Summer road trips are popular around the world, and many expatriates want to explore the areas around their new home not easily accessed by mass transit. Driving abroad, however, requires more preparation than one might expect, even if you are an experienced driver in your home country. A few things to consider:
- Can I use my home license?
- Do I need insurance?
- What type of vehicles are available?
- Will I get lost?
The simplest way to ease into driving abroad is with the International Drivers Permit. An IDP serves as identification and a license in 150 countries, and can generally be used for a year after arrival. Note that you must apply for an IDP from your home country with your home license.
In some cases, countries will have reciprocal driving agreements that allow drivers to use their home license.
In countries where driving laws vary by state or province, there may be cases where one state or province has an agreement while others don’t. For Canada and the U.S., you can find a map of reciprocal agreements here. For those with an EU license, it is valid in all member states as well as Iceland, Lichtenstein, and Norway.
Even if not required, it is always a good idea to hold insurance. If renting a car, liability insurance is often included, as well as a collision damage waiver, but it can be smart to take out an additional policy.
Unless you are importing your own vehicle, it is important to familiarize yourself with what might be available locally in advance. While some issues such as right vs left-hand steering are well-known, every year some drivers are surprised when they go to rent a car and are only offered manual vehicles. In fact, in Greece, Morocco, and parts of Portugal, over 80% of the available rental stock is manual. If you’re used to automatics, a bit of practice before you go can prevent being stranded in a scenario where stick is the only option.
While not as large a difference as manual vs automatic, it can also be worth looking into the size of local vehicles when making a backup plan. In some countries, large SUVs or trucks are not available to the average renter due to environmental regulations or road size.
While map apps are now ubiquitous in most areas, there are a few outliers. Don’t expect to be able to plan your route in South Korea or China on Google Maps, for example; they are two of a handful of countries that restrict geographic data transmission. Likewise, many countries still have spots without cellular service. Have a backup in mind if you’re going off the beaten path.
Living Abroad has ample resources to answer these questions and get assignees on the road safely. Our “Get Around” section has information on driver’s licenses, road conditions, vehicle regulations, and insurance rules to help prepare international drivers for their next adventure.
Happy trails!
Written by Kate Havas, GMS-T, Content Manager
