The countries that drive on the left in Europe are the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus, and cars there are normally right-hand drive, with the steering wheel on the right. According to the European Commission, driving on the left side of the road is one of the points on which Cyprus, Ireland and Malta differ from the rest of the EU.[1] This guide covers where left-hand traffic applies and how to adapt when your rental has the wheel on the other side.
Which countries drive on the left?
In Europe, traffic keeps to the left in four places: the United Kingdom, Ireland, Malta and Cyprus. Everywhere else on the continent, drivers keep to the right, which is why a trip that combines these countries with the mainland needs a mental switch at the border or the ferry port.
| Country | Where | Traffic keeps to the |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Europe | Left |
| Ireland | Europe | Left |
| Malta | Europe | Left |
| Cyprus | Europe (EU member) | Left |
| Japan | Asia | Left |
The United Kingdom’s own rulebook is explicit. Its Highway Code tells drivers to keep to the left unless signs or markings say otherwise, with exceptions for overtaking, turning right or passing parked vehicles.[2] Ireland states the same in plain terms: all traffic drives on the left there.[3]
Outside Europe more countries drive on the left, and each publishes its own rules. Japan is one example: GOV.UK travel advice for Japan says that driving is on the left.[4] If your destination is not listed here, look for the road-safety page of that country’s own transport authority.
For the two largest left-driving destinations in Europe, see the rules for renting a car in the United Kingdom and the rules for renting a car in Ireland.
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Why do some countries drive on the left?
Each country sets the side of the road in its own traffic law. That is why the rule is not the same across a continent where borders are often only a few hours apart on the road.
For a visitor, the history matters less than the practical result. The side of the road is a national rule, and it is shown on signs, markings and the layout of junctions, so it applies to a rental car in exactly the same way as to a local one. The European Commission lists driving on the left side of the road among the areas in which national road rules still differ, together with alcohol limits, speed limits and required safety equipment.
Two things follow for planning. First, the rule applies to the whole country, including islands and mountain roads, so there is no region in which you can fall back on your usual habits. Second, the side of the road is not something a rental company can change: it is the same for every car on the road, whichever company owns it.
If a trip crosses from a left-driving country to a right-driving one, the switch happens at one clear point, covered in a later section.
What changes in a right-hand-drive rental car?
The steering wheel is on the right-hand side of the cabin, so you sit nearest the middle of the road. That seat position is the most useful guide you have: your body should stay close to the centre line, and the kerb should stay on your left.
In a manual car the gear lever moves to your left hand, while the pedals keep the same order as at home: clutch on the left, brake in the middle and accelerator on the right. The indicator and wiper stalks are often swapped. Some drivers switch on the wipers when they mean to signal during the first few turns, which is harmless but surprising.
Take a minute in the car park before you leave to adjust the mirrors and find the stalks, because the controls are mirrored as well as the seat.
An automatic car removes one task. With no gear lever and no clutch, your left hand stays free and your attention goes to position and signs. The transmission is part of the car class in your booking, so choose it when you reserve.
How do roundabouts, junctions and overtaking work on the left?
Traffic on a roundabout moves clockwise, and you give way to traffic coming from your right. The Highway Code tells drivers reaching a roundabout to give priority to traffic approaching from the right. Ireland applies the same logic by law: drivers must enter a roundabout by turning to the left and give right-of-way to traffic already on it. The Commission’s page on Ireland adds that roundabouts can pose a particular risk to a driver who is unfamiliar with driving on the left.
Lane choice follows the exit you want. The Highway Code says to signal left and approach in the left-hand lane for the first exit, and to signal right and approach in the right-hand lane for an exit to the right or a full circle. For exits in between, choose the lane that suits your route and signal left after the exit before yours.
Overtaking happens on the right. The Highway Code allows overtaking on the left only if the vehicle in front is signalling to turn right and there is room. The code also tells drivers to move back to the left as soon as they can, without cutting in.
On a motorway, Ireland asks drivers to stay in the left lane unless they are overtaking. Slow traffic belongs on the left, and the right lane is for passing.
How should you handle your first hour behind the wheel?
Plan the first hour so that the hardest decisions come late. If you can, collect the car outside the city centre or at a time when roads are quiet, and drive a short loop around the car park or a side street before you join a main road.
A few habits make the start easier:
- Say “left, left, left” at every turn and junction, aloud if you are alone.
- Let a second person act as navigator and call out roundabout exits and lane changes.
- Set the satnav and the mirrors before you move, not while rolling.
- Follow other cars for a while: the traffic ahead shows you which side to be on.
- Avoid a long motorway leg as your first drive, if the route allows it.
Pick up the car in a quiet area and drive a short, simple route first. Cities such as London, Dublin and Edinburgh have dense centres, so leaving the airport side first and entering the centre after you are comfortable is easier on the nerves.
If you have a choice of car class, a smaller car is easier to position in a narrow lane than a large one, and an automatic leaves one less thing to learn.
What happens when you cross between left- and right-hand countries?
The side of the road changes at the crossing, so the first kilometres after a ferry or a tunnel are the riskiest. Between the United Kingdom and the mainland there is a water crossing, so the change happens when you drive off the ferry or train onto the road of the other country. Follow the signs and the traffic in front of you, and do not leave the terminal until you are clear which side to take.
Between Ireland and the United Kingdom both drive on the left, so there is no change of side, but signs and rules can still differ, as they do between any two countries.
The rental contract matters here as much as the road. Crossing a border in a hired car usually has to be allowed by the rental terms, and some contracts limit which countries a car may enter, so read the terms before you book a trip that combines a left-driving country with a right-driving one. For motorway tolls on the continent, see our guide to toll roads in Europe.
Where do drivers make mistakes on the left?
The most common slip is looking the wrong way: turning out of a car park or a petrol station, the instinct is to join the lane that is correct at home, and at a junction the head turns to the wrong side first. Pedestrians have the same problem in reverse, because traffic arrives from the other direction than they expect.
Pulling out of a car park, a petrol station or a quiet side road is the moment when drivers most often steer into the right-hand lane. Stop, say which side you will drive on, and look in both directions before you move.
A second slip is hugging the right of the lane because you sit on the right of the car. Keep the car centred in the lane, with the kerb on your left side.
Before you set off, one more document question deserves a minute. Whether your licence is accepted in Great Britain depends on the country that issued it, and GOV.UK offers a tool to look it up.[5] Our guide to the international driving permit explains what the permit is for.
