Driving in a Foreign Country: Learn Lessons While Driving and Renting a Car

Trying to find the way from Point A to B in a foreign land is an essential component of exploring — and should be one of the most enjoyable aspects of discovering a new country. Whether you are on vacation, taking a business trip or a family trip; we all make our choice of transportation — seriously.

The experience I have had on previous trips with buses, trains, and taxi drivers inspire my desire for independence to rent a car. Most importantly, there are car rental companies exist in almost every nation in the world. If you want to keep yourself steering in the right direction, what you have to know before you get behind the wheel of a rental to get a private tour is vital.

Driving is a convenient way to get to your destination, but it is almost impossible to travel without knowing all the road rules and what you need to know before you get behind the wheel to explore a new country. This is mainly because of the particular methods of most foreign countries have to reduce insecurity.

Therefore, to start the destination on a strange road trip, there are a lot of factors to consider before you get behind the wheel or for people to independently travel to foreign countries for all roads is not created equal. There is much for you to understand before you commit renting a car in another country. Individual states may allow you to drive there for up to 30 days, but after that insist on you to apply for a restricted license.

A person has to look for alternative measures, and he or she must make oneself familiar with the traffic laws of the land they are visiting after taking the wheel there. The most convenient way to travel is to depend on the best car rental serviced available. Also, it’s best to plan the trip and plan well in advance.

After an ultimately disappointing weekend getaway, lots of headaches that came with the out of the ordinary road trips, there were quite a few valuable lessons I learned about driving in a foreign country that most people might not know.

For many years, I thought renting a car in a foreign country is something as quick as swiping a credit card to pay the bills. However, the last trip I made to a foreign country was a hectic one, especially when I needed a car to travel to the country. I realized I was eternally mistaken to think about renting a car in a foreign country is something that only takes a few minutes just by paying the rental fee to rent a car quickly.

The mentality I had that being an American citizen will guarantee me special treatment. Oh, what a big disappointment. It was a very unpleasant experience to be precise and as discussed from now on is what I had to pass through. For a starter, I learned no two countries are the same as the driving laws, and it’s best to check the country’s embassy before traveling.

If you wish to rent a vehicle in a foreign country, it is a requirement to follow certain steps. The step that was clear it was a “first” for me.

• It requires all American citizens to have a map, passport/visa, and US driving license

Well, back at home, I did not need correct attention to a road map to get around the country or to visit any town or city; I know my way around. I did not need a passport either and sometimes I can go around traffic barricades without a driving license provided I am a resident.

However, driving in a foreign country was a shocker. Being an American citizen, having a passport and the US driving license was not enough. It was a condition I have a detailed map of the city. At some point, it became tough for me to drive because it was sometimes difficult to follow the traffic rules.

• The Transmission manual vehicle was a shocker.

Being used to drive an automatic transmission car can be an American citizen's biggest nightmare when to rent a car in foreign countries because most foreign countries require everybody to be able to drive a manual transmission car. This is the ultimate driving test I had to go through to be able to rent a car.

• The New Traffic Rules

Back at home, I am required to keep driving, and the pedestrians maintain the right to the pedestrian walk. However, my stay in my last overseas country was quite a shocker. I had to stop all the time which meant being extra vigilant and conscious considering the new traffic rules was as necessary as the driving test itself.

• High occupancy lanes

Using high occupancy lanes was something peculiar. My inability to be used for the first time having crossed the buffer pavement almost landed me an enormous penalty for violating traffic rules. Worse yet, because rules regarding high occupancy lanes are different from the general traffic rules, it was hectic learning the same.

I spent my first few hours in a foreign country getting lost. Just imagine trying to find your way around a foreign country. It’s difficult discovering your way around an unfamiliar area in your hometown but try asking for the direction where English isn’t that big in the streets. Here are ways to avoid getting lost in a foreign country:

1. Don’t panic: Getting lost in a strange city can happen to the best of us as we all get disoriented sometimes. What’s important is knowing what to do when you don’t know where you are. The essential thing is not to panic and ask the locals for direction.

2. Grab a multi-language map; more than likely will hesitate and read signs as do want to figure out where to go. To get around most need to drive and if you must, take the time to learn each step, study what you need to know by watching a video of the area’s traffic.

3. Prepare in advance is a necessary step to prevent getting lost. Plan how you will get to your destination by studying street view, although some might see it as time-consuming it is worthwhile. Also, stop at convenient places like the tourist information, the airports, a train and bus stations for free advice or a map.

More often than not, when we take a trip, we do not render any problem. However, there is no need to mess up a great trip by driving for hours without being lost. I learn there is always a solution and people will help, but you are required to open your mouth to ask.