Driving a rental car abroad: permits, road rules and tolls

Driving a rented car in another country brings a few rules that do not exist at home: a permit that has to travel with your licence, traffic that keeps to the other side of the road, and motorways where you pay as you drive. These guides explain those rules before the trip, so the first hour behind the wheel is spent on the road rather than on a phone looking things up.

The guide under Licence and permits explains what an international driving permit is, which countries ask for one next to a licence issued elsewhere, and how to get it before you leave. The guides under Road rules and tolls cover the countries that drive on the left and what changes for a driver used to the right, and how motorway tolls are charged and paid with a rental car, from toll barriers to electronic tolling and prepaid motorway passes.

Each country publishes its own traffic rules, and the bodies that issue permits or run toll roads publish theirs. The guides name those sources and point out where a rental company’s terms add something of their own, such as a fee for a toll tag or for crossing a border.

For one destination, the country page sums up its driving rules in short form. These guides explain one rule in depth and compare it across countries. Use the topic buttons below to narrow the list.