The car is a symbol of mobility for many people. This page contains information on renting cars adapted for disabled drivers and disabled parking in Germany.

Avis Car Hire has joined forces with PARAVAN, a leading provider of vehicles for the disabled, to give people with restricted mobility the opportunity to rent the most up-to-date converted cars. These are available with a huge range of adaptations for all sorts of disabled drivers. This type of car rental is also a useful option for people with long-term injuries rather than disabilities. Rental cars can be picked up from and returned to any PARAVAN site, or even one of Avis' rental locations in Germany (by prior arrangement). Reservations can be made by telephone on +49 (0)7388 999 5935 or online, subject to a minimum of 48 hours' notice.

All of Hertz's German rental locations offer Ford Focus models (M-Class) that are specially adapted for disabled drivers. The vehicles are fitted with hand controls and are suitable, for example, for paraplegic drivers or for people with arm or leg amputations. The hand controls can be positioned either to the right or left of the steering wheel, according to the driver's preference. Please book your vehicle at least 3 days before the start of your trip, either by calling our reservations line on +49 (0)1805 333 535 (€0.14 per min. from German landlines) or your local Hertz booking office.

In Germany there are a number of parking concessions for drivers with disabilities or drivers of people with disabilities. Seh-Netz e.V.'s portal "Barrierefreier Tourismus Info" (currently only available in German) has detailed information on this.EU countries issue a standard parking card for people with disabilities, which is recognised in Germany.

Disabled travellers from non-EU countries who wish to apply for temporary disabled parking permits should get in touch with the appropriate road traffic authority for their destination in Germany. In German towns with no district authority, this would be the local council (Stadtverwaltung) - otherwise it is the district authority (Kreisverwaltung).

Germany's Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Urban Affairs can advise travellers on who they should contact. Applicants will need to supply a form of disability ID and a passport-sized photograph. They may also need medical documentation regarding their disabled status. It is advisable to bring along a German translation of any non-German documents.