Breakdown on the A2

From the Oberhausen interchange to the Berlin ring

The A2 begins at the Oberhausen interchange as a continuation of the six-lane carriageway of the A3 coming from Cologne. It runs via Dortmund, Bielefeld, Hannover, Braunschweig and Magdeburg to the Werder triangle, where it joins the Berlin ring (A10). Between the start of the motorway and the Bad Oeynhausen interchange it's part of European route E34, and from there to the end, part of E30. The route's character changes several times, from conurbation to low mountain ranges to straight stretches through forest and plain. In a breakdown, tell us your direction of travel, the next interchange, and the landscape.

The Ruhr area: Bottrop, Gelsenkirchen, Recklinghausen

A few kilometres after the start, the A31 joins from the north at the Bottrop triangle. The A2 then passes north of Bottrop and south of Gladbeck, crossing the densely populated northern Ruhr area. Within Gelsenkirchen it runs right past the Veltins-Arena stadium and through a noise-protection enclosure. Near the notable Hoheward spoil tip, it crosses the A43 at the Recklinghausen interchange. Near Henrichenburg it crosses the Rhine-Herne canal. If you break down in the enclosure, tunnel rules apply, see Breakdown in a tunnel.

Dortmund: the motorway ring and the Kamen interchange

At the Dortmund-Nordwest interchange, the A45 (Sauerlandlinie) begins, and from here the A2 forms the northern part of Dortmund's motorway ring. In the Mengede district it crosses the Dortmund-Ems canal, with a grade-separated exit connecting the motorway-standard B236 to the city centre. At the Kamen interchange with the A1, the section as Dortmund's motorway ring ends, and the surroundings become more rural. More on the city: Towing Service Dortmund.

The Münsterland and East Westphalia: the Bielefeld hill

Passing south and east of Hamm, it crosses the Datteln-Hamm canal in the Uentrop district and the Lippe river, then runs through the northern part of the Beckum hills in the flat Münsterland. Past Rheda-Wiedenbrück and Gütersloh, it reaches East Westphalia. After crossing the A33 at the Bielefeld interchange follows the crossing of the Teutoburg Forest, also called the "Bielefelder Berg". On the north-eastern side of the ridge, the connection to Bielefeld's city centre follows. Near Herford it reaches the Werre valley, then climbs onto the Lipper Bergland hills. At the Bad Oeynhausen interchange, the A30 ends. More on this section: Towing Service Bielefeld.

The Weser and the Weser hills

Near Bad Oeynhausen, the A2 crosses the A30, the western Weser floodplain, and the river itself on two separate bridge structures set some distance apart. On the eastern bank, the B482 connects, leading to Porta Westfalica and Minden. The crossing of the Weser hills follows; just before the summit at the Papenbrink, the state border switches from North Rhine-Westphalia to Lower Saxony. Near Bad Nenndorf it skirts the western end of the Deister hills, after which the North German Plain begins.

Hannover, Braunschweig, Helmstedt

Near Wunstorf it crosses the Mittelland canal and the Leine river. Near the Nordhafen, the A352 branches off; in the Altwarmbüchener Moor follow, in quick succession, the Hannover-Buchholz interchange with the A37 and the Hannover-Ost interchange with the A7, more at Towing Service Hanover and Breakdown on the A7. Then come Lehrte, the Hämeler Wald and Peine, followed by the A391 at the Braunschweig-Nord interchange and Braunschweig-Wolfsburg airport right north of the motorway. At the Wolfsburg/Königslutter interchange it crosses the A39. Near Helmstedt lies the former most important border crossing between the German states, where the transit route to West Berlin began. Some of the old processing facilities survive or have been converted into a service station.

The Magdeburg plain, the Elbe, Brandenburg

In the Lappwald forest east of Helmstedt, the A2 crosses into Saxony-Anhalt, crosses the Aller river, and reaches the almost treeless Magdeburg plain. Near Irxleben there's a panoramic view of Magdeburg. At the Magdeburg interchange it crosses the A14, then the A2 runs through the northern districts, crosses the Rothensee link canal and the Elbe, with the Magdeburg waterway crossing lying just to the north. It then continues on many dead-straight stretches past Burg towards Brandenburg, along the north-western edge of the Fläming and the Baruth ice-age valley, past Brandenburg an der Havel, to the Werder triangle on the Berlin ring. On these long straights, wind is a factor, more in our guide (German) Breaking down on the motorway.

What we do on the A2

You call or message us on WhatsApp, we clarify the vehicle, its condition and your destination, and organise the callout. Faster is based in Antwerp, Belgium; partners on the ground drive out on the A2. How quickly someone reaches you depends on the section, traffic and weather, so we don't give a fixed time.

How to describe your location on the A2

• Direction of travel: towards Hannover/Berlin, or towards Dortmund/Oberhausen.
• Last or next interchange, triangle, or exit.
• A canal or river bridge, enclosure, or summit, if recognisable.
• The state or landscape, for example the plain or the Lappwald.

All motorway pages: Breakdown help on the motorway (German). Other routes: A7 and A9.