Driving anywhere is a life or death situation when my partner Sarah is driving, she isn’t very confident at times and who knows what would happen if I ever let her drive abroad!
This got me thinking about tips for driving abroad, and what I could do to make it easier for people who for one reason or another are not very confident when they drive abroad.
Driving abroad - before you go
- Familiarise yourself with the driving laws of the country you are visiting – including local speed limits and which side of the road they drive on!
- see our travel advice by country for more information on driving.
- check with your insurance company that you’re fully covered to drive abroad including breakdown recovery and any medical expenses resulting from an accident
- check whether you need a Green Card for the country you’re visiting – this provides minimum insurance
- check whether you need an International Driving Permit or International driving license
- service your vehicle before leaving the UK
- check you can comply with the vehicle requirements of the countries you’ll visit.
Don’t go without taking:
- a spare set of car keys
- fire extinguisher, first aid kit, tool kit, spare bulbs
- a warning triangle
- your registration document, driving licence and passport- check if you’ll need an International Driving Permit
- your UK motor insurance certificate, Green Card (if issued)
- breakdown policy and contact numbers
- travel insurance documents
- emergency helpline numbers