East Timor /Timor-Leste Driving Advice and Car Hire Info
Driving in East Timor
Driving abroad in East Timor is on the left in mainly right hand drive vehicles.
Around half of Timor-Leste’s 6000km of roads are small rural tracks. There are 1,400 km of national roads connecting Dili to other major population centres. About 80% of core roads are paved but the majority are in poor condition. Frequent landslides and road closures caused by intense rainfall in mountainous areas compound the poor condition of the roads. Four-wheel drive vehicles may be required in some areas.You should tell the rental company where you intend to go and take their advice on what car you need.In the rainy season, roads will deteriorate badly and travel on all cross-island roadways should be avoided. In particular, roads in the mountain areas of Aileu, Ermera, Manatuto, Ainaro, and Manufahi provinces are particularly prone to flooding and landslides and should be avoided. Driving standards are poor, particularly in Dili with large trucks and military vehicles sharing the streets with vendors, pedestrians, and livestock. Many cars and, especially, motorcycles operate at night without lights and roads are generally unlit, making night driving hazardous. Accidents often occur and there is a danger, particularly in rural areas, of the driver deemed responsible to be attacked by onlookers. If you feel threatened you should drive to the nearest police station. Dili sometimes has gang related and political issues which can result in civil unrest and stone throwing. You should keep an eye on the news and ask advice from locals before driving at these times.
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
East Timor Car Rental
None of the big international companies operate in Timor Leste.If you are a local car rental company who would like to feature on DriverAbroad.com please check details on our Partnering page or contact us on ADriverAbroad@Outlook.com.
