times in both directions. A close second would be the road from Oban to Fort William on the West coast of Scotland.
It's so nice to see Ben driving in another country and doing it really good. I like when he collaborates with you and he is willing to learn more german, to accept corrections and to improve his oral german and understand the german culture. It was so sweet from him to admit he was nervous, but he didn't want you to know so you both would enjoy this. Great video
I had my first European driving experience this past week in the outskirts of Rome. Car was a stick but I started driving in the 80s when that was more common in US and Canada. Hadn’t driven stick in 15 years but it was like riding a bike. VW T-Cross 1 liter turbo. Crazy narrow roads in places.
Such great videos make Germans appreciate (again) more how good we have it with the Autobahn in Germany. We spent our honeymoon in Florida in 2002 covering about 3200 miles in 3 weeks. From Miami to Key West, where we got married, to Tallahassee and back to Miami. And it wasn't always so relaxing to drive there. Thanks to you both for the video!! Greetings from Northern Germany ♥️🇩🇪
Well done Ben! Love that you drove responsibly and didn't force the speed. 130 km/h is plenty. I'm pro speed limit as well. Little side note, Feli: you can't tell 100 % where a car is from anymore as you don't have to register for a new license plate anymore when you move. So technically you can move from Hamburg to Munich and keep the HH license plate. I'm sorry I'm lecturing you - I'm German and I can't help it. ;-)
That's correct. About ten years back I inherited the car of my mom. I was living in a different state then. So I had to get a new licence plate despite the car stayed at my mom's house. When I retired to that house I kept my car and sold her's. Luckily I could keep my licence plate. Now I drive an exotic car (licence).
I remember my first time driving in Ireland--picked up a car with a manual transmission from the Dublin Airport--which meant the stick was on the left! So I was not only driving on a different side of the road, on the right side of the car, but with my left hand using a stick that had gears in the opposite direction from my car back in the US. My brain had to do a lot of re-configuring, especially since I hit a roundabout, during morning traffic, just as I left the airport. Oh boy.
I was stationed in Augsburg and my wife was stationed in Munich. We lived in Munich (Perlacher Forst) for 5 years. I had to drive the Autobahn daily to Augsburg (A8). As a service member, we had to take a day-long class on driving rules and pass a test on the street signs. A few lessons I still follow: Look at your speedometer when exiting the Autobahn. You need to make sure you slow down and can’t always judge how fast you’re going. Always “clear your rear.” Look in all mirrors before turning right or left. Always stay to the right on the highway unless you’re passing. I don’t understand why Americans can’t seem to follow this rule.
Being a German when I came home from a RV vacation from San Francisco via the Grand Canyon and all the way up to Seattle my brother picked me up at the airport in Hamburg I thought even before we reached the Autobahn A24:"Wow.... is a war going on here on the streets?" It was so relaxing over beyond the Rockies. For Feli: You should try driving in England. And while doing that try out one of those Magic Roundabouts...... its hilarious. When on a vacation on the island of Malta we had a car for a few days. The lady from our travel organisation who helped with everything around our stay told us: "People her on Malta drive on the left... or on the right... but anytime with a lot of feelings....." It was fun to drive there. Unfortunately that was back in 1991, when we were on Malta again in 2018 a lot has changed. Mostly much more residential areas and less free landscape, and a lot more traffic. Finally everytime I cross the border to Denmark on A7/E45 the moment I'm across I relax and everthing is calmer. This is especially astonishing since the cars around me are the same as before the border: everybody is on his way to his vacation spot in Scandinavia.
I remember the first time I drove on the Autobahn in 1998. It was scary, but soon I was typically driving 160 km/hr when I could. I love driving in Germany!
Fond memories of the A9 (BAB 9) ...driving 165 km/h in a VW Golf and being passed like I was a granny. Both car and highway were as smooth as glass. German engineering...none better.
Yonks ago, I had to drive to Dusseldorf each year for an exhibition. As they got older, my kids began to join me. As soon as we passed Charleroi, the chorus would begin, "Get ready to put the pedal to the metal, dad"!! I never exceeded 200 kph, but the kids would be constantly daring me. "Why have a Merc when you let Audis zoom past you, old man😂".
Once on the Autobahn, I was driving with my speedometer pegged at 160km/hr (as usual), when I saw headlights flashing about 2km behind. I found a space long enough for me to move right without slowing. The car passed me, I pulled back to the left, and saw the car disappear over the next hill. Never did see what kind of car it was!
Lived in Germany for 3 years. Loved driving there. Also lived for 2 years in Naples, Italy and just about lost my mind driving there. They are crazy and after the first year, I quit driving there. My anxiety would not allow it! 😱
In 1998 I drove a rental car around Germany with my daughter who had spent her junior year in Constance 1989-90. I remember the Berlin traffic circles and narrow one way streets. The Autobahn ramp was very slow for either an accident or construction, and traffic police were directing each car onto the road. Once on the road we were doing 110 or 120 in the rain and a big black Mercedes went past us in a flash. About a half hour later we came on a fresh accident scene with a big black car upside down on it's roof. Was it the same car? I don't know. We had been warned there were few gas stations and poor roads in the former East Germany, but in the interval since guide books were printed the roads were new asphalt and a BP gas station was at the entrance to nearly every town. Memorable trip. /Andy
I live in America, but my sister and I are the only Americans in our English family. I've driven in England a few times, and honestly driving on the left (wrong) side of the road and going through roundabouts wasn't bad at all. The worst part was the narrow ass roads, lack of a shoulder, and giant hedges mere inches away from the mirrors. Driving a stick in my left hand took some getting used to too.
I just found your You Tube site a few day ago and enjoy it very much! About 1995 I visited Germany. I rented a 3 cylinder Opel in Hamburg and drove East to Schwerin & Crivitz. The tiny car got me around just fine, but I decided that if I ever go back I'm getting something with more horsepower! From Cologne, Minnesota. Which is quite close to Hamburg.
My second time in Germany, my brother-in-law, who was a firefighter rented a car for me to drive. It was a Ford Fiesta. He took me around in Berlin to teach me the signs etc. Then we drove from Berlin to Munich through East Germany on the Autobahn. He was driving a Mercedes and me a 4 cylinder that needed to shift to go up some of the hills. We arrived in Munich at rush hour and somehow, I was in front of him and then behind us came an ambulance. I could move over, but he could not. We teased him about it the rest of the trip.
Not really, but he got to see a good working example. Pershing, when he was Chief of Staff of the Army, was working on what became the Interstate system in the 20s under Eisenhower.
@@anthonykaiser974Eisenhower under Pershing. In the 20s Pershing was one of the highest ranking generals in the Army. Eisenhower at the time was a major or LTC.
Sehr gut Ben for that first time driving in the Autobahn. I must say from an experienced passenger, Autobahns are a fun ride and yes it is like a rollercoaster. Well done dude.
This is the first time I realise that "right before left" is even easier to memorize in English than in German because they have the "right" of way. Makes it even more strange that this rule is not totally common in the US. The first time I drove in the UK I was a bit worried about driving on the left side but that turned out to be easy to get used to. What was much more confusing was the distances and speed limits in miles instead of kilometers. Did anyone else notice the great editing of that video? Ben: "oh, I have someone behind me!" Feli: "little kid on a bike..." (it was actually the next scene, but that cut was gold!) 🚗... 🚴 Regarding American cars, that you can't drive in Germany: Too big and too unsafe. The skoda octavia kombi is 4.7 m long and 1.83 m wide. A Ford F150 (which is nit even big for US standards) is 5.9 m long and 2.03 m wide (2.46 m including mirrors). Many US cars are not admitted on European streets because of safety issues, for example a too big dead angle before the car or emission.
I drove in Sweden. The road was nuts. Basically two wide lanes and a wide shoulder. When you pass cars just make space for you. Most interesting was when I was in a lane that was three cars wide and the opposing traffic was also 3 lanes wide. It was kind of nuts but we all did it (probably 8 or 9 cars involved in the maneuver) like it was just another day at the office. I think there was a speed limit - but it seemed like a vague suggestion to the drivers on the road that day.
Driving in the Autobahn, was one of my best experiences driving. Can't wait to comeback! Drove from Frankfurt to München, then all the way to Nurburgring to drive in a Touristfahren. Awesome days in Germany.
now i wanna see you both riding along with TH-camr Misha Charoudin on the Nurburgring ..🤣 everything is a little bit different when you can full send something quick..🙂🙃🙂
Only one time that I was in Germany did I actually drive as there really is no need. It was 2013. My rental was a Renault wagon with a five speed manual, and it was fun to drive, but it was speed limited to 210 km/h. I found the Autobahn to be very relaxing as people are very orderly and do a great job of keeping to the right. And yes, I did push the car up to 210 km/h, quite comfortable. What I found interesting, is that most Germans keep to the recommended 130 km/h.
The average speed on the Autobahn sometimes seems to be up to the star sign or something. I've had everyone just driving a 120 km/h conga line in an unlimited section with no one passing and on other days everyone was going 160 km/h on the same damn section again with no mention worthy outliers. It boggles the mind.
I'm from Germany, but was made aware of your channel by a friend from the US. I really like your videos. They are well thought of and give a good insight into the differences between the US and Germany/Europe without generalizing. (OK, I now sound like a bot 🤖) Fun fact: In Germany we call our driver licenses rags. ("Der Lappen") Because, before the introduction of the plastic cards, they were made of paper that became soft and smooth the older it got. After a couple of years, it literally felt like a rag.
On the other hand in the US, I wish more residential intersections were yield instead of stop signs like it is in Germany, much more efficient traffic flow😅
Stop signs are used way to much in the US tbh. Here in Norway they are reserved for dangerous intersections with limited visibility. According to the public road database we have 279 stop signs and 67153 yield signs :)
and even better are roundabouts. Type Ashton's (great channel, American family living in Germany) last video is about roundabouts: th-cam.com/video/EXMcxEQHMQQ/w-d-xo.html
I drove for the first time in Germany in July. We landed in Munich airport and drove to Nuremberg. A few things helped: an automatic jeep, car play and the dashboard told me different speed limits. But wow was going 200 kph a rush and so fun. I was safe making sure to only do it when road sort of clear, it was late night so kinda empty, but yeah very nice roads. The day to day driving was good too.
@@InfinteIdeas @InfinteIdeas Yes, The 135 in the Mustang was in the middle of nowhere on I-80 in Utah. maxed out my 200SX SE-R in the middle of nowhere on I-15 in the middle of nowhere in CA, but I was just trying to show a BMW and Mustang that blew by me that they weren't as fast as they thought. Technically, I failed in the end, when that governor kicked in.
I’m Australian and I hired a car in Switzerland and Germany and drove in country towns and lanes, on the Autobahn, and everything in between. Lots of fun driving on the wrong side of the road and got up to 150km before I decided that was too fast even though people were overtaking me.
Have you ever driven in Germany/on the Autobahn before?? Or in another country where the roads were completely different? 🚗 Share your stories and experiences in the comments below! 👇
My son will be driving in Germany this summer! Im terrified :)
I spent 36 years in Europe, mostly Germany. Vilseck, Grafenwoehr, Hohenfels, Nuremberg, Frankfurt, Russelsheim, usw. I was also in France and Belgium, so yes, I've been on the Autobahn many times and enjoyed every minute of it. I'll be 82 on the 23rd and I miss Europe very, very much. Thx for bringing back some good memories. Take care and God bless. Bis naechste mal, pas gut auf dich auf, tschuss und Gott Segnet.
I'm American and I even know what a Zamboni is
Lived 3 years in Niedersachsen and then another 6 years in Hessen, so driven quite a bit. Seen some really interesting things, like a Porsche 911 that was 2 meters up in tree next to the Autobahn.
Your girlfriend is a national from the best country in the world, car engineering and how to use that power!!! U are so lucky!! She's beautiful and cars are unlimited speed and you've got best brands in the world 🌍 and ilove Germany although I live in UK and I'm Portuguese... Lived in lots of EU countries and I've got a nice luggage 😅😅
I appreciate how he keeps his eyes on the road during conversation. Well done.
Because he has a "Backseat driver" on the passenger seat !
That's simply due to the magic of movie editing, the same reason you never see him take a sip of his beer.
@@chitlitlah You can actually drink beer legally while driving in Germany as long as you don't over do it and get drunk! 😜
He is too scared to not keep his eyes on the road 😂
Yeah that's because we're not in a TV series 😉
This wasn't on the Autobahn, but driving in Munich, with my wife as navigator, I told her to just look at a sign, and then look on the map for that street name to determine where we were. This was pre internet and GPS. We drove round and round while she looked for Einbahnstrasse on the map. This was 1984,and we still laugh about it.
😂😂😂
Some years ago I read about some tourists who had parked their car somewhere in the city center of cologne and were careful enough to write down the name on the next street sign. After they wanted to return to their parked car and didn't find it, they asked a police officer where the "Einbahnstraße" is, because that's where they had parked their car.
-Well, I guess that unfortunately it took longer than they expected until the car was found.
…and there are so many towns off the autobahns that are named Ausfahrt.
@@rickvandusen9271 🤣😂🤣
the german "Autobahn" is in fact an "Einbahnstrasse".. you would not belive how often i heard on the radio, that someone didn't manage to find the correct "Auffart" ^^
..sry for beeing a bit off topic.. so they told me in the radio : there is an "ghostdriver" on the "Autobahn " from point A to point B... bee carefull, stay at the right lane and do not overtake!!
( one of them ? i see hundrets^^) i shurely could say 5 of 7 days a week at least one of them ... but over 13.200 Kilometer Autobahn are watched..
I was in Germany in 86-88 and 90-91, and when I took the written International Driving Test, there were I think 50 signs and 100 questions. I got 100% on both. Woo Hoo!
Woah you sir are a really lucky man 😊 i think at my time 2016 there were round about 250 questions and 100 signs
Nowadays people need to learn 1500 questions 😮
Here in germany there is a statistic which shows 8 out of 10 people dont get their license which is a bitter pill to swallow infact of 3000€ overall costs for license
ok, so the expected result...
its not that the signs are any difficult and anyone below 100% is an idiot that should not be allowed to drive anyway
I was there '90 to '92 (Miesau) and loved the Autobahn unless I was in a Hummer lol I too got 100% on the test but took me a while to study for it.
Hmmm interesting. I just got my international driving license in US to drive everywhere in EU. Took 15 min and $20 to complete some paperwork and they took me two pictures. That's it!. No tests no nothing.
@@car9167 these guys are talking about the US Forces Europe driving test. I actually studied it a bit for a trip in Germany several years before I served there, but I apparently failed the part about no right turn on red. Got my cousin a ticket in the mail. I told him it was okay. We were in Speyer.
When we landed in Frankfurt in '83, we were picked up by a family friend who also happened to be stationed in Bad Kreuznach. On the way from the airport to BK, I asked him what "Ausfahrt" meant. He said, "Oh, haven't you heard of Ausfahrt? That's like the biggest city in this part of Germany. That's why there are so many exits leading to it." Bahahahaha
😂
That cannot happen because it's worldwide known that germans DO NOT have any humor at all. ("Dienst ist Dienst, Schnaps ist Schnaps und Spaß muss sein") 😂
How meeeean!😂
@@Winona493wenn du es noch nicht verstanden hast
Wirst es auch nicht mehr verstehen und😂😂
The courage isn't driving the Autobahn....it's being on video! Congrats boyfriend! Good job!
He really looks so good on screen 😊...!
@@alexysq2660The truth is, he looks very handsome in any situation. I fully comprehend Feli.😂🙈
Thanks!
In 2015 my wife and I took delivery of an M3. We drove it about 3,500 miles through Germany, Austria, Italy, france Belgium, And Nederlands. Sometimes on secondary roads, sometimes on the A-bahn. The car had a limiter and could not go more that 155 Mph. But that was really fast enough. Mostly due to the traffic and driving 150 mph for an hour is exhausting. We still have the car and every time I start it the memories come back……best vacation ever!
@bobfognozzle. Are you sure about mph?
@@tnit7554 Most M3 models were limited to 155 mph (250 km/h). Sounds totally credible.
@@tnit7554 well, not really. The spedo is off by about 5% (reads higher than actual) and while it showed a max of 165 or so, the gps was showing 156… at the time you could attend a BMW driving course in Germany and after sucessful completion BMW would remove the limiter (it is in the ECM software). I believe the F80 is capable of about 190 with no limiter…..but who cares.
I was lucky to do 7 BMW European Deliveries over 25 years. Definitely agree, an incredible experience to explore the Alps, the Romantische Straße, the autobahn, and the Nürburgring. German car manufacturers have a “Gentlemen’s Agreement” to artificially limit top speed to 250 km/h as a compromise between the “speed freedom” folks and the environmentalists. But Porsche and special BMW models have higher top speeds.
@@tnit7554 Why not???-Yes,BMW right off the bench,are limited too 250km/h aka 155mph!-Among other reasons,this,because for higher speeds,you would need different,very costly tyres!
In Scotland many roads are so narrow you don't even have to think about which side is the one to drive on.
Answer: the wrong (left) one.
@@Muck006 Except that in Scotland, many roads are so narrow that your car fills the whole road.
Herzlichen Dank für diesen Beitrag aus der Heimat.
Ich bin, wie Du, ein Deutscher in USA. (Virginia)
Diese Beiträge bringen mir ein Bisschen die Heimat auf den Schirm.
Grüße
Außerdem badischen
Grüße aus Virginia Beach
Hello Feli, Hello Ben,
This is BY FAR my most favorite video of the 2 of You together!
So much FUN!
Feli, I LOVE listening to You talk, but I had no idea till today, that You can sing. Just the little bit You did in this video, I can tell You have a Beautiful singing voice! ✨ More singing PLEASE! 😊😎
Oh yes, Feli could sing more for us. Don't hide it, occasionally when you Feli think, it could fit, then sing a bit, yes!
I was in Germany for 2 years. 1983 and 1984. Driving on the autobahn was intimidating but I was young and loved it. If you've ever wanted the thrill of running a Corvette, full throttle, at 155 mph, and be legal, then this is the place for you. I also learned right off to pass quickly and then get the hell back over. Because there are faster cars coming. You don't get to hang in the fast lane. They'll run you off the road. I remember one time we took the command staff from our brigade into Wurzberg to the Bishops residence for some high level briefing with the city leaders. There was division command staff and nato staff there also. This building and grounds are the most gorgeous and palatial that I've seen but actually every city in germany has something equally incredible. The interior design and furnishings are awe inspiring, but on this occasion I was relegated to guard duty with other MP personnel. We were standing in the parking lot, which is huge, and a big car pulls up with some elderly people inside. They called me over and asked if I was an American soldier and spoke English. They were americans also. Of course I said. They wanted directions to Nuremberg. I said, "sure, I've been there many times. I told them, look up on that hill straight ahead towards that castle. That highway that you're seeing all the cars on is the autobahn 3. Take it east and it will take you straight to Nuremberg. A couple hours maybe. They said, "oh no, we don't want to take the autobahn. We just got off that crazy thing". Haha. I laughed a little and said, "yeah I understand , but I can never explain to you the secondary roads directions. You would get lost. Just get on that autobahn and don't pass. Lol. Stay behind the trucks until you can't see anyone coming in the fast lane". God what a beautiful country Germany is.
'Secondary roads' is actually also rather simple from Würzburg to Nürnberg. The B8 (Bundesstraße, meaning Federal Road) is a direct connection. Good starting point would probably be the B19 which passes to the east of the Universitätsklinik (university hospital, should be easy to find on signs), turn onto B8, then simply go straight. OK, more or less straight, the B8 does go through towns on the way, but just stay on it and you will reach Nürnberg eventually.
@@ytgray yes but try to explain that to someone that's never been there. They were tourists from America. They rented a car in Frankfurt at the airport and we're heading to Nuremberg. I told them they could follow me but I'm not going there today.
Würzburg Residence is great indeed!
i mean, they made it from Frankfurt to Würzburg on the A3, they probably also made it to Nürnberg at the end. ;)
You can drive as fast as you will, there will 100% come another car flashing behind you for passing by 🤣
Like a LOT of Americans, I spent several years in Kitzingen before and when the wall came down. I only drove US Army vehicles on the autobahn back then. But recently, I spent 4 years living in Italy and made a trip back to Kitzingen to see what the place looked like after 30+ years. I had my own personal Mustang and drove from Garmisch onto 95 into Munich. Then to Regensburg, onto the 3 towards Nuremburg and Wurzburg. Then taking the 7 all the way back south to Austria again. 95 South of Munchen was perfect to open it up and get it to 230 KPH. 3 lanes and not much traffic. I still have the Vignette on the windshield from Austria. It's part of the car's history now. A lot of thumbs up while driving it in Deutschland. Some of the Audi drivers were not happy that I was passing them. Lol.
Ich bin Deutscher und habe auch schon in den Staaten Urlaub gemacht. Ich finde Audi BMW Mercedes super toll und qualitativ top .
Aber ich würde immer ein amerikanisches Musclecar bevorzugen .
@@dennislibuda04p Ich stimme zu! Ich liebe Ford Mustang. Ich habe 2018 GT and 1968 Fastback. Funfzig jahre auseinander. Entschuldigen mein nicht gudes Deutsch.
I drove mostly Army trucks in convoys but one time I had to take a soldier to the airport in Frankfurt and back to Ansbach in an army jeep that topped out at about 55 mph at night.
Very scary.
U was in 12th CAB ?
@@omardiaz666 No.
I served with the 501st AB(C),1st Armor Division long before the 12th came along.
We had AH1 Cobras and I served in an armament platoon.
Being too slow on the Autobahn is defo just as scary as driving at 130mph in the flow. Anything passing one at 100mph more in relation to oneself is a psychological event. It's not normal...😂❤
with 55 mph on the Autobahn, you´ll have eastern european semis tailgating the shit out of you. thats indeed scary :)
I love the Autobahn! I learned to drive in Germany as a teenager (US Military dependent) in my parents Chevy station wagon in 1975. I have many Autobahn kilometers under my belt.
I drove on the Autobahn for the first time (also my first time in Germany) back in August 2023. As an American I was terrified at first but soon became more comfortable and generally stayed in the right lane. I did get brave and eventually got in the middle lane and hit 150 km/h. My best friend in the backseat was cheering me on but my husband next to me in the front seat was freaking out and yelling at me. We still laugh about it - great memories!!!
How nice, dear Feli, that you and Ben are visiting Germany again. I wish you both much fun. I had to laugh a little when you told Ben to keep his hands on the steering wheel. My husband is Italian as has lived in Germany for 34 years. When he sometimes starts to argue, sometimes he didn`t keep his hands on the steering wheel and I or our daughter had to point it out to him. Just southern temperament.😅Lovely Greetings from northern Germany.
But... he was talking to you. And he's Italian. Of *course* he needs his hand(s) for communication instead of steering.
I have three good stories from driving in Germany on work trips between 2016 - 2019: 1) Driving the Peugeot they rented to me from Frankfort down to Ramstein and back, not so fun on the Autobahn, 2) getting a camera-trap speeding ticket in the Mercedes C class for 6 km/hr over the speed limit, even the Germans laughed at that, and 3) bumping a different C class into a German's Mercedes mini-van, in a hotel parking garage. Even said German noted it was "a small garage, and you have a big car!"
Glaube du hast den scheiß erfunden um wichtig zu machen
What a delightful video. The banter between Feli and Ben is priceless. The contrast between individual vehicle speeds would be stressful to me on the fast portions of the Autobahn. If you are a "car person", I can see the appeal of the Autobahn to those people.
I rented a car in Berlin through AutoEurope. I specified a C class Mercedes. When I got to Hertz to pick it up, the man behind the counter said, "We have a really nice car for you today. It is a Volvo station wagon." I wasn't sure if he was joking or serious. He was serious and it turned out to be a really nice car with every possible upgrade, including traffic monitoring navigation with a lovely female British voice directing us around traffic snarls.
In my youth a Mercedes was more of an old-people-car, because many people saved for a Mercedes but they had the money only in old age. So, it is/was kind of luxurious.
For a long time, the vast majority of Taxis were Mercedes.
It still is. BMW too. These are expensive cars. But there are many people who have the money or spend it without really having it...
That’s awesome! I miss Germany. Was there for a week and didn’t want to leave. 😢
That was a fun video! I’ve enjoyed many of your videos, but this is my first comment.
As a BMW fan, I’ve taken several trips to München over the last 30 years, and I love driving on the autobahn. Since Germany has much better driver training than the US and they are better at following rules, the driving environment is more predictable. I’ve said many times that “I feel safer on the autobahn at 200 km/h (125 mph) than on an Interstate at 70 mph. Fahren rechts makes SO much sense for safety and traffic flow. I love the digital signs to warn of a wet road or stau (traffic jam) ahead. The speed limit reduces from 130 km/h to 100 km/h to 70 km/h for a “soft landing” into traffic. Brilliant!
I used to guide groups of Americans on road trips in Germany, so I wrote and shared a document titled “Driving in Deutschland” to prepare them before the trip. A video like this would have been very helpful then, and I’m sure it helps your fans now. Danke sehr!
Good job . I drove on the autobahn in 2022 for the first time. I was anxious also. The fast cars on the autobahn were flying by so fast. Looks like we both survived.
The wife and I were in Germany in Sept 23. My first visit. We rented an Audi A3, very smooth. We loved the country and no issues driving mainly because of our GpS phone app. I really didn't feel comfortable going fast on the A bahn i remember seeing 90 mph a couple times but what i do remember was 98% percent of big trucks staying in the far right lane traveling about 50 mph it was awesome! It was like watching a convoy for hundreds of miles. I wish the UsA would make the trucks stay to the right.
Maybe it proves im german, but i couldnt look away from the safety belt hanging way to low on the drivers arm instead around his shoulder. 🤣
The anchor is in the wrong position. It's set up for Feli, who is much shorter.
@@blindleader42And lower the seat is also an option.
I'm from Denmark and have been driven on the Autobahn a few times. I love it. Not for the speed, but for the culture. I drove from Denmark to Bruxelles and back and entering Germany from either Holland or Denmark traffic just got easy. I did speeds of around 150-160 km per hour when I could. Never felt nervous or overwhelmed. It just works! :-)
On a trip to Yellowstone several years ago, I got pulled over on a long straight road in Idaho for doing 70 mph. I apologetically produced my German driver's license, and the cop let me go with just a warning, "Sir, this is not an autobahn. Please drive carefully". I learned my lesson.
Same as me, un california i drove about 60 and he said, have a good trip, i was stationet in Kaiserslautern.
In my experience you can often get away with driving over the speed limit in many foreign countries when you act like an ignorant tourist. “Oh, I’m sorry sir, I hadn’t noticed. I’m not from here”.
I learned to drive a car in Germany in 1952 and also drove at that time on the Autobahn. It was more pleasant than today, when I visit Germany. I still have my original German driver license. Greetings from Northwest Arkansas.
I'm from the US (drive on the right) and I drove in the UK (drive on the left) from downtown London to Cornwall, Wales, Scotland, then back to London). That was quite the experience. I found TH-cam video, before hand, of how to do it, though. That was SOOOO helpful! Maybe you need to do a Driving in Germany series 😃
Am i the only one who didnt knew Feli can sing?! Like, she really hit these notes, as far as i can tell.
LMAO, he's still smiling at least! Glad you both survived and had fun!
I was in Germany, for business, back in 1996. We drove on the Autobahn a few times. I was surprised at how quickly you adapt to the higher speed. We were cruising at 110 mph and after a short while it felt normal.
I remember my first time driving on the Autobahn I was to scared to go above 80 for the first few trips. Ben yes you can drive an old Charger in Germany I did. The Army shipped my 1970 Dodge Charger with a 440 Six Pack engine for me. That car loved the Autobahn but you are right the side streets were tight. I would even take the long way home just to avoid a few narrow streets. You did a great job for your first time.
I would have loved to take my old Charger on the autobahn. It had no problem cruising at 240 KMH.
@@johnnygood4831 😎
I appreciate how he keeps his eyes on the road during conversation!!!
This was one of the "funnest" videos of you guys. It was like we were just hanging out with you for a half hour. Very entertaining!
Gotta laugh about going 130 km/h because not long ago there was a news story about Indiana State Troopers nabbing a guy on I465 around Indianapolis going 130... MPH! 😳
I've gone 130 mph... on the Autobahn. Not in a speed limited section, though.
An amusing story from a group of Americans with me on a road trip through Germany. A first-timer said that “I’m surprised that I haven’t heard of that city Ausfahrt. It must be pretty large since all exits seem to go there.” 😉
Back in the 80’s I had to drive from Pirmasens , where I was stationed up to Wiesbaden. It was normally a country road trip, but they had just opened a new section on the autobahn. I was driving my new 89 Volvo . I ran it up to 100 MPH and hit the cruise control. I was in cruise at 100 and a Porsche went passed me like I was going backwards. Loved the autobahn.
BTW, His term for making turns is nothing new. I grew up just north of Boston Massachusetts, and we always called a U-Turn Banging a Youie. (pronounced you-ee)
I am living in Pirmasens. Good story🙂
Thats funny i studied in Pirmasens and a lot of my colleagues lived in the old us army baracks. We just missed by a couple of years. 😉
The Autobahn is great speeding makes me be more focused and therefore it is mutch safer for me.
when i have to drive a long time at low speed 80 or 130 kph i always start losing focus which is very dangerous. it s the opposite of what you would expect. 🤣
I was in Germany from 95-01. My first experience on the autobahn was driving 85-90 mph and being past by a 911 that I never saw coming in the rearview mirror and it shook my car. I love the autobahn, and the german driving etiquette. When I finally came back to the US and picked up my vehicle from the port in Baltimore to drive home I95 was almost terrifying. Right away I missed the autobahn, not for the speed but for all the drivers following the rules.
Hi Feli, first let me say that was an excellent video showing some of the challenges faced by an America's first experience on the AB. I spent 10 years there during my career and my first experience was on the AB between Schweinfurt and Frankfort. We were doing doing 85 in an American car that was not designed for for sustained higher speeds. But, I did drive a variety of vehicles including my first German car a 1965 Audi, then a 1976 German VW Beetle, then a 1983 VW, a 1984 AMC (now out of business), and finally in 1991 I brought my 1986 Pontiac Fiero with me from the states. Each had their own unique handling characteristics while on the AB, but my favorite was the Fiero. It had a speedometer ceiling of 130 MPH ( 209 KPH) and you know I just had to test it. I was on the AB between Frankfort and Mannheim when I hit a stretch with no speed limit. The car handled great but the speedometer was hitting 130 MPH and bouncing so I believe i was doing about 140 actual speed.
I was passing everything in sight when I glanced in my rear-view mirror and there was a BMW sitting right on my bumper flashing his headlights and behind him a Porsche. I was shocked but I pulled over the first chance I had and slowed down. Needless to say they passed me like i was sitting still. On the opposite side of the coin I had the unfortunate experience in 1991 of seeing several Trabants with their 2-cycle engines on the AB chugging along at about 60 MPH. Needless to say just about everyone was passing them as soon as we could.
There were some less pleasant experiences in Army vehicles (tanks, jeeps, etc.) in convoys on the AB. Once the entire convoy was stopped by some Bundesgrenzschutz. Apparently someone in the American convoy had thrown some trash from their vehicle which caused a German civilian car who was passing to swerve and scrap the Army truck and came to a stop on the left side of the AB. The BGS held the convoy until the Polizi could get there and investigate. A soldier was arrested and the convoy commander had to go to great lengths to get him freed. Another time on a country road a young lady was driving too fast and on a curve, never saw the American tank coming in the opposite direction. She hit the tank head-on but luckily she was not injured as the car came to rest with the tank's track sitting right in front of her windshield.
In comparison, as you know, here in the states we have varying speed limits depending on what state you are driving in and in what type of area it is. Did you know that Texas has the highest speed limits in the United States. Rural interstates have a speed limit of 85 miles per hour while urban interstates have a speed limit of 75 miles per hour. Other roads that are not residential are posted at 75 miles per hour as well. The worst was the round about in Paris and trying to enter and exit it. Scotland and Ireland were challenges as my wife and I stayed on country roads instead of the motorways. Sorry about the length but I had many experiences in Germany and in Europe. This year we are planning on driving up to Montana and then back down the spine of the Rockies before heading back home to Kentucky. .
I drove in Germany , Austria, and Switzerland and had no problems at all. It was fun!
Love the vlog. I remember driving my crew on the autobahn in an Opal cadet at 200 km/hr. It identified that even the lowliest car was very capable on the autobahn in Germany. Cars with tuned suspensions and well matched tires. I kinda of knew the German vehicles were different, but this trip really solidified that belief. Already understood the passing only left lane. We had a successful adventure on German roads. I got to drive a bmw many years later on the autobahn and it was just as fun and exciting.
I was in Germany for 3 years (USAF) and in order to drive off base, I had to take a 100 question test (I missed ONE!). While the Autobahn was fun at first, what was really fun were the curvy roads from town to town. My friend lived off base and we used to race from his apartment to the base and back. The speed limit was 100 kph (62 mph) and we NEVER went the speed limit! It was very fun! My American friends told me I drove like a German. I considered that to be a compliment. Oh - the best hand position for driving is 9 and 3 - NOT 10 and 2.
I prefer 10 and 5.
@@agnesmeszaros-matwiejuk8783 sounds like being a Golf GTI driver leaning towards the shift stick!
If they said that you drove like a German that was definately a big compliment.
We are currently in Germany and have been on multiple autobahn roads the problem in this area is there are sections of the autobahn that slow down for seemingly no reason then allow speed up to unlimited. We had A place today where we had to slow down to 80kph and speed right up again and there was no construction or any reason we could see to have to slow down. They have you slow down to 60 kph to go through a tunnel on the autobahn. The slowdowns come without much forewarning so you are always using the brakes much more than we have to in the US. There Are few stretches in the Rammstein area where you would make much better time at a steady speed. The traffic lights are right over the car not across the intersection where you can actually see it so if you are the first one at the intersection the ones above you are almost impossible to see.
@@Ljw48 Hi there. I have two comments.
The first one is a bit picky - I'm German after all 😉.
The area is not called the Rammstein area, the city is only spelled with an "m", so it is the Ramstein area. Rammstein is the name of the famous German band with the songs “Engel”, “Du hast” and “Deutschland” to name just a few. They had made the same mistake 😇.
And the second note concerns the position of the traffic lights.
If it shows red, then you are not allowed to drive further than the maximum position of the traffic light.
This means that in Germany, where the traffic lights are at the front of the intersection, you are not allowed to drive into the intersection (exception: there are other signs that allow you to turn right, for example).
And in the USA this means that you are allowed to drive into the intersection, but only up to the middle of the intersection where the traffic lights are. Therefore you can also turn right there.
Together with the requirement that you must not block intersections and that you must always be careful at intersections, this explains the difference in traffic lights. In principle, the legal situation in Germany and the USA is the same.
Lots of greetz from Hannover, Germany.
Klaus
Living in the Netherlands, an Autobahn test ride from time to time is a must, especially for young people. I enjoyed it many times but when you can't do a daily Autobahn ride, it can be exhausting. Good video, thanks a lot.
I was in Germany 80-81. Stationed in Garmisch. Threw a rod in a Army sedan on the autobahn going to Augsburg. Speeds on the autobahn blew me away. Loved being in Bavaria
Ben, you are doing great!
Many thanks for being in this video!
I love the moment, when Ben is like "I'm nervous guys... Here comes Feli. I'm not nervous!". 😂 Oh, Ben. 🥰 You did great! 😉👍
❤ That was awesome. It made me smile.
As a US soldier in Germany, and a driver, I logged over 180,000 miles in Germany, driving everything from VW vans, to Mercedes 50 pax motor coaches. And everything in between. I drove for passengers, rarely for cargo. My personal car was a VW Jetta. The US civilian driver license written exam was quite a challenge. A 100 question test, that you had to get 90% right, and identify 50 traffic signs, with 100% accuracy. Rarely did anyone get a first time pass. At least you were spared a road test, if you held an American license. The fastest I've ever driven on the Autobahn in my Jetta, was 119 MPH, DOWNHILL, on the Wurzberg Hill! At 2:00 AM on a Sunday morning, with nothing else on the road. Just couldn't make 120. And THAT, freunden, is a ROLLERCOASTER!
I am guessing you were on the A3 heading East from Würzburg, when it does the big drop towards the Main before getting to Kitzingen. Yep, that is quite a slope to go down.
@@Ned-Ryerson, you quessed right. Along with 4 of my best friends, and all our luggage.
There's a similar part when coming from Cologne to Frankfurt, going through the valley where Neustadt/Wied is (after passing the Bad Honnef exit). The best thing there is when you're literally putting the pedal to the metal on that downhill slope, you might be witnessing an ICE train almost "flying" past to your right at 300kph. So you're basically firewalling it downhill, thinking you're fast and trying to get as much energy as possible for the long, less steep uphill slope that will slow you down no matter what, only to completely get left in the dust by a fricken train that makes you feel like you're just about to come to a halt. It's awesome!
VW Jetta Turbo Rocket... 🤣🤣
I remember that test. I took it in 1971 and passed it. The tricky signs were the blue and white signs-white wit a blue bike said no bikes on weekends and blue with a whir bike said bikes only on weekdays or something like that. First time I thought about that in 55 years or so!
Lived in Germany for 4 years.
The autobahn was lovely.
And no tolls anywhere
can't say the same for Italy
@@crouchb15
I drove from Germany to Italy once and I remember having to pay tolls for Switzerland, but not for Italy.
Drove to Milan then Savona for a cruise.
But this was 10 years ago, so maybe I forgot about the tolls.
@Dangic23 That's what you get when people pay their taxes. 🙂Wish we had more law-abiding citizens in america instead of all the tax cheats.
most of european countries have tolls on their respective Autobahn streets. Germany tried it and we got sued by the EU to stop it.
When my wife and I were stationed in Germany, I have to admit that our first time on the Autobahn was intimidating, but we got used to it pretty quickly. I've since told people that if you want to learn how to really drive, drive on the Autobahn, because it teaches you to be constantly aware of your surroundings......or else.
Ha! We drove a Chrysler Grand Caravan in Germany, got her up to over 100 mph. Granted, we had to buy something to attach to the windshield wipers as, at times, they'd pop up from the windshield at high speeds. But she handled the Autobahn like a pro.
I learned how to drive in Germany 🇩🇪 love how speedy people get around 💕
I lived in Germany for 33 years so I got my license there and shortly after getting my license.. not even a week later I was driving in the US.. I've driven in many german and US cities but so far the worst driving experience I've had is on the QEW and the 401 in Canada... the traffic is insane and drivers are soooo unsafe its crazy. Now when I go to visit my family in Canada from NY I take the long way around and cross the border in Alexandria Bay or Cape Vincent and take the ferry over. It's a couple of hours longer but sooooo much more relaxed the trying to get through Toronto traffic.
I'm American and living in Austria, speed limit here in Tirol is only 100 km/hr on the autobahn, once I cross the border to Germany, I then can drive 130 km/hr and really enjoy it, there are only a few more stretches of the autobahn in Germany with no speed limit, I once did over 200 km/h for a while and loved it but people were passing me as if I was parked on the highway! I drive a lot here in Europe and admit that driving in Germany on the autobahn is the most thrilling experience for anybody. Love your videos, they are great!
Speed limit on Austrian highway is 130. 100 is on other roads (outside towns)
@@FrisianDroneAviator It depends where in Austria but here in Tyrol it is 100.
When I was stationed at Sembach from '78-'81 I had a 1972 Mustang with a 302 engine. I made a run to Frankfurt one day to get some concert tickets (Boney-M!!), and it was a beautiful clear day, little traffic, and a long, straight section of Autobahn, so I just floored it. The speedometer ended at 120MPH (193KPH), with the high beam indicator just around the dial a little bit from that. I went past the 120 to high beam (or, as I later described to friends, I got the car up to lightspeed!) Then there was some traffic building, so I backed it off to a more sedate 110, and was still getting passed like I was standing still. Loved driving on the Autobahn, and everywhere else in Germany.
American on the Autobahn "200 km/h! I'm the King of the R..."
Porsche in the rear view mirror: "Hey, slowpoke, move over, this is the fast lane!"
"Was is´n das für'n Kombi?": Hold my Köstritzer!
200 is nothing. A 20 year old Skoda diesel kombi will drive 200 all day. It starts to get a little thin upwards of 250-260. Many cars could do it but they are limited electronicly. Only modified cars and proper supercars get up there. Thats not to say it doesnt happen every day. One day i was driving 260 myself when i saw i porsche in the back mirror coming closer like he was absolutely cooking. I moved aside and he just flew past me like he must have been doing 330-340 something like that. It was a GT2 RS i belive, didnt have much time to look at him he was gone so fast.
@@lobster8009 In the US, the highest speed limit anywhere is 85 mph, or 137 km/h. 200 is a whole lot more than they are used to.
@@ohauss Shure. As i understand US roads you would not even want to go any faster than 85 Miles anyways. The Autobahn rides smooth especially the parts that have no speed limit. German cars are designed with the Autobahn in mind, they ride so smooth and stable its like you are on rails. Perhaps thats why they have their image of beeing smooth, luxurious and well built. We have the TÜV aswell that makes shure all cars are in perfect working order and safe.
Or its a banged up, 20 year old white work van. These guys are fearless on the Autobahn
A couple of years ago we were driving home through Germany in the middle of the night, and right in front of us a 50km stretch of Autobahn opened up that had been closed for maintenance. 4 brand (refurbished?) lanes and nobody in front of me. Since then, I know that yes, my little car can get to 230 (more probably a little more, but that was my limit right there). After that I really needed to go to a gas station though, as that drains your tank like you wouldn't believe.
As an American, my first time on the Autobahn was in 1959 as a 6-year old passenger in my parent's Opel. Not a lot of traffic back in those days. Quite a few VW Beetles, which were very slow. Our Opel used to pass them all the time. Skipping ahead in time, I went back to Germany in 1981-83 and thoroughly enjoyed the Autobahn at 200 kph. I drove like a German driver and obeyed the traffic rules, so I never had a problem. In later years, when I went back on group business trips, I was always the designated driver. Except for August when everyone goes on vacation/holiday and there are traffic jams/Stau everywhere. 🙂👍
My father told me how they used to sunbath on the Autobahn next to a little lake as kids in the 50s. The first to run away from an approaching car lost. Not a lot of traffic back then indeed.
I lived and worked in Munich for 4 years and lived in Bavaria for almost ten years. I returned to the US a few months ago and I miss my friends and miss Germany! And yes, I driven on the autobahn obviously and loved every bit of it! ;-)
Drove so much in Germany...loved it!!!! Best and safest roads ever!
Hi Feli, this is Dave, I'm from and live in Cincy. The terms Ben uses for turns are different from what we were taught and generally used growing up. The terms we always used were "Ralph" for right, and "Louie" for left. When it is said, you say "hang a Ralph" or "hang a Louie"!😊
Very entertaining! I'm a Brit and have been driving since 1968. During the 80's and 90's I spent time all over Europe, mostly for business, and got to drive in France, Holland, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. All except once I rented a car locally, as I prefer that. Having driven a lot on the Motorways in the UK, once I got used to the car being left hand drive I found the Autobahn OK. The last time I was in Germany I had a 2 week gig in Amsterdam, and for the weekend I flew my girlfriend over from London, and rented a Mercedes from Avis. It was an S500, and we drove to Berlin and back. Lovely car and very easy to drive at speed.
I've also driven in California, Nevada, Texas & Georgia. The biggest issue was dealing with different standards for road signs and speed limits. In all my time driving the only place I've been stopped for speeding was on I5 half way from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Admittedly I was doing 97 mph!
Because of the more uniform regulations and signage, I prefer driving in Europe, though my favourite road is probably the Pacific Coast Highway in California. I've done that trip several times in both directions. A close second would be the road from Oban to Fort William on the West coast of Scotland.
It's so nice to see Ben driving in another country and doing it really good. I like when he collaborates with you and he is willing to learn more german, to accept corrections and to improve his oral german and understand the german culture. It was so sweet from him to admit he was nervous, but he didn't want you to know so you both would enjoy this. Great video
I had my first European driving experience this past week in the outskirts of Rome. Car was a stick but I started driving in the 80s when that was more common in US and Canada. Hadn’t driven stick in 15 years but it was like riding a bike. VW T-Cross 1 liter turbo. Crazy narrow roads in places.
traffic in rome is c r a z y
Such great videos make Germans appreciate (again) more how good we have it with the Autobahn in Germany. We spent our honeymoon in Florida in 2002 covering about 3200 miles in 3 weeks. From Miami to Key West, where we got married, to Tallahassee and back to Miami. And it wasn't always so relaxing to drive there. Thanks to you both for the video!!
Greetings from Northern Germany ♥️🇩🇪
Well done Ben! Love that you drove responsibly and didn't force the speed. 130 km/h is plenty. I'm pro speed limit as well. Little side note, Feli: you can't tell 100 % where a car is from anymore as you don't have to register for a new license plate anymore when you move. So technically you can move from Hamburg to Munich and keep the HH license plate. I'm sorry I'm lecturing you - I'm German and I can't help it. ;-)
That's correct. About ten years back I inherited the car of my mom. I was living in a different state then. So I had to get a new licence plate despite the car stayed at my mom's house. When I retired to that house I kept my car and sold her's. Luckily I could keep my licence plate. Now I drive an exotic car (licence).
I remember my first time driving in Ireland--picked up a car with a manual transmission from the Dublin Airport--which meant the stick was on the left! So I was not only driving on a different side of the road, on the right side of the car, but with my left hand using a stick that had gears in the opposite direction from my car back in the US. My brain had to do a lot of re-configuring, especially since I hit a roundabout, during morning traffic, just as I left the airport. Oh boy.
I was stationed in Augsburg and my wife was stationed in Munich. We lived in Munich (Perlacher Forst) for 5 years. I had to drive the Autobahn daily to Augsburg (A8). As a service member, we had to take a day-long class on driving rules and pass a test on the street signs. A few lessons I still follow: Look at your speedometer when exiting the Autobahn. You need to make sure you slow down and can’t always judge how fast you’re going. Always “clear your rear.” Look in all mirrors before turning right or left. Always stay to the right on the highway unless you’re passing. I don’t understand why Americans can’t seem to follow this rule.
Das war verdammt spannend. Ich hab mitgefiebert und hatte definitiv richtig Puls. Auweia Feli, wie kannst Du das nur machen. Der arme Junge.
Being a German when I came home from a RV vacation from San Francisco via the Grand Canyon and all the way up to Seattle my brother picked me up at the airport in Hamburg I thought even before we reached the Autobahn A24:"Wow.... is a war going on here on the streets?" It was so relaxing over beyond the Rockies.
For Feli: You should try driving in England. And while doing that try out one of those Magic Roundabouts...... its hilarious. When on a vacation on the island of Malta we had a car for a few days. The lady from our travel organisation who helped with everything around our stay told us: "People her on Malta drive on the left... or on the right... but anytime with a lot of feelings....." It was fun to drive there. Unfortunately that was back in 1991, when we were on Malta again in 2018 a lot has changed. Mostly much more residential areas and less free landscape, and a lot more traffic. Finally everytime I cross the border to Denmark on A7/E45 the moment I'm across I relax and everthing is calmer. This is especially astonishing since the cars around me are the same as before the border: everybody is on his way to his vacation spot in Scandinavia.
I remember the first time I drove on the Autobahn in 1998. It was scary, but soon I was typically driving 160 km/hr when I could. I love driving in Germany!
Fond memories of the A9 (BAB 9) ...driving 165 km/h in a VW Golf and being passed like I was a granny. Both car and highway were as smooth as glass. German engineering...none better.
I was able to get the VW Golf to max at about 180 Kph and at that speed it felt a little unstable so I backed off right away.
Austrian Autobahn is the best, only Asphalt! Germans have sometimes those Beton blocks which are very slippy and Dangerous when wet or rainy wheather
@@bkailua1224 well, going these speeds in a non-GTI or R Golf, yeah gets a little wonky
I love seeing you and Ben in the videos together. 😊
I am going to start saying ausfahrt now everytime I talk about an exit while emphesysing on "fart". 😀
Should I be now amused or annoyed :) Don't mess with our Aus-fart :D
And car girls! I love the Skoda Octavia. When I visited Germany, I loved seeing all the different car makes and models that we don’t have in the USA.
Yonks ago, I had to drive to Dusseldorf each year for an exhibition. As they got older, my kids began to join me. As soon as we passed Charleroi, the chorus would begin, "Get ready to put the pedal to the metal, dad"!! I never exceeded 200 kph, but the kids would be constantly daring me. "Why have a Merc when you let Audis zoom past you, old man😂".
Audi = Animated Under Demonic Influence
Once on the Autobahn, I was driving with my speedometer pegged at 160km/hr (as usual), when I saw headlights flashing about 2km behind. I found a space long enough for me to move right without slowing. The car passed me, I pulled back to the left, and saw the car disappear over the next hill. Never did see what kind of car it was!
Lived in Germany for 3 years. Loved driving there. Also lived for 2 years in Naples, Italy and just about lost my mind driving there. They are crazy and after the first year, I quit driving there. My anxiety would not allow it! 😱
Italians are indeed terrible driver
In 1998 I drove a rental car around Germany with my daughter who had spent her junior year in Constance 1989-90. I remember the Berlin traffic circles and narrow one way streets. The Autobahn ramp was very slow for either an accident or construction, and traffic police were directing each car onto the road. Once on the road we were doing 110 or 120 in the rain and a big black Mercedes went past us in a flash. About a half hour later we came on a fresh accident scene with a big black car upside down on it's roof. Was it the same car? I don't know. We had been warned there were few gas stations and poor roads in the former East Germany, but in the interval since guide books were printed the roads were new asphalt and a BP gas station was at the entrance to nearly every town. Memorable trip. /Andy
I live in America, but my sister and I are the only Americans in our English family. I've driven in England a few times, and honestly driving on the left (wrong) side of the road and going through roundabouts wasn't bad at all. The worst part was the narrow ass roads, lack of a shoulder, and giant hedges mere inches away from the mirrors. Driving a stick in my left hand took some getting used to too.
I just found your You Tube site a few day ago and enjoy it very much! About 1995 I visited Germany. I rented a 3 cylinder Opel in Hamburg and drove East to Schwerin & Crivitz. The tiny car got me around just fine, but I decided that if I ever go back I'm getting something with more horsepower! From Cologne, Minnesota. Which is quite close to Hamburg.
Not only Canadians know what a Zamboni is, the Dutch know too. Not due to (ice) hockey, but speed skating!!
My second time in Germany, my brother-in-law, who was a firefighter rented a car for me to drive. It was a Ford Fiesta. He took me around in Berlin to teach me the signs etc. Then we drove from Berlin to Munich through East Germany on the Autobahn. He was driving a Mercedes and me a 4 cylinder that needed to shift to go up some of the hills. We arrived in Munich at rush hour and somehow, I was in front of him and then behind us came an ambulance. I could move over, but he could not. We teased him about it the rest of the trip.
I believe Eisenhower got the idea for Interstate Highway system from Autobahn
Not really, but he got to see a good working example. Pershing, when he was Chief of Staff of the Army, was working on what became the Interstate system in the 20s under Eisenhower.
@@anthonykaiser974 You make joke?
He did.
Yes he did.
@@anthonykaiser974Eisenhower under Pershing. In the 20s Pershing was one of the highest ranking generals in the Army. Eisenhower at the time was a major or LTC.
Sehr gut Ben for that first time driving in the Autobahn. I must say from an experienced passenger, Autobahns are a fun ride and yes it is like a rollercoaster. Well done dude.
This is the first time I realise that "right before left" is even easier to memorize in English than in German because they have the "right" of way. Makes it even more strange that this rule is not totally common in the US.
The first time I drove in the UK I was a bit worried about driving on the left side but that turned out to be easy to get used to. What was much more confusing was the distances and speed limits in miles instead of kilometers.
Did anyone else notice the great editing of that video?
Ben: "oh, I have someone behind me!"
Feli: "little kid on a bike..."
(it was actually the next scene, but that cut was gold!)
🚗... 🚴
Regarding American cars, that you can't drive in Germany: Too big and too unsafe. The skoda octavia kombi is 4.7 m long and 1.83 m wide. A Ford F150 (which is nit even big for US standards) is 5.9 m long and 2.03 m wide (2.46 m including mirrors).
Many US cars are not admitted on European streets because of safety issues, for example a too big dead angle before the car or emission.
Not to mention how much fuel American cars guzzle
I drove in Sweden. The road was nuts. Basically two wide lanes and a wide shoulder. When you pass cars just make space for you. Most interesting was when I was in a lane that was three cars wide and the opposing traffic was also 3 lanes wide. It was kind of nuts but we all did it (probably 8 or 9 cars involved in the maneuver) like it was just another day at the office. I think there was a speed limit - but it seemed like a vague suggestion to the drivers on the road that day.
Haven't driven in Germany since before you were born. Drove from Munich to Budapest.
Driving in the Autobahn, was one of my best experiences driving.
Can't wait to comeback! Drove from Frankfurt to München, then all the way to Nurburgring to drive in a Touristfahren. Awesome days in Germany.
now i wanna see you both riding along with TH-camr Misha Charoudin on the Nurburgring ..🤣
everything is a little bit different when you can full send something quick..🙂🙃🙂
Поддерживаю это замечательное предложение! На Нурбургринг их обоих!
Only one time that I was in Germany did I actually drive as there really is no need. It was 2013. My rental was a Renault wagon with a five speed manual, and it was fun to drive, but it was speed limited to 210 km/h. I found the Autobahn to be very relaxing as people are very orderly and do a great job of keeping to the right. And yes, I did push the car up to 210 km/h, quite comfortable. What I found interesting, is that most Germans keep to the recommended 130 km/h.
The average speed on the Autobahn sometimes seems to be up to the star sign or something. I've had everyone just driving a 120 km/h conga line in an unlimited section with no one passing and on other days everyone was going 160 km/h on the same damn section again with no mention worthy outliers. It boggles the mind.
I was just about to write what a Zamboni is but I'm a huge hockey fan from the US.
I'm from Germany, but was made aware of your channel by a friend from the US. I really like your videos. They are well thought of and give a good insight into the differences between the US and Germany/Europe without generalizing. (OK, I now sound like a bot 🤖)
Fun fact: In Germany we call our driver licenses rags. ("Der Lappen") Because, before the introduction of the plastic cards, they were made of paper that became soft and smooth the older it got. After a couple of years, it literally felt like a rag.
Love your singing voice Feli!!
I'm from Germany and my first time Driving was in russia, where my grandparents and my uncle live. I lerned the basics of driving there.
On the other hand in the US, I wish more residential intersections were yield instead of stop signs like it is in Germany, much more efficient traffic flow😅
Stop signs are used way to much in the US tbh. Here in Norway they are reserved for dangerous intersections with limited visibility.
According to the public road database we have 279 stop signs and 67153 yield signs :)
and even better are roundabouts.
Type Ashton's (great channel, American family living in Germany) last video is about roundabouts: th-cam.com/video/EXMcxEQHMQQ/w-d-xo.html
I drove for the first time in Germany in July. We landed in Munich airport and drove to Nuremberg. A few things helped: an automatic jeep, car play and the dashboard told me different speed limits. But wow was going 200 kph a rush and so fun. I was safe making sure to only do it when road sort of clear, it was late night so kinda empty, but yeah very nice roads. The day to day driving was good too.
Henry Ford was offered Volkswagen after WWII. He said no he wasn’t interested. Now VW is the largest automaker in the world.
TOYOTA for the last 2 or 3 years.
Toyota ist größer.
Henry was already 81 years old at the end of the war.
Buying an empire isn't the same as building it yourself.
Let’s not rewrite history, we don’t know anything what would have happened if Ford bought VW… 😊
My cousin drove on the autobahn. They drive crazy in Italy where he’s from, I think he enjoyed the autobahn.
200 kph is about 125 mph for the conversion from the title.
130 kph as the recommended speed is 81 mph.
Fastest I've ever been was 135 in a 5.0 Mustang that was apparently drag limited, but fastest driven was 125-126 in a governor limited 200sx SE-R
@spyrus_4359 I've hit in the 140s (mph) out in the Mountain West, but it was empty roads, would never do so with any other cars around.
@@InfinteIdeas @InfinteIdeas Yes, The 135 in the Mustang was in the middle of nowhere on I-80 in Utah. maxed out my 200SX SE-R in the middle of nowhere on I-15 in the middle of nowhere in CA, but I was just trying to show a BMW and Mustang that blew by me that they weren't as fast as they thought. Technically, I failed in the end, when that governor kicked in.
I drove my Saab from Sweden to Germany at 140 mph for about an hour
I’m Australian and I hired a car in Switzerland and Germany and drove in country towns and lanes, on the Autobahn, and everything in between. Lots of fun driving on the wrong side of the road and got up to 150km before I decided that was too fast even though people were overtaking me.