Driving
Photo: Thilo Parg, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Driving a car gives a traveller more independence and flexibility than scheduled transportation, such as air travel, rail travel, or bus travel, and may be faster or more comfortable than cycling.
UnderstandDriving is often the fastest mode of transportation at distances between 10 km and 100 km, unless there are traffic jams, the weather is bad or the roads are in bad condition.
Legal issuesMost countries require you to have a valid license before you will be allowed to drive.
Insurance policiesCheck your insurance; not all policies cover international travel and even those that do may not meet the requirements of a destination's regulations.
Car rentalRenting a car is often more practical than bringing your own, but there are many things to watch out for.
TransmissionWhile in North America, Middle East, East Asia, Oceania and Southeast Asia, most of the cars have automatic transmissions, in Europe, and South America most of the cars have manual transmissions, although in the…
On the roadSome borders may be no problem to cross with your own car, but many rental contracts forbid driving to certain neighboring countries or even some regions and jurisdictions of the same country.
DestinationsIn Africa, most transport infrastructure is not developed, and it is hard to get around, even by car, in many places of Africa.
Stay safeRoad safety differs between countries, but most of what you learnt in the driving school is equally relevant abroad. You may want to remind yourself of some advice you haven't had use for where you usually drive.
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Driving" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Thilo Parg, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons