Driving rules

What are the rules for driving a rental car in Europe?

There is no single European highway code. Speed limits, alcohol limits, required kit and motorway charges change at every border. Here is what differs, country by country.

By the Time to Travel teamUpdated 13 October 20266 min read

The short version

Town limits are 50 km/h almost everywhere. Country roads are 80 to 100 km/h, and motorways 120 or 130 km/h (75 or 81 mph), except on German Autobahn stretches with no general limit. The usual alcohol limit is 0.5 g/l, but Czechia allows none, and new drivers face stricter limits. Austria, Switzerland, Czechia and Slovenia charge for motorways with a vignette you buy before you drive; France and Italy charge tolls by distance. In any emergency, call 112.

Who is this guide for?

Visitors from outside the EU renting a car for part of a trip. Each country sets its own road rules; the figures here come from the European Commission's Your Europe pages, checked on 13 October 2026.

Check your licence first. The UK government says UK photocard licence holders do not need an International Driving Permit (IDP) in the EU. Italy is stricter with other non-EU licences: you need an IDP or a certified Italian translation alongside your licence, and the fine for driving without one is reported at €408 to €1,634. Rental desks often do not ask, but the police can.

What are the speed and alcohol limits by country?

These are the default limits for cars when no sign says otherwise. Signs always take priority, and many countries lower the limits in rain or for new drivers.

France130 km/h
Italy130 km/h
Austria130 km/h
Czechia130 km/h
Croatia130 km/h
Germany130 advised
Spain120 km/h
Portugal120 km/h
Netherlands (day)100 km/h

Default motorway limit for cars. Germany's 130 km/h is a recommendation, not a limit. Sources: European Commission Your Europe country pages; Netherlands daytime rule from Rijkswaterstaat via SWOV. Checked 13 October 2026.

Default limits for cars, October 2026 (speed in km/h; alcohol in grams per litre of blood)
Country	Town	Country road	Motorway	Alcohol: standard / novice
France	50	80	130	0.5 / 0.2
Germany	50	100	none (130 advised)	0.5 / 0.0 under 21 or on probation
Italy	50	90	130	0.5 / 0.0
Spain	50	90	120	0.5 / 0.3
Portugal	50	90	120	0.5 / 0.2
Austria	50	100	130	0.5 / 0.1
Netherlands	50	80	100 by day	0.5 / 0.2
Czechia	50	90	130	0.0 / 0.0
Croatia	50	90	130	0.5 / 0.0

In France the motorway limit drops to 110 km/h in rain. Dutch motorways are 100 km/h from 6:00 to 19:00 and mostly 120 or 130 km/h at night. "Novice" usually means the first two or three years of driving.

What catches visitors out on the road?

The motorways are rarely the problem. EU data for 2024 shows that 53% of road deaths happened on rural roads and only 8% on motorways. Narrow country roads, villages and unfamiliar junctions deserve the most attention.

Priority to the right. In much of continental Europe, a car joining from your right has priority at an unmarked junction, even from a small side street. A priority-road sign, described below, cancels this.
Phones. Every country here allows hands-free calls only. Spain and France also ban earphones and headphones while driving.
Lights. The EU pages list daytime running lights or dipped headlights as compulsory in Italy and Czechia, and in Croatia during winter.
Winter tyres. Croatia requires winter equipment on major roads from 15 November to 15 April; Czechia and signed mountain areas of France from 1 November to 31 March; Austria whenever roads are snowy or icy. Ask for winter tyres when you book.
Speed camera warnings. In Germany, using a speed camera warning app while driving costs €75 and a penalty point.

Rental cars should carry the required kit, but check before you drive off. France and Italy require a warning triangle and a reflective vest; Germany and Austria add a first-aid kit; Croatia also requires spare bulbs unless the car has LED or xenon lights. Spanish-registered cars carry a V16 flashing beacon instead of a triangle from 1 January 2026.

Which road signs should I learn before I drive?

Shapes and colours follow international conventions, so they mean the same across borders. These are the signs visitors most often miss:

Yellow diamond with a white border: you are on a priority road and have right of way at junctions. The same diamond with a black diagonal bar means the priority ends.
Inverted red-bordered triangle: give way. With "STOP" in a red octagon, you must come to a full stop.
White circle with black diagonal stripes: the end of all previous limits. On a German Autobahn it means the recommended 130 km/h applies again, not a fixed limit.
ZTL (Zona Traffico Limitato): a white circle with a red border at the edge of many Italian historic centres, enforced by cameras. If the panel says "varco attivo", the zone is active: do not enter without a permit. The rental company passes the fine on with its own admin fee.
Umweltzone, ZFE and other low-emission zones: German cities require a green emissions sticker and French cities a Crit'Air sticker, which a car rented in another country may lack. France's zones are under political review in 2026, so check the city first.
Blue "P" with a clock or disc symbol: free parking for a limited time, if you display a parking disc. Our guide to rental car size and parking covers this.

How do motorway vignettes and tolls work?

France and Italy charge tolls by distance at toll plazas. Austria, Switzerland, Czechia and Slovenia instead require a vignette: a prepaid time pass, now mostly a digital record linked to your number plate. Driving without one leads to a fine. As of October 2026:

Austria: €9.60 for 1 day, €12.80 for 10 days, €32 for 2 months, €106.80 for a year. 1-day and 10-day vignettes bought online are valid immediately; 2-month and annual ones bought online start 18 days later. From 1 December 2026 the vignette is digital only.
Switzerland: CHF 40, annual only. The 2026 vignette runs from 1 December 2025 to 31 January 2027.
Czechia: 300 CZK for 10 days in 2026.
Slovenia: €16 for 7 days, as listed by price trackers. Confirm on the official DARS shop.

Ways to get a motorway vignette compared, October 2026
Option	Price	Availability	Flexibility	Pros	Cons
Official online shop (ASFINAG, via.admin.ch, edalnice.cz, DARS)	Official price	Any time, in English	Short vignettes valid at once; Austria delays long ones bought online by 18 days	Cheapest; no sticker to fit	You need the rental car's number plate, so you buy at pick-up
Fuel station or outlet near the border	Official price	Main border crossings; over 6,000 outlets in Austria	Valid immediately	Staff can help; no online account	Must stop before the first motorway; queues in summer
Third-party reseller website	Official price plus commission (one listed €17.50 for the Czech 10-day pass)	Any time	Varies by site	Several countries in one checkout	Costs more than buying direct
Car rented inside the country	May be included	Depends on the company	None needed	Nothing to buy	Not guaranteed; ask at the desk whether the plate is registered

Who should pick what: if you rent inside Austria, Switzerland, Czechia or Slovenia, ask the desk first; you may already be covered. If you cross into one of them, buy from the official shop once you know the number plate, or at the last fuel station before the border. Resellers make sense only if you value one checkout over the extra cost.

Frequently asked questions

Is there really no speed limit on German motorways?

Many stretches of German Autobahn have no general limit, but 130 km/h is the recommended maximum and signs set lower limits on many stretches. Outside motorways the default is 100 km/h, and 50 km/h in towns.

What is the drink-driving limit in Europe?

In most countries in this guide it is 0.5 g/l of blood alcohol for experienced drivers. Czechia allows none at all, and novice drivers face lower limits almost everywhere: 0.0 in Italy and Croatia, 0.2 in France and Portugal.

Do I need an International Driving Permit to drive in Europe?

It depends on your licence and the country. The UK government says UK photocard licence holders do not need one in the EU. Italy requires visitors with most non-EU licences to carry an International Driving Permit or a certified translation. Check the rule for each country on your route.

Which countries need a vignette instead of paying tolls?

Among popular routes, Austria, Switzerland, Czechia and Slovenia use time-based vignettes for cars. As of October 2026 Austria charges €12.80 for 10 days and Switzerland CHF 40 for a year, both sold as digital vignettes linked to the number plate.

What number do I call after an accident in Europe?

Call 112. It is the emergency number in every EU country, free from any phone with a SIM card. Then call the rental company's breakdown number, which is usually on the key fob or in the rental papers.

Where the figures come from

Checked on 13 October 2026. Official sources first; secondary sources are labelled.