For those who mainly rely on public transportation but occasionally need the freedom of their own vehicle, joining a car-sharing network may be a more convenient and cheaper option than paying for a car that spends 98 percent of the week in a parking spot (once you’ve finally found one!).
With that jaunt to IKEA or birthday party in Brandenburg in mind, you may want to consider the likes of Cambio CarSharing, Stadtmobil and Greenwheels. The concept behind all three is the same: they’re cheaper than owning a car (no insurance, no maintenance costs etc.), more flexible than a rental (you can use one of their cars for as little as 15 minutes and reservations can be made 24/7 by phone or email) and more environmentally friendly (there are fewer cars on the road).
To register, you must have a valid EU or international driving license, and most companies will require a credit check; there is usually a starting fee (from €30 to €400, depending on the package), followed by a monthly rate (from €2 to €25) which will determine your particular all-inclusive rate (from €0.98 to €2 per hour, or buy a daily/weekly package, special night deal etc.).
The exact fees and other details vary from company to company, but all of these car-sharing networks emphasise convenience: the vehicles are parked at locations throughout the city, so there’s bound to be one in your neighborhood, too!
Cambio Carsharing | Tel 030 9120 6791,www.carsharing.de
Stadtmobil | Tel 030 6920 67510, www.stadtmobil.de
Greenwheels | Tel 01803 332 332, www.greenwheels.de
