Autobahn-Tempolimit
Calculate driving time: why your sat-nav is wrong
The arrival time on the sat-nav is rarely yours. On open road, almost every route planner reckons with 130 kph – even if you drive 170.
Contents
Why the arrival time is wrong
A route planner needs an assumed speed for every stretch. For open Autobahn sections the usual sat-navs take the advisory speed of 130 kph. That is a reasonable assumption for the average – but not for you, when you drive 160 or 180 on open road. Precisely where Germany differs from other countries, the sat-nav reckons as though there were a 130 limit everywhere.
Example: 600 km of open road
Suppose a trip runs over 600 kilometres of largely open Autobahn. Depending on the speed driven, very different times result for exactly this stretch:
| Speed | Driving time | Difference vs 130 |
|---|---|---|
| 130 kph | 4 h 37 min | – |
| 150 kph | 4 h 00 min | −37 min |
| 160 kph | 3 h 45 min | −52 min |
| 180 kph | 3 h 20 min | −1 h 17 min |
| 200 kph | 3 h 00 min | −1 h 37 min |
Over an hour of difference from speed alone – no standard sat-nav plans for that. Conversely: anyone driving more leisurely than 130 should allow more time, not less.
Set 120 to 250 kph in the planner and see the driving time for exactly your driving style.
What else affects driving time
Speed is the biggest, but not the only factor. Realistically you should also account for:
- Fixed limits: on 23.2% of the network a fixed speed limit applies – wanting to go faster achieves nothing there.
- Dynamic sections: overhead gantries can throttle down at any time.
- Roadworks: narrowed lanes and 80 or 60 zones cost noticeable time.
- Traffic and breaks: rush hour, holiday traffic and fuel stops lengthen every real trip.
How to get your real driving time
The planner on this site does not reckon with a flat 130, but with your desired speed between 120 and 250 kph. Open sections are calculated at your speed, fixed limits at the respective permitted value, and dynamic or roadworks sections more cautiously. So at the end you get an arrival time that fits your driving style – and you see at the same time which part of the route is actually open.
Frequently asked questions
What speed does a normal sat-nav reckon with on the Autobahn?
On open sections usually the advisory speed of 130 kph. Your actual speed is not included, which is why the announced arrival time is off.
How much faster am I at 180 instead of 130?
On 600 km of open road, about 1 hour 17 minutes – purely on paper, without breaks, traffic and limits. In practice the difference is smaller, because a route is rarely open the whole way.
Can I see my real driving time in advance?
Yes. In the planner enter start and destination, set the desired speed and the driving time is calculated for exactly that speed – including the fixed and dynamic limits on the route.
The example times are pure arithmetic (distance ÷ speed) without breaks, traffic and acceleration phases, and serve to illustrate.