Village Parking

Not surprisingly, parking can be quite an issue in cities, towns and villages throughout Germany and across Europe. Many of these streets aren't much wider than the horse carriage or farmers cart path that originally established its route hundreds of years in the past. Beyond parking, once a few cars are actually parked on these narrow streets driving becomes much more of a challenge. Here's what some of the village do to alleviate this problem.

This is a marked single parking spot. Many of the local villages mark these spots on some of the main streets that pass through their town. On those streets, if there's no painted parking spot available then you don't park on that street.

Looking down this street you can see a couple marked spots on each side of the street. When these parking spots are occupied you can see that drive along this street becomes pretty much a slalom course.

When all spots are filled and you meet an oncoming car someone's going to have to wait. Germans are very good about giving way when necessary. If the parked car is on your side of the street then you wait until the oncoming traffic passes. Then you swing around the parked cars and continue on your way. You can totally incense a German by disregarding this simple rule and bullying your way through before it's your turn.

Now, here's a parking criminal. Parking without a painted spot. Strictly verboten.