About Stuttgart
Set in a lush valley ringed with vineyards and thick forests, Stuttgart may well be the greenest city in Europe. The citizens pride themselves on their environmentalism. Stuttgart is also one of Germany's top wine-growing centres, and its many mineral spas are a draw for relaxation seekers.
With its moderate climate, proximity to the Black Forest and unique Swabian heritage, Stuttgart is a great place to experience an authentic German city without hordes of tourists. For a more raucous time, visit during the Cannstatter Volksfest, Germany's second-largest Oktoberfest celebration.
Area: 207 sq km
Population: 630,000
Country: Germany
Time Zone: GMT/UTC +1 ((+2 in summer))
Telephone Area Code: 0711. The country
code for Germany is 49. Drop the first zero of the local area code when calling
from outside Germany
A short dictionary for a tourist travelling in Germany:
Car rent = autovermietung
Helpful Contact Numbers
Police: 110
Fire Brigade and Ambulance: 112
Driving restrictions
The minimum age of a driver is 17 years. Children must be at least 12 years of age to sit in the front seat (unless the seat is equipped with a child restraint). Children under 12 years of age and seated in the rear of the vehicle must be in a child seat if such a seat is fitted. The use of seat belts is compulsory for front- and rear-seat passengers. The legal blood alcohol limit is 0,5‰.
Automatic cameras are used extensively to catch violators. These may be permanently rigged or in unmarked police cars parked on the shoulder. The ticket will be posted a few days later to the address on the registration. Rental companies will forward such tickets to the offending client.
It is illegal to drive with your parking lights only, but you must use your low beams during bad weather. Motorcyclists must drive with headlights on at all times.
Speed Limits
| Area | Limit |
| Expressways | 100-unlimited KM/H |
| Outside the City | 90 KM/H |
| In the City | 50 KM/H |
Trucks and buses are usually limited to 80 km/h or 100 km/h on expressways; so if the high speeds are not for you, you can slide in with the big boys and go with their slower flow. When the visibility is below 50 metres, speeds are limited to 50 km/h. Often numbers are painted on lanes to indicate speed limits; especially true when safety demands a rather sudden slowdown.
Parking
You are considered parked if you leave your vehicle or if you stop for more than three minutes, unless you are loading or unloading cargo or passengers. Parking is prohibited within 5 metres of a pedestrian crossing or an intersection or a built-up-area level railroad crossing, within 10 metres of a traffic light or stop sign or yield sign if you might obstruct the view of the signal or sign, within 15 metres of a bus or tram stop, within 50 metres of a level railroad crossing outside a built-up area, and along a priority road outside a built-up area. No parking zones along streets (for instance, near bus stops) are indicated by a zig-zag white line painted on the street. You must leave a least 3 metres between your vehicle and the middle of the street or the nearest lane divider. You may not park or stop in a traffic lane if there is a shoulder or parking lane.
Road Tolls
Germany has no road tolls for cars.
