Drive on the left
Good to knowAll UK roads use left-hand traffic. Speed limits in mph. National speed limit on single-carriageway roads is 60 mph, motorway 70 mph.
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Country driving guide · 2026
Driving in United Kingdom
Everything UK and EU drivers need before crossing the border into United Kingdom: 2 legal requirements + 5 other things worth knowing.
2
Required
0
Recommended
5
Good to know
Tick before you go
Pre-departure checklist for United Kingdom
2 legal must-haves. Print it, tick them off, throw it in the glovebox.
London ULEZ
£12.50/day to drive a non-compliant car in London. Diesel cars older than 2015, petrol older than 2005, are typically non-compliant. Check your registration on the TFL site.
Source: Check your vehicle →Bringing pets back into GB
Returning pets need a microchip, rabies vaccination, and a tapeworm treatment (dogs) given 24–120 hours before arrival. Use a GB Pet Health Certificate or EU pet passport issued in GB.
Source: gov.uk: pet travel →
Driving rules
Smart motorways + average-speed cameras
Good to knowMany UK motorways use overhead gantry speed limits and average-speed enforcement between cameras. Treat every red-X lane as closed: driving in one is a £100 + 3 points fine.
gov.uk: smart motorwaysEmissions / low-emission zones
London ULEZ
Required£12.50/day to drive a non-compliant car in London. Diesel cars older than 2015, petrol older than 2005, are typically non-compliant. Check your registration on the TFL site.
Check your vehicleClean Air Zones
Good to knowBirmingham, Bath, Bristol, Portsmouth, Sheffield, and Newcastle all have CAZs. Charges only apply to non-compliant vehicles: most modern cars pass.
Tolls
UK fixed crossings
Good to knowDartford Crossing (£2.50, pay online within 24h or get a £35 fine), Mersey Gateway (£2), M6 Toll (£7-£9), Tyne Tunnel, Tamar Bridge. Severn Crossing is now free.
Dart ChargeMoney
Returning to UK: duty-free allowance
Good to knowPer person: 18 litres still wine + 4 litres spirits (or 9 litres sparkling/fortified) + 200 cigarettes or 250g tobacco + £390 of other goods. Declare anything above and pay duty.
gov.uk: customs allowanceDocuments
Bringing pets back into GB
RequiredReturning pets need a microchip, rabies vaccination, and a tapeworm treatment (dogs) given 24–120 hours before arrival. Use a GB Pet Health Certificate or EU pet passport issued in GB.
gov.uk: pet travelPlan your United Kingdom road trip
We'll build the itinerary, estimate fuel + tolls, and show EV chargers along the route, and this checklist appears automatically on every trip that crosses into United Kingdom.
Start planning →Popular destinations in United Kingdom
Places to add to your United Kingdom road trip.
Indicative budget
Rough cost for 1,000 km in United Kingdom
A back-of-the-envelope estimate for a typical petrol car at 40 UK mpg, with 800 km of motorway driving. Real fuel prices move monthly: treat this as a ballpark.
Fuel
€122
~70.6 L · 1,000 km @ 40 mpg
Tolls
€0
800 km of motorways
Vignette
—
Not required
Total estimate
€122
1,000 km road trip
Don't get caught out
Watch out for these
London ULEZ
Required£12.50/day to drive a non-compliant car in London. Diesel cars older than 2015, petrol older than 2005, are typically non-compliant. Check your registration on the TFL site.
Check your vehicle →On the way home
Returning to the UK
Returning to UK: duty-free allowance
Per person: 18 litres still wine + 4 litres spirits (or 9 litres sparkling/fortified) + 200 cigarettes or 250g tobacco + £390 of other goods. Declare anything above and pay duty.
gov.uk: customs allowance →