Operating a road vehicle such as a car, campervan, mobile home, RV, yourself as a mode of transport on your trip.
27
votes
3answers
820 views
If I visit Los Angeles, am I better off renting a car or not?
California has a pretty notorious reputation for having bad traffic, so I am wondering if it would be worth my time to rent a car when I visit there. If I stay within the LA area, is public ...
23
votes
4answers
1k views
Are international driving licences really necessary for any country?
When I first started travelling internationally about 20 years ago I was young and naive and bought an international driver's license for my trip to the United States.
Then I discovered that it was ...
21
votes
6answers
2k views
What are the main differences in traffic regulations between the US/Europe?
There are the obvious ones. The US has the keep-your-lane system, where as in Europe you are expected to keep to the right (left for UK) as long as possible.
On my latest travel to the US, I was ...
19
votes
2answers
751 views
What's the name for the “blocking” stickers used on car headlights?
I'll be driving my car from Belgium to the UK, with plans to then drive around the country.
Like most cars in the European mainland, my car's headlights/headlamps are slightly adjusted to the right ...
18
votes
3answers
907 views
How fast may you drive on the Autobahn?
As every American teenager "knows" there is no speed limit on the Autobahn. My understanding, however, is that there is still such a thing as excessive speed even on this free-for-all.
So, ignoring ...
17
votes
1answer
2k views
What happens when a foreigner gets a traffic fine in the United States?
What happens when a foreigner gets a speeding ticket / traffic fine in the United States? I've heard that the issuing officer will demand payment on site or will confiscate the drivers license. That ...
16
votes
2answers
491 views
How can I find which European countries require headlights on during daytime?
I know that the driving law in several countries in Europe require headlights on during daytime, some of them only in winter.
But where can I find which countries have such a requirement?
Just to ...
16
votes
1answer
144 views
Maps with road drivability grading
Recently I went to Cliffs of Moher, in County Clare, Ireland (it is nice place, you should visit it.. but by bus of course). I went there by car. Driving on the road is a OMG-super-duper hard; I can't ...
15
votes
4answers
535 views
Self-drive vs. guided safari in Southern Africa
I am researching safaris for Southern Africa through Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa with possibly a stop at Victoria Falls.
We are looking at both guided tours and doing a self-drive for about ...
15
votes
3answers
230 views
Getting to the sea from Oxford
I live in Oxford, UK, which is a lovely place, but I do wish it was a bit closer to the sea. What's the best way to get to a beach, starting from here? I sometimes have access to a car, so driving ...
13
votes
1answer
2k views
Is there an easy way to calculate the total cost of tolls for a trip within the United States?
Is there a convenient way to calculate the cost of tolls between two arbitrary points within the United States? I'm planning to take a trip along the Eastern seaboard and will be passing through ...
13
votes
1answer
783 views
What are the fake police checkpoints in Mexico looking for?
I'm not entirely sure if this is the right place to ask this, but my reason for asking is travel; and travel safety (as well as sheer curiosity).
Last week I came across a clearly1 fake2 police ...
12
votes
4answers
3k views
Driving in Iceland: a good idea?
For this summer I am thinking about going to Iceland. I would like to fly to Reykjavik, spend some days there, then rent a car, travel around the island and then fly back home. Now I have a few ...
12
votes
3answers
719 views
How far into Washington, DC should I drive before taking the Metro?
I plan to drive to Washington, DC, but my understanding is that the Metro is far better than driving for actually getting around downtown DC. First of all, is that assumption correct?
Assuming the ...
12
votes
3answers
371 views
How do you avoid the hefty toll fee on the French highways?
Some of the toll fee's on the French highways are hefty. I know that you can avoid them by taking the route national, where some are almost like highways. I don't mind traveling a little bit longer to ...
12
votes
2answers
138 views
Is two weeks enough time to drive from Tallinn to Stockholm and have enough time to visit the major cities along the way?
I'm thinking of using our two-week Christmas holiday for some light low-budget travelling. Was thinking of taking the ferry over to Tallinn from Stockholm (I'm assuming one exists, here), with our ...
11
votes
2answers
2k views
Is there any other country than Germany with no speed limits?
I'm very into road trips. Therefore I'm always looking for something special.
I think it is very special that at least parts of Germany's highways have no speed limits. But since I live very close to ...
10
votes
5answers
213 views
Car rental in Sydney - airport or town?
Three of us fly into Sydney in January. I've looked up car rentals, and am just wondering logistics wise, if we're heading west to Orange afterwards:
is it easier to pick them up from the airport
...
10
votes
5answers
294 views
Driving into Germany over Easter weekend
There's a Demoscene party (Revision) that occurs every year on the Easter weekend in Saarbrücken (Germany), and I'm thinking of attending this year. I live in England and am looking into methods of ...
10
votes
3answers
1k views
Is there a difference between green traffic lights and blinking green traffic lights?
At the moment, I'm driving around in Québec. I've noticed that the green traffic light can be blinking or constant. I assumed that I'm allowed to drive in both situations. However, is there any ...
10
votes
4answers
986 views
Crime rate in Cuba
How/what is the crime rate in Cuba? Is walking around in Havana and travel by car through the country reasonably safe for travellers?
Any tips?
10
votes
3answers
3k views
Australian drivers licence valid in the US?
I've been trying to find out whether I can rent a car in the US (4-5 days) using only my Australian drivers licence, but my Google foo is failing me. Can anyone enlighten me? Do I still need the ...
10
votes
3answers
161 views
How are road charges collected in France?
This summer we'll go to France by car for the first time. I noticed that some motorways on our route require road charge to be paid (in case it matters - we're going from Freiburg to Perpignan).
How ...
10
votes
3answers
106 views
Russia roadmap with information on the surface
In Russia, some segments of major highways are of mediocre quality:
Russia road M53 / Baikal Highway, near Taishet. Source: Wikimedia
Russian Trans-Siberian highway near Cheremshanka, Krasnoyarsk ...
10
votes
3answers
2k views
Is it safe to drive the Baja Peninsula?
I want to drive from Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas but I've heard of people being pulled over by corrupt cops and being hassled by people on the peninsula. I speak fluent Spanish and I'm pretty street ...
10
votes
3answers
242 views
Driving license in Australia
We will be in Australia for a few days and I was considering renting a car. Is a standard European license (we have Polish and Italian) good enough, or do we need "international driving license"? We ...
10
votes
2answers
205 views
Is my Turkish Driving License valid in the UK?
I have a B category driving licence which I obtained in Turkey. Do you know if my Turkish driving licence is valid in the UK? It was issued both in Turkish and English.
If not, what kind of steps I ...
10
votes
2answers
316 views
Getting to Barrow, Alaska overland
I would like to drive to Barrow, Alaska. Mainly because it is the northernmost inhabited place still on the north American continent.
However, I understand there are no regular roads going to the ...
10
votes
1answer
359 views
Is it safe to drive in Morocco if you don't understand Arabic?
Because of the risk of malaria in Thailand we are now considering going to Morocco. I have read some interesting journeys by car in this country. When I searched on Google image for "traffic signs ...
10
votes
1answer
172 views
How do carpool lanes work?
I'm doing some research for our roadtrip through SW USA (+Calif.) and ran into "carpool lanes" and this came to my attention:
Hopefully if you're not travelling alone, you will be allowed to
...
10
votes
1answer
1k views
Is it possible to drive to Hawaii?
I know there aren't any roads across the Pacific, obviously.
But is there any possible way to drive a car to Hawaii?
Let's say you were attempting to drive to all 50 states in the U.S., is there a ...
10
votes
1answer
153 views
Safest road route from Tangier to Togo
A local NGO that is working with Togo is going to organize a convoy (2 trucks) to bring some educational and medical aid. They will enter to Africa through Tangier, Morocco and are going to drive to ...
10
votes
1answer
197 views
Travel guides that covers the International E-road network?
During the last days I read a lot about the International E-road network in Europe. Since I'm a big road trip fan, I really would like to follow more or less one road in the near future. Does anybody ...
9
votes
3answers
276 views
Can I drive in OR state with CT license?
I have a driving license from CT (Connecticut), and a vehicle registered with my name in OR (Oregon).
So Can I drive in OR with my CT Driving License? And for how long I can drive?
9
votes
3answers
250 views
Longest distance ordinary road sign?
Outside Narvik, Norway (at Gratangseidet north of Bjerkvik, at the border between Nordland and Troms) is a road sign indicating the distance to Kirkenes along the E6 as 1042 km:
Kirkenes 1042 km
...
9
votes
4answers
309 views
Entertaining family stopovers on a driving trip from Pittsburgh, PA, to Chicago, IL
We are planning on driving to Chicago in November. We will be taking a 14 month old toddler, so driving straight through, stopping only for gas and food, is probably not going to be practical.
I'm ...
9
votes
2answers
147 views
What's a good way to generate solar electricity while driving?
I'm driving cross country and back this summer, and will be baking in the sun for most of it. So I'm looking for recommendations for gear and/or strategies for harnessing some of it to make ...
9
votes
2answers
322 views
Family with kids driving from Marrakesh to Fez - any threat of danger for daytime driving?
We are two parents with three children, a blonde, a red head and one brunette, ages 8,9,and 12 years. Why do I write that? because we look very American which may not be such a good thing in Morocco. ...
9
votes
1answer
206 views
Bonneville Salt Flats - access?
There doesn't seem to be a Wikitravel page on this, and the Salt Lake City page doesn't mention them.
I'm wondering about visiting the Bonneville Salt Flats, and whether there's public access to ...
9
votes
1answer
71 views
Is there a map that shows Austrian winter road closures?
Some highways in Austria close for the winter season. For example, the Grossglockner High Alpine Road is closed until sometime in May.
Where can I find a map that shows which roads are currently ...
9
votes
1answer
254 views
How long does it take for Google Maps to include a newly opened highway in its driving directions?
The last section of Autoroute 30 in Quebec opened on December 15, 2012, from Chateauguay to Vaudreuil-Dorion, completing the southern bypass around Montreal, and including a new bridge over the St. ...
9
votes
1answer
457 views
Can I rent a camper in the US/Canada with a European B license?
We are considering a holiday in North America with a camper. I have a European driver's license (B) which allows me to drive personal cars up to 3500 kg, although I can imagine that an average camper ...
8
votes
4answers
359 views
Crashing a rental car abroad
What happens if I (a US citizen) rent a car in, say, the UK, and crash it because I was driving on the wrong side of the road?
Do I have to pay the damages out of pocket? What if I don't have the ...
8
votes
1answer
144 views
Are taxes included in fuel prices?
I'm planning a road trip through SW USA. One of the decision factors on which car to rent is the estimated fuel cost. I don't mind paying some extra $ for a more luxury ride, but it has to stay within ...
8
votes
1answer
196 views
Are non-Saudi women allowed to drive in Saudi Arabia?
A link from Are there any man-only places in the world? called No Women Allowed by Fox News repeats a claim I've often heard:
Women need a man, or government permission, to do just about anything
...
8
votes
1answer
126 views
Driving from Melbourne to Sydney on the Hume Highway, where should we stop for the night?
We'll shortly be driving from Melbourne to Sydney on the Hume Highway and plan to stop for two nights en route. We'll have a late departure from Melbourne, so the goal is to drive only a few hours ...
8
votes
2answers
125 views
What needs to be done locally in case of a car accident while travelling in the US?
My friend is away from home right now; he lives in Ohio and has had a car accident in the state of New Jersey. What does he need to do locally before he can return home? He says a state trooper took ...
8
votes
1answer
84 views
Inter-state driving law references
There are many traffic laws in the United States which may vary from one state to another, which residents of each state may have come to take for granted. Is there any sort of motorists' guide to ...
8
votes
1answer
161 views
How to drive a car from Australia to Europe?
I want to drive to Europe from Australia by shipping it to Asia and to drive from there onwards.
Can someone tell me the cheapest way for shipping, which ports I should use for shipping and how much ...
8
votes
1answer
161 views
Is it possible for a foreigner to drive through (mainland) China in a foreign-registered car?
Is it possible to drive through mainland China, for example for transit from Kazakhstan to Vietnam, as a non-Chinese citizen, in an own car/van/truck?
This is about an European Union citizen, trying ...
