GoRoundTheWorld.com - RTW Travel - Before Departure

Driving Overseas and International Driving Permits

Some, but not all, countries will recognize the driving permit or license issued by your local province, state, or country. To be sure you will be able to obtain driving privileges if you want or need them, it is advisable to arrange for an International Driving Permit (IDP). IDPs are honored in more than 150 countries - a listing of countries recognizing them as of June 2007 is included below.

IDPs do not allow you to obtain driving permission on their own. They must be presented with a valid driving license from where you reside in order to be recognized. Essentially, they function as official translations of your existing driving permit into several other languages. They are not valid in the country in which your existing driving permit has been issued.

If you plan to travel with your own vehicle, you may also need a carnet. For information about carnets, click HERE.

Obtaining an IDP

You need to arrange for an IDP before you depart your home country. Consult your local government directories to find out how and where to obtain them. I have listed a few resources here:

Residents of the U.S.A. - from your local AAA. Click HERE.

Residents of Australia - depends on your state. Click HERE.

Residents of New Zealand - from your local AA. Click HERE.

Residents of Canada - from your local CAA. Click HERE.

Residents of the U.K. - from your local AA. Click HERE.

Some online services offer IDPs. It is not advisable to use such services because you must be sure the companies concerned have been properly authorized to issue them under the United Nations Convention on Road Traffic (1949). To avoid problems, use a service which you know to be officially recognized by your government.

To apply for a permit you must be 18 years of age, have two passport-sized photographs, and a valid local license. Permits typically cost very little.

Auto Insurance
Most car rental companies worldwide offer auto insurance. In some territories it is mandated by law. Be sure to check the coverage which is provided to ensure you are comfortable with the limits concerned, and, if not, be sure to inquire about purchasing additional coverage.

Diving on Opposite Sides of the Road

If you are familiar with the driving practices in Europe, you may use the European colonial conquests as a general, but not fool-proof, rule-of-thumb for knowing which countries drive on which sides of the road. For example, the British once heavily influenced Hong Kong and South Africa. Both of those countries drive on the left, like Britain. The French heavily influenced Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Laos. Those countries drive on the right hand side of the road, like the French. If you are driving from Hong Kong (under Chinese rule since 1999) to China, you will have to switch sides of the road at the border. There are some exceptions to this - Canada, once subject to the Crown and a member of the Commonwealth, drives on the right-hand side of the road.

It takes days of driving experience to become a comfortable and safe driver on the opposite side of the road from which one is used to driving. The issue is not so much one of knowing what lane to turn into, but one of understanding what other drivers will be doing as you drive. You may instinctually expect a car opposite you to turn into, say, the left lane. It can and will at first take you by surprise when that car turns into, say, the right lane. My advice is to start on quiet roads at first.

The following countries drive on the left side of the road: