With roughly 2.5 million students in North Rhine-Westphalia beginning summer holidays on 17 July 2026, Germany's largest motoring association, the ADAC, is urging drivers heading abroad to prepare for sharply higher traffic penalties and unfamiliar road rules.
Speeding fines can be severe: driving 20 km/h over the limit in Norway carries a €750 penalty, while the Netherlands starts at €230 for any speeding violation. Mobile phone use behind the wheel is punished even more harshly — €935 in Norway and €440 in the Netherlands. In Austria, German-issued parking discs are not valid and violations cost at least €21. French digital toll bridges must be paid within 72 hours or drivers risk fines up to €375.
Fuel costs also vary widely, with price differences of up to 60 cents per litre between Germany and its neighbours, the ADAC noted.