The Ultimate Guide to Driving Overseas

[sydunipete]

Sweden

Beware of wildlife. Hitting a deer isn't the end of the world, but hitting a moose would spoil the rest of your day.

Speed cameras are small, rarely signposted and in built up areas have very little tolerance (2 kmph from memory):

You can drive there on an Australian license. No need for an international one - for up to 12 months.

There are detailed laws about winter tyres:

Winter tyres - Transportstyrelsen

Sweden takes road safety very seriously and has adopted Vision Zero. The aim is to have ZERO highway deaths or serious injuries by the year 2020. This is the country that invented the cheese cutter (the wires we now see on divided roads) and the three point lap sash seat belt.

 

[justin23]

Cambodia

Don't hire a scooter/bike in Phnom Penh, you can't in Siem Reap, but elsewhere they are very handy to have. Generally try and go with the flow, don't panic in mass traffic and if in doubt just pull over and wait a bit! First time on two wheels in Cambodia and probably applies to other SE Asian countries. The cities IMO are just too hectic for a novice, but in the smaller towns along the coastlines, just be careful and you'll be fine.

Germany
Always drive in the right lane unless overtaking. Even those doing 200 km/h do it. Shame we don't do it in Australia and think we can drive slow in the right lane to stop others from speeding etc. Also be aware when merging onto an autobahn that you don't undertake anyone. You'll get a horn honk or two. Let the traffic get back into the right lane and then move left and overtake.

Montenegro
Well given I got two fines here, one was a parking ticket and the other was a corrupt cop, I'm not sure what I can say. They do honk their horns a lot, drive closer in style to asia, than Western Europe. Just don't copy them, because that is how the corrupt cop got 200 euros out of me. Especially when your car has Oasis Rental car on the side and back too. The corrupt cops eventually got caught and where put into jail a few years later!

 

[mountainman]

Fold in your mirrors when driving through the narrow streets of Seville,Granada,Madrid in Spain and you may be lucky and only have a few scratches!

 

[risky]

What is the current requirement for driver's licence in Italy? It seems that there may have been a change in the past year or so, and that your current country licence + an international permit is required. That's all well and good, but the international permit in 10 languages doesn't include Italian, so it is a bit hard to see exactly what the point is... Or have I just seen that infamous bureaucracy at work?

 

[JohnM]

What is the current requirement for driver's licence in Italy? It seems that there may have been a change in the past year or so, and that your current country licence + an international permit is required. That's all well and good, but the international permit in 10 languages doesn't include Italian, so it is a bit hard to see exactly what the point is... Or have I just seen that infamous bureaucracy at work?

I've driven in Italy many times over many years and never bothered with an int. permit (anywhere, in fact). My general understanding is that if your driver's license is in English, int. permits are not required.

 

[Geegeela]

Here is what the UK and Australian motoring organisations say about international driving permits.

I don’t know if it is thier conservative view or just a good little earner for them but there are some interesting comments.

I actually always have one with me just as a belts and braces approach and I have also found it useful for ID, at times, instead of flashing a passport.

International driving requirements - RACV Travel

IDP requirements by country | AA

 

[risky]

Thanks for that. Neither of those links (or any of the other similar ones) are actually definitive. Given that the IDP is not in Italian, it seems like a rather pointless document, and therefore more than a little self-interest on the part of the auto associations recommending it.

However, France seems to be less vague: a translation is required, and the IDP has French on the list. So it looks like we will need one for there anyway (2 x $40...)

 

[opusman]

Here is what the UK and Australian motoring organisations say about international driving permits.

Given that they're the sole issuers of said "permits" and presumably make quite good money out of them, I'm not sure their point of view is completely impartial

 

[Geegeela]

Thanks for that. Neither of those links (or any of the other similar ones) are actually definitive. Given that the IDP is not in Italian, it seems like a rather pointless document, and therefore more than a little self-interest on the part of the auto associations recommending it.

However, France seems to be less vague: a translation is required, and the IDP has French on the list. So it looks like we will need one for there anyway (2 x $40...)

They slug you $30 ea in South Australia.

"Your IDP carries your identification details in
nine languages (English, Spanish, Russian,
Chinese, Italian, German, Arabic, Swedish and
French), in case you need to communicate
with foreign authorities;"

You might find this of interest.

http://www.raa.com.au/documents/idp-brochure

 

[TheRealTMA]

Thanks for that. Neither of those links (or any of the other similar ones) are actually definitive. Given that the IDP is not in Italian, it seems like a rather pointless document, and therefore more than a little self-interest on the part of the auto associations recommending it.

However, France seems to be less vague: a translation is required, and the IDP has French on the list. So it looks like we will need one for there anyway (2 x $40...)

No, it's a complete scam. Never, repeat never, been asked for an IDP in 25 years of driving in italy, France, UK or Germany.

Especially in Italy, what is the worst that could happen? You may have to stay longer

 

[quick_dry]

However, France seems to be less vague: a translation is required, and the IDP has French on the list. So it looks like we will need one for there anyway (2 x $40...)

I thought I'd need one too (and got the permit), but they were happy with Aussie license. (Hertz @ TLS)

 

[TheRealTMA]

I thought I'd need one too (and got the permit), but they were happy with Aussie license. (Hertz @ TLS)

No one ever asks to see them - and unlike an official driving licence, it's not a legal document so completely useless.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

No one ever asks to see them - and unlike an official driving licence, it's not a legal document so completely useless.

Not always. Rental car companies may require them and I'd hate to be refused a rental car because I didn't spent $40 or so. I was looking recently for the requirement in the UAE and Oman and it appears the respective Gov'ts don't require Australians to have one and most rental car mobs don't either, but I did see one (can't remember which one) that had on their site that they required a current, official country of residence license and an international driving permit. I'm unsure if that would transpire to mean no permit, no car....but I'd hate to find out the hard way.

 

[TheRealTMA]

Not always. Rental car companies may require them and I'd hate to be refused a rental car because I didn't spent $40 or so. I was looking recently for the requirement in the UAE and Oman and it appears the respective Gov'ts don't require Australians to have one and most rental car mobs don't either, but I did see one (can't remember which one) that had on their site that they required a current, official country of residence license and an international driving permit. I'm unsure if that would transpire to mean no permit, no car....but I'd hate to find out the hard way.

'May' is not very useful. Anecdotal comments are not helpful in such a discussion. Provide some concrete evidence where failure to produce one in France, UK, italy or Germany has ever had any consequences. The document is just a scam and has no legal standing whatsoever.

Rental companies will will never refuse you since this would mean loss of profit.

 

[juddles]

I am yet another who has driven in a ¨few¨ countries and never been asked for an IDP. And quite often I use my Colombian (spanish language) driver´s licence.

Perhaps it would be useful if any member here could post about when they HAVE been asked or required to have an IDP??

 

[Geegeela]

The document is just a scam and has no legal standing whatsoever.

International Driver Permits (IDPs) are a special licence for tourists, authorised by a United Nations Treaty for the purpose of
allowing motorists to drive internationally without further tests or applications.

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Anecdotal comments are not helpful in such a discussion.

Take all the anecdotal comment out of AFF and there wouldn't be much left. In fact, it's the anecdotal comment that can be most useful and anecdotal comment is what this whole thread is about!

 

[Archphoto]

Wouldn't be *any* use in TH; the cops can't even read my AU licence, so the chances of them even knowing what an IDP is, would be probably zero.


Sent from my iPhone using AustFreqFly

 

[TheRealTMA]

Take all the anecdotal comment out of AFF and there wouldn't be much left. In fact, it's the anecdotal comment that can be most useful and anecdotal comment is what this whole thread is about!

Well said. So give us some anecdotal evidence of your personal experience when not having an IDp has proved to be a problem.

 

[Austman]

I have been required to produce an IDP before being allowed to drive a rental car in Bahrain.