Self drive vacation tips
Andy Scase, from our supplier Rediscover the World, shares his advice for fly drive vacations:
Local laws
“Take time to get used to the car before heading out on the highway and remember that some laws are slightly different, such as use of headlights, who has priority, what to do in case of a breakdown and documents you must carry at all times. Take real care at roundabouts, particularly if you are used to driving on left. Observe local road users but don't assume their actions are always legal; however, this will allow you to anticipate actions that may not be common at home. All the legal requirements will be in the car courtesy of the rental agency but it is always wise to do your homework, know what must be in the vehicle and ask the representative to show them to you.”
Using a driver
“There are huge advantages to having a driver in Morocco - your driver will know the roads and how to drive safely on them; and how much time certain routes will take in reality rather than using Google Maps. You will also get to see so much more, not just because you are not concentrating on driving but from conversations with your driver about the places you pass through and the people you may meet - this is particularly true in Morocco because your driver will bridge any cultural divides, allowing truly magical interactions with local people.”
When to drive in southern Europe
“In the Med we recommend any time from mid March through to early November, but consider mid July to mid August carefully as some roads along the coasts can be quite busy and certain ferry routes can have long queues. During this period we recommend island hopping, using our services to pre-book tickets as foot passengers, and then include private transfers where required.”
Our Self drive & fly drive Vacations
Croatia self drive vacation
A self drive discovery tour of beautiful Croatia
From
£995 to £1475
15 days
ex flights
Namibia self drive vacation, big cat conservation
Self drive trip taking in Namibia's highlights
From
£2000 to £4000
14 days
ex flights
Montenegro self drive vacation
Explore the coast and stunning interior of Montenegro.
From
£950 to £1195
15 days
ex flights
Namibia on a budget
Self drive vacation on a budget in stunning Namibia
From
£1385
11 days
ex flights
Namibia self drive safari
Stunning self-drive safari through north and south Namibia
From
£2085
17 days
ex flights
South Africa vacation
Explore Cape Town, the Winelands and the Garden Route
From
£2300 to £4500
15 days
inc UK flights
Orkney & Shetland self drive vacation, Scotland
Self-drive island-hopping through the Northern Isles
From
£800 to £925
7 days
ex flights
Self drive vacation in Northern Greece, hike & tour
Macedonia & Epirus - sightseeing & walking in ancient Greece
From
£425 to £550
8 days
ex flights
B&B self drive tour of Tasmania, meet the locals
Self-drive staying in Tasmania's most charming B&Bs
From
AU $1100 to AU $6000
14 days
ex flights
Zululand safari vacation, South Africa
Experience wildlife reserves, beaches and Zulu culture
From
£1999 to £2460
11 days
ex flights
Kwa Zulu Natal self drive South Africa vacation
South Africa's best kept secret, a must for second time visitors
From
US $6457
15 days
ex flights
Jordan self drive vacation
Be independent & explore Jordan at your own pace
From
US $1125
10 days
ex flights
Garden Route vacation, tailor made, South Africa
Wildlife, mountains & sandy beaches, adventure and people
From
£1330
12 days
ex flights
Zimbabwe & Botswana self drive vacation
Victoria Falls and incredible wildlife on self drive tour
From
US $4380
16 days
ex flights
Picos family adventure vacation, Spain
Walk, canoe & mountain bike in northern Spain
From
£1290
11 days
ex flights
Bordeaux wine tour and Bay of Arcachon vacation
Taste wines in Bordeaux and visit the Bay of Arcachon
From
€3000
10 days
ex flights
Luxury self drive vacation in New Zealand
Adventurous tailor-made tour of New Zealand's natural beauty
From
£9350
14 days
ex flights
Greece self drive vacation, Peloponnese beaches
Beach tour of the Peloponnese
From
€830 to €930
12 days
ex flights
Greece self drive vacations, Vikos' Unesco Geopark
Self drive through Athens, Parthenon & Delphi
From
€970 to €1180
11 days
ex flights
Peloponnese self drive vacation in Greece
Cultural highlights and hidden treasures in Southern Greece
From
€614 to €710
11 days
ex flights
Costa Rica self drive vacation, nature and wildlife
Explore Costa Rica on this self drive vacation
From
£2206
14 days
ex flights
Chile off the beaten track vacation
Explore a little visited part of Patagonia
From
£3723
14 days
ex flights
Self drive Cuba family vacation
Family vacation Cuba for parents & children
From
€1590 to €2990
15 days
ex flights
Luxury yurt pod accommodation in Lanzarote, with eco car
Luxury Royale Super Yurt, inc Hybrid car, pool & near beach
From
€215 to €390
per accommodation per night (sleeps 4-6)
Argentina highlights self drive vacation
self-drive exploration in Argentina’s north-west
From
£2109
14 days
ex flights
Luxury Mexico self drive vacation
The Yucatán peninsula self-drive vacation
From
£2188
11 days
ex flights
Cape Town & winelands vacation, South Africa tailormade
Explore this city, meet its people, and taste fabulous wine and food
From
£1260 to £1555
7 days
ex flights
Chile and Argentina self drive vacation
16-day self-drive vacation in Chile & Argentina
From
£2250
16 days
ex flights
Health & safety on self drive vacations
HEALTH
SAFETY
Comfort
Choose a hire car that best suits your needs. Take into consideration the amount of luggage you’ll have, whether you’ll need a 4WD for any rough roads, and what size car you are used to driving at home. Also take the weather into account. There’s no point going for a convertible if it’s going to be raining for two weeks.
Vintage American cars may seem like the classic way to get around Cuba, but in reality, they are 60 years old – and it shows. For self drive vacations, you’ll be much happier in a car with air conditioning, with windows that wind down, and that is much less likely to break down halfway round the island. A modern car is also much better for the environment. It may not be as glamorous, but you’ll be much more comfortable; save the vintage car for a city tour, for example.
You’ll usually find toilets in petrol stations though these vary in quality from country to county. They often lack toilet paper so make sure to have a couple of rolls handy. This will also be useful if you’re traveling in remote areas (the wilds of Namibia for example) and you have to go to the loo in the bush.
Vintage American cars may seem like the classic way to get around Cuba, but in reality, they are 60 years old – and it shows. For self drive vacations, you’ll be much happier in a car with air conditioning, with windows that wind down, and that is much less likely to break down halfway round the island. A modern car is also much better for the environment. It may not be as glamorous, but you’ll be much more comfortable; save the vintage car for a city tour, for example.
You’ll usually find toilets in petrol stations though these vary in quality from country to county. They often lack toilet paper so make sure to have a couple of rolls handy. This will also be useful if you’re traveling in remote areas (the wilds of Namibia for example) and you have to go to the loo in the bush.
Our top Self drive & fly drive Vacation
Croatia self drive vacation
A self drive discovery tour of beautiful Croatia
From
£995 to £1475
15 days
ex flights
Tailor made:
This trip can be tailormade throughout the year and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary
This trip can be tailormade throughout the year and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Self drive & fly drive or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
Self drive tips from our vacation reviews
At Responsible Travel, we think the best people to advise our travelers are often other travelers. They always return from our tours with packing tips, weather reports, ideas about what to do – and opinions about what not to.
We have selected some of the most useful fly drive vacation advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation – and the space inside your suitcase.
We have selected some of the most useful fly drive vacation advice that our guests have provided over the years to help you make the very most of your vacation – and the space inside your suitcase.
Driving in Cape Town was tricky but outside was good roads and little traffic. There is crime against hire cars so take care.
– Roger Pritchard, self drive vacation in South Africa
“Take a portable GPS! The directions were good as far as they went, but the Greeks seem to be very sparing with their signposts, it took us some time to find our way in and out of Ioannina (having stopped to eat and go to the bank) in both directions! We booked a guided walk at Meteora and that was definitely worth doing rather than just arriving at the monasteries by car.” – Penny Thomson, self drive vacation in Northern Greece
“There's so much to see and do but the main sights of each of the towns are easily doable in a day so moving on from place to place is good and the road links are easy. One of our party took a really good maps app on his phone that really helped in finding parking and the fine directions to each hotel. Also, unless you want to go further afield whilst in the Dubrovnik area, give the car back to the rental company as early as possible and take the bus. Traffic and parking are horrendous and expensive and the local bus services are fully geared to moving people in and out efficiently and cheaply.” – Andy Brading, Croatia self drive vacation
“If you self-drive you MUST get a GPS satellite navigation system. Road signs are few and far between and driving anywhere other than along the Interamericana Highway (route 1) would be incredibly difficult using maps. Book one in advance and make a saving on renting one locally and check that it works before you set off from the rental company. We had to change the first one we were given.” – Paul Smith, Costa Rica self drive vacation
“There's so much to see and do but the main sights of each of the towns are easily doable in a day so moving on from place to place is good and the road links are easy. One of our party took a really good maps app on his phone that really helped in finding parking and the fine directions to each hotel. Also, unless you want to go further afield whilst in the Dubrovnik area, give the car back to the rental company as early as possible and take the bus. Traffic and parking are horrendous and expensive and the local bus services are fully geared to moving people in and out efficiently and cheaply.” – Andy Brading, Croatia self drive vacation
“If you self-drive you MUST get a GPS satellite navigation system. Road signs are few and far between and driving anywhere other than along the Interamericana Highway (route 1) would be incredibly difficult using maps. Book one in advance and make a saving on renting one locally and check that it works before you set off from the rental company. We had to change the first one we were given.” – Paul Smith, Costa Rica self drive vacation
More about Self drive & fly drive
Our self drive and fly drive travel guide will prove to be the only GPS you need to explore the world, with advice as to what these trips entail and things to do, and what not to do, on self drive & fly drive vacations.
We can help you make the most of your time as well as providing highlights and tips from our self drive and fly drive experts.
Croatia’s roads are smooth and easy to navigate, getting you from historic cities to national parks to sublime coastline in a jiffy.
A self drive vacation in Cuba offers independence, flexibility and just that extra little pinch of adventure.
Whether you want to hike mountains or visit little out-of-the-way beaches, self drive vacations offer an authentic take on Greek life.
Self driving in Iceland lets you follow nature, not crowds. In summer, follow the midnight sun. In winter, head for the hills to spot the Northern Lights...
On a self drive vacation in Morocco you can take the wheel yourself or go for a more relaxing approach and travel with an English speaking driver.
Forget potholed, muddy tracks; ribbons of dead-straight, smooth tarmac criss-cross Namibia, linking its most spectacular destinations.
Navigating Romania’s roads as they cross the Carpathians from one historic region to the next is easy with route notes, local maps and overnight stays at locally owned guesthouses.
Tasmania self drive vacations help you hit the road, experience local culture and see a wide array of landscapes that envelop you.
While Slovenia’s public transport networks are pretty well sorted, driving along the snaking country roads affords the kind of freedom you can’t get on the bus - or on an organised group tour.
With great infrastructure, high quality roads and barely any traffic, a self drive vacation in Uruguay offers plenty of independence and relaxation...
Self drive vacations in Finland are about getting out into the wilderness and away from the crowds, working out your legs and soothing your soul under the gaze of the midnight sun.
With cities from London to Beijing choking on vehicle fumes, more and more people are turning to more environmentally friendly electric vehicles to get them about in their daily lives.
protection
Photo credits: [Page banner: Dino Reichmuth] [Topbox (Greece): Sergey Stoma]
[Health and safety - South Africa: AnnaKate Auten]
[Comfort: Marika Bortolami]
[Review (Cape Town): Sebastian Staines]
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