Circ scooter
In June 2019 they became legal in Germany – and immediately a number of sharing companies popped up: Circ, Lime, Tier – here I compare them, and you can get some coupons and vouchers for free rides.
It took a while until the new law passed, because as you know, in Germany things have to be regulated.. but now they are legal: small electric scooters!
What is allowed?
Lime scooter
Let’s start with some legal facts:
- No riding on sidewalks or pedestrian zones! You have to use bike paths, or if there are none: the street.
- Minimum age to ride: 14
- Only 1 person per e-scooter
- No helmet needed
- Max speed: 20km/h
- Don’t drink and ride: Alcohol level limits like for cars (>21 years: 0.05%, <21 years: no alcohol at all)
Tier scooter
How to rent an e-scooter?
For every company, you need to install their app (links in the table). Within the app, register with you phone number. You will be then asked for a debit/credit card number (Visa/Mastercard). (If you don’t have one: Here’s an overview of free German credit cards.)
Once registered, you will see a map of Berlin, with available e-scooters on it. Walk to such a scooter, scan its code and start the rental.
Current operators in Berlin
As the E-Scooter companies keep coming and going, find an updated list of Scooter sharing operators on ExpatWiki.org.
