Driving Abroad - What You Should Know

With summer comes vacations, but if your destination lies outside the United States or Canada, and you plan to drive while you're abroad, make sure you're well-prepared, both for new rules of the road, and different insurance requirements. Here are some tips for making your vacation driving safer.

Be Prepared
The boy scouts' motto is extremely applicable to a foreign vacation, especially if you plan to be driving. Before you take off, hit the computer and the bookstore and do a bit of preparation. Specifically:

Reserve your rental car as early as possible. Not only will this give you ample time to ask questions about general driving conditions in the country you will be visiting, auto insurance requirements, and any other details you might want, you may get a discounted rate for planning ahead.

Map it. Even if your rental car company promises a vehicle with GPS, a good map is invaluable. Buy one when you're still planning your vacation to help choose activities and places of interest.

Go shopping for auto insurance. There are insurance companies that offer short-term auto insurance coverage in foreign countries for less money than the insurance offered by rental car companies.

Do some research. Check out the website for your destination country and read the tourist information pages; do the same thing at the website for the American embassy or consulate for that country. Find out the rules of the road, and whether you'll need an international driver's license to attach to your passport.

Be Observant
Once you arrive at your vacation destination, take some time to acclimate yourself to the local roads. A few pointers:
In the UK and Australia, people drive on the left side of the road, and the steering wheel is on the right side of the car. This may take some time to get used to.

Road signs and traffic laws are different. In many European countries traffic circles are used instead of left turn lanes. This can be confusing at times.

Europeans tend to drive much faster than Americans, even on roads that aren't smooth and straight.

You might have to drive stick. In France, for example, most rental cars do not have automatic transmissions.

Countries in Europe generally have stricter rules regarding drinking and driving.

Be Safe
Most American car insurance policies are valid in both the United States and Canada, but not in Mexico (though you can by "instant" insurance at the border and from AAA) , but it is not valid in Europe, so make sure you contact the rental car company and do research on the requirements for insurance.

Use your seatbelt. Not only is it legally required in many countries, it could save your life if you're in an accident.

Lock your doors when you leave the car, and while you are in it. This protects both you and your belongings, and reduces the likelihood of an insurance claim.

Visiting a foreign country is an exciting experience, full of cultural wonders, but getting into a car accident when you're on vacation is not something you want to deal with. Be sure to prepare for your foreign driving before you go, to keep yourself safe on the road.