Driving Abroad Checker
Renting a car or planning a road trip? Pick a country to see which side of the road they drive on, which side the wheel is on, the speed-limit unit and the emergency number — and whether it’s the opposite side from home.
- Free, no sign-up
- Works worldwide
- Instant results
Emergency: 112 reaches emergency services across the EU and works from a mobile in most countries (forwarded to local services). In the Americas, 911 is the common number. Confirm local police/ambulance/fire numbers on arrival.
Carry an International Driving Permit (IDP) alongside your national licence. Some countries require one and car-rental firms often ask for it; an EU/EEA licence is accepted across the EU/EEA without one. Confirm the rules with your rental company before you travel.
Driving side is from the standard left-/right-hand-traffic references; speed-unit and emergency details are general guidance and can vary locally — always check current local rules before driving.
Related tools
What do I need to know before driving abroad?
The big one is which side of the road they drive on — about 75 countries (mostly former British territories, plus Japan and others) drive on the left, the rest on the right — and whether that’s reversed from home. Also check the steering side, whether limits are posted in km/h or mph, the emergency number (112 works across the EU and from mobiles in much of the world; 911 in North America), and whether you need an International Driving Permit. Pick a country above for all of it.
Methodology: Driving side comes from the standard left-/right-hand-traffic references (Wikipedia, WorldStandards): the ~75 left-hand-traffic countries are enumerated and every other country is right-hand traffic, with the steering side derived (left-hand traffic implies right-hand-drive cars). The speed-limit unit lists the documented mph minority; all others use km/h. The emergency number shows the established primary number for major destinations and otherwise 112, which works from mobiles across the EU and much of the world. This is general guidance, not a substitute for current local rules. How we test & calculate.
The one thing you can’t get wrong
Of everything about driving in a new country, the side of the road is the rule that matters most — and the one that’s easiest to slip up on out of pure habit, especially in the first hour and after every stop. This checker gives you that answer for any country at a glance, tells you which side the steering wheel will be on, and warns you when it’s the opposite of what you’re used to. Around 75 countries drive on the left; everywhere else drives on the right.
Left, right, and why
Left-hand traffic is concentrated in former British territories — the UK and Ireland, much of Southern and East Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and many island nations — plus a few others such as Japan and Thailand. In a left-driving country the cars are right-hand drive (wheel on the right); in a right-driving country they’re left-hand drive. The correlation is reliable, which is why the tool can tell you the steering side straight from the driving side — handy when you’re choosing a rental.
Speed limits: km/h or mph
Most of the world posts speed limits in kilometres per hour. The main holdouts using miles per hour are the UK and the USA, along with a handful of mostly British- and US-linked territories. It’s an easy thing to misjudge — 100 looks very different depending on the unit — so it’s worth knowing before you set off, and the units converter makes the mental maths quick if you need it.
Your licence and the IDP
Your national licence is usually fine for a short visit, but many countries also want an International Driving Permit — an official translation you carry alongside it — and rental firms often ask for one. Inside the EU/EEA, another EU/EEA licence is accepted without an IDP; beyond that, check both the destination’s rules and your rental company’s. The IDP is never a standalone document: it only works with your real licence, and it’s cheap insurance against being turned away at the rental desk or in a roadside check.
Emergencies, and adjusting to the flip
For emergencies, 112 is the number to remember: it works across the EU and from a mobile in most of the world, with networks forwarding it to local services (911 in North America, 999 in the UK, 000 in Australia). Still, note the local numbers when you arrive. And if you’re driving on the opposite side, give yourself time — roundabouts turn the other way, the gear stick lands on your other hand, and the trick is simply that the driver always sits nearest the centre of the road. Plan the route first with the distance calculator so you’re not navigating and adjusting at once.
Frequently Asked Questions
Pick the country above and it tells you instantly — left or right — along with the matching steering side (left-hand-traffic countries use right-hand-drive cars, and vice versa). About 75 countries and territories drive on the left, mostly former British territories plus Japan, Thailand, Indonesia and much of Southern and East Africa; the rest of the world drives on the right.