Woman driving a car.

10 Countries You’ll Love and Hate Driving In

Road trips are a unique experience, perfect for self-discovery and creating cherished memories with loved ones. But taking that adventure overseas adds an entirely new dimension.

A study by Compare the Market revealed the best and worst countries for driving abroad. The United States made the list, but which side of the lane did it fall on?

Determining Driving Quality

Winding road in Wisconsin.
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Compare the Market used six factors to determine the best and worst places to drive abroad across dozens of countries tourists commonly road trip through. They are as follows:

  • Car rental cost
  • Congestion levels
  • Petrol prices
  • Road accidents
  • Road trip search volume
  • Road quality

It’s time to pack your bags; these are Compare the Market’s five best countries for driving internationally.

1: Spain

Park Guell in Barcelona.
Photo Credit: Mapics via stock.adobe.com.

Whether you plan on renting a car to take day trips from Madrid, driving along Costa Brava, or going back in time to explore Spain’s Moorish past in Andalucia, here’s the good news: Spain is the best country for driving abroad, according to Compare the Market’s findings. Renting a car is economical there, and Spain has the ninth-lowest number of road accidents.

2: Canada

Spirit Island in Jasper, Alberta, Canada.
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Calling all nature lovers! From Icefields Parkway in Alberta to the Irish Loop in Newfoundland, Canada offers an array of scenic views for road trippers. The best news? You likely won’t have to share the road with many people, for Canada has the fourth-lowest congestion levels of the countries studied.

3: United States

Convertible with American flag.
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From sea to shining sea, Americans don’t need to go abroad to find a great country for road-tripping. The US has a massive road trip search volume, at 19,200 searches per year, helping the Land of the Free land in second place. My recommendation? Drive your own car; high car rental costs were one of the factors preventing the US from ranking higher on this list.

4: United Kingdom

Telephone booth in London.
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Across the pond, the UK comes in respectable fourth place as a country ideal for driving abroad. It outperformed the US in road trip search volume, with 19,800 searches per year. That said, it takes an average of 36.3 minutes to drive 10 kilometers (6.21 miles), making the UK the most probable place travelers will get stuck in traffic of the countries that Compare the Market surveyed.

5: Portugal

Trolly in Lisbon.
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Travelers wanting to road trip their way through Portugal as they try Portuguese egg custard tarts will be glad to know that Portugal ranks as the fifth-best country for driving abroad. It comes in fourth place for good road quality and is the fifth cheapest option for car rentals.

Worst Countries for Driving Abroad

Pothole in a road.
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Stash away some extra cash and tighten your seatbelt; these are the worst countries for driving abroad, according to Compare the Market.

1: Serbia

Viewpoint at Banjska Stena Rock in Serbia.
Photo Credit: Kokhanchikov via stock.adobe.com.

Serbia clocks in as the worst country for travelers wanting to drive abroad. The small European nation has the second-lowest search volume for road trips and the second-worst road quality of the countries surveyed. That said, it’s worth cutting Serbia some slack; Compare the Market wasn’t able to gather data on the country’s congestion levels.

2: Romania

Brasov cityscape in Romania.
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Romania has its fair share of unflattering statistics for tourists considering driving through its cities and countryside. It ranks last for road quality and has 10.29 road accidents per 100,000 people, which is the second-highest number on this list.

3: Belgium

Ghent, Belgium.
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Travelers on a budget would be wise to travel by bus or train in Belgium, for car rentals are the fifth-highest of the countries that Compare the Market studied. Furthermore, it has significant congestion levels, taking 25.5 minutes to travel 10 kilometers (6.21 miles). Needless to say, you’re likely better off taking a train from Brussels to Antwerp; the approximately 34-mile drive will only take you around 45 minutes by train.

4: Greece

Zakynthos Island, Greece.
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You might want to think twice about driving in Greece, for it has the fourth-highest number of road accidents and the sixth-highest gas prices. However, with car rental prices being the second lowest of the countries studied, you could end up saving money. The best part? You can take your car on a ferry to many of the Greek islands. 

5: Hungary

Parliament view through Fishermans Bastion in Budapest.
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Hungary isn’t the worst country for driving abroad, but given that it has the fourth-worst road quality, you might be better off not adding to the low 140 annual search volume for road trips there. If you have your tourist sights set on Budapest, you can easily get around on foot and by public transportation. For exploration in other parts of the country, hop on a bus or train.

Traveling Without ATM Fees

Woman at an ATM.
Photo Credit: HappyAlex via stock.adobe.com.

How does never paying an ATM fee when driving abroad sound? Discover the trick to doing just that from a traveler who’s saved hundreds of dollars in ATM fees.

How To Never Pay an ATM Fee Abroad

25 Most Dangerous Cities in the World

Woman walking down a dark alley.
Photo Credit: sonyachny via stock.adobe.com.

You may not need to travel as far as you might think to visit one of the world’s most dangerous cities. Two American cities make the list. Do you know which ones they are?

25 Most Dangerous Cities in the World

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