Comments on: Watch out Autobahn, here I come http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come.html Adventures in travel and serial expattery at zurika.com. These are the tales of two Americans currently based in Munich, Germany. Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:30:14 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: headbang8 http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come.html/comment-page-1#comment-2107 headbang8 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:34:00 +0000 http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come/#comment-2107 Snooker, <br /><br />The trick of getting a license from another state simply doesn't work in Germany. They check to see that the date of issue is before your first Anmeldung bei der Meldebehörde. <br /><br />When I found out that my New York license counted for zilch, I travelled back to Japan (where I still had an address and renewed my lapsed Japanese driver's license. They checked the dates and said nein danke. <br /><br />Now I have to do the whole bleedin' thing over again. So far I've completed the first aid course (very thorough) and the eye test. Next comes the written test and a prac. <br /><br />I am insanely jealous of all you who can swap yours so easily. Snooker,

The trick of getting a license from another state simply doesn’t work in Germany. They check to see that the date of issue is before your first Anmeldung bei der Meldebehörde.

When I found out that my New York license counted for zilch, I travelled back to Japan (where I still had an address and renewed my lapsed Japanese driver’s license. They checked the dates and said nein danke.

Now I have to do the whole bleedin’ thing over again. So far I’ve completed the first aid course (very thorough) and the eye test. Next comes the written test and a prac.

I am insanely jealous of all you who can swap yours so easily.

]]> By: Chuck http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come.html/comment-page-1#comment-2108 Chuck Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:45:00 +0000 http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come/#comment-2108 Scott's photo looks like a cast mug shot from Das leben der Anderen.<br /><br />I had to retake a driving test in Australia, which I failed the first time by blasting through a school zone at the normal speed.<br /><br />My defense? "I didn't know catholic schools counted" Scott’s photo looks like a cast mug shot from Das leben der Anderen.

I had to retake a driving test in Australia, which I failed the first time by blasting through a school zone at the normal speed.

My defense? “I didn’t know catholic schools counted”

]]> By: caddy http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come.html/comment-page-1#comment-2109 caddy Sat, 12 Apr 2008 18:46:00 +0000 http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come/#comment-2109 yeah, georgia isn't on the list. so i guess i'll never be driving in germany ... yeah, georgia isn’t on the list. so i guess i’ll never be driving in germany …

]]> By: Bluestreak http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come.html/comment-page-1#comment-2110 Bluestreak Fri, 11 Apr 2008 08:41:00 +0000 http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come/#comment-2110 Lucky! Here in Spain my U.S. license means nothing, and although I´ve been driving for 15 years now, I still have to sign up at a driving school, pay several hundred euros in classes, then study for a LONG theoretical exam (which I´ll opt for the Spanish version, since I´ve heard the translated English version makes no sense at all), then a practical exam, and then for the first year of having my license I can´t go past 100 km per hour. All of that and they don´t even send you a nice, nifty little card. You get a pink peice of paper that you have to fold all up in your wallet. WTF??? Lucky! Here in Spain my U.S. license means nothing, and although I´ve been driving for 15 years now, I still have to sign up at a driving school, pay several hundred euros in classes, then study for a LONG theoretical exam (which I´ll opt for the Spanish version, since I´ve heard the translated English version makes no sense at all), then a practical exam, and then for the first year of having my license I can´t go past 100 km per hour. All of that and they don´t even send you a nice, nifty little card. You get a pink peice of paper that you have to fold all up in your wallet. WTF???

]]> By: Snooker http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come.html/comment-page-1#comment-2111 Snooker Wed, 09 Apr 2008 15:23:00 +0000 http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come/#comment-2111 Congratulations! <br />Enjoy.<br /><br />Kansas was a direct-trade state, so I lucked out. But trust me, I would have been figuring out how to get the license from an accepted state if for some reason Kansas wasn't on the list. Congratulations!
Enjoy.

Kansas was a direct-trade state, so I lucked out. But trust me, I would have been figuring out how to get the license from an accepted state if for some reason Kansas wasn’t on the list.

]]> By: twerner3 http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come.html/comment-page-1#comment-2112 twerner3 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:49:00 +0000 http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come/#comment-2112 Der Führer war ein armes Schwein,<br />er hatte keinen "Führer-Schein" ;-)<br /><br />By the way, he really did not have a driver's licence, only a license to kill obviousliy. Der Führer war ein armes Schwein,
er hatte keinen “Führer-Schein” ;-)

By the way, he really did not have a driver’s licence, only a license to kill obviousliy.

]]> By: ian in hamburg http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come.html/comment-page-1#comment-2113 ian in hamburg Wed, 09 Apr 2008 11:31:00 +0000 http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come/#comment-2113 Germany treats Canadian drivers just as arbitrarily. Because I'm from BC, I had to take lessons and go through a written and driving test. Had I been from Quebec or Alberta, for example - universally recognised elsewhere in Canada as having the country's worst drivers - I could have paid a 50DM processing fee and been on my way. Instead it cost me more than 1000 and many hours of wasted time. Germany treats Canadian drivers just as arbitrarily. Because I’m from BC, I had to take lessons and go through a written and driving test. Had I been from Quebec or Alberta, for example – universally recognised elsewhere in Canada as having the country’s worst drivers – I could have paid a 50DM processing fee and been on my way. Instead it cost me more than 1000 and many hours of wasted time.

]]> By: Mark Reynolds http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come.html/comment-page-1#comment-2114 Mark Reynolds Wed, 09 Apr 2008 10:41:00 +0000 http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come/#comment-2114 It was a straight exchange for me - but I had a Quebec license. Yay French chauvinism! It was a straight exchange for me – but I had a Quebec license. Yay French chauvinism!

]]> By: Jens Wiese http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come.html/comment-page-1#comment-2115 Jens Wiese Tue, 08 Apr 2008 22:41:00 +0000 http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come/#comment-2115 The best thing on your licence is the big "Führer" written on it. I though the "Führer" is abolished in Germany? The Swiss call it "Führerausweis", and the German "Führerschein". I love that little difference. Both words remind me of "Führer-Hauptquartier" and "Führer befiehlt, wir folgen". :-)<br />CU, Jens The best thing on your licence is the big “Führer” written on it. I though the “Führer” is abolished in Germany? The Swiss call it “Führerausweis”, and the German “Führerschein”. I love that little difference. Both words remind me of “Führer-Hauptquartier” and “Führer befiehlt, wir folgen”. :-)
CU, Jens

]]> By: Sara http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come.html/comment-page-1#comment-2116 Sara Tue, 08 Apr 2008 18:18:00 +0000 http://www.zurika.com/2008/04/watch-out-autobahn-here-i-come/#comment-2116 i pulled the same trick with the french! (california for swiss and then swiss for french, the french dont take california). soooo nice not to have to take all the lessons. i pulled the same trick with the french! (california for swiss and then swiss for french, the french dont take california). soooo nice not to have to take all the lessons.

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