When first time driving through southern Germany for two weeks...
 

Dear experienced travelers,

With your help I'm working on my detailed route: From Frankfurt (visit Speyer), stop at Stuttgart (visit Tubingen, calw?, Baden-baden, Strasbourg, Freiburg?, Titsee...) , Meersburg, Fussen (visit Chiemsee), St Gilgen (visit Salzburg, Berchtesgaden, Hallstadt, Burghausen?), Munich (visit Augsburg), Heilbronn (visit Rothenburg, Bad Wimpfen, Heideberg), Frankfurt (visit Wurzburg?). It's either on the way or a day-trip for a 'visit'. It's 2 or 3 nights for a 'stop'. And I wish not to miss any ‘must see’ along the way while not to 'over-book' our time…

Here are my additional questions:

1. We'd like to park our car somewhere when getting into a big town or city and walk or use the bus to wander around. What is the common area for the day parking? Is it always near a bus station or train station? What is the average cost for the parking?

2. When driving along the road and stop at any small town, is it easy to locate the suitable parking lot for we don't know any German? Can I tell any restricted parking sign?

3. It's said that there are Bank of America ATMs in Germany, where is it commonly located other than the bank? At the train stations or gas stations?

4. For a restroom, do we always have to look for a train/bus station or a restaurant?

5. Is there any grocery chain store like our Safeway that we could easily find along the main road for water, fruit or snacks? Any popular word or sign to tell that it's a grocery store?

6. In the early May, would it rain a lot? Do we still need sweaters?

7. Any difference in driving a compact euro car from the rental car we normally have in the US? Would its trunk be big enough to hold for two suitcases (26" or 24" high)?

8. Should I get the Austria sticker somewhere days before we head towards the St Gilgen in Austria? And where?

... It may look a bit over-concerned... though we have driven to many places in US and Canada, it's our first time to drive around in Europe.

Thanks for caring!

Glander

1. We have a GPS but I still will go to the town's website and do a search for "parking". They usually have maps with parking areas marked. Or when driving into the town "zentrum" you will see the (usually blue as I remember) parking signs. Hard to give you an average but I'd say a couple of Euro for a couple of hours depending on if it's a lot or a garage.

2. There are websites that provide signage information for driving in Germany.

3. Again, the internet is your friend. You can usually google for Bank of America ATM locations Germany or something like that and get information online.

4. Most towns have public restrooms. There will be signs for the WC with arrows pointing you in the right direction. Also, many of the town maps I mentioned above show public restroom locations.

5. I remember Billa and Spar are two of the grocery chains in Germany and Austria that you will usually find in most decent size towns. There are also rest stops along the motorway that sell sandwiches, snacks and drinks albeit at higher prices.

6. Most of our trips to Germany have been in May. We've never gotten "alot" of rain but I guess it's possible. Yes, you will definitely need sweaters and even a lightweight jacket especially in the higher elevations like Berchtesgaden where there could still be some snow.

7. We normally get a small car (altho not a really tiny one) and it easily carries our two 22" suitcases. I would advise against anything as large as 26" as you may be carrying them up lots of stairs.

8. You will see the signs warning you to get a "Vignette" as you get close to the Austrian border. You can purchase them at most petrol stations and rest stops.

Really, driving in Germany and Austria isn't that much different than driving in the US. Just stay right on the motorways unless you are passing and you'll be fine!

Check out this website for driving information.

http://www.gettingaroundgermany.info/auto.htm

Also, this B of A website shows that you can use Deutsche Bank ATM's when traveling in Germany:

http://locators.bankofamerica.com/lo...BA7EE82FD.web8

If I remember correctly, in Hallstatt, there is a parking lot after you go thru the tunnel and first enter town.

http://austria-travel.suite101.com/a...sted_hallstatt

In this stadtplan (city map) of Tuebingen, you will see the blue Parking signs.

http://stadtplan.tuebingen.de/index....tplan&JNavi=1&

Basically, all I did was google “car parking in ?” and add the town name. It may take some digging but you’ll probably find most of the information you need.

1. Depends on size of town.
In smaller towns just follow signs for "Zentrum". Parkings are designated with a white P on blue background.
In bigger cities (like Munich or Stuttgart or possibly Strasbourg) you will find at the outskirts signs for Park+Ride lots that are connected to urban rail system (subway or suburban trains). In Germany, these parkings are designated with a P+R sign. Many cities have digital displays for a route along the parking garages telling you how many available spaces are left at which parking.
Fees for parking can vary a LOT. It can be for free (usually in smaller town on parking lots a few minutes walk from the center) to 4 Euros per hr in the center of Munich.

3. I've never seen BoA ATMs in Germany. Maybe BoA is affiliated with one or more German banks. You should check their website. Technically, your card will work with any ATM in Germany. Almost every gas station has one, and you will find them anywhere where people are.. downtown, malls, stations,.. and even in banks ;-)

4. Public restrooms often look like stand-alone kiosks. Usually you gotta pay 50c. Also check department stores, bookstores, etc. The German word for restroom is "Toilette". In stores, you will also find signs saying "Kundentoilette" or just the man/woman logo.

5. Yes, at the outskirts of towns you will almost automatically drive by at least one or more supermarkets with free parking. Aldi and Lidl are discount chains. Others are Kaisers, Tengelmann, Netto, Rewe, Spar, Eurospar, Marktkauf, Real,...
Also malls or shopping centers have at least one supermarket inside.
But you will also find smaller supermarkets downtown in the pedestrian zones. So you don't always have to stop at the edges of town, unless you want to.

Hours vary by State in Germany, but expect everything to be closed on Sundays, except for supermarkets inside railway stations (in major cities) or 7-11 style supermarkets in gas stations.

1) Park and Ride at suburbian train stations, mostly free. Downtown = expensive.
2) No parking, stop for 3min or loading unloading
http://static.twoday.net/verkehrt/im...t-jpg-3064.jpg

No stopping
http://www.fahrschulefuhrmann.de/ass...alteverbot.jpg

3) No BoA in Germany, use Deutsche Bank ATMs
4) Toilets sometimes, not frequently, use Restaurants.
5) Rewe, Tengelmann, Lidl, Aldi, Penny, Plus ....
6) Yes and yes, but who knows.
7) smaller
8) Autobahn, any Rasthaus before the border

If you search a restroom don't ask for a "restroom" or "bathroom", ask for a "toilet" - the German word is "Toilette" and even people who do not speak English will know what you mean. We call the things what they are... A "bathroom" to us is something with a bathtub and/or a shower and "restroom" will not be understood by everyone.
You'll often see the abbreviation "WC" on signs. A door numbered "00" also indicates what you need.
"D" = Damen = Ladies
"H" = Herren = Gentlemen

Supermarkets are known as "Supermarkt" - again, German can be easy ;-)
Take into consideration that they are NOT open 24/7. Nowhere.

You will definitely need a rainproof jacket and at least one warm sweater in May,and shoes that survive wet conditions. Bring clothes that can be worn in layers and put on or peeled off according to changing conditions. This is how Germans pack, we call it "Zwiebelsystem" (onion system).

Early May often gets a frosty intermission, sometimes even with a little snow. Late May and June are notorious for a lot of rain on the Northern side of the Alps. At least, these rules applied before recent years' climate changes. Anyway, you never know so prepare. Rain is possible in these parts of the world any time of the year.

In early May you are liable to have some rain and it can well be chilly at night.

A supermarket looks like a supermarket - there's no mistaking one.

In all cities to towns there are parking lots (sometimes on the outskirts if the center is pedestrian). All will be marked clearly with a gigantic P. And as you enter the town you will see a bunch of places with Ps. You should bring with you street maps (driving - not walking) of any town you plan to visit. This will tell you in advance if there is a pedestrian area and where to park. In addition to a good quality (Michelin for preference) large scale map , you can download maps for specific town from Michelin.com. Regular tourist maps will NOT do since thy don;t indicated pedestrian zones, one-way streets etc.

Many of the lots require payment - done via a large machine (like a big coke machine). On entering you take a ticket. When you leave you insert the ticket and it will indicate an amount. You insert the money and get a ticket or token that will let you out of the lot/garage.

Quokka - a friend of mine told his wife that Damen was for 'da men' and Herren was for 'her' which she believed and applied to the decision as to which door she should enter while at a restaurant in Oberammergau.

Small wonder they got divorced!

Thank you, thank you and THANK YOU ALL! It's so much helpful than a travel book!

I love traveling for the beauty of the nature and mankind on the planet. It broadens one's view and enriches one's life. There is so much to learn and enjoy starting from planning it!

I felt like I own you a journey report if it's not considered redundant… so stay tuned.

Glander

generally, your route sound fine, a bit loaded however.

as for your questions:

1. city parking
major cities have excellent public transit systems. you should watch for "P+R" signs (park and ride signs that look like this: http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?...20060731124534). P+R facilities are located next to rapid transit stations and are normally free of charge. normal parking facilities are marked with a white P on blue ground. additional signage may indicate if parking is restricted and which restrictions apply (violations are strictly). this may be confusing even to germans, so if you are in doubt, don't hesitate to ask a local. in any event, at least in major cities (e.g. frankfurt, munich) P+R parking will be the first choice.

2. no-parking signs.
betty provided an excellent link on that topic. the actual page referring to no-parking signs is this one: http://www.gettingaroundgermany.info/zeichen2.htm
violations are strictly enforced (many cities and towns need fines as part of their budgets).

3. ATMs
i could imagine that bank of america has affiliates in germany, so that you could use their atms at no or at low charge. just consult with BoA to find out. ATMs are located at banks and railroad stations, but can be found in other places (e.g. supermarkets), too. most atms are independend from bank hours, you have access 24 hours.

4. restrooms
good advice was already given. as you know from anywhere in the u.s., in modern germany most restrooms are labeled with a pictograph depicting a stylized man and/or woman (example for a ladies' restroom: http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?...20060603172405 ). as already said, you can also watch out for "WC" or the word "toilette". in airports and large rail stations you will find indications in english too. you should be aware of having to pay for use of public restrooms. in places like restaurants you may be required to consume a beverage or so or leave some 50 cents or one euro. it is a hassle to have to pay for such a basic service, but it is the way it is.

5. grocery stores
grocery stores are found on many places in every town and city. there are many chains, including real, edeka/ e-center that are found in larger cities. virtually every neighborhood has supermarkets like rewe, netto, lidl, penny, and aldi. in most towns, you should watch for these sign somewhere when entering or leaving a town, since shopping facilities are often located near the city limit next to arterial roads.

6. early may weather
in recent years, we had early may temperatures going up to 90F, but this isn't guaranteed. you should bring sweeters since at least nights can be pretty cold. around middle of may the so called ice saints (may 11-15) may cool the weather remarkably.

7. driving and car size
though being smaller, euro cars provide normally more trunk space than american cars, even sedans, do. anyway, much depends on the category of your rental car. driving is similar to what you know from the states. though signage is different from what you know, for the most part it is "self-explaining". be prepared that traffic is faster than in the states, even on secondary streets. even on narrow rural streets the speed limit is 100 kmh/62 mph (unless otherwise marked). when entering a village, town or city (you are passing a yellow sign labeling the respective name), you must decelerate immediately to 50 kmh/ 31 mph to prevent yourself from getting "caught by a radar trap". so called radar traps are not uncommon, so you should observe the speed limit. apart from that, driving is very smooth and fun in all of germany. just enjoy it.

8. austria "vignette" sticker
just purchase before entering. gas stations within border vicinity sell these stickers.

i hope this may add to the information already given.

You've recieved good advice so far. All that I can think to add is that if you don't have gps, you may really want to pick up a good road map. I like the ADAC (?) not quite sure I've got the acronym correct but it's a spiral bound map book that serves us well each time we go to Germany.

Also, the rental car will come with a parking thing- it has a paper clock on it and when you go to free parking, you simply set the clock to the time that you pull in and come back within the one or two hours.

Driving in Germany is fine. In fact, it makes more sense than the way people drive in the states. There are rules, everyone knows and respects them. Get aquainted with the rules and you'll be fine. Just stay to the right hand side of the road, like someone said earlier but it bears repeating. Some drivers go really fast and if you want to go "schnell" too, rent an Audi. Woohooo!

How long do you plan to be in Germany? We usually go for about 2 weeks. It took us 2 visits to cover some of the things you have on your list and we still have things to do there. The other 2 visits were spent in Berlin/Dresden and East Germany.
Germany is such a beautiful and interesting place that you might find yourself wanting to slow down.
There are towns that we stopped in for an afternoon and ended up staying 3 nights.

Enjoy your trip.

That parking thing.. actually a good tip since many smaller cities don't charge for parking everywhere, but on many streets you can park for free, but not forever.
You indicate the arrival time on a parking disc, that you should find also in your rental car (hopefully).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_parking

One other difference would be that any sign can come with the supplement "ZONE". It means that the regulation (speed limit, no parking are the two most common) will not be repeated and will be in force unless you pass the same sign crossed out.
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tempo-30-Zone
(This is only in German, but you see the two versions of the sign on the right hand side)

You will probably see little to no police actually chasing someone for speeding. That does not mean, though, that there is no surveillance - but almost all is done by automated cameras. So it does not help one bit "to go with the flow".

you simply set the clock to the time that you pull in and come back within the one or two hours
> The law says you have to set the clock to the next full resp. half our. Gives you up to an extra 30 min.

Thanks logos999. Just to clarify: If I pull into that lot at 11:09 I set it at 11:30? Or should I set it at 11:00? I always try to be exact with the thing.

>If I pull into that lot at 11:09 I set it at 11:30?
Correct.

Glander, one of the things we do before an overseas driving trip is to prepare a flexible binder with printed pages of the city maps with parking lots identified where possible (Google makes this rather easy.) It's very useful in the event a particular parking lot is full.

Some helpful grocery store advice, if I may share. Often the produce sections have disposable gloves for the patrons to use when selecting their items, and often you will need to weigh and tag your items before checking out. I was "tsk, tsk'ed" by an Italian grandmother several years ago for picking up a bunch of grapes without the gloves at a COOP in Tuscany and have since always been on the lookout for the gloves.

Have fun in Germany! We leave in three weeks with our children for a driving trip from Frankfurt to Munich, and can't wait!

Italian supermarkets have those gloves, German ones do not. They would not be accepted here. Think about the amount of unnecessary plastic garbage created for nothing. Usually you wash your fruit anyway before you eat it, eh?

The tricky bit to find out is whether you have to weigh your fruit and veggies and put a sticker on the bag yourself, or whether it is weighed at the cash desk. This differs from supermarket to supermarket. If the price signs have numbers and there is a big scale sitting next to the fruit stand with lots of buttons that have numbers and pictures of different fruits and veggies, you are expected to put your bag of apples onto those scales, press the "apples" button and stick the price label the machine prints out onto the bag.

Driving in Germany and Austria is easier than driving here. They actually follow the rules of the road. You don't have to spend most of your time worrying about "the other guy" because you can pretty much depend on them to be in the proper lane, use turn signals, have vehicles in safe operating condition and not exhibit road rage. The only criticism I have is that they will ride your butt if you're going too slow for them. Just be sure to stay to the right lane on the Autobahn except to pass and make way on secondary roads if they look like they want to get around you.

Be especially careful that you use the proper fuel in your vehicle. There are many threads and anecdotes realting to people putting diesel in gas cars and vice versa. Diesel pumps are much more prevalent there and less obvious than ours in the US.

Most large towns and cities feature electronic parking signs that tell you exactly how many vacant spots are available at any given moment. They are well posted as soon as you enter the city limits. Like Bettyk suggested, follow signs toward "Zentrum" or pictograms indicating the cathedral (Dom). The latter are almost always in the orginal city center . Anytime I see a circular blue sign with a red perimeter, I look elsewhere to park. There are about ten different variations and I'm not sure of exactly what each means, but when I see them I keep going. There's almost always somewhere along the street in a smaller town to park if you look hard enough. Don't block driveways and if you do see others parked on the street near your spot, check their dashboards to see if they are using the same little cardboard clock you'll have in your glovebox to indicate when they parked there. In most cases that means you get two hours parking. In some places you may have to buy a ticket from a curbside automatic kiosk that you will need to stick on your dashboard or a little clip inside your windshield. That being said, it's usually easier to just park in a city garage if you're visiting Salzburg, Innsbruck, Munich or Vienna.

I apologize if this sounds slimey, but when my family travels and the urge hits one of us, we try to find a upscale in-town hotel to relieve our discomfort. One of the reasons I rarely worry about looking like a local is that when I have to go potty, looking like a tourist means the hotel workers aren't going to question whether I belong there. I think I'm unofficially a Hilton and Sheraton Frequent Visitor member. There's almost always a bathroom on the ground floor. Just act like you belong there. Gas stations along the way will also have very clean rest rooms. You may have to pay a half Euro at the automatic turnstile entrance, but keep the ticket and present it if you buy anything in the store. You usually get a refund or credit.

For snacks and such, virtually every gas station features a Quickee Mart-like setup. I've actually had some very delicious local sausages and sandwiches at these stops. I especially get a kick out of trying their different versions of Coke or Pepsi. They have flavors that never quite made it here in the States. They also sell healthy stuff.

When you drive into Austria, if you are coming from Munich and headed toward Salzburg, there are signs for places to buy the Autobahn access Vignette. Most service stations (your place for finding almost everything you want) on the highway will sell it. No need to buy it in advance, if that's even possible. If you're sticking to secondary roads, you won't need it. My last trip through Austria we went from Vienna into the Czech Republic to Salzburg then on to Innsbruck and never used the Autobahn.

Again, many thanks to you all!

I actually didn't realize that I did need to learn a lot more than where to see and to sleep... Our first time to Europe (4 countries, six cities) was with a travel guide on a 50-passenger bus. Now we are like growing up kids trying to go to place by ourselves without knowing their language.

Regarding to the proper fuel that Ozti brought up, should I just look for the price, simply pick the lowest one?

...I'm still considering to rent/buy a GPS if I could get a good deal. It may worth to avoid some troubles...

Glander

the type on fuel you need depends on the car you rent. afaik rental cars come with diesel engines, naturally requiring diesel fuel (at least all cars i've rented were diesels). however i could imagine that smaller sized cars run on reg or premium gas. make sure with the rental company which type of fuel your vehicle will need.

at gas stations just be careful. pumps indicate the type of fuel they provide. diesel=diesel, regular=normal, premium=super. then there are several premium and diesel derivates which promise higher performance and cost even more. this may be confusing, since several gas stations use denotations like "premium diesel" which might be confusing even for german motorists. just be careful. diesel is normally the least expensive fuel. regular and premium prices are higher. again, just take care while fueling and, if need be, ask for assistance.

as for the gps, i would not use one, at least not for entering smaller cities. they change traffic conditions more or less frequently (e.g. shifting directions of one way streets, closing roads for thru traffic...), so that the gps cannot be up to date and might misguide you. for longer distances it is ok however. when in cities and towns, just watch for the traffic signage which is well identifiable and in most cases, as i said earlier, "self-explaining". dont be scared of driving at all. it is less confusing than you might expect right now.

don't worry about the language. in many places, english is understood and even spoken - to certain extent, of course. since german and english are based on the same historical and lingual backround, you will understand many things without having any knowledge of the language.

We used our GPS on our 3 week trip to Germany and Austria in Sept 2007 and mostly visited small towns. The only time we had any confusion was with the hotel in Bernkastel-Kues which was actually in the pedestrian zone. But it got us with a couple of blocks. We parked the car and walked until we found it.

For us, it was still invaluable even in the smallest towns but you definitely should have a back up source such as a detailed map or clearly written directions.

Sounds encouraging!

I'm planing just rent the basic economic/compact 4-door eurocar. So I guess I should use the diesel (or normal?) fuel.

And I think I'll just make a good plan with my maps (as fourfortravel suggested) without GPS for this trip.

Glander

ASK when you pick up the car what kind of fuel this particular car uses. They will tell you exactly because they want it back with a healthy engine. And then use nothing else but this type.

>I'm planing just rent the basic economic/compact 4-door eurocar. So I guess I should use the diesel (or normal?) fuel.

You usually don't get a Diesel powered car unless you go for a big Mercedes. "Normal" (regular) 91 roz gas isn't sold anymore, you only can buy "Super" (premium) 95 roz or Super Plus 98 roz. Cheap price today in Munich is 98ct/Diesel and 1.16/Super per liter.

Isn't regular defined as 87.5 roz and premium as 91 roz in the US?

as quokka said, ask upon picking up the car. also, usually the tank cap's inside indicated what type of fuel is needed.

normal/regular is still sold at many gas stations, however prices of reg and premium are the same, so you should shift to premium ("super") (unless you have a diesel car...).

btw, make sure you check with your rental company whether or not you need an international driver's license. hertz for example is requiring one for non-e.u. drivers.

When you pick up your rental car it wouldn't hurt to ask if they have any diesels. Volkswagen makes a Polo diesel that gets 70+ miles per gallon! That might mean one fillup for the whole trip! I just saw it on Top Gear afew minutes ago.

But like the others said, only use the type of fuel the rental agency tells you to use. If you forget, there is usually a reminder on your gas cap too.

And don't feel intimidated by all this info. It really is very very easy to drive in Europe. After the first 5 minutes you barely notice there's any difference. IMHO the two most important rules are first, using the right gas; otherwise you might kill the engine resulting in an expensive reapir and some embarassment. Secondly, KEEP RIGHT on the highways. If you're from Maryland or Virginia where putzing along in the left lane is acceptable, forget about it in Germany. You'll have cars flashing their lights and maybe even cops coming after you.

And, just to make sure, there's no mutual agreement on International Driving Permits between Germany and the USA or it's states, the same goes for Canada. Whatever is recommended, it's not a document accepted or needed by any german law enforcement official. Use you local license instead.

In Austria otoh the IDP is needed.

Thanks Logos. I've always maintained that the International Driving Permit is a huge ripoff perpetuated by AAA to make a few bucks. It says nothing. Besides, any German officer is gonna be smart enough to look at a US license and figure out what your name is, your licence number and address without needing a translation.

Origin of the IDP (from http://www.drivers.com/article/206/)

"The IDP is a special license for tourists authorized by United Nations conventions on road safety in 1923, 1943, 1949, and 1968. Nearly 180 countries are signatories."

Two organizations in the United States are authorized to issue IDP's:

"...the U.S. State Department says it has authorized two organizations to issue IDPs--the American Automobile Association, and the American Automobile Touring Alliance, which offers IDPs through the National Automobile Club."

>Nearly 180 countries are signatories.
Yep, but not Germany (neither "east" nor "west"). As simple as that ;-)

But I do envy those Austrians that can simply get an IDP and drive in places like Japan. It's an endless hassle for Germans there since the German license isn't accepted and we havn't got a treaty with Japan on IDPs either. (sigh) Fortunatly Germany has bilateral treaties with the USA and all the Canadian provinces to accept the local licenses.

Your Canadian or US license is valid on your holiday in Germany no matter what.

it is correct, the idp is not mandatory 8and not accepted, btw) by german officials. however rental companies such as hertz germany may require that document. i read it on their website today. funnily enough, hertz did not require me (german) to have an idp when i was in the u.s. recently. they accepted my german license.

anyway, to avoid any trouble, i recommend to check with the rental company well in advance, whether or not they want to see an idp.

holly as a German, you're not even able to provide the IDP for the rental car company. We Germans have the same "problem" with our "Internationaler Führerschein" in the US. It is not the type of IDP which would be needed for the US. They may accept it, but since there's no agreement between Germany and the US or it's states on an IDP, no agency in Germany is able to issue an IDP valid for the USA.

Very strange situation, isn't it?

actually, i thought idp was kinda euquivalent to the internationaler führerschein. the strange thing is that hertz in germany requires non-europeans to show an int'l document, while hertz in the states just accepts non-americans' national licenses. this is, say, weird.

Yes, it's a messed up situation. The German government never joined this IDP agreement, intstead they signed a different agreement with far fewer countries "=Internationaler Führerschein" (Russia interestingly being one of them) and added some bilateral agreements with a few of the other countries to accept national/local licenses for tourists.

Why they didn't join the agreement is a mistery when countries like Austria and Italy joined...

We'll bring the international drive license by AAA anyway.

And by searching avis.com, it's $3.36+tax per day for GPS rental (I suppose it speaks English..?) which I think it acceptable. So we'll have it as a backup. Any trouble using the rental one?

As far as the maps, I found too many choices... the country's, city's or the regional. I thought I just wanted the basic must-have... how about http://www.amazon.com/Michelin-Germa.../dp/2067123033

or

http://www.amazon.com/Michelin-Germa...7404565&sr=1-8

perhaps I could get some free or cheaper local maps when I get into towns?

Glander

I'd rather buy some smaller scale map now. You need at least one of Bavaria and one of Baden-Württemberg. 1:300000 better 1:250000.
Those 1:1000000 map are pretty useless for planning.

www.amazon.de will deliver to the US. Go for a "Shell Autoatlas" or a "Falk Plan" or an "ADAC" map. They are not that expensive.

what i can recommend, is aral's "Deutschland-Atlas 2009". i have one (not the latest edition) and i am very happy with. i am not sure, but i think they are selling it at aral stations. their website price is €15.95, but they are not shipping the north america.

as for the gps, it makes sense to have one, since the price is that low. gpss are available in various languages, so you should ask the rental company to set up the english version. this would not be a problem for them.