On-street parking is an integral part of a driver's life in Germany. As a limited resource that's usually in high demand, cities and districts need to find a way to cater to public transport, shoppers, residents, and car sharers alike.
In order to support businesses and create livable neighborhoods, German cities regulate public parking through parking meters and automated ticket machines.
So how do these machines work, and what do I need to know?
Photo by Stanisław Gregor on Unsplash
Parking meters vs. ticket machines
Parking meters (Parkuhr) were invented in the US in the 1920s. In the 50s, they made their way to Germany, and remained wildly popular until the 90s. When the Euro was introduced, mechanical parking meters were gradually replaced by digital meters and automated ticket machines.
Typically, parking meters would be positioned next to each individual parking spot. All you had to do was put in some coins, turn the knob (if there was one), check the time shown on the meter, maybe throw in a couple of extra coins, and then return to your vehicle before the meter ran out of time.
Newer models of parking meters started supporting card payments. In some cases, they even allowed you to print out a ticket – a process now simply referred to as “pay and display.”
Gradually, parking meters evolved into automated ticket machines (Parkscheinautomat). A single designated machine serving the entire section of a street suddenly made life a whole lot easier.
Left: Photo of a 40+ year old parking clock in Haltern am See, Germany, by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash. Right: Photo of a traditional parking meter in Nashville, USA, by Ambrose Prince on Unsplash
When do I need a ticket for parking?
If you're looking to park in a parking spot that requires payment, you need to be mindful of the following rules:
- You may only park during the hours indicated (e.g. “working days 8am–4pm” or “from 8–11 am or 4–6 pm only”);
- You may only park at parking meters (clocks) that are fully operational;
- If you park in a zone with a pay-and-display ticket machine, you need to print out a ticket and clearly display it on – or inside – your vehicle.
All these rules are governed by the German Road Traffic Regulations (§ 13.1).
You'll know you're in a parking spot that requires payment when you see additional signs like “mit Parkschein” (= ticket required) or “gebührenpflichtig” (= payment required).
Buying a Ticket
In most German cities, you can simply buy your ticket from the nearest ticket machine on the street. All machines accept coins, some may accept bank notes.
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Quite often you can also pay with a debit or EC/Giro card — e.g. Maestro. But keep in mind that EC cards are not credit cards — Visa / MasterCard / American Express!
Rule of thumb: Always carry around some change, just in case.
Rule of thumb: Always carry around some change, just in case.
Once you've purchase your ticket, you should place it inside your vehicle, ideally on the top of your dashboard, as it needs to be clearly visible and legible from the outside.
How much is a ticket?
In Germany, the charges for on-street parking vary by city, district, zone, street, and time of day.
In Berlin, for instance, you'd pay around €0.25 – €0.75 for every 15 minutes. If you park for an hour, it'll be around €1 – €2. In Munich, it's roughly €2 per hour.
Does everyone need a ticket?
Depending on the specific circumstances, some people may be eligible to apply for special parking permits.
- Most German cities offer resident parking permits (about 20€/year in Berlin, 30€/year in Munich, and €65/year in Hamburg.)
- If you're severely disabled, consider applying for a special parking permit.
- If using a vehicle is integral to your business, try applying for a special parking permit for tradesmen — this is called ”Handwerkerparkausweis” in Berlin, “Parkausweis für Gewerbetreibende” in Munich.
When it comes to parking in the city, rules and regulations can be quite complex. Moreover, lots of German cities exclusively publish parking permit guidelines in German. Here's how you can get hold of all the official parking information you need:
- Open your favorite search engine and enter “[your city] parkraumbewirtschaftung”
- Click on the first non-sponsored result (that's usually the official city homepage)
- Let the web browser translate the page for you (e.g. Chrome, Edge, Safari.)
We've selected a couple of parking guides from major cities to get you started:
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What happens if the parking meter or ticket machine is out of order?
According to German Road Traffic Regulations (§ 13.1):
If there is no working parking meter or ticket machine available, the use of a parking disc is required.
But hang on – it's 2024, a parking disk can't possibly be the only option? Well, here's the good news: it certainly isn't!
Is there an app for that?
In most major German cities, you can also pay by phone.
- If you don't own a smartphone, just buy your ticket via text.
- If you do have a smartphone, simply use an app.
Using a short-term parking app comes with plenty of benefits:
- You don't need to indicate in advance how long you're going to park .
- The app accurately records how long you park – often down to the minute.
- It only takes a simple click to literally buy yourself more time.
- You only pay for the time you actually use.
However, bear in mind that short-term parking apps are more expensive than a machine-printed ticket. Depending on the app you're using, you can generally expect an extra €0.1 – €0.5 per hour.
Here's an overview of the most popular short-term parking apps across Germany:
| App | Features |
|---|---|
| Easy Park |
|
| PARCO |
|
| PayByPhone |
|
| Parkopedia |
|
Data from end of 2023. Visit smartparking.de (German only) for a detailed, city-by-city breakdown of available short-term parking apps.
Do you need a safe place near work or home to park your vehicle?
Garages Near Me is here to help!
Find out how it works →
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My ticket expired. What happens now?
If your ticket has expired and you still haven't left your parking spot, you may be fined. Typically you can expect a fine of around €20 within the first 30 minutes, €30 after 1 hour, and a fine of €40 after 3 hours.
But that's only for public parking. Company-run parking spaces tend to slap latecomers with exorbitant fees.
Questions & Answers
- Can I give my ticket to someone else if it's still valid?Generally speaking, yes. You can pass a still valid ticket on to someone else. First and foremost, parking fees are designed to prevent long-term parking in public parking spaces. There's nothing wrong with making sure that parking spaces are available to the maximum number of drivers. After all, by passing your ticket on to someone else, you might just make their day!
- Do I need to buy a ticket for my ATV or quad bike?Quad bikes and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) are, by official definition, multi-lane vehicles with a weight of up to 3.5 tons. So just like with cars, you need to buy a ticket when you park in a public parking spot. Parking facilities set their own rules, though, and may refuse entry (or parking!) to quad bikes and ATVs altogether. To avoid any issues, make sure to check the parking regulations ahead of your trip.
- Do I need a ticket for my scooter, moped, or Vespa?Just like with regular cars and ATVs, you'll also need to buy a ticket for your moped or scooter. The best way to display this is on the handlebars or windshield. This ensures your ticket is easy to spot for parking enforcement officers when they carry out their regular checks.
