Europe offers a host of different cultural experiences and it’s fairly easy to cross borders within the Euro zone. If you plan to hire a car or drive through Europe in a camper van you may want to take note of some of these road rules that differ from ours in South Africa. Some are reasonable, only different, while others are just plain bizarre.
Cyprus
Coastline, Cyprus. Image credit: Igor Starkov
Enjoy snacking while you drive? Don’t be tempted in Cyprus, where it is illegal to munch while motoring and to drink anything while behind the wheel. It’s also illegal to lift your hands from the steering wheel unnecessarily.
Portugal
Lisbon, Portugal. Image credit: Diego Garcia
If you wear glasses or contacts for driving, you must carry a spare or set pair in the car as well.
Spain
Castillo Gibralfaro, Málaga, Spain. Image credit: William de Vasconce
You aren’t allowed to drive barefoot in Spain, nor are you allowed to drive wearing flip-flops, heels, or open-toed shoes – closed shoes are the mandatory dress code. Like Portugal, you’ll also need to carry a spare pair of specs/set of contacts if you wear glasses or contact lenses.
Estonia
Viru Bog, Estonia. Image credit: Maksim Shutov
All cars here have to carry two wheel chocks to place behind your back wheels if you break down on a slope.
Macedonia
Skiing in Macedonia. Image credit:
Christian ter Maat
It makes sense that you shouldn’t be allowed to drive if your blood alcohol is over the legal limit but in Macedonia, not only is it illegal to drive inebriated, it’s also illegal to sit in the front passenger seat if you are drunk.
Germany
Berlin, Germany. Image credit: Luca Baracco
In Germany road rules include politeness. According to ‘A German driver who insults another with gestures like tapping their finger against their head to indicate craziness, or raising the middle finger, gets five points in the central index of traffic offenders in addition to a hefty fine, sometimes as high as four figures.’
France
Bridge in Paris. Image credit: Léonard Cotte
It’s illegal to wear headphones while driving regardless of whether they are connected to a portable music device, your phone, or even unplugged. You are also required to carry your own breathalyser kit. In France, you are allowed a 0.02% blood alcohol level (in South Africa it’s 0.05%).
Finland
Pulkkilantie 946, Asikkala, Finland. Image credit: Taneli Lahtinen
The speed limit drops from 120kph to 100kph on the highway between October and March, as the weather becomes worse and roads get wetter and icier.
Bulgaria, Russia, Romania and Belarus
Moscow, Russia. Image credit: Nikita Karimov
You must wash your car when you enter Bulgaria and in Russia, Romania and Belarus it’s illegal to drive a dirty car, particularly if the licence plate is obscured by dirt.
