DriverAbroad.com is the definitive guide to self driving in every country of the world. Written by travellers, for travellers,since 2011.
There are thousands of internet sites offering car rental and a few offering advice on driving abroad, but in my opinion, they usually fail to answer the obvious questions for independent travellers planning a self-drive trip –
Is car rental possible in the country I’m going to?
Which companies rent cars there?
Is it feasible and safe to drive myself in that country?
Where can I take the car – Can I drive the car into another country or do a one way rental?
DriverAbroad.com aims to answer the above questions and all other aspects of driving abroad in over 200 countries, Islands and self governing and Crown Colonies. (If you think I’ve missed anywhere please let me know!)
Why DriverAbroad.com?
I’m a UK based Independent traveller and always try to rent a car and drive myself wherever possible when abroad. To date, I’ve driven in over 100 countries, on every continent. I find that self- drive allows me to really get off the beaten track and meet locals who see few,if any, tourists.
I also tend to trust my own driving skills above those of local drivers! (See my article ‘Driving Yourself…Crazy?’ on the Roadtrip Tales page for further reasons on why I’m a fan of self driving).
When planning a trip which will involve driving abroad, I usually find myself asking the questions mentioned above, and often struggle to find the answers online.
True, there are literally thousands of websites seemingly offering car rental around the world, but as anyone who has tried to rent a car and drive themself in a more unusual location will know, the multitude of car rental broker sites often turn out to be dead ends. Some are programmed to show up on a Google search whatever location you enter even if they don’t actually rent cars there. Even if you do manage to reserve a car, you may not know who the rental company is and will have little or no opportunity to ask what driving conditions are really like in the country.
There are a number of ‘Driving Abroad’ websites which offer ‘Driving advice by country’. In my experience though, these are usually limited to European countries plus maybe USA and Australia. Also, the driving advice offered tends to be quite generic such as ‘carry a high visibility vest in the car and spare bulbs for the lights’. What I really want to know is how safe it is to drive, what the roads are like, and any other hazards and considerations a driver abroad should take into account.
When planning to drive abroad I also want to know whether I can take the car across international borders, take it on ferries, drive on unsealed roads or beaches and maybe drop it off at a different location from the one I picked it up from.None of that information or other really useful driving advice is readily available online.
Which is why I set up DriverAbroad.com.
Who is DriverAbroad.com for?
DriverAbroad.com is the definitive online resource for all types of independent traveller planning on driving abroad. Perhaps you’re an experienced self driver investigating the possibilities of driving yourself in some scary part of the world which most Governments advise against all travel to. Or a first time self driver deciding whether you can handle driving on the wrong side of the road on a weekend trip from the UK to France.
DriverAbroad.com will tell you exactly what to expect, help you plan your trip, provide useful driving advice and spell out all your car rental options.
How Can DriverAbroad.com help you?
DriverAbroad.com provides all the info you need when planning on driving abroad, plus some other interesting driving facts, figures and tales from the road –
Self Drive Advice – covers all the details you’ll need to think about before you set off including driving advice on the country you’re visiting, who to rent a car from , planning a route, sorting insurance and other documentation plus other hints and tips to make your trip run smoothly
Countries info – Car Rental and driving advice for every country in the world!
Driving Facts – Statistically how dangerous is the driving in the country you’re visiting? how much is fuel? How many of the roads are unpaved? These and other interesting driving facts and stats for each country.
Classic Road Trips– Some ideas for classic driving trips from around the world
Road Trip Tales – Get some inspiration from other self drive travellers tales or send in your own!
Although I try and keep the information in the site updated as much as possible, in a rapidly moving world, situations can change daily. Therefore please use the site as an approximate guide, and in conjunction with other resources in order to form your view on driving conditions, roads, safety etc.