The rules and options for renting an electric scooter in Germany
Since 2019, it has been possible to legally roll around Germany on an electric scooter. These ‘E-rollers’ can now be found on almost every street corner. More than 11,000 share scooters are operational in Berlin alone.
How can you use an electric scooter as a tourist in Germany? And what are the rules for using it? We list it.
The rules for using an e-scooter in Germany
As a driver of an e-scooter in one of Germany’s cities, you follow the same traffic rules as cyclists. Here are the most important rules:
- The minimum age for using an e-scooter is 14 years;
- There is no driving licence requirement;
- The use of a helmet is not compulsory but recommended;
- You have to ride on the cycle track. If you can’t, you use the carriageway;
- You must not drive on the pavement or in pedestrian areas;
- Are you under 21? Then an alcohol ban applies. For those aged 21 or over, the limit is 0.5 promille. Fines for drink-driving can exceed €1,000.
Please note that the above rules relate to the use of a rental scooter. Are you planning to purchase an e-scooter yourself? Then you are required to take out German liability insurance (Haftpflichtversicherung). The e-scooter must also have a German insurance sticker.
As a tourist, how do you use an e-scooter in Germany?
You can rent an electric scooter in several German cities. Several providers rent out share scooters that you quickly find and unlock with a mobile app. Just follow these steps:
Which shared-scooters providers operate in Germany?
Each city or municipality has its own agreements with shared-scooters providers. In the overview below, you will find the available providers per city or municipality:
| City | Providers |
| Aachen | Tier, Voi |
| Bergen | Bird |
| Berlin | Bird, Bolt, Lime, Tier, Voi |
| Bochum | Bolt, Tier |
| Bonn | Bolt, Tier, Lime |
| Brunswick | Bolt, Tier |
| Bremen | Tier, Voi |
| Darmstadt | Bird, Tier |
| Dresden | Lime |
| Düsseldorf | Bird, Bolt, Lime, Tier, Voi |
| Erfurt | Bird |
| Erlangen | Bird, Tier, Voi |
| Essen | Lime, Tier |
| Frankfurt | Bolt, Lime, Tier, Voi |
| Gelsenkirchen | Bird, Tier |
| Hamburg | Bird, Bolt, Lime, Tier, Voi |
| Heilbronn | Bird |
| Heidelberg | Bird, Bolt |
| Karlsruhe | Bird, Lime, Voi |
| Kassel | Bird |
| Cologne | Bird, Bolt, Dott, Lime, Tier, Voi |
| Ludwigshafen am Rhein | Bird, Tier |
| Mannheim | Tier |
| Mainz | Tier |
| Munich | Bird, Bolt, Lime, Tier, Voi |
| Münster | Tier |
| Neckarlsum | Bird |
| Neu-Ulm | Bird |
| Nuremberg | Tier, Voi |
| Oldenburg | Bird, Tier |
| Dortmund | Bird, Bolt, Lime, Tier |
| Hanover | Bird, Lime, Tier |
| Pforzheim | Bird |
| Regensburg | Bird |
| Reutlingen | Bird |
| Rostock | Bird |
| Stuttgart | Bolt, Lime, Tier, Voi |
| Troisdorf | Bird |
| Ulm | Bird |
| Wolfsburg | Bolt, Tier |
| Würzburg | Bird |
What are the costs?
Each provider charges a different rate. However, the costs are structured in the same way for all providers. You pay a starting rate to unlock the scooter. You then pay a rate per minute.
On average, it costs £1 to unlock an e-scooter. After this, you pay (on average) £0.13 per minute. For a 10-minute ride, you will spend £2.30 in this case.
Tip: take advantage of free rides
Most providers allow (new) drivers to share a reference code. You can find this personal code in the app.
Are you taking a ride with two or more people? Then follow the following steps to benefit from free rides:
