Last reviewed: 1 September 2026. Driving eligibility, International Driving Permit rules, rental terms, insurance, tolls, and low-emission zones change. Check both the destination authority and the rental company's current requirements before booking.
I have rented and driven cars in Hong Kong, New Zealand, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Japan. The original draft preserved only one sentence: different countries have different driving styles. That was true but not useful enough. This revision does not invent lost trip stories; it records the checks that can actually be repeated.
The central lesson is that being legally allowed to drive, satisfying the rental desk, authorising the card deposit, and having insurance that really covers the trip are four separate tests. The preparation is not complete until all four pass.
Table of Contents
1. Confirm that you can legally drive
Do not confuse a translation marketed as an “international licence” with a valid International Driving Permit. Before departure, verify:
- that the domestic licence is valid and covers the vehicle class;
- whether the destination accepts it or requires an approved translation or IDP;
- which road-traffic convention applies and whether an authorised body issued the IDP;
- whether time since arrival or residency changes eligibility; and
- whether the rental company adds minimum licence-holding periods, age limits, or original-document requirements.
An IDP normally does not replace the underlying licence. Carry the physical originals rather than relying on phone photos. Keep the name consistent across the passport, licence, booking, and payment card.
What to verify for the five places in the original note
| Place | First check | Official source |
|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | Visitor eligibility, vehicle class, and time limits for an overseas licence or overseas-issued IDP; residents follow different procedures | Hong Kong Transport Department |
| New Zealand | A valid overseas licence, approved translation or IDP for a non-English licence, originals that must be carried, and the overseas-car-licence time-limit change on 1 November 2026 | NZTA: Driving on New Zealand roads |
| Great Britain (England, Wales, and Scotland) | The answer depends on issuing country and visitor or resident status; use the official interactive checker. Northern Ireland has separate rules | GOV.UK: Driving in Great Britain on a non-GB licence |
| Japan | Only the legal routes recognised by Japan, including a 1949 Geneva Convention IDP or certain foreign licences with an approved Japanese translation; not every “international licence” qualifies | National Police Agency: Foreign driver's licences |
| Switzerland | Licence, rental, and cross-border conditions; also check whether the vehicle has a valid motorway vignette for roads that require one | Swiss government: Motorway vignette |
Hong Kong, New Zealand, Great Britain, and Japan drive on the left; Switzerland drives on the right. That fact is only a starting point. Learn the local rules for roundabouts, priority, turning, speed, parking, school buses, trams, cycle lanes, and pedestrians.
2. Compare total cost, not the headline daily rate
Break a quote into:
- base rental, tax, airport fees, and one-way fees;
- collision waiver, theft protection, third-party cover, and the excess or deductible;
- exclusions for glass, tyres, wheels, roof, underbody, keys, and misfuelling;
- roadside-assistance charges and what counts as driver error;
- additional, young, or senior drivers and cross-border use;
- mileage, fuel, charging, and late-return rules;
- winter tyres, chains, child seats, and toll devices; and
- deposit amount, release timing, and whether a physical credit card in the main driver's name is mandatory.
“Full insurance” is not a precise coverage term. Read the insurer, exclusions, excess, and claim procedure in the contract. Credit-card or travel cover may require the entire rental to be paid on one card, may require declining a rental-company product, and may exclude countries or vehicle classes.
If the contract, booking page, and counter explanation conflict, obtain written clarification before paying. Do not sign an add-on you do not understand because a queue is waiting behind you.
3. Choose the car for the road and luggage
The cheapest or largest car is not automatically the best. Old-town streets, rural single-track roads, mountain routes, and mechanical parking systems reward a car whose dimensions you can judge. If you need an automatic, check whether the booking guarantees one or merely promises a similar class.
Confirm whether luggage can stay hidden, whether winter equipment or clearance is needed, which fuel or charging connector the car uses, and whether offline maps and charging cables are ready. When changing steering-wheel side or traffic side, make the first day shorter.
The highest-risk moments are often leaving a car park, turning, and entering a roundabout—not cruising on a straight road. A passenger can call out the correct side at those points, while the driver remains responsible for every decision.
4. Establish a shared condition record at pickup
In good light, record:
- contract, registration, model, mileage, fuel or charge;
- wide photos or video from every side;
- glass, lights, mirrors, bumpers, wheels, and tyres;
- existing scratches, dents, stains, warning lights, and cabin damage;
- spare or repair kit, cable, warning triangle, and supplied equipment; and
- confirmation that every item appears on the damage diagram or electronic report.
Have omissions added in writing before leaving. The photos also help identify the car later and confirm the correct fuel.
5. Keep the first drive simple
At pickup, the driver is learning vehicle size, controls, traffic side, and new signs at once. Start in daylight on an easy route. Avoid a long drive after a flight and leave margin for delays.
Before each day, check documents and emergency contacts, destination and parking entrance, fuel or charge, offline navigation, tolls, congestion or low-emission zones, border limits, weather, closures, winter-equipment rules, and local laws on alcohol, phones, seat belts, child restraints, and speed.
Never repair a missed exit with a sudden manoeuvre. Continue to a safe place and reroute.
6. If there is an incident, breakdown, or notice
Protect people first, then follow local requirements for emergency services, police, the rental company, and roadside assistance. Record time, location, vehicles, road conditions, damage, other-party details, report numbers, and receipts. Do not sign a document you cannot understand or arrange a large unauthorised repair.
Report even minor damage within the contract's deadline. Late reporting, leaving a scene, or using an unauthorised tow can affect coverage. For a fine or toll notice, separate the government charge from the rental company's administration fee and preserve the appeal deadline.
7. Close the evidence loop at return
Meet the fuel or charge rule and keep a nearby receipt. Photograph the car, tyres, glass, mileage, dashboard, fuel or charge level, parking position, and key handover again.
Obtain a signed or electronic condition confirmation when staff are present. For an unattended return, learn who carries the risk between key drop and inspection. Review the final invoice line by line. A released card authorisation is not always a refund transaction, and timing depends on both the rental company and issuer.
One-page checklist
Before departure
- [ ] Official authority confirms licence, IDP or translation, and time limit
- [ ] Rental company confirms age, licence history, documents, and payment card
- [ ] Insurance, excess, exclusions, and incident procedure read in full
- [ ] Total price, deposit, borders, tolls, and return policy checked
- [ ] Local road rules learned and offline navigation ready
Pickup and return
- [ ] Contract, condition, mileage, fuel or charge, and equipment agree
- [ ] Pickup photos/video and omitted damage acknowledged in writing
- [ ] Emergency, rental, and roadside contacts available offline
- [ ] Return receipt, full-car evidence, and handover confirmation saved
- [ ] Final invoice and deposit release reviewed
What changes between countries is not merely “driving style.” It is law, road design, contract language, and allocation of risk. Turn those differences into checks before departure and an overseas drive becomes a journey to enjoy rather than an improvisation at the counter.