🇩🇪 Same-country drive · Germany
Driving from Kehl to Heidelberg
A straightforward drive from the French-German border at Kehl to the historic city of Heidelberg along the B28 and A5.
- Drive time
- 1h 22m
- Distance
- 129 km
- Same day?
- Yes, half day
- under 4 h
- Fuel cost
- ≈ €23
- petrol · diesel ≈ €19
- Tolls
- Toll-free
- no charges en route
- EV charging
- Plenty fast
- 28 of 143 ≥50 kW
On this page
Route map
Route options
Other paths OSRM found between the two cities — handy when traffic, tolls, or scenery matter more than raw speed.
Avoids motorways
+54m- Distance:
- 136 km (+7 km)
- Duration:
- 2h 17m
Via: B 9 · L 722 · L 540
How else can you make this trip?
Driving is the focus of this guide; here's how cycling, coach, and (soon) train and plane stack up for the same pair.
What the drive is like
Drafted from the route's computed data on September 24, 2026 and reviewed against the route summary card. Read our methodology.
You peel away from the Rhine riverbank on the B28, cutting through the flat agricultural expanse before merging onto the A5 heading north. This is the spine of the Upper Rhine Valley, a straight and efficient corridor that moves traffic with the trademark German precision you expect on the federal motorway network. As you head toward Heidelberg, the Black Forest rises to your right, providing a dramatic backdrop that contrasts with the industrial pockets nestled between the highway and the river. Keep in mind that while the A5 has sections where you can legally test your car's top speed, the heavy volume of commuter traffic often makes the 130 km/h advisory speed the practical limit.
Merging off the A5 toward Heidelberg requires navigating busy interchanges that can catch you off guard if you are distracted by the scenic views of the Odenwald hills approaching the horizon. Once you exit, the environment shifts quickly from the high-speed motorway experience to the denser, tighter streets of a historic university city. Be prepared for localized congestion as you transition into the urban grid, and remember that Heidelberg, like many German cities, enforces low-emission requirements that may restrict older, high-polluting vehicles from the city center.
The drive is entirely within Germany, so there are no borders to navigate and no vignettes to purchase. Fuel prices are generally consistent across this region, though you will find better value pulling off into smaller towns rather than stopping at the service stations directly on the A5. Expect moderate weather patterns in the valley, though late autumn and winter can bring persistent fog that clings to the river, significantly reducing visibility. Keep your headlights on and adjust your following distance accordingly, as the damp road surfaces in this region can be deceptively slick.
Route highlights
- The transition from the Rhine river crossing in Kehl to the vast A5 motorway.
- Views of the Black Forest foothills to the east of the A5.
- The historic university atmosphere of Heidelberg upon arrival.
- Passing the major junctions near Karlsruhe where traffic volume increases significantly.
Trip plan
How to think about the drive: one day, split, or overnight.
Short hop
Under two hours behind the wheel. Grab a coffee, set the playlist, done before lunch.
- Distance:
- 129 km
- Duration:
- 1h 22m (free-flow, no traffic)
Key moves
Things to know before you set off — borders, sides of the road, tolls.
Long rural stretch on B 28 Straßburger Straße
Plan for about 10 km of two-lane country roads. Slower than motorway, but often the pretty part — fewer overtakes after dark.
Must-know before you go
The things a driver from another country wouldn't think to ask about — fines, stickers, payment cards, opening hours.
City access & emission zones
Berlin, Munich, Stuttgart need a green Umweltplakette
Must knowGermany's low-emission zones (Umweltzone) are simpler than the French system but stricter on entry. You need a colour-coded sticker physically on your windscreen before entering. The vast majority of zones today require a green sticker (Euro 4+ petrol, Euro 6+ diesel). Order via TÜV / DEKRA / certified workshops — about €6–13, ships in days. Driving without one costs €100 even if your car would qualify.
What your car must carry
Triangle, first-aid kit, hi-vis vest — all three
Must knowGermany requires a warning triangle, a first-aid kit (compliant with DIN 13164, with a "use by" date — €10 at any pharmacy), and a reflective vest in every passenger car. Roadside checks do happen at borders. The first-aid kit is the one foreign drivers most commonly miss.
Driving rules & habits
Left lane is for overtaking only — return immediately
UsefulOn unrestricted Autobahn sections (where you'll see no speed-limit-end signs), faster cars expect to use the left lane unobstructed. Drift into it without checking the mirror and a 911 closing at 250 km/h becomes your problem. Indicate, overtake, return right — every time. Slowing in the left lane to "make space" is more dangerous than predictable speed.
Phone-mounted radar warnings are illegal
UsefulActive radar-detector apps (and the "police nearby" feature on Waze / Google Maps) are technically banned in Germany — fines hit €75. Most drivers leave them on without consequence, but if you're stopped for any reason, the officer can ask to see your phone. Switch the warning layer off when crossing into DE if you want to play it strict.
Fuel stations
Contactless cards work at virtually every motorway pump
TipMajor brand stations (Shell, Total, BP, Repsol, Cepsa, OMV, Eni, Esso) take Visa and Mastercard contactless without an issue. American Express and Diners are spotty south of the Alps. A €100 pre-authorisation hold is normal — it releases within 5 days. Carry €50 cash for the rare independent station.
Money & connectivity
EU roaming covers calls, texts and data at no extra cost
TipYour home EU SIM works at home rates across every EU member, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The "fair use" cap on data only applies if you're abroad more than four months. For a 2-week road trip, just use your phone normally — but switch off "data roaming" if you're leaving the EU into UK / CH for any segment.
Emergency & breakdown
112 works everywhere in the EU and continental neighbours
TipSingle number for police, ambulance, fire — works from any phone, any network, any country. On motorways, the orange SOS pillars every 2km connect direct to the regional traffic control centre and pinpoint your location. Use them over your phone if you can — it speeds the response.
Rules, fees, and thresholds change. Always verify against the official source the day before you drive — this page is a checklist, not a legal reference.
Main roads
The highways this route spends the most kilometres on.
-
A 5 —109 km
-
B 28 Straßburger Straße10 km
Route character
How much of the drive is motorway vs. secondary vs. rural.
Motorway drive — fast, predictable, uneventful.
- Motorway
- 85%
- Secondary
- 9%
- Other / rural
- 6%
Drive difficulty
At-a-glance feel: how demanding is this drive for one driver?
Overall
Easy
Straightforward drive. One driver, one day, little to worry about beyond fuel and a toilet stop.
- No major complicating factors — motorway-heavy, single country, comfortable length.
Elevation profile
Highs, lows, and the total climb / descent along the route.
- Lowest point
- 104 m
- Highest point
- 144 m
- Total ascent
- ↑ 42 m
- Total descent
- ↓ 65 m
Fuel & tolls
Rough cost expectation for a typical EU passenger car. Treat as an estimate — pump prices change weekly.
Petrol (RON 95)
≈ €23
9.7 L × €2.35 / L · 7.5 L/100 km
Diesel
≈ €19
7.7 L × €2.44 / L · 6 L/100 km
Electric (DC fast)
≈ €14
23 kWh × €0.62 / kWh · 17.5 kWh/100 km
Public DC fast charging — slower AC charging at home or hotels typically costs about half.
Prices last refreshed 2026-09-28.
Fuel and EV charging along the route
Stations within a few kilometres of the road, sampled at evenly-spaced waypoints.
EV charging
28 at 50 kW or above (fast / ultra-fast).
Fastest first
- TotalEnergies - Relais Esplanade — Strasbourg 300 kW
- Roter Str. 2 — Walldorf 300 kW
- Tesla Supercharger Bühl 250 kW
- Tesla Supercharger Karlsruhe 250 kW
- Total Ev Charge - Karlruhe — Karlsruhe 175 kW
- Bump - Monoprix - Neudorf - Strasbourg — Strasbourg 150 kW
- Engie-Vianeo - Strasbourg - Quai Saint Thomas — Strasbourg 150 kW
- Nürnberger Straße 11 — Karlsruhe 150 kW
- Tesla Supercharger Achern — Achern 135 kW
- Bruchsal Supercharger — Bruchsal 120 kW
- Marktstraße 2 — Kehl 75 kW
- Autohaus bgh-Geiger — Kehl 50 kW
Weather by month
Average daytime high / overnight low and typical monthly rainfall, over the past five years.
🇩🇪 Kehl
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
7°
1°
|
9°
2°
|
13°
4°
|
16°
6°
|
21°
11°
|
26°
15°
|
26°
16°
|
26°
16°
|
22°
13°
|
17°
9°
|
10°
4°
|
7°
2°
|
| 90mm | 56mm | 80mm | 89mm | 104mm | 75mm | 151mm | 98mm | 110mm | 101mm | 108mm | 80mm |
hot mild cold
🇩🇪 Heidelberg
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
6°
0°
|
9°
2°
|
13°
4°
|
15°
6°
|
20°
10°
|
25°
15°
|
25°
16°
|
26°
16°
|
22°
13°
|
16°
9°
|
9°
4°
|
6°
2°
|
| 85mm | 59mm | 67mm | 81mm | 91mm | 59mm | 105mm | 93mm | 103mm | 116mm | 96mm | 69mm |
hot mild cold
Next 5 days at Heidelberg
Live forecast — refreshes every few hours.
-
Sun 11
☀️
8° / 7°
—
-
Mon 12
☀️
15° / 5°
—
-
Tue 13
⛅
15° / 6°
7.1mm
-
Wed 14
⛅
18° / 11°
0.8mm
-
Thu 15
☀️
17° / 8°
—
Forecast: MET Norway
Directions
Turn-by-turn summary of the main manoeuvres, generated by OSRM.
Show all 11 manoeuvres
- —
- Straßburger Straße (B 28) 10 km
- — 0.4 km
- (A 5) 66 km
- (A 5) 0.3 km
- (A 5) 18 km
- — 0.3 km
- (A 5) 25 km
- (A 5) 0.5 km
- (B 535) 0.8 km
- —
Cycling from Kehl to Heidelberg
Touring-pace bicycle route generated by BRouter, with elevation gain and matched against the EuroVelo cycle network.
- Distance
- 127 km
- vs 129 km driving
- Riding time
- 5h 58m
- Touring pace; experienced riders cut this 20–30%.
- Total climb
- ↑ 39 m
Routed on the BRouter trekking profile — balanced for paved leisure tourers; gravel and fast-bike profiles produce different lines.
On the EuroVelo network
Sections of this route follow signed EuroVelo cycle routes — well-maintained, signposted, and bike-friendly:
- EV15 Rhine Cycle Route · 1.5 km
Total: 1,5 km on EuroVelo (1% of the route).
Show route on map
By coach from Kehl to Heidelberg
Indicative duration of the fastest direct long-distance coach found in the FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus EU schedules.
- Travel time
- 1h 44m
- Direct
- Operator
- FlixBus-eu
- Departures / day
- ~1
- Approximate based on the published schedule.
Show coach corridor on map
Schedules sourced from the FlixBus and BlaBlaCar Bus GTFS feeds via transport.data.gouv.fr. Times are indicative; verify on the operator's site before booking.
Booking link coming soon.
By train from Kehl to Heidelberg
Fastest cross-border rail itinerary from the public Transitous planner. Times reflect a typical Monday-morning departure on the next available service-day.
- Fastest journey
- 2h 14m
- 3 changes
- Lead operator
- SNCF VOYAGEURS
- + 3 more
- Alternatives
- 5
- Itineraries returned by the planner.
Trains on the fastest itinerary
- TER 87430
- ICE 9591
All operators across alternatives
- SNCF VOYAGEURS
- DB Fernverkehr AG
- Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft mbH
- DB Regio AG Baden-Württemberg
Includes a high-speed rail leg (TGV, ICE, AVE, Frecciarossa-class).
Show route on map
Routing via the public Transitous OTP planner (community-run MOTIS instance). Cached 24 hours; verify on the operator's site before booking.
Frequently asked
Do I need a vignette to drive on the A5?
No, German motorways remain free of charge for passenger vehicles, and no vignette is required.
Is the speed limit on the A5 really unrestricted?
While parts of the A5 are unrestricted, there is an advisory limit of 130 km/h. You will also encounter many stretches with permanent or temporary speed limits due to construction, heavy traffic, or environmental regulations.
What is the best way to enter Heidelberg?
Most traffic enters via the A5 exit at Heidelberg/Schwetzingen. From there, the B535 or B3 connects directly into the city, but it can be busy during morning and evening rush hours.
How this page is built
Compiled by COD Solutions Oy from open European data — OSRM over OpenStreetMap for the route geometry, BRouter for the bicycle route, EuroVelo GPX (ODbL) by the European Cyclists' Federation for the cycle-network overlay, Open-Meteo for monthly climate normals, OpenTopoData SRTM 30m for elevation, Open Charge Map for EV charging stations, and Google Gemini drafts the narrative and FAQ from the computed route data. See our methodology for refresh cadence and limitations.