Driving in Turkey requires at least a European Union or US issued license, for those who are from countries of those respective regions. For others, an International Driver’s Permit would suffice. It goes without saying, as with driving in other foreign countries that you should always have with you your driver’s license, passport documents, insurance papers, car registration documents and other pertinent files when driving in Turkey just in case you encounter situations where they are needed. Remember that provisional licenses are not enough.
All major car hire companies in Turkey are well established in key points of the city where tourists can find them. They’re usually at airports and most major malls or public centers. To be able to rent a car, you’ll need the documents mentioned above.
Driving in Turkey, much like other European countries, is on the right. The road signs in Turkey also conform to international signage standards. For those who are sight-seeing, brown signs normally indicate an archaeological or historic site.
There’s a speed limit of 50 km/h around urban areas while 90 km/h outside. Motorways, however, have a 120 km/h speed limit. As you go along the road, it’s pretty easy to find petrol stations, most of which are open 24 hours and are usually annexed with restaurants and other shops or facilities you might need while travelling. The most available type of fuel is the unleaded petrol.
Be careful when driving in Turkey, especially at night. Some of the roads can be in poor condition, which is why accidents resulting from careless driving are common. In 2011 alone, there have been approximately 1, 200,000 road-related accidents resulting to more than 3, 800 deaths and 238,000 injuries in the country. There are lots of road constructions along the way – Turkey spends a lot on its road infrastructure.
Drink driving is illegal in the country, and you could be fined on the spot or have your license taken from you for as much as six months. Note that police officers can impose a Breathalyzer test on the spot.
A reminder worthy of note to those driving in Turkey is to be a bit more careful during Ramadan. It’s during these Holy months that many people fast between sunrise and sunset, and therefore do not eat drink, or smoke during these hours. This means that a lot of locals might not feel too healthy while driving, so you need to be a bit more careful when driving. Conversely, the holidays in Turkey will result to more vacation traffic, so you need to be extra careful during these seasons as well.
Aside from all that, driving in Turkey is pretty much like what one would experience on the European roads. Just keep in mind the typical rules and practices of safety in driving: always wear your seat belt, don’t drink and drive, and bring your documents with you at all times. If you plan all your trips right and go prepared, you’ll be fine and be able to freely explore the sights of this country without any hassles at all.
Summary
| Driving in Turkey requires at least a European Union or US issued license. An International Driver’s Permit is required if not. |
| You should always have your driver’s license, passport documents, insurance papers, car registration documents and other pertinent files with you when driving. |
| The road signs in Turkey conform to international signage standards. |
| There’s a speed limit of 50 km/h around urban areas while 90 km/h outside. Motorways, however, have a 120 km/h speed limit. |
| Drink driving is illegal. |