Can I use a bike-sharing in Germany as a traveler?
I found that some people use a bike-sharing service, the one similar to mobike/ofo in China.
For example I found a bike below, which one person rode and left it behind, and then another person used it.
This service is likely Call a Bike but there seem to be other providers around there.
But is it possible for a traveler to use one of them? I don't have an official residence in Germany (non-EU citizen), don't have a bank account in Germany, and don't understand German language, for your information. I have a phone number and passport, and temporary address on a room booked on AirBnB.
Best Answer
Germany has two big bike sharing providers, being present in many of Germany's bigger cities. However, service quality varies a lot, so make sure to pick one that has many bikes in the city you are traveling to. You won't need a German address for either of them.
DB Rent ("Call a Bike")
Call a Bike is found in many cities. It is also the operator of 'Lidl Bikes' in Berlin, 'Konrad' in Kassel and 'Stadtrad' in Hamburg. You are able to use all of them with the Call a Bike account.
For registration you need to provide your address, telephone number and credit card. Note that there is a yearly base fee of €3 involved.
nextbike
Also nextbike can be found in most German cities. Mostly operating under the nextbike brand, they also provide the service for KVB Rad in Cologne, PotsdamRad and many many more. Nextbike operates worldwide: https://nextbike.com/#locations
You only need a credit card and a telephone number. No base fee as far as I know.
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Answer 2
For the Call a Bike service by Deutsche Bahn, it appears that you can. Their terms of service only state that you need to be at least 18 years of age (also they reserve the right to check your credit score, but I don't think this is going to be enforced as the service is also recommended to tourists in many places).
I just went through the first steps of their registration and it appears to me all you will need is a credit card they can charge. Why not try?
Also for actually renting out bikes they have an app which is probably easier to use than make a call. There is an English-language wiki page that helps a bit.
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