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Driving in Germany
Private Vehicles
Private vehicles are to be registered with the British Forces Germany Vehicle Licensing Officer (BFG VLO) within 30 days of arrival in Germany. Registrations takes place at the Unit BFG office located in the MT Section on Ramstein Air Base. You will need to obtain, via the BFG office, a BFG Form 80 from Customs & Immigration, Rheindahlen, (this can take up to 7 days). Your application will then be dispatched by post to the BFG VLO (this procedure can also take up to 7 working days).Vehicles over 3 years old will require a roadworthiness inspection and this will include a lighting check. Vehicles under 3 years old, whilst exempt from the roadworthiness inspection, are required to pass a lighting check within 30 days of initial BFG registration. This is carried out within the MT section. Please note that vehicles fitted with UK headlights, masks or beam-benders will not pass a lighting check. You will not be able to draw duty free fuel coupons if your lighting check is not valid.
BFG Driving Permit
Personnel wishing to drive a BFG registered vehicle are required to be 18 years of age and be in possession of a BFG Driving Permit. The Permit will be issued to you by the Unit BFG office on successful completion of a German highway-code test.The test consists of short multiple-choice questions known as the ‘Tick-Test’ and is carried out in the Unit BFG office. There is no booking system, but you will need to bring your driving licence, identification card and passport for dependants.A German Highway Code book for BFG is available, on loan, from the Unit BFG office.The BFG driving permit and full UK driving licence must be carried at all times when driving a BFG registered vehicle.
Transport
Air
Ramstein Air base is located near several airports. Frankfurt International is approximately one and a quarter hours drive from Ramstein and has plenty of short and long stay parking available. Other airports in the local vicinity include Frankfurt Hahn and Zweibrucken. These smaller airports offer flights to UK and European destinations only. There is currently a bus service to Frankfurt Hahn airport which picks passengers up from Ramstein. Please find the timetable here.
Rail
The German Train system is called the Deutsche Bahn (DB) and is a fast, efficient and reasonably priced way of getting around Germany and Europe. They also offer weekend breaks to places such as Berlin, the key to securing good deals is to book in advance. For timetables, fares and the DB on-line reservation service click here.
Bus
Local buses are available, with bus stops in most villages, going to the shops, schools and surrounding villages, however they take fairly indirect routes and you should be prepared to put your best German into practice as the bus drivers rarely speak good English. They are however a very reliable and affordable means of transport, and they also take away the worry of finding parking, so if you don’t mind taking the scenic route then they are ideal.
Taxi
Taxis in Germany are a rather expensive choice of transportation; however they are reliable and comfortable. There are several taxi firms in the Ramstein area and their numbers can be found in the local yellow pages. Most towns and cities offer cheaper modes of transport such as buses and trams.
Tram
Trams are not uncommon in Germany especially in the larger cities, and are an ideal way of getting around. Many of the popular cities in Ramstein’s surrounding area, such as Mannheim, Heidelberg and Saarbrucken, use a network of trams in order to offer reliable local transport.
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