A left hand drive car in traffic with red brake lights illuminated.
A left hand drive car in traffic with red brake lights illuminated.

Driving on the left or right – guide to travelling across the world

Barney Cotton

Barney Cotton

Consumer Editor

6 minute read|22nd Jun 2026

If you are looking to travel the globe, then you may want to get behind the wheel to see more of your destination.

Therefore, it is essential to know which side of the road you need to drive on.

In this travel advice guide, we look at all the countries in the world and whether they drive on the left or the right.

Orange Vauxhall Astra on back of yellow tow truck being driven through a street.
Orange Vauxhall Astra on back of yellow tow truck being driven through a street.

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*Price is based on European comprehensive breakdown cover for a 14 day trip, in a vehicle up to 1 year old, travelling in zone 1.

*Price is based on European comprehensive breakdown cover for a 14 day trip, in a vehicle up to 1 year old, travelling in zone 1.

Which countries drive on the left?

Many countries drive on the left across the world, a pattern rooted largely in British influence over the last two centuries.

The United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka all follow left‑hand traffic.

Looking at the rest of the world, much of Southeast Asia also drives on the left, including Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia.

In Africa, nations such as South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda keep left as well.

Several Caribbean countries. like Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago, also stay to this side.

Which countries drive on the right?

If you are looking to driver overseas, then it is important to know that most of the world drives on the right, including nearly all of Europe, the Americas, and Asia.

The United States and Canada follow right‑hand traffic, as do Mexico and every Central and South American country except Guyana and Suriname.

Looking at continental Europe, from France and Germany to Italy, Spain, and the Nordic nations, they all keep to the right, with the notable exception of the UK, Malta, and Ireland.

Further afield, China, Russia, and most Middle Eastern countries drive on the right as well.

And in Africa, most of the nations follow this system, apart from a cluster of countries in the south and east.

Map of the world – do they drive on the left or the right?

Around a third of the world drives on the left-hand side of the road, including the United Kingdom.

This map below demonstrates the divide across the world. The countries that drive on the left are marked in orange, while the nations that drive on the right are marked in blue.

map of the world with left and right hand drive

Orange Vauxhall Astra on back of yellow tow truck being driven through a street.
Orange Vauxhall Astra on back of yellow tow truck being driven through a street.

European breakdown cover from £3.57 a day*

Instant cover available

  • 24/7 rescue at the roadside
  • Help to get home if your vehicle can't be fixed
  • 5 star Defaqto rated cover
Buy European breakdown cover

*Price is based on European comprehensive breakdown cover for a 14 day trip, in a vehicle up to 1 year old, travelling in zone 1.

*Price is based on European comprehensive breakdown cover for a 14 day trip, in a vehicle up to 1 year old, travelling in zone 1.

Driving in Europe

driving_in_europe_AdobeStock_292301404_Editorial_Use_Only_edited.jpg

Here are all the countries in Europe and whether they drive on the left (L) or on the right (R):

Albania – R

Andorra – R

Armenia – R

Austria – R

Azerbaijan – R

Belarus – R

Belgium – R

Bosnia and Herzegovina – R

Bulgaria – R

Croatia – R

Cyprus – L

Czech Republic – R

Denmark – R

Estonia – R

Finland – R

France – R

Georgia – R

Germany – R

Greece – R

Hungary – R

Iceland – R

Ireland – L

Italy – R

Kosovo – R

Latvia – R

Liechtenstein – R

Lithuania – R

Luxembourg – R

Malta – L

Moldova – R

Monaco – R

Montenegro – R

Netherlands – R

North Macedonia – R

Norway – R

Poland – R

Portugal – R

Romania – R

Russia – R

San Marino – R

Serbia – R

Slovakia – R

Slovenia – R

Spain – R

Sweden – R

Switzerland – R

Turkey – R

Ukraine – R

United Kingdom – L

Read more: Which European countries have left-hand drive?

Driving in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean

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Here are all the countries across this region and whether they drive on the left (L) or on the right (R):

Antigua and Barbuda – L

Bahamas – L

Barbados – L

Belize – R

Canada – R

Costa Rica – R

Cuba – R

Dominica – L

Dominican Republic – R

El Salvador – R

Grenada – L

Guatemala – R

Haiti – R

Honduras – R

Jamaica – L

Mexico – R

Nicaragua – R

Panama – R

Saint Kitts and Nevis – L

Saint Lucia – L

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – L

Trinidad and Tobago – L

United States of America – R

Driving in South America

driving_in_south_amerca_AdobeStock_1128474624_edited.jpg

Here are all the countries across South America and whether they drive on the left (L) or on the right (R):

Argentina – R

Bolivia – R

Brazil – R

Chile – R

Colombia – R

Ecuador – R

Guyana – L

Paraguay – R

Peru – R

Suriname – L

Uruguay – R

Venezuela – R

Orange Vauxhall Astra on back of yellow tow truck being driven through a street.
Orange Vauxhall Astra on back of yellow tow truck being driven through a street.

European breakdown cover from £3.57 a day*

Instant cover available

  • 24/7 rescue at the roadside
  • Help to get home if your vehicle can't be fixed
  • 5 star Defaqto rated cover
Buy European breakdown cover

*Price is based on European comprehensive breakdown cover for a 14 day trip, in a vehicle up to 1 year old, travelling in zone 1.

*Price is based on European comprehensive breakdown cover for a 14 day trip, in a vehicle up to 1 year old, travelling in zone 1.

Driving in Africa

driving_in_africa_AdobeStock_545710635_edited.jpg

Here are all the countries across the continent of Africa and whether they drive on the left (L) or on the right (R):

Algeria – R

Angola – R

Benin – R

Botswana – L

Burkina Faso – R

Burundi – R

Cape Verde – R

Cameroon – R

Central African Republic – R

Chad – R

Comoros – R

Democratic Republic of the Congo – R

Djibouti – R

Egypt – R

Equatorial Guinea – R

Eritrea – R

Eswatini – L

Ethiopia – R

Gabon – R

Gambia – R

Ghana – R

Guinea – R

Guinea-Bissau – R

Ivory Coast – R

Kenya – L

Lesotho – L

Liberia – R

Libya – R

Madagascar – R

Malawi – L

Mali – R

Mauritania – R

Mauritius – L

Morocco – R

Mozambique – L

Namibia – L

Niger – R

Nigeria – R

Republic of the Congo – R

Rwanda – R

São Tomé and Príncipe – R

Senegal – R

Seychelles – L

Sierra Leone – R

Somalia – R

South Africa – L

South Sudan – R

Sudan – R

Tanzania – L

Togo – R

Tunisia – R

Uganda – L

Zambia – L

Driving in the Middle East

saudi_arabia_AdobeStock_334272046_edited.jpg

Here are all the countries across the Middle East and whether they drive on the left (L) or on the right (R):

Afghanistan – R

Bahrain – R

Cyprus – L

Egypt – R

Iran – R

Iraq – R

Israel – R

Jordan – R

Kuwait – R

Lebanon – R

Oman – R

Palestine – R

Qatar – R

Saudi Arabia – R

Syria – R

Turkey – R

United Arab Emirates – R

Yemen – R

Orange Vauxhall Astra on back of yellow tow truck being driven through a street.
Orange Vauxhall Astra on back of yellow tow truck being driven through a street.

European breakdown cover from £3.57 a day*

Instant cover available

  • 24/7 rescue at the roadside
  • Help to get home if your vehicle can't be fixed
  • 5 star Defaqto rated cover
Buy European breakdown cover

*Price is based on European comprehensive breakdown cover for a 14 day trip, in a vehicle up to 1 year old, travelling in zone 1.

*Price is based on European comprehensive breakdown cover for a 14 day trip, in a vehicle up to 1 year old, travelling in zone 1.

Driving in Central Asia

india_AdobeStock_316640554_edited.jpg

Below are all the central Asian nations and whether they drive on the left (L) or right (R).

Bangladesh – L

Bhutan – R

India – L

Kazakhstan – R

Kyrgyzstan – R

Pakistan – L

Sri Lanka – L

Tajikistan – R

Turkmenistan – R

Uzbekistan – R

Driving in East Asia

japan_AdobeStock_265684225_edited.jpg

Here are all the nations across the East Asian and whether they drive on the left (L) or on the right (R):

China – R

Japan – L

Mongolia – R

North Korea – R

South Korea – R

Taiwan – R

Driving in South Asia

southeast_asia_AdobeStock_273020838_edited.jpg

Here are all the nations across the Southeast Asian and whether they drive on the left (L) or on the right (R):

Brunei – L

Cambodia – R

Indonesia – L

Laos – R

Malaysia – L

Maldives – R

Myanmar – R

Philippines – R

Singapore – L

Thailand – L

Timor‑Leste – L

Vietnam – R

Driving in Oceania

australia_AdobeStock_377451882_edited.jpg

Below are the Oceanic countries and whether they drive on the left (L) or right (R).

Australia – L

Fiji – L

Kiribati – L

Marshall Islands – R

Micronesia (Federated States of) – R

Nauru – L

New Zealand – L

Palau – R

Papua New Guinea – L

Samoa – L

Solomon Islands – L

Tonga – L

Tuvalu – L

Vanuatu – R

Orange Vauxhall Astra on back of yellow tow truck being driven through a street.
Orange Vauxhall Astra on back of yellow tow truck being driven through a street.

European breakdown cover from £3.57 a day*

Instant cover available

  • 24/7 rescue at the roadside
  • Help to get home if your vehicle can't be fixed
  • 5 star Defaqto rated cover
Buy European breakdown cover

*Price is based on European comprehensive breakdown cover for a 14 day trip, in a vehicle up to 1 year old, travelling in zone 1.

*Price is based on European comprehensive breakdown cover for a 14 day trip, in a vehicle up to 1 year old, travelling in zone 1.

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