Hi,

Yet another questions regarding GDL, buying car and insurance, please dont get angry

My situation:

* Since April 2003, I am a Masters student at Uni Magdeburg.
* I am moving to Mainz next week for fulltime Job; GC starts from 1st September.
* With basic German knowledge, I would like to get GDL and buy a car!

As far as I have searched, it seems that the process is like this:

1) German translation of Indian Driving License.
2) Eye test certificate.

-> Where I can get this certificate?

-> Any other tests?

3) Finding a fahrschule nearby my area and registering for license.

-> Can I take the theoritical exam in English? If yes, is there a site to buy the english materials?

-> Do I need the help of driving school for theory exam? Or Is it enough just to read the materials?

4) Taking practical exam.
5) Buying a 4 seated used car.

-> What is the difference between buying a used car and renting it?

-> Is autoscout.de a good option? Does it have any provision(like immobilienscout24.de)?

-> My budget is 1500 to 2000€.

6) Insurance.

-> what is TUV? what does 100% (or whatever %) car insurance means?

-> I saw small engine cars have less insurance amount! What actually is "small engine cars" and Is that true?

-> If I buy a car, say for 1500€ what and how much expenses do I need to spend for the car?


Thank you guys for this wonderful forum.

1) German translation of Indian Driving License.
2) Eye test certificate.

"Where I can get this certificate?", this you can do at ADAC and the eye test has normally to be done in the Fahrschule but you can go to an optician, dunno if it will be recognized
"Any other tests?", not that I know

3) Finding a fahrschule nearby my area and registering for license.

" Can I take the theoritical exam in English? If yes, is there a site to buy the english materials?", yes you can, yes there are books but I dunno where you can buy them

"Do I need the help of driving school for theory exam? Or Is it enough just to read the materials?", you can read the materials only, but you need to do some mandatory hours of driving, 12 of them. I can recommand you a good Fahrschule in Wiesbaden, they are cheap, good and you can do all that really fast, lemme just find the name and I will write it down for you.

4) Taking practical exam.
5) Buying a 4 seated used car.

"What is the difference between buying a used car and renting it?" same difference between buying a house and renting one, the rented is not yours :-) and definitely on a long time basis, renting is always more expensive than buying.

"Is autoscout.de a good option?" yes, that's where I bought my wife's car, but if you're in the Mainz area, better buy from the newspapers, there's one out every Tuesday and Saturday if I remember well, you can get them at the Mainz station, there's a store just on the right near the elevator when you enter at the main gate, not far from the McDonald.
"Does it have any provision(like immobilienscout24.de)?", no

"My budget is 1500 to 2000€", then you can have a very good car

6) Insurance.
"what is TUV?", technical control of your car, has to be done every 2 or 3 years I think.
"what does 100% (or whatever %) car insurance means?", a certain %age calculated by which you pay the insurance. Beginners start with 230% and the more you drive without accidents, the less it becomes.

"I saw small engine cars have less insurance amount! What actually is "small engine cars" and Is that true?", yes and it's all about the power of your engine, that you can check with the PS it has.

"If I buy a car, say for 1500€ what and how much expenses do I need to spend for the car?", this I should ask my wife, I let her do the finances :-) Will let you know as soon as she wakes up.

D.

Hi,

Just check the Link.
It gives some insight on the procs and All.

http://www.expats-in-bavaria.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=50


Sudeep

I don't know if something changed since 2001 but would be interesting to notice that in my case, with a romanian driving-license on which everything was written both in romanian and english was not necessary to translate it (Baden-Württemberg).

And regarding the number of hours you have to take from a driving-school I think is not a general rule. In my case I made a deal with them to only pay 5 hours.

In my case was even possible to take the theoritical exam in romanian. Just ask to the driving school I'm sure they can give you any information about where you can buy some materials.

You can get the books in english from here...

http://www.wendel-verlag.de/products/detail.php?item_id=475

Thank you all for fast replies

NoBody,
Yes, please mention about the fahrschule in WiesBaden area. Thank you for the newspaper and other informations.

One question: If 230% insurance, is that the amount of the car ? I mean if buy a car for 1500€, do I need to pay 3500€ as insurance per year ?? If yes, when one buys a new car for 20000€, should he pay 46666€ per year !!?

Hi Ldbkutty

The system is more complicated that you think.

The 230% is a percentage, not all related to the value of the car. The year of the car, the size, the brand and all are placed in tabulations (most of the times you don´t have access to them). When I left the plane here in Germany I bought the first car I could get, a 300 Euro Fiat Panda and for that car I had to pay 180 Euro monthly (till I could get my "Insurance history" from my homeland).

Easiest way: go to the page of any insurance company and try yourself the value. The statutory insurance is "Haftplichtversicherung", you will have one of highest rates in the calculation. By the way, the insurance is one of the expensive things in the maintenance of a car. Many times was said here "buying a car is cheap, expensive is maintain it"

Anything everybody that answered you is the First Aid course. You need to take this course, normally is one entire day long and is a duty for starting the driving license stuff.

About the driving school, I can tell you as experience they are 99,99% thieves. You MUST talk clearly with them because is not statutory you make hours driving, you only agree to make some hours driving that is different. I drove 4 hours (about 33 Euro/hour of 45 minutes) but no matter how many hours you need they will say you you are not prepared for the test (because their job is make money driving isn´t it?)

Last thing: is not a favour. In all places in Germany you can make the written test in your language. Only ask for it and you have to pay in more about 17 euros but it worth it (because there are 1000s of tricky questions) and a word can decide your future. BUT take into account the examinator will go in the rear sit when you make the practical test and usually he speaks only german.

So, be brave, no more doubt and hands on. There´s no easy way. But think the Führerschein is for all your life!!

Good luck

YO1,

Thank you for the information.

It'd be great if you/NoBody/others can give me the address of a good fahrschule nearby Mainz area.

Can anyone know of good driving school in Mainz?

NoBody, Kindly suggest me about the one you know of.

Thank you.