Driving Abroad

THIS PAGE INCLUDES;

General driving tips and recognised documentation

New rules about conviction codes

International car hire

Speed limits around the world

Countries with left hand drive

Cities with congestion charges.

The world's greatest roads for driving

For some great road trip ideas visit - Drive of the day.blogspot.co.uk

GENERAL DRIVING TIPS & RECOGNISED DOCUMENTATION

Before driving abroad one needs to apply for an International Driving Permit, which should be kept with your normal Driving License at all times whilst driving abroad. IDPs can be obtained from British Post Offices or from AA port travel shops, and are valid for twelve months from the date of issue.

COUNTRIES WHICH RECOGNISE THE INTERNATIONAL DRIVING PERMIT, SHOWN IN DARK BLUE.

Check with your insurance company that you are covered for breakdowns and medical expenses abroad and if you need to apply for an International Motor Insurance Card. The IMI card, which is not a legal document, is a multi card system introduced in various parts of the world to make it easier for vehicles to move freely over borders and to protect the interests of victims of foreign registered vehicles in the case of a road traffic accident.In the UK the cards are issued by the Motor Insurers Bureau who can be contacted on 01908-830-001. There are seven cards;

Green Card - For use in Europe.

Orange Card - For use in the middle east and north Africa.

White Card - For use in central Asia.

Blue Card - For use in south, east Asia.

Pink Card - For use in central Africa.

Brown Card - For use in west Africa.

Yellow Card - For use in east Africa.

British cars will need to display a GB sticker and apply headlight beam converters before being taken abroad. It is also compulsory to carry a warning triangle in case of breakdowns and advisable to carry a high visability jacket, a first aid kit and use the services of a map or a sat nav. It is compulsary to wear seat belts all over the world and all the world's police forces can charge on the spot fines for driving offences.It is against the law to drive above any speed limit or drive whilst under the influence of drugs or alcohol, everywhere in the world.

Before driving anywhere abroad it is also advisable to check with the relevant country's consulate or tourism websites to ensure that you are reliably informed of any strange or unusual driving laws or restrictions.

For a full list of international, disabled drivers permits around the world, visit - www.fiadisabledtravellers.com

CONVICTION CODES

From June the 8th 2015 British drivers will need to obtain a code from the DVLA website to show car hire companies any driving convictions they may have.

This code is only valid for 72 hours however, so drivers must update this information if they need car hire for longer than that period.

This can be done on the internet or by phone. To view your record of driving convictions, log on to the View My Driving licence page of the DVLA website.

Drivers will need their driving licence number, national insurance number and their postcode when using the website.

Please bear in mind that it may be prudent to still carry any paper codes you may have just in case your chosen car hire company is not yet aware of the changes.

The DVLA can be accessed by visiting - www.gov.uk/driver-and-vehicle-licensing-agency.

INTERNATIONAL CAR HIRE

For those of you who want to drive abroad but don't want to take your own car a reputable car hire company is a must, but as every single country in the world has car hire or car rental companies, customers have so much choice that it becomes some what confusing.

Therefore we have listed some of the world's largest car hire companies. These are the companies which are seen in every airport and major city around the world. Each of the websites will take you through the process of international car hire.

ALAMO - International car hire - www.alamo.co.uk.

AVIS - International car hire - www.avis.co.uk.

BUDGET CAR - International car hire - www.budget.co.uk.

DOLLAR - Car hire in the U.S.A - www.dollar.co.uk.

EUROPE CAR - International car hire - www.europcar.com.

HERTZ - International car & van hire - www.hertz.co.uk.

SPEED LIMITS AROUND THE WORLD

The UK and the USA are the only two countries in the world which set their speed limits at miles per hour, everywhere else it is in kilometers an hour. Speed limits in the USA are different in every state and in some cases even within the same state, as each state's various counties may have different speed limits.

In the U.K the speed limit for driving in residential areas is 30 mph, on single carriageways in non residential areas 50 mph, on dual carriageways in non residential areas 60 mph and 70 mph on motorways, unless otherwise stated.

In Europe the speed limit is generally set at 120 km per hour on motorways, 100 km per hour on dual carriagways and 50 km per hour on single carriageways or in built up areas, unless otherwise stated.

To find out the speed limit of any country you wish to drive in please refer to the relevant country's consulate or tourism website.

COUNTRIES WITH LEFT HAND DRIVE

Three quarters of the world's countries drive on the right hand side of the road. Below is a list of the countries which drive on the left hand side.

Australia

Barbados

Bahamas

Bangladesh

Bhutan

Brunei

Cyprus

East Timor

Guyana

Hong Kong

India

Indonesia

Jamaica

Japan

Malaysia

Malta

Nepal

New Zealand

Pakistan

Papua New Guinea

Republic of Ireland

Samoa

Singapore

South Africa

Sri Lanka

Suriname

Thailand

Trinidad & Tobago

United Kingdom

CITIES WITH CONGESTION CHARGES

A few cities in the world have introduced various forms of congestion charges in order to cut down on pollution. These congestion zones can apply to part of or all of a city centre. Payment for these charges can be made before you travel, by visiting any of the various city's tourist websites. The cities are;

Bergen - Norway

Delhi - India

Genoa - Italy

London - England

Milan - Italy

Oslo - Norway

Rome - Italy

Santiago - Chile

Shanghai - China

Singapore - Malaysia

Stockholm - Sweden

Trondheim - Norway

Valletta - Malta

THE WORLD'S GREATEST ROADS FOR DRIVING

Argentina's National Route 40 is South America's longest highway at 5,000 kms / 3,107 miles long. Starting at Cabo Virgines in Santa Cruz Province on Argentina's most southerly coast, to La Quiaca in Jujury Province on Argentina's border with Bolivia, the road also attains an altitude of 5,000 metres / 16,000 feet along the way, making it one of the world's highest roads.

The Great Ocean Road, also known as the B100 Surfcoast Highway, is a 243 kms / 151 mile long, scenic coastal road between Torquay and Warmambool in Victoria, Australia.The highway is an Australian National Heritage road which passes several, prominent natural land marks and marine rock formations.

The Stelvio Pass, also known as the Strada Statale 38, is situated between Valtelina and Meran in Sondrio, Sud Tirol, Italy.The road is a 24kms / 15 mile long, helter skelter, mountain road with 48 hairpin bends which begins at an altitude of 2757 metres / 9,000 feet above sea level before making it's way down to the stunning Adige Valley below.

The Denali Highway, also known as Alaskan Route 8, is a 217 kms / 135 mile long, relatively straight and deserted highway situated between the towns of Paxson and Cantwell in Alaska. The highway takes in some of the world's most undeveloped and beautiful areas.

The Karakoram Highway, also known as the China Highway G314, is the highest paved, international road in the world. The highway runs at an elevation of 4,693 metres / 15,397 feet above sea level through parts of the Hindu Kush, Himalayas and Karakoram Mountain Ranges. Travelling for 1,287 kms / 800 miles, the road makes up part of the ancient Silk Road and is also known as the Friendship Highway as it links Kashgar in Xinjiang, China with Hasan Abdel in Pakhtunkhwa in Pakistan.

For some great road trip ideas visit - Drive of the day.blogspot.co.uk

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